English LCCC Newsbulletin For Lebanese, Lebanese Related, Global News
& Editorials
For March 21/2026
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
#elias_bejjani_news
The Bulletin's Link on the
lccc Site
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/aaaanewsfor2026/english.march21.26.htm
News Bulletin Achieves Since
2006
Click Here to enter the LCCC Arabic/English news bulletins Achieves since 2006
Click On
The Below Link To Join Elias Bejjaninews whatsapp group
https://chat.whatsapp.com/FPF0N7lE5S484LNaSm0MjW
اضغط
على الرابط في
أعلى للإنضمام
لكروب
Eliasbejjaninews whatsapp group
Elias Bejjani/Click on
the below link to subscribe to my youtube channel
الياس
بجاني/اضغط
على الرابط في
أسفل للإشتراك في
موقعي ع اليوتيوب
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAOOSioLh1GE3C1hp63Camw
Bible Quotations For today
Jesus sighed and said to the deaf man, ‘Ephphatha’,
that is, ‘Be opened.’ And immediately his ears were opened, his tongue was
released, and he spoke plainly
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Mark
07/31-37:”Then he returned from the region of Tyre, and went by way of Sidon
towards the Sea of Galilee, in the region of the Decapolis. They brought to him
a deaf man who had an impediment in his speech; and they begged him to lay his
hand on him. He took him aside in private, away from the crowd, and put his
fingers into his ears, and he spat and touched his tongue. Then looking up to
heaven, he sighed and said to him, ‘Ephphatha’, that is, ‘Be opened.’ And
immediately his ears were opened, his tongue was released, and he spoke plainly.
Then Jesus ordered them to tell no one; but the more he ordered them, the more
zealously they proclaimed it. They were astounded beyond measure, saying, ‘He
has done everything well; he even makes the deaf to hear and the mute to
speak.’”.”
Titles For The Latest English LCCC
Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published
on March 20-210/2026
Is Berri an Israeli Agent/Elias Bejjani/March 20/2026
St. Joseph’s Day Annual/Elias Bejjani/March 20/2026
For the Sake of the Church, the Maronites, and Lebanon: Patriarch AlRai Must
Resign... His Presence is an Absence, and His Absence Would Be a Blessing/Elias
Bejjan/March 17/2026
Video link of a distinguished interview with the distinguished and sovereignist
par excellence: The writer and director Youssef Y. Al-Khoury
Main Headlines of the files addressed by Youssef Al-Khoury in his interview with
the Al-Siyassa website/Transcription, summary, and drafting by Elias Bejjani
with absolute freedom
FULL REMARKS: Trump Issues MAJOR Warning on Iran War | “It’ll Last As Long As
Needed” | AC15
Video-Link to A report from CBN/Strikes, Spies Weakening Iran From Within &
Without
Video-Link from Fox News/Retired four-star Army Gen. Jack Keane assesses the
ongoing Operation Epic Fury against Iran on 'Fox & Friends
Video-Link/Hussain Abdul-Hussain on Saudi Arabia threatening military action
against Iran – i24 News
Video-Link/FDD Executive Director Jonathan Schanzer
Video-Link From The Times of Israel/Caroline Glick: Why we went back to war in
Iran
US slaps sanctions on global
Hezbollah financial network
US ambassador urges Lebanon to pursue direct talks with Israel/How else will you
reach a solution? It will not come from God,” Issa said.
IDF Strikes Key Bridges Over Lebanon’s Litani
River Used by Hezbollah
UAE says arrested 'financial' operatives linked to Iran, Hezbollah
Israeli jets strike southern towns, causing injuries
Disaster Risk Management Unit: 134,616 Displaced in Shelters, 1,021 Dead and
2,641 Injured
Daily Report on the Aggression: Death Toll Rises to 1,021
Israeli Army: We Destroyed More Than 2,000 Targets in Lebanon
UAE Dismantles Network Linked to Hezbollah and Iran… Lebanon Condemns and
Affirms Cooperation
Israeli Incursion Attempts in Labouneh and Heavy Bombardment Target Nabatieh and
Marjayoun
Hezbollah Targets Israeli Forces in 6 Border Villages; Israeli Army Says It Hit
Over 2,000 Targets
Washington Targets “Hamieh Financial Empire”: Sanctions on 16 Individuals and
Entities for Financing Hezbollah
Lebanese Presidential Solidarity with Kuwait
Foreign Ministry Condemns Hezbollah’s Involvement in UAE Plot
Threat and Incitement Campaign Targets Activist Ahmad Ismail
'War has aged us': Lebanon's kids aren't alright
Aoun calls for truce as French minister visits Lebanon and Israel
Israeli warplanes break sound barrier over Beirut
'War has aged us': Lebanon's kids aren't alright
Naim Qassem says Hezbollah will continue fighting Israel, frames war as defense
of Lebanon/David Daoud/FDD's Long War Journal/March 20/2026
West Bloomfield terror attack highlights Hezbollah connections within Shiite
Lebanese community in US/Dr. Emanuele Ottolenghi/FDD's Long War Journal/March
20/2026
The War on Hezbollah-The Iranian Terrorist Proxy Continues/LCCC website
The just war being waged by the United States and Israel against Iran and its
proxies—devils, terrorists, drug traffickers, and mafia networks—continues
relentlessly and will not stop before their complete defeat.
links to several important news websites
Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous
Reports And News published
on March 20-210/2026
Israel says struck Syrian army camps after Druze 'attacked'
US could ‘take out’ Iran’s Kharg Island any time: White House
Trump rules out imminent ceasefire with Iran: ‘I think we’ve won’
Trump: Iran needs 10 years to rebuild what was destroyed, regime change not
priority
Trump calls NATO ‘cowards’ over lack of support in Iran war
Iran’s Khamenei says enemy ‘defeated’ in written Nowruz message...He is yet to
appear in public after being named supreme leader
UK approves US use of British bases to strike Iran missile sites targeting ships
US military officials submit plans for deployment of American ground forces into
Iran: CBS
Iraq declares force majeure on foreign-operated oilfields over Hormuz
disruption: Sources
Qatar’s energy boss says he had warned of dangers of provoking Iran
NATO says Iraq mission relocated to Europe
War in the Middle East: Latest developments
Report: Trump mulls risky Kharg Island takeover to force Iran to open strait
Trump rules out Iran truce as more Marines head to Middle East
10 major Iranian naval targets struck in Operation Epic Fury
IRAN WAR UPDATE: Airstrike kills Iranian general after he said war will go on;
Iran threatens world tourism sites
Deepfakes on the Front Lines: Iran’s AI Disinformation Campaign
News of the ongoing war between Iran on one side and the US and Israel on the
other.
links to several television channels and newspapers
Titles For The Latest English LCCC analysis &
editorials from miscellaneous sources published
on March 20-210/2026
Question: Did Jesus go to hell between His death and resurrection?/GotQuestions.org/March
20/2026
There’s Only One Path to Victory in Iran/Mark Montgomery/The New York
Times/March 19, 2026
Operation Roaring Lion Is Rewriting the Rules of War Against Iran/Mark Dubowitz/FDD-Policy
Brief/March 20/2026
Yemen, the unfinished business America ignores at its peril/Edmund Fitton-Brown
and Bridget Toomey/Washington Examiner/March 20/2026
Japanese Prime Minister Looks To Balance Regional Issues With Iran War During
Meeting/Jack Burnham/FDD-Policy Brief/March 20/2026
US and Israel strike more military targets, plus Iran’s leadership, repression
units, and energy sites (March 17-18 updates)
Pakistan: Exponentiating Persecution of Religious Minorities/Uzay Bulut/Gatestone
Institute/March 20/2026
The UAE Will Not Be Bullied by Iran — Nor Derailed From Peace/Robert Williams/Gatestone
Institute/March 20/2026
on March 20-210/2026
Is Berri an Israeli Agent
Elias Bejjani/March 20/2026
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2026/03/152891/
Berri’s refusal to appoint a Shiite representative to the negotiation committee
with Israel in a bid to put an end to the war and finish his main enemy
Hezbollah, save the shiites community and Lebanon, is a carte blanche for Israel
to kill Shiites, displace them, destroy their areas, and humiliate them. Is he
an agent, Especially since he recognized The State of Israel Israel in the
pro-Israeli maritime agreement.?
St.
Joseph’s Day Annual عيد ما يوسف البتول
Elias Bejjani (From 2011 Archives)
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2026/03/73094/
The Feast of Saint Joseph the Virgin, celebrated annually on March 19, holds
deep spiritual and familial significance, particularly for our Bejjani family,
Youssef, a name we have proudly carried for generations. On this blessed
anniversary, we implore God and His angels to protect our beloved son Youssef
and our grandson Joseph, both of whom bear this holy name.
This sacred feast is an important occasion in the Maronite-Roman Catholic
tradition, honoring the life of Saint Joseph, the esteemed stepfather of Jesus
and the chaste spouse of the Virgin Mary. Among devout believers, particularly
the Lebanese Maronites, March 19 is not only a day of commemoration but is also
regarded as the birthday of Saint Joseph. His life, characterized by devotion,
obedience, humility, and unwavering faith, serves as a guiding light for
countless families who hold him in deep reverence.
In Lebanon, Saint Joseph is venerated as the patron saint of families, admired
for his exemplary role as a devoted husband and father. His life embodies faith,
honesty, generosity, and tireless dedication—virtues long cherished and
practiced by Lebanese families and deeply rooted within our own family values.
Saint Joseph’s divine mission was of the utmost importance; entrusted by God
with the care of Jesus Christ and the Virgin Mary, he fulfilled his
responsibilities with deep love, dedication, and selflessness. As the earthly
guardian of the Holy Family, he exemplified loyalty and an unshakable commitment
to his divine calling, making him a timeless symbol of fatherhood, protection,
and faith.
As we honor Saint Joseph today, we reflect on the virtues he embodied—his
humility, strength, and steadfast devotion to carrying out God’s will. May his
legacy continue to inspire us to fulfill our paternal and pastoral roles within
our families and communities, striving to emulate his unwavering faith, love,
and selflessness. On this holy and blessed day, we
offer prayers of gratitude and supplication to the Lord for all His gifts and
blessings. We extend our heartfelt blessings to all who bear the name Joseph,
praying that they follow in the footsteps of our beloved saint and uphold his
virtuous example in their lives.
For the Sake of the Church, the Maronites, and Lebanon: Patriarch AlRai
Must Resign... His Presence is an Absence, and His Absence Would Be a Blessing
Elias Bejjan/March 17/2026
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2026/03/152839/
In its long history, our Maronite Church has never known a Patriarch so detached
and estranged from it, from the Maronites, and from bearing witness to the
truth—nor one so lacking in leadership capabilities as is, unfortunately, the
case with Patriarch Bechara AlRai.
Since his election—which was shrouded in suspicion and sparked hundreds of
questions regarding its motives—he has exhibited a pattern of detachment and
ingratitude. This began with his international tours following his election,
during which he marketed Bashar al-Assad's regime as a "protector" of
Christians. It continued with his disgraceful visit to Syria Al Assad—a move his
distinguished predecessor, Patriarch Sfeir, had steadfastly refused to make—and
extended to the scandal surrounding Walid Ghayad’s palace. This is in addition
to his persistent sycophancy toward Hezbollah, his weak will and leadership, his
unfortunate choice of faithless advisors, and his overall state of confusion and
flimsy, fluctuating stances... the list goes on and on.
For these reasons and many others, His Beatitude is called upon to resign, if
indeed he still adheres to the vows of obedience, poverty, and chastity. The
truth is that his presence is effectively an absence, and his absence would
undoubtedly be a blessing.
Video link of a distinguished interview with the
distinguished and sovereignist par excellence: The writer and director Youssef
Y. Al-Khoury
A deep and visionary national reading of the accelerating events in Lebanon,
regarding the inevitability of eliminating Hezbollah, putting its members on
trial, and dismantling its structure and institutions; the imposition of peace
between Lebanon and Israel; the fate of Christians in the South; Hezbollah's
cartoonish heroics; and the replication of the Aoun era of the Amin Gemayel era
regarding the May 17 Agreement and the recent ceasefire agreement.
**The interview was
conducted from the "Al-Siyassa" website on YouTube by the journalist KLara Jeha
on March 19, 2026.
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2026/03/152915/
Main Headlines of the files addressed by Youssef Al-Khoury
in his interview with the Al-Siyassa website
Transcription, summary, and drafting by Elias Bejjani with absolute freedom
March 20, 2026
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2026/03/152915/
*What is apparent so far is that the era of President Joseph Aoun is replicating
the practices of the era of President Amin Gemayel regarding everything related
to the recent ceasefire agreement and the international resolutions that impose
stripping Hezbollah of its weapons and dismantling its structure; Aoun by his
hesitation and lack of decisiveness, he is repeating the fate of the May 17
Agreement, which Gemayel refused to sign and played the politics of bargaining,
thereby failing and causing the agreement to fail.
*The Christian presence in the South is what determines its fate and Lebanese
identity; either they stay and it remains Lebanese, or they are forced to leave,
and the South becomes Israeli, exactly like the fate of the Golan Heights.
*It is both surprising and reprehensible that the Lebanese Army and UNIFIL
forces are not stationed in the Southern Christian towns and villages to protect
and assist their residents.
*Anyone who equates the Christians of the South with Hezbollah and its
supporters is mistaken and committing a crime against them; they are Lebanese to
the core and their cause is purely Lebanese, whereas the cause and project of
Hezbollah and its followers—whoever they may be—are enemies of Lebanon,
executing the orders of the Persian Vali-e Faqih.
*Hezbollah’s aggressions against Christians in the South, and its criminal
insistence on launching "Kornet" missiles from their towns against Israel, prove
that this terroprist-Jihadist gang harbors hatred toward them and seeks to
forcibly displace them.
*The emptying of the town of "Alma al-Shaab" of its Christian inhabitants was
not by Israeli order, but as reported, by orders from the Lebanese Army, UNIFIL
and even the Mechanism Committee. The town's mayor demands securing the return
of its people.
*Israel refuses to negotiate with Lebanon or respond to President Aoun's peace
initiative because the agreement was established through the ceasefire and
commitment to Resolution 1701 "Plus," and Lebanon (signed by Mikati government
and Nabih Berri) did not adhere to what was signed on.
*Is there anyone to explain to the Lebanese what the plan of the State, the
Army, and UNIFIL is to protect Christians in the South? The people of "Rmeich"
arrested a Hezbollah member attempting to fire a Kornet missile from their town
at Israel and handed him over to the Army... the Army released him and told the
residents not to interfere in military affairs.
*Why do the Army and UNIFIL forces not enter Christian towns and villages to
protect them and support the steadfastness of their people?
*Hezbollah—the "100% Iranian terrorist" entity—has led Lebanon to a state of
humiliation before Israel, noting that it is finished, and all its resistance
and "heroics" are merely acoustic and cartoonish.
*Hezbollah does not deal with the Christians in the South as fellow citizens,
but as enemies, working to displace them through force and terrorism.
*The salvation and liberation of Lebanon require the arrest and trial of
Hezbollah leaders and members, the confiscation of their funds and property, and
the dismantling of the party's structure in all its forms: civil, financial,
military, media, and educational.
*It is required to prevent any individual affiliated with Hezbollah, or any
collaborator or supporter, from being given any opportunity for media
appearance.
*Hezbollah was never a "resistance," nor did it liberate the South, nor does it
practically represent the patriotic Shiites; rather, it takes them hostage,
kidnaps them, and works under Iranian orders to impoverish them, displace them,
kill their youth, and humiliate them. How else can we explain its joy,
indifference, and blessing of the displacement of nearly a million of them and
the killing of hundreds?
*The region is entering the inevitable "Abrahamic Peace" phase based on the
balance of power, while the rulers in Lebanon are confused, lacking vision,
living in a state of loss, fear, and hesitation, sycophantically flattering
Berri and Hezbollah, even though Hezbollah is finished and its existence is
merely cartoonish and formal. All its threats are hallucinations and illusions,
especially regarding civil war.
*The heroics of Michel Aoun in the battle of "Souk al-Gharb" promoted by the
Aoun-Bassil party mouthpieces are a bundle of lies and imaginary fabrications;
may God have mercy on Commander Ibrahim Tannous, the real hero, along with
General Tahan, may God grant him a long life.
*One of the tragedies of the Christians in the South is that Gebran Bassil
linked some of them commercially (Business) to Hezbollah, which caused and
continues to cause a state of national and sovereign loss.
*We ask: Why has the State of Israel not yet investigated the killing of Priest
Pierre al-Rai and the killing of three individuals from Ain Ebel?
*The Maronite Church is absent from the suffering and steadfastness of
Christians in the South; in the same context, neither the Church nor the
Christian parties have taken up or adopted the just cause of our people who were
forced to seek refuge in Israel in the year 2000.
رابط فيديو وقائع المؤتمر الصحفي للرئيس ترامب..اليوم
FULL REMARKS: Trump Issues MAJOR Warning on Iran War | “It’ll Last As Long As
Needed” | AC15
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gWIM79o56Rc
U.S. President Donald Trump participated in the prestigious Commander-in-Chief
Trophy Presentation in Washington, D.C., honoring the top U.S. service academy
football team. The annual tradition celebrates excellence, discipline, and
rivalry among the nation’s military academies, highlighting the achievements of
student-athletes representing the United States Armed Forces.
DWS News/March 20/2026
Video-Link to A report from CBN/Strikes, Spies Weakening
Iran From Within & Without
CBN News/ March 20, 2026
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lpaJYUrqY3M
As the relentless US and Israeli military strikes decimate the
Iranian military, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says Iran can no
longer enrich uranium and produce ballistic missiles – but Iran pushes back and
says it is still turning out missiles; news report says Iranian citizens are
providing tips against Islamic regime officials to Israeli intelligence; US
employing some of its most advanced bunker-busting bombs in Iran; investigators
reportedly expanding probe into alleged ties between UNRWA employees and Hamas,
including possible connections to the October 7 attacks; how God protected a US
church group while they were visiting Israel when Iran attacked, and then one of
the youngest members of that group when there was a domestic terrorist attack at
her campus of Old Dominion University; South Korean pastor Hyun-bo Son, who
spent time behind bars for speaking out against the government, is now out on
probation, as his case has raised concerns about the erosion of religious
liberty in South Korea; and Efrem Graham talks to Ryan Gosling, the star of the
major new science fiction film out today, “Project Hail Mary,” along with the
writers and directors; the film is based on the popular science fiction novel of
the same name.
Video-Link from Fox News/Retired four-star Army Gen. Jack
Keane assesses the ongoing Operation Epic Fury against Iran on 'Fox & Friends
Gen. Keane: This is a 'HUGE BACKFIRE'
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f-bpos_p5Y4
Fox News/March 20/2026
Video-Link/Hussain Abdul-Hussain on Saudi Arabia threatening military action
against Iran – i24 News
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bd7_PR1PITI
FDD/Mar 20, 2026
Hussain joins i24 News to discuss whether Saudi Arabia and other nations will
join the conflict against Iran.
Video-Link/FDD Executive Director Jonathan Schanzer
provides timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation
with FDD Adjunct Senior Fellow Peter Doran, who authored the FDD Monograph
"Winning the Race of the Red Queen: How U.S. Sanctions Can Outpace Russia’s
Evasion."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=igB0q1ArDao
They discuss how Russia and Iran have adapted to U.S. sanctions, why economic
pressure often falls short, and what it will take for Washington to regain the
upper hand.
FDD/March 20/2026
Video-Link From The Times of Israel/Caroline Glick: Why we
went back to war in Iran
The Times of Israel/March 20/2026
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EVk2DVIei_E
Welcome to The Times of Israel's Lazar Focus. Each Friday, join host diplomatic
correspondent Lazar Berman for a deep dive into what's behind the news that
spins the globe.
Almost three weeks of the US-Israeli war on Iran have gone by. There are
undoubtedly important achievements. This week, Israel assassinated Ali Larijani,
perhaps the most important leader left in the Islamic Republic. It also took out
leaders of the brutal Basij force, and there is no question that Iran's ability
to launch ballistic missiles and drones at its enemies has been severely
degraded. Top officials in Gulf states are speaking out more openly about
Iranian attacks, with a senior UAE adviser saying that the strikes will push the
Gulf closer to Israel. Despite the impressive -- even unprecedented tactical
achievements -- key questions remain. How does this war end? How will Israel
"create the conditions" for Iran's people to topple the regime, and will we be
back at war again in the coming years if they don't?
Caroline Glick, a veteran journalist who has served as Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu's international affairs adviser during both Iran wars, lays out why
Israel is fighting against Iran less than a year after Netanyahu declared that
the 12-day war last June achieved a historic victory.
US ambassador urges Lebanon to pursue direct talks with
Israel/How else will you reach a solution? It will not come from God,” Issa
said.
Al Arabiya English/20 March/2026
The US ambassador to Beirut on Friday urged Lebanon to recognize the urgency of
direct talks with Israel, as Washington pushes for a path to end ongoing
hostilities.
“The US is keen for peace to prevail in Lebanon and to ensure that there is no
war in the country. And I’m doing everything in my power to make that happen,”
Ambassador Michel Issa said after meeting the Maronite Patriarch north of
Beirut. In his first public remarks since the Iran war began, Issa welcomed
recent comments by Lebanese President Joseph Aoun indicating a willingness to
begin direct negotiations with Israel. “We appreciate the importance of the
issue for the president and the importance of his responsibility in finally
deciding that he must meet with the Israelis, because matters are not resolved
without talking,” he told reporters. Hezbollah, once again, dragged Lebanon into
a devastating war with Israel after it launched rockets at Israel following the
killing of Iran’s supreme leader. However, Issa said it remains unclear how
effective such talks would be in halting Israeli strikes, noting Israel has
indicated it would not pause attacks during potential negotiations. “So, it’s up
to Lebanon to decide if it can meet with the Israelis under these current
conditions,” he said. “In my opinion, you cannot achieve peace without
meetings.”Issa stressed the need for compromise, saying: “There needs to be give
and take in order to reach a solution. How else will you reach a solution? It
will not come from God.”He also addressed security concerns in southern Lebanon,
noting that the United States has asked the Lebanese Army to remain in Christian
villages to ensure their protection.“Until now, it’s okay,” he added.
US slaps sanctions on global Hezbollah financial network
Al Arabiya English/20 March/2026
The US Treasury Department announced on Friday new sanctions against a global
financial network supporting Hezbollah and enabling the diversion of over $100
million since 2020. The network is led by Hezbollah financier and former public
investment official Alaa Hamieh, according to a statement from the Treasury
Department. Hamieh allegedly oversees a network of companies, controlled through
family members and close associates, that launder and raise funds for Hezbollah.
The network is located in Lebanon, Syria, Poland, Slovenia, Qatar, and Canada
and is “a critical source of funding for Hezbollah,” Treasury said.“Iran is the
head of the snake when it comes to global terrorism, and its proxies, such as
Hezbollah, carry out Tehran’s mission to sow chaos and destruction beyond its
borders,” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. “Hezbollah continues to divert funds
that rightfully belong to the Lebanese people to finance its terrorist
operations. This action targets key actors within its global financial network
that sustain its militant activities.”
IDF Strikes Key Bridges Over Lebanon’s Litani River Used by Hezbollah
FDD-Flash Brief/March 20/2026
https://www.fdd.org/analysis/2026/03/19/idf-strikes-key-bridges-over-lebanons-litani-river-used-by-hezbollah/
IDF Hits Bridges Used by Hezbollah: The IDF said on March 18 that it had struck
at least two bridges crossing the Litani River in Lebanon. According to Israel,
“Hezbollah … uses these crossings to transfer thousands of weapons, rockets, and
rocket launchers” for attacks against Israel.
Ground Operations Expand: The army said that its forces had “deepened the
focused ground activity to an additional target in southern Lebanon” and that
since the start of the ground maneuver against Hezbollah, which began last
weekend, Israeli troops had eliminated “dozens of terrorists.” On March 19, the
IDF reported that soldiers had eliminated five Hezbollah terrorists after they
tried to launch an anti-tank missile at Israeli forces and confiscated several
weapons, including rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs), anti-tank rockets,
ammunition, a rifle, and “other military equipment.”
Israel Strengthens Forces: Israel has more than doubled the number of troops
deployed along its border with Lebanon, according to an Israeli commander
speaking to Reuters. The commander stated that Israeli forces are launching
targeted raids into evacuated border communities in southern Lebanon. “The plan
is to make sure Hezbollah does not have military infrastructure,” the commander
said, adding that soldiers were searching the villages “to see if Hezbollah hid
weapons or communications centers.”
FDD Expert Response
“Israel’s objectives in Lebanon are starting to appear far narrower than the
maximalist goal of disarming Hezbollah expressed by many Israeli officials.
Instead, there seems to be a tacit admission that the group will remain a
Lebanese phenomenon for the foreseeable future. The IDF is therefore seeking to
mitigate the harm Hezbollah can inflict upon Israel by clearing the organization
from the Southern Litani Area as a precursor to setting up a territorially more
limited, but temporally open-ended, security zone along the Blue Line.” — David
Daoud, Senior Fellow
“The Lebanese state has repeatedly found excuses to avoid disarming Hezbollah —
whether citing Israel’s presence or its military campaigns. Yet despite
Hezbollah dragging Lebanon into two wars in three years, and the devastation
caused by the 2023-2024 conflict, Beirut has shown little willingness to act. As
a result, Israel may feel compelled to take matters into its own hands. While
this is no easy task, it can at a minimum seek to neutralize the threat to its
northern communities through a ground operation.” — Ahmad Sharawi, Senior
Research Analyst
UAE says arrested 'financial' operatives linked to Iran,
Hezbollah
Agence France Press/March 20/2026
UAE authorities have arrested at least five members of a "terrorist network"
linked to Iran and Lebanese group Hezbollah, state media said Friday. The
alleged network had "sought to infiltrate the national economy and carry out
external schemes threatening the country's financial stability" as part of "a
pre-established strategic plan in coordination with external parties linked to
Hezbollah and Iran," the official WAM news agency said, citing the UAE State
Security Apparatus.The report included mug shots of five detained suspects.
Israeli jets strike southern towns, causing injuries
Agence France Presse/March 20/2026
Israel carried out strikes on towns in southern Lebanon, causing multiple
injuries, state media reported on Friday. "Israeli enemy fighter jets struck at
dawn, targeting the towns of Bafliyeh and Hanine in the Tyre and Bint Jbeil
districts," the official National News Agency (NNA) reported, adding that
Israeli forces had hit five other towns in the south of the country.
Disaster Risk Management Unit: 134,616 Displaced in
Shelters, 1,021 Dead and 2,641 Injured
NNA/March 20/2026
The Disaster Risk Management Unit at the Presidency of the Council of Ministers
announced in its daily report the following:
Total number of displaced persons registered in shelters: 134,616
Number of shelters opened: 644
Total number of displaced families in shelters: 33,949
Hostile incidents: 3,000
Human losses / casualties (daily count):
Deaths: 20
Injured: 57
Human losses / casualties (cumulative):
Deaths: 1,021
Injured: 2,641
Daily Report on the Aggression: Death Toll Rises to 1,021
NNA/March 20/ 2026
The Ministry of Public Health published its daily report issued by the Emergency
Operations Center regarding developments in the Israeli aggression against
Lebanon. The report stated that the total number of deaths from March 2 to March
20 reached 1,021, with 2,641 injured. In the past 24 hours, 20 people were
killed and 57 wounded.
Israeli Army: We Destroyed More Than 2,000 Targets in Lebanon
Al-Markaziya March 20/2026
The Israeli army announced that “as part of forward defense efforts, the 91st,
146th, and 36th divisions continue raids and concentrated ground operations in
southern Lebanon against Hezbollah.”In a post on X, it added: “So far, more than
2,000 terrorist targets have been struck, including: about 120 Hezbollah command
centers destroyed, more than 100 weapons depots destroyed, more than 130 rocket
launch platforms destroyed, and over 570 Hezbollah militants eliminated,
including around 220 Radwan Force members, about 150 rocket unit members, two
commanders of major-general rank, four of brigadier rank, eight of colonel rank,
and 22 battalion-level commanders.”It concluded: “The Israeli army will continue
to act with strength and determination against Hezbollah and will not allow harm
to Israeli citizens.”
UAE Dismantles Network Linked to Hezbollah and Iran…
Lebanon Condemns and Affirms Cooperation
Janoubia/March 20/2026
The United Arab Emirates announced on Friday the dismantling of a terrorist
network funded and managed by Lebanon’s Hezbollah and Iran, and the arrest of
its members.
The State Security Service explained that the network operated under a fake
commercial cover to infiltrate the national economy and implement external plans
to destabilize financial stability through money laundering and financing
terrorist activities, in coordination with external parties. The statement
stressed that authorities closely monitor such activities and will not tolerate
attempts to exploit economic and civil institutions for illegal purposes.
In response, Lebanon’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs strongly condemned the plot
and Hezbollah’s involvement, recalling the Lebanese government’s decision
banning its military and security activities. The ministry affirmed Lebanon’s
full solidarity with the UAE and readiness to cooperate in investigations.
Israeli Incursion Attempts in Labouneh and Heavy
Bombardment Target Nabatieh and Marjayoun
Janoubia/March 20/2026
Recent hours witnessed a dangerous escalation along the border and inside
southern towns, with clashes shifting from mutual shelling to direct ground
incursions, accompanied by heavy airstrikes and artillery targeting residential
neighborhoods and civilian facilities.
Israeli forces reportedly attempted to advance into Lebanese territory via the
Labouneh axis near Naqoura, where intense clashes are ongoing with Hezbollah
fighters. In the eastern sector, large explosions were heard as Israeli forces
carried out demolitions northeast of Khiam, alongside heavy artillery shelling
in western Tyre district. Airstrikes intensified across Nabatieh, Marjayoun, and
Tyre districts, targeting multiple towns and locations.
Hezbollah response:
Hezbollah announced intensive rocket attacks targeting Kiryat Shmona five
consecutive times between 15:20 and 17:00, as well as strikes on the “Filon”
base south of Rosh Pina.
The confrontation is entering a broad war of attrition, with Israeli ground
pressure and Hezbollah continuing rocket strikes on settlements and rear
military bases.
Hezbollah Targets Israeli Forces in 6 Border Villages;
Israeli Army Says It Hit Over 2,000 Targets
Al Arabiya/March 20, 2026
Hezbollah announced it targeted Israeli forces in six southern border villages,
including Aitaroun, Markaba, and Aita al-Shaab, and struck a Merkava tank in
Taybeh. The Israeli army reiterated that it has attacked more than 2,000 targets
since the start of the war in early March, including over 130 rocket launchers,
120 command centers, and more than 100 weapons depots. It also stated that more
than 570 Hezbollah fighters were “neutralized,” including Radwan Force members
and senior commanders. Meanwhile, Israeli aircraft broke the sound barrier over
Beirut during Eid al-Fitr, causing loud sonic booms that frightened residents
across the Beiruteand surrounding areas.
Washington Targets “Hamieh Financial Empire”: Sanctions on
16 Individuals and Entities for Financing Hezbollah
Janoubia/March 20/2026
The U.S. Treasury Department, through OFAC, imposed sanctions on a network of 16
individuals and entities led by Hezbollah financier Alaa Hassan Hamieh.
The network allegedly conducted money laundering and fundraising operations
across Lebanon, Syria, Poland, Slovenia, Qatar, and Canada, transferring over
$100 million since 2020.All assets linked to sanctioned individuals within U.S.
jurisdiction are to be frozen, with reporting obligations to OFAC.
Lebanese Presidential Solidarity with Kuwait
Janoubia/ March 20/2026
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun reaffirmed Lebanon’s full solidarity with Kuwait
in a phone call with Emir Sheikh Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah. He condemned recent
attacks on Kuwait as a violation of sovereignty and international law, while
also denouncing involvement of partisan actors in sabotage plots. Kuwait
reaffirmed its support for Lebanon and called for de-escalation.
Foreign Ministry Condemns Hezbollah’s Involvement in UAE
Plot
Al-Markaziya/March 20/2026
Lebanon’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned the terrorist plot targeting the
UAE and Hezbollah’s involvement, reaffirming the government’s decision banning
its military and security activities. Lebanon expressed full solidarity with the
UAE and readiness to cooperate in investigations.
Threat and Incitement Campaign Targets Activist Ahmad
Ismail
Janoubia/March 20/2026
Political activist and former detainee in Israeli prisons Ahmad Ismail is facing
an organized campaign of threats and incitement, including death threats, due to
his political positions opposing Hezbollah.Janoubia condemned the campaign and
called on authorities to provide protection and take legal action against online
incitement networks.
'War has aged us': Lebanon's kids aren't alright
Agence France Presse/March 20/2026
Forced by yet another war in Lebanon to flee his home for the second time in
just two years, and mourning lost relatives and friends, Hassan Kiki said he
feels much older than 16. "War has aged us... We have lived through what no one
else has," the tall teen from south Lebanon told AFP in Beirut. "I miss my
school, my friends... I lost two cousins and two friends in a massacre in
Shehabiyeh," he added, referring to a deadly Israeli strike in his town that
killed at least seven people on March 11. Kiki is among more than a million
people Lebanese authorities have registered as displaced since the country was
drawn into the Middle East war on March 2. On that day, Iran-backed Hezbollah
launched rockets towards Israel to avenge the killing of supreme leader
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Israel, which never stopped bombing Lebanon despite a
2024 truce that sought to end the last war with Hezbollah, responded with
widespread strikes, ground operations along the border, and an evacuation
warning for swathes of the country. For many young Lebanese caught in the
crossfire, their formative years have been jeopardized by repeated conflicts and
crises.
"My childhood is gone," said Kiki.
"Material losses can be made up for, but people do not come back."Since 2019,
Lebanese have been battling a financial crisis that has locked them out of their
bank deposits, while the Covid pandemic made life even harder for everyone.
Beirut's port exploded the following year in one of the world's largest
non-nuclear blasts, destroying swathes of the Lebanese capital, and killing more
than 220 people.
'Dreams on hold' -
The first time Zahraa Fares experienced war was in 2024, when she was just 14.
"We were still discovering what we like to do, what activities we enjoy, how we
like to spend our days, then we were displaced... and could not do anything",
said the now-16-year-old, who escaped the southern city of Nabatiyeh. Fares, who
said she now feels "mentally crushed", found relief in an acting workshop in
Beirut's Lebanese National Theater intended to support war-affected youth like
herself. Wassim al-Halabi, a 20-year-old Syrian who fled the war in his country
nine years ago and is still living in Lebanon, has found himself stuck in
another conflict. Working in a restaurant since the 2024 war forced him out of
university, Halabi said he was "starting from zero to be able to stand on my two
feet again, but war started again". "Our dreams are now on hold until the war
ends."
Lebanese authorities on Thursday said Israeli strikes have killed more than
1,000 people since March 2.
The toll includes 118 children.
"Cumulative trauma, cumulative adverse experiences and ongoing instability and
unpredictability certainly put these children at higher risk... of developing
psychiatric disorders and negative mental health outcomes," Evelyne Baroud, a
child and adolescent psychiatrist told AFP. "Witnessing violence, physical
assaults, killings, forced displacement, losing one's home, loss of a parent,
all of these carry a very high risk of developing post-traumatic stress
disorder."
Generational trauma -
Lebanon has been mired in conflicts and crises for decades, the worst of which
was the 15-year civil war that erupted in 1975 and which divided the country
into warring sectarian fiefdoms. For many years since the end of that war, which
killed 150,000 people and left 17,000 more missing, bitter political divisions
continued to plague Lebanon. The war also saw an Israeli invasion and occupation
of southern Lebanon until 2000. While young Lebanese grew up hearing stories of
war from their parents, they never expected to have to live through one
themselves. "My mother used to tell us about how they would be displaced, hear
airstrikes, but I was not able to properly imagine it," Fares said. "I used to
ask myself 'how could they shelter in a school?' but now I see it with my own
eyes."At a gathering in Beirut to express solidarity for victims of the war,
18-year-old Laura al-Hajj wondered: "Why do I have so many concerns at my
age?""We carried burdens that are much bigger than us, and beyond our age... I
now just worry about being alive tomorrow." Hajj said she feels like "from
generation to generation, we are all living through wars"."No child should have
to go through what we went through."
Aoun calls for truce as French minister visits Lebanon and
Israel
Agence France Presse/March 20/2026
President Joseph Aoun said a proposed framework to halt fighting between Israel
and Iran-backed Hezbollah was "still on the table", as he hosted French Foreign
Minister Jean-Noel Barrot on Thursday. Lebanon was pulled into the regional war
on March 2, when Hezbollah fired rockets toward neighboring Israel in response
to the killing of its ally Iran's supreme leader in Israeli-U.S. attacks. Israel
responded with heavy airstrikes across Lebanon and ground incursions in the
border area, which combined have left more than 1,000 people dead. On the
Israeli side, two soldiers were killed in fighting in southern Lebanon,
according to the military. Meeting Barrot on Thursday, Aoun stressed "the
necessity of a ceasefire, and to provide the necessary guarantees for its
success by the parties concerned", according to a presidency statement. On March
9, Aoun proposed a four-point initiative that called for "a full truce" with
Israel, increased support to the Lebanese Army in order to "disarm Hezbollah"
and "direct negotiations" with Israel. The president told Barrot that "the
negotiating initiative... is still on the table, but the continued military
escalation is hindering its launch", the statement said. "What is important is
to stop the escalation" between Hezbollah and Israel, Aoun added. According to
the French foreign ministry, Barrot's snap visit was a sign of "solidarity with
the Lebanese people, who have been dragged into a war they did not choose". The
French minister met with other top officials and visited a school near Beirut
that had been turned into a shelter for people displaced by the war. French
President Emmanuel Macron, who spoke with Lebanese leaders last week, expressed
his hope on Thursday that Israel would agree to direct talks with Beirut. "The
matter of direct negotiations requires that the delegations be finalized and
that consent be formally expressed by the Israeli side," he told reporters in
Brussels after a European summit. Macron, whose government supported a 2024
ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah, offered to host talks in Paris. He ruled
out any proposal that would see Lebanon formally recognizing Israel, after U.S.
news website Axios had reported that a draft French text called for it. After
Lebanon, Paris said Barrot would visit Israel on Friday, his first trip there
since France recognized the State of Palestine last year, angering the Israeli
government. Barrot "will hold talks with the Israeli authorities to discuss the
security situation, humanitarian issues, and prospects for de-escalation",
according to the foreign ministry.
Israeli warplanes break sound barrier over Beirut
Naharnet Newsdesk 10 hours ago
An Israeli warplane broke the sound barrier over Beirut on Friday morning, state
media said, as AFP journalists heard loud booms reverberate across the city and
in distant mountains. Lebanon's official National News Agency said "a strong
sonic boom, in two successive waves, shook the skies over Beirut and its
suburbs" on the morning of the Eid al-Fitr holiday, which marks the end of the
Ramadan fasting period.
The incident set social media abuzz.
"On a day without shelling -- so far -- the Israelis are greeting the people of
Beirut and its suburbs with two sonic booms," one internet user, Salah Halawi,
wrote on X. Lebanon was drawn into the Middle East war on March 2 when
Iran-backed Hezbollah launched rockets at Israel after the killing of the
Islamic republic's supreme leader.Last week Israeli warplanes also caused loud
booms in the skies of the Lebanese capital, as they dropped propaganda leaflets
on the city, terrifying residents.
'War has aged us': Lebanon's kids aren't alright
Agence France Presse/March 20/2026
Forced by yet another war in Lebanon to flee his home for the second time in
just two years, and mourning lost relatives and friends, Hassan Kiki said he
feels much older than 16. "War has aged us... We have lived through what no one
else has," the tall teen from south Lebanon told AFP in Beirut. "I miss my
school, my friends... I lost two cousins and two friends in a massacre in
Shehabiyeh," he added, referring to a deadly Israeli strike in his town that
killed at least seven people on March 11. Kiki is among more than a million
people Lebanese authorities have registered as displaced since the country was
drawn into the Middle East war on March 2. On that day, Iran-backed Hezbollah
launched rockets towards Israel to avenge the killing of supreme leader
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Israel, which never stopped bombing Lebanon despite a
2024 truce that sought to end the last war with Hezbollah, responded with
widespread strikes, ground operations along the border, and an evacuation
warning for swathes of the country. For many young Lebanese caught in the
crossfire, their formative years have been jeopardized by repeated conflicts and
crises.
"My childhood is gone," said Kiki.
"Material losses can be made up for, but people do not come back." Since 2019,
Lebanese have been battling a financial crisis that has locked them out of their
bank deposits, while the Covid pandemic made life even harder for everyone.
Beirut's port exploded the following year in one of the world's largest
non-nuclear blasts, destroying swathes of the Lebanese capital, and killing more
than 220 people.
'Dreams on hold'
The first time Zahraa Fares experienced war was in 2024, when she was just 14.
"We were still discovering what we like to do, what activities we enjoy, how we
like to spend our days, then we were displaced... and could not do anything",
said the now-16-year-old, who escaped the southern city of Nabatiyeh. Fares, who
said she now feels "mentally crushed", found relief in an acting workshop in
Beirut's Lebanese National Theater intended to support war-affected youth like
herself. Wassim al-Halabi, a 20-year-old Syrian who fled the war in his country
nine years ago and is still living in Lebanon, has found himself stuck in
another conflict. Working in a restaurant since the 2024 war forced him out of
university, Halabi said he was "starting from zero to be able to stand on my two
feet again, but war started again". "Our dreams are now on hold until the war
ends."Lebanese authorities on Thursday said Israeli strikes have killed more
than 1,000 people since March 2.
The toll includes 118 children.
"Cumulative trauma, cumulative adverse experiences and ongoing instability and
unpredictability certainly put these children at higher risk... of developing
psychiatric disorders and negative mental health outcomes," Evelyne Baroud, a
child and adolescent psychiatrist told AFP. "Witnessing violence, physical
assaults, killings, forced displacement, losing one's home, loss of a parent,
all of these carry a very high risk of developing post-traumatic stress
disorder."
Generational trauma -
Lebanon has been mired in conflicts and crises for decades, the worst of which
was the 15-year civil war that erupted in 1975 and which divided the country
into warring sectarian fiefdoms. For many years since the end of that war, which
killed 150,000 people and left 17,000 more missing, bitter political divisions
continued to plague Lebanon.
The war also saw an Israeli invasion and occupation of southern Lebanon until
2000. While young Lebanese grew up hearing stories of war from their parents,
they never expected to have to live through one themselves. "My mother used to
tell us about how they would be displaced, hear airstrikes, but I was not able
to properly imagine it," Fares said. "I used to ask myself 'how could they
shelter in a school?' but now I see it with my own eyes."At a gathering in
Beirut to express solidarity for victims of the war, 18-year-old Laura al-Hajj
wondered: "Why do I have so many concerns at my age?"
"We carried burdens that are much bigger than us, and beyond our age... I now
just worry about being alive tomorrow." Hajj said she feels like "from
generation to generation, we are all living through wars"."No child should have
to go through what we went through."
Naim Qassem says Hezbollah will continue fighting Israel,
frames war as defense of Lebanon
David Daoud/FDD's Long War Journal/March 20/2026
On March 13, Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem gave his second speech
since the renewal of Hezbollah’s war with Israel on March 2. The speech marked
the anniversary of Qods Day, an event held on the last Friday of Ramadan and
created in 1979 by Khomeinist Iran to express solidarity with Palestinians and
opposition to Israel’s existence. The main themes of Qassem’s speech included:
The importance of Qods Day
After delivering the customary religious salutations, Qassem recounted the
history and significance of Qods Day. He said that Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini,
Iran’s first supreme leader, had chosen to mark the event on Ramadan’s last
Friday because it “represents championing the oppressed and the desire for
independence.” However, Qassem said, Khomeini had conceived of the day’s
significance as extending “beyond the call to liberate Palestine” to also be “a
day for all the oppressed to confront the arrogant; a day when all the peoples
groaning under the yoke of American and other injustice could confront the great
powers” oppressing them.
Nevertheless, Qassem expressed that Palestinian “liberation” was the
precondition to achieving justice on a global scale. He said that Palestine’s
and Jerusalem’s “occupation”—in other words, Israel’s existence—was “the world’s
greatest injustice that began in 1948 when America and the major powers
sponsored this occupation by creating and legitimizing this cancerous tumor.”
Qassem then argued that “liberating Palestine” would have regional and global
reverberations. His rationale was that “this malevolent entity [Israel]” had
created a base from which “the Israeli-American enemy” could spread regional
chaos, and this disorder “will continue so long as [Israel] exists.”Because of
this collective interest in Palestine’s liberation, Qassem said, the
responsibility to achieve that liberation was likewise “collective,” extending
to “all Arab and Islamic nations, all free peoples, because by standing with
Palestine they are standing with themselves.” Hezbollah, he stated, would not
deviate from championing the Palestinian cause. “On Qods day, we declare the
Palestinians are not alone,” he said, elaborating that “Hezbollah and the
Islamic Resistance will continue to support Palestine’s total liberation” and
are willing to offer even more sacrifices than they already have “for this
cause, in defense of truth, and in defense of Jerusalem.”
Hezbollah’s war against Israel is defensive
Qassem, as in his previous speech on March 4, stressed that Hezbollah’s renewal
of the conflict with Israel was an act of “lawful” self-defense “against a
brutal Israeli-American aggression” and an “existential threat in every sense of
the phrase.”
As part of this overall theme, Qassem sought to obscure the fact that Hezbollah
had renewed the war to serve Iranian interests, even at the expense of bringing
destruction upon Lebanon. He therefore insisted, once again, that Hezbollah’s
March 2 attack on Israel was a response to Israel’s 15 months of operations
against the group in Lebanon. He stated that Hezbollah had warned several times
in the past that “patience has limits.”To undermine the connection of conflict’s
renewal to Iran, Qassem also claimed, for the first time, that Hezbollah had
considered retaliation “at three different junctures” prior to March 2. However,
“we decided to give additional chances, especially since some parties entreated
us to do so, and therefore the conditions were inappropriate,” he said.
Hezbollah preempted a premeditated Israeli war
Qassem once again also claimed that Hezbollah’s attack hadn’t reinitiated the
war but had instead preempted a premeditated and imminent Israeli campaign in
Lebanon. Here, too, he was trying to explain away the Iranian connection to
Hezbollah’s attack, claiming that Israel had decided upon launching this alleged
campaign but was debating its timing. Thus, Hezbollah’s March 2 attack wasn’t in
defense of Iran, he argued. Instead, it was only because the US and Israeli war
against the Tehran regime had created the “proper conditions to confront the
enemy.”
Qassem explicitly tried to reframe the discourse on the matter according to
Hezbollah’s terms. “The debate isn’t about who started or who is fighting; the
debate is about facing a 15-month-long aggression, Israel’s occupation of
several points inside Lebanon, and the ongoing aggression,” Qassem said.
Israel, he argued, had been attacking for 15 months and had just killed “our
Imam and leader,” Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. In addition, “the
coincidence” of Hezbollah fighting Israel during “the ongoing confrontation with
Islamic Iran” meant Israel’s capabilities were more divided, he said, creating a
“weakness” that Hezbollah could exploit to “compel [Israel] to accept a more
favorable agreement.” This “combination of factors,” Qassem argued—not seeking
to serve the Iranian regime’s interests—“contributed to [Hezbollah’s] decision
to retaliate.”
Qassem, therefore, insisted that others “abandon” the idea that “Hezbollah
caused this aggression” and instead blame “Israeli-American aggression.” In
addition, he said that the “resistance” would “find a way to dialogue with other
Lebanese,” if Israel would stop its attacks and withdraw from Lebanese
territory. Otherwise, Qassem said, Hezbollah would never surrender, which would
pave the way for the Israelis to “establish Greater Israel.”
A war in defense of Lebanon
As he did in his last speech, Qassem never directly addressed the accusations
that many Lebanese citizens are directing against the group about renewing the
war with Israel. Instead, he deflected with counter-questions.
“They say we provoked the enemy with a missile barrage—didn’t 15 months, 500
martyrs, hundreds of wounded, destruction, occupation, and detention provoke
you? You consider our response a provocation? We consider ourselves to be acting
from a position of lawful/legitimate defense,” he said. Hezbollah, Qassem
implied, had been provoked by these actions, but not on behalf of itself alone,
even though Israel’s operations exclusively targeted the group and
overwhelmingly only impacted it. Instead, he argued, the group’s actions were on
behalf of Lebanon. Rather than object, he said, other Lebanese should join
Hezbollah’s war: Let this be clear: the battle we are waging is the battle of
the Islamic resistance in Lebanon and the people of the resistance in Lebanon
against the Israeli aggression that is attacking Lebanon. Yes, other matters are
included, but that doesn’t change the fact that this battle isn’t for anyone
else. It’s for our own sake; it’s a Lebanese battle. The battle stems from
lawful self-defense in which everyone must participate. The “miserable failure”
of the Lebanese state’s diplomatic efforts to secure an end to Israel’s
operations and “protect its sovereignty or citizenry,” Qassem argued, left the
group no choice but to act. Meanwhile, he tried to reframe the Israeli response
as a deliberate war on the Lebanese people that was “killing civilians,
displacing people, and demolishing homes … under the pretext of fighting the
resistance fighters.” Qassem again cited Israel’s attacks on Al Qard al Hassan,
one of Hezbollah’s main financial institutions, as proof that it was trying to
harm the disadvantaged people served by that institution.
Hezbollah wants an Israeli ground invasion and is prepared for a long war
Qassem then claimed that Hezbollah had learned the lessons of the 2024 Israeli
ground incursion into Lebanon and, therefore, welcomed a new one. “This isn’t a
threat,” he said, “It’s a prelude to their defeat.” Every advance by the Israeli
military into southern Lebanon, Qassem argued, would only give “the resistance’s
fighters more opportunities to make gains in field operations by confronting the
enemy at close quarters.”Qassem then taunted Israeli officials to follow through
on their threats of a ground invasion. “Let’s see you seize territory. Can you
remain permanently and sustain your presence? You can’t, and you won’t be able
to—not against this resistance, people, and army; this nation, and the honorable
people of our homeland, Lebanon,” he boasted.
Qassem also claimed that Hezbollah had prepared itself for a long war with
Israel that would be sustained by the morale of its fighters. Meanwhile, he
alleged that Israel’s “goal” of killing civilians to decouple them from “the
resistance” was failing, granting the group additional strength and endurance.
Lebanon must support Hezbollah
Throughout his speech, but especially at the conclusion, Qassem insisted that
Hezbollah was an asset and a source of strength to Lebanon. Therefore, he
argued, the Lebanese government should not offer Israel “free concessions” or
offer “this country freely to the Israeli enemy” by turning against Hezbollah or
demanding the group’s disarmament. “This government must take a confrontational
decision … and rescind some of their decisions against the resistance,” Qassem
said. He didn’t specify which decisions, but presumably he meant Beirut’s March
2 decision to proscribe Hezbollah’s military activities. Qassem called for
Lebanese strength through unity and for Beirut “not to stab the resistance in
the back.” Once Israel’s aggression was halted, he said, “then suggest whatever
you want,” in a likely nod to resuming internal discussions on the fate of
Hezbollah’s arsenal. However, in the meantime, he said, “This resistance
continues, and the battlefield is the arena of honor. The word now belongs to
the battlefield; we are ready for it, God is with us, our people are with us,
and the free and honorable people in our homeland and the world are with us.
This is the strength that will prevail, God willing.”
*David Daoud is Senior Fellow at at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies
where he focuses on Israel, Hezbollah, and Lebanon affairs.
https://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2026/03/analysis-naim-qassem-says-hezbollah-will-continue-fighting-frames-conflict-as-defense-of-lebanon.php
Read in FDD's Long War Journal
West Bloomfield terror attack highlights Hezbollah connections within Shiite
Lebanese community in US
Dr. Emanuele Ottolenghi/FDD's Long War Journal/March 20/2026
Last week, ABC News reported that Iran’s Islamic regime may have activated
sleeper cells in the United States to launch terror attacks in response to the
US and Israeli military campaign against it. Within days, one such attack might
have happened, though it is unknown whether the assailant had official orders
from the Tehran regime and its proxies or was acting on his own. Last Thursday,
Ayman Mohamad Ghazali drove his truck to Temple Israel in West Bloomfield,
Indiana, and tried to ram through security. Inside the synagogue, which runs a
preschool program, there were 140 children alongside the staff. The 41-year-old
Lebanese American was killed by security and was the only casualty in the terror
attack.
As Ghazali’s identity surfaced, within hours of the attack, there also emerged a
narrative about a motive: his siblings, Ibrahim and Qassem, and Ibrahim’s two
minor children had been killed in an Israeli airstrike just days before. The
mayor of Dearborn Heights, Ghazali’s home and the seat of the largest Shiite
Lebanese community in the United States, issued a statement emphasizing that the
perpetrator had just lost relatives in an Israeli strike. Drop Site News’ Ryan
Grim reported on X that Ibrahim was “a school bus driver in [his] village,”
while Qassem was “a personal trainer and soccer coach.” A New York Times
headline, since changed, referred to Ayman Ghazali as “a quiet restaurant
worker.” There was a decided shift in the narrative to the idea that Israel’s
killing of civilian relatives caused Ghazali, acting alone and simply driven by
grief, to commit a terrorist attack.
However, as it turns out, Ayman Ghazali’s slain brothers were Hezbollah
fighters. Ibrahim, according to Israel, was a commander in Hezbollah’s Badr unit
who was in charge of overseeing missile launch operations. He was the target of
the Israeli strike that also eliminated the other family members on March 5,
including his children. Ayman Ghazali’s family links to Hezbollah were known to
US authorities, according to official information provided by the Department of
Homeland Security to news outlets. Authorities will now investigate and may be
able to establish motives behind the attack and determine whether he acted
alone. Regardless, Ghazali’s ties to Hezbollah are not an anomaly.
Data obtained through the risk intelligence platform, 240 Analytics (disclaimer:
the author is a senior advisor for the platform), show multiple links between
Hezbollah and United States Shiite Lebanese residents and nationals.
Data extracted from Lebanon’s voters’ registry show 15,322 Lebanese nationals
who permanently reside in the US and are registered to vote in Lebanon. 240
Analytics data show that of these individuals, 276 hold accounts with Al Qard al
Hassan (AQAH), a US-sanctioned entity that functions as Hezbollah’s de facto
bank. Of those people, almost 200 require further verification due to namesake
ambiguity, while 89 are confirmed matches and AQAH account holders. Of those 89
individuals:
Three are confirmed Hezbollah members.
30 have proven family connections to Hezbollah members.
24 have relatives who hold AQAH accounts and are conclusively identified as
Hezbollah members from original AQAH records.
At least three have corporate associations with identified Hezbollah business
partners. Among them is Ayman Ghazali, whose brother, Ibrahim, held a bank
account at AQAH, a clear link to Hezbollah.
240 Analytics data returned evidence of a business connection between a Dearborn
Heights resident and a Lebanese company controlled by Ali Tabaja, the son of
Hezbollah’s US-sanctioned business leader, Adham Tabaja. Searches also returned
results on some residents of the greater Detroit area, mostly located in
Dearborn and Dearborn Heights, who have family links to Hezbollah members.
These ties to Hezbollah and its financial arm raise multiple concerns. Aside
from any terrorism risk, some diaspora members who are Hezbollah sympathizers
have historically been involved in providing financial support through donations
and by offering their businesses and bank accounts to support illicit financial
schemes. An individual’s status as a resident or national of the United States
has allowed, as exposed in multiple cases prosecuted by US authorities, the
exploitation of the US financial system to sustain terror-financing activities.
Some communal institutions that identify with Hezbollah foster and perpetuate
allegiance to the group through their activities. For example, expressions of
mourning for the terror group’s fallen are not unusual across the Lebanese
Shiite diaspora, and US communities are no exception.
Ghazali’s slain family members were commemorated at an event held at Dearborn’s
Islamic Institute of America on March 8. Previously, on October 8, 2024, the
Islamic Institute of America announced a commemoration for Fadi Hussein Rmaiti,
another Hezbollah fighter slain while fighting against Israel on October 7. As
with Ghazali, Rmaiti had family in Dearborn Heights. In addition, the same
mosque held a memorial event on September 29, 2024, for the “martyrs” slain by
Israel. The poster for the event, published on Facebook (see also above), bore a
silhouette resembling the late Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, whom Israel
had eliminated two days before.
On March 1 of this year, the Taha Foundation, another Shiite institution in
Dearborn Heights, published a condolences message to the entire Islamic nation
for a “grave loss, the martyrdom of Grand Ayatollah Sayyid Ali al-Husseini al-Khamenei,”
the supreme leader of Iran who was killed in an Israeli airstrike.
The Islamic House of Wisdom (IHW), also in Dearborn, organized a vigil to pray
“for the soul of Sayyed Al-Shohada” (the prince of martyrs, a title usually
attributed to Imam Hussein, Shia Islam’s most revered figure) on September 28,
2024, the day after Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah was eliminated in an
Israeli strike. It also held a memorial service for the Islamic Republic of
Iran’s late president and its foreign minister, Ebrahim Raisi and Hossein Amir
Abdollahian, who died in a helicopter accident in May 2024. In addition, the
mosque marks Al Qods Day, an event launched by the Islamic Republic of Iran on
the last Friday of Ramadan as a day of mobilization to champion the Palestinian
cause.
In a Facebook post, one of the IHW’s leading clerics, Imam Mohamad Ali Elahi,
described Hassan Nasrallah’s funeral on February 23, 2025, as a “day of victory
for morality, truth, justice, and humanity. Sadness and celebration. Mourning
and motivation. Emotion and allegiance. Grief and gratitude. People seemed to
see Moses, Jesus, Mohammad, Ali and Hussein (pbut) in the service.” Community
members, including a local jail’s Muslim chaplain, approvingly endorsed the
Imam’s words.
The foiled attack against Temple Israel did not emerge in a vacuum. Communal
institutions, including some among international Lebanese Shiite communities,
have long nurtured support for Hezbollah, the Islamic Republic of Iran, and
their ideology. Part of this support stems naturally from familial ties to
Hezbollah members back in Lebanon, along with the Lebanese terrorist group’s
active efforts to leverage these communities, especially for financial support.
On March 19, Fox News published a photograph of Ayman Mohamad Ghazali “that he
sent to his sister in Lebanon the day of the attack.” In the image, he is
wearing military fatigues and holding an assault rifle, with superimposed Arabic
sentences exalting “martyrdom and vengeance.” Ghazali may or may not have acted
alone when he attacked Temple Israel in West Bloomfield. Regardless, the
ideological sentiments that likely drove him to seek mass murder at a preschool
last week, along with his close ties to Hezbollah, are not an isolated incident.
*Dr. Emanuele Ottolenghi is a senior research fellow at the Center for Research
on Terror Financing (CENTEF) and a senior advisor to 240 Analytics.
https://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2026/03/analysis-west-bloomfield-terror-attack-highlights-hezbollah-connections-within-shiite-lebanese-community-in-us.php
Read in FDD's Long War Journal
The War on Hezbollah-The Iranian Terrorist Proxy Continues/LCCC website
The just war being waged by the United States and Israel against Iran and its
proxies—devils, terrorists, drug traffickers, and mafia networks—continues
relentlessly and will not stop before their complete defeat.
To follow the news, below are- links to several
important news websites:
National News Agency (Lebanon)
https://www.nna-leb.gov.lb/ar
Nidaa Al Watan
https://www.nidaalwatan.com/
MTV Lebanon
https://www.mtv.com.lb/
Voice of Lebanon
https://www.vdl.me/
Asas Media
https://asasmedia.com/
Naharnet
https://www.naharnet.com/
Al Markazia News Agency
https://almarkazia.com/ar
LBCI (English)
https://www.lbcgroup.tv/news/en
LBCI (Arabic)
https://www.lbcgroup.tv/news/ar
Janoubia Website
https://www.lbcgroup.tv/news/ar
Kataeb Party Official Website
https://www.kataeb.org
The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports
And News published
on March 20-210/2026
Israel says struck Syrian army camps after Druze 'attacked'
Agence France Presse/March 20/2026
Israel's military said on Friday it had struck Syrian army camps in response to
what it called attacks against the Druze community in the southern Sweida
province. The latest flare-up between the neighboring countries comes as war
roils the Middle East after the United States and Israel attacked Iran on
February 28. "Overnight, the IDF (Israeli army) struck a headquarters and
weapons at Syrian regime military camps in southern Syria," the Israeli military
said. "This was in response to yesterday's events, in which Druze civilians were
attacked in the (Sweida) area. The IDF will not allow harm to come to Druze in
Syria and will continue to act for their protection." Israeli Defense Minister
Israel Katz said in a statement that "we will not allow the Syrian regime to
exploit our war against Iran and Hezbollah to harm the Druze. If necessary, we
will strike with even greater force". The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights
monitor reported on Thursday that clashes broke out between government forces
and fighters from local tribes against opposing Druze factions in the western
countryside of Sweida province. The fighting began after mortar shells fell on
areas under the control of Druze factions. The shelling later hit residential
neighborhoods in the city of Sweida, sowing panic and fear among residents, the
Observatory said. Syrian state media did not mention the clashes or Israel's
airstrikes.Last July, thousands of people were estimated to have been killed
when clashes erupted between Druze fighters and Sunni Bedouin tribes in Sweida
province. The Syrian government said its forces intervened to stop the clashes,
but witnesses and monitors accused them of siding with the Bedouin. Israel,
which is also home to a Druze community, bombed Syrian government forces during
the clashes, saying it was acting to defend the minority and enforce its own
demands for south Syria's demilitarization. Under U.S. pressure, Israel and
Syria in January agreed to establish an intelligence-sharing mechanism, in an
unprecedented step aimed at ending decades of hostility. After the overthrow of
Syria's longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad in December 2024, Israel moved its forces
into the U.N.-patrolled demilitarised zone on the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights,
and has carried out hundreds of strikes in Syria as well as regular incursions.
US could ‘take out’ Iran’s
Kharg Island any time: White House
AFP/20 March/2026
The United States could “take out” Iran’s Kharg island whenever it wanted, the
White House said Friday, after a report that President Donald Trump’s
administration was considering plans to occupy or blockade the oil hub. Axios
reported that Trump was mulling an operation against Kharg to pressure the
Islamic republic to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, the crucial shipping lane that
Tehran has largely blocked. The United States is at the same time deploying
additional Marines to the Middle East, US media reported, possibly signaling a
coming ground operation three weeks into the US-Israeli campaign. “The United
States Military can take out Kharg Island at any time if the President gives the
order,” White House Principal Deputy Press Secretary Anna Kelly wrote in a
statement to AFP when asked about the Axios report. “Thanks to a detailed
planning process, the entire administration is and was prepared for any
potential action taken by the terrorist Iranian regime,” added Kelly. “President
Trump knew full well that Iran would try to stop the freedom of navigation and
free flow of energy, and he has already taken action to destroy over 40
minelaying vessels.”An effective Iranian blockade has paralyzed commercial
shipping through the crucial maritime chokepoint, contributing to the spike in
global oil prices since the start of the war on February 28. Trump said the
United States had “totally obliterated” all military targets on Kharg in strikes
on Friday, threatening to hit the island’s infrastructure if Iran keeps blocking
the Strait of Hormuz. On Thursday the US leader called Kharg, which handles
almost all of Iran’s crude exports, the “little oil island that sits there, so
totally unprotected” and said US strikes had “taken out everything but the
pipes.”
Trump rules out imminent ceasefire with Iran: ‘I think we’ve won’
Al Arabiya English/21 March/2026
US President Donald Trump said Friday that he did not want a ceasefire with
Iran, adding that the US military was “obliterating” the Iranian regime. “We can
have dialogue, but I don’t want to do a ceasefire,” he told reporters before
leaving the White House. “You don’t do a ceasefire when you’re literally
obliterating the other side.”Asked about the Strait of Hormuz, the US president
said it was a “simple military maneuver” to unblock it, “but you need a lot of
help in the sense that you need ships, you need volume.”He added that “it would
be nice” if China got more involved in helping secure the strait. Trump repeated
previous comments that he believed the war had been won. “We’ve knocked out
their navy, their air force. We’ve knocked out their anti-aircraft. We’ve
knocked out everything, we’re roaming free. All they’re doing is clogging up the
strait [of Hormuz]. From a military standpoint, they’re finished.”
Trump: Iran needs 10 years to rebuild what was destroyed, regime change not
priority
Al Arabiya English/20 March/2026
US President Donald Trump said Friday that it will take Iran 10 years to rebuild
after the joint attacks with Israel, adding that regime change is not a primary
goal of the United States. “If we stay longer, they’ll never rebuild,” he said.
In an interview with MS NOW, the US president said that regime change was not a
primary goal of the US offensive. “The major thing is that they cannot have a
nuclear weapon,” Trump said. Nevertheless, Trump added that Washington could
“possibly” influence who controls the Iranian government, but “that’s not the
majors.”Asked about Iran’s ability to build a nuclear weapon, Trump repeated
previous assertions that the program had been obliterated. But he said there was
still “nuclear dust,” in reference to enriched uranium believed to be buried
underground.Trump also hit out at NATO again after member nations rebuffed his
request for help unblocking the Strait of Hormuz.
Trump calls NATO ‘cowards’ over lack of support in Iran war
Reuters/20 March/2026
President Donald Trump assailed NATO allies on Friday over their lack of support
for the US-Israel war against Iran, calling the longtime US allies “cowards.”“Without
the U.S.A., NATO IS A PAPER TIGER!” Trump said in a social media post. Trump has
been calling for major US allies and others, none of which were consulted or
advised on the war, to help secure the safety of shipping through the Strait of
Hormuz. The conflict has roiled global markets, killed thousands and displaced
millions since US-Israel strikes began on Feb. 28.
The US president complained NATO countries did not want to join the fight
against Iran yet still complain about high oil prices. “Now that fight is
Militarily WON, with very little danger for them, they complain about the high
oil prices they are forced to pay, but don’t want to help open the Strait of
Hormuz, a simple military maneuver that is the single reason for the high oil
prices. So easy for them to do, with so little risk,” he wrote.
“COWARDS, and we will REMEMBER!”
Iran’s Khamenei says enemy ‘defeated’ in written Nowruz
message...He is yet to appear in public after being named supreme leader
AFP/20 March/2026
Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei on Friday said the enemies of the Islamic
Republic were being defeated in the war against the US and Israel in a written
message for the Persian New Year, Nowruz. “At the moment, due to the particular
unity that has been created between you our compatriots – despite all the
differences in religious, intellectual, cultural and political origins – the
enemy has been defeated,” said Khamenei, who is yet to appear in public after
being named to succeed his father Ali Khamenei who was killed in an airstrike at
the a start of the war. He also claimed that Iranians had dealt a “dizzying
blow” to the country’s enemies during the war. By showing unity and resolve,
Iranians had “dealt him (the enemy) a dizzying blow so that he now starts
uttering contradictory words and nonsense,” Khamenei said in a written message
for Persian New Year. He also said Iran and allied forces in the region were “in
no way” behind attacks on Oman and Turkey during the war, instead blaming
“deception by the Zionist enemy” in reference to Israel.
UK approves US use of British bases to strike Iran missile
sites targeting ships
Reuters/20 March/2026
The British government gave authorization on Friday for the United States to use
military bases in Britain to carry out strikes on Iranian missile sites that are
attacking ships in the Strait of Hormuz. British ministers met on Friday to
discuss the war with Iran and Iran’s blocking of the Strait of Hormuz, according
to a Downing Street statement.“They confirmed that the agreement for the US to
use UK bases in the collective self-defense of the region includes US defensive
operations to degrade the missile sites and capabilities being used to attack
ships in the Strait of Hormuz,” the statement said. Prime Minister Keir Starmer
said this week Britain would not be drawn into a war over Iran. He initially
rejected a US request to use British bases for the strikes on Iran, saying he
needed to be satisfied that any military action was legal. But Starmer modified
his stance after Iran conducted strikes on British allies across the Middle
East, saying that the United States could use RAF Fairford and Diego Garcia, a
joint US-UK base in the Indian Ocean. President Donald Trump has repeatedly
attacked Starmer since the conflict started, complaining he was not doing enough
to help him.On Monday, Trump said there were “some countries that greatly
disappointed me” before he singled out Britain, which he said had once been
considered “the Rolls-Royce of allies.”The Downing Street statement on Friday
called for “urgent de-escalation and a swift resolution to the war.” Opinion
polls in Britain suggest widespread skepticism about the war, with 59 percent of
those surveyed by YouGov saying that they were opposed to the US-Israeli
attacks.
US military officials submit plans for deployment of
American ground forces into Iran: CBS
Al Arabiya English/20 March/2026
Senior US military officials have submitted detailed plans for a potential
deployment of American ground forces into Iran, as President Donald Trump weighs
his options, sources told CBS News. Citing sources briefed on the deliberations,
CBS News reported that Trump is considering whether to deploy ground troops to
the region. The president has publicly said he is “not putting troops anywhere,”
but added that he would not disclose such a decision to the press. The sources
also said US military officials have been discussing contingencies in the event
of a deployment, including how to handle the detention of Iranian soldiers or
operatives. The White House said on Friday that it could “take out” Iran’s Kharg
island whenever it wanted, after a report that Trump was considering plans to
occupy or blockade the oil hub. The US military is also deploying thousands of
additional Marines and sailors to the Middle East, three US officials told
Reuters on Friday.
Iraq declares force majeure on foreign-operated oilfields
over Hormuz disruption: Sources
Reuters/20 March/2026
Iraq has declared force majeure on all oilfields developed by foreign oil
companies after military operations in the region disrupted navigation through
the Strait of Hormuz, halting most of the country’s crude exports, three energy
officials with direct knowledge of the decision said. Navigation through the
Strait of Hormuz — a chokepoint for around 20 percent of global oil and
liquefied natural gas supplies — has been severely affected by unprecedented
military activity, the oil ministry said in a letter dated March 17 and seen by
Reuters. Most Iraqi crude exports transit the Strait, and the disruptions have
caused storage capacity to reach its limits, the letter said. International oil
prices settled at their highest level in nearly four years on Friday, as the
three-week-old US-Israeli war with Iran escalated. “The international partners
were unable to nominate tankers to lift crude, preventing exports despite the
state oil company SOMO being ready to load shipments,” the letter said.“Based on
the situation, the ministry ordered a full shutdown of production at affected
concession areas, with no compensation arising from the measure under contract
terms.”The ministry said the scale-back would be reviewed periodically depending
on regional developments and invited companies to urgent talks to agree on
essential operations, costs and staffing under the force majeure conditions.
Iraq’s Oil Minister Hayan Abdel-Ghani said crude production at Basra Oil Company
has been cut to 900,000 barrels per day (bpd) from 3.3 million bpd after exports
from the country’s southern ports were halted, according to a ministry statement
on Friday. The produced quantities were being pumped to operate refineries, the
ministry statement said. The drop in production and exports is set to strain
Iraq’s already fragile finances as the state relies on crude sales for nearly
all public spending and more than 90 percent of its income. The US-Israeli war
with Iran has already spilled beyond Iran’s borders, as Tehran has responded by
hitting Israel and Gulf states hosting US military installations, and Israel has
launched fresh attacks in Lebanon after the Iran-aligned militia Hezbollah fired
across the border.
Qatar’s energy boss says he had warned of dangers of
provoking Iran
Reuters/20 March/2026
As Qatar reels from an Iranian attack that has hobbled its giant natural gas
company, its boss, who doubles as the country’s energy minister, says he had
warned officials and executives of just such a danger should Iran’s own sites be
hit. “I was always warning, talking to executives from oil and gas that are
partnered with us, talking to the US Secretary of Energy, to warn him of that
consequence and that that could be detrimental to us,” QatarEnergy CEO Saad al-Kaabi
told Reuters.QatarEnergy’s partners include major US energy companies such as
ExxonMobil and ConocoPhillips.
‘Aware of the threat’
“They were aware of the threat, and they were always reminded by me, almost on a
daily basis, that we need to make sure that there is restraint on oil and gas
facilities,” he said.
The US Department of Energy deferred to the White House on the matter.Asked for
comment, White House spokesperson Taylor Rogers said: “President Trump and his
entire energy team were not ignorant of the reality that there would be
short-term disruptions to oil and gas supply during the ongoing operations in
Iran, and planned for these highly anticipated, temporary disruptions.”
ExxonMobil declined to comment.
“We remain fully committed to our longstanding partnership and will continue to
work with QatarEnergy on a path to recovery,” a ConocoPhillips spokesperson
said. Three weeks into the US-Israeli war with Iran, missile and drone attacks
have damaged tankers, refineries and other important energy infrastructure, with
the biggest known impact so far on Qatar Energy’s Ras Laffan, the world’s
largest liquefied natural gas (LNG) complex. Kaabi told Reuters on Thursday that
the damage to the facilities that had cost $26 billion to build would impact LNG
deliveries to Europe and Asia for up to five years. Governments have long feared
such a scenario, where facilities vital to the world’s supply of not only crude
oil and natural gas, but also products such as jet fuel and liquefied petroleum
gas (LPG) used for heating and cooking, sustain long-term damage.
No prior warning
Israel attacked Iran’s main South Pars gas field in a sharp escalation of the
war on Wednesday. Tehran’s response was a series of attacks on Gulf energy
infrastructure in Kuwait, UAE, Saudi Arabia and Qatar’s Ras Laffan. Kaabi said
he had no prior warning of the South Pars attack.“I was not aware of anything,
but I don’t think anybody was aware. President Trump said he didn’t know. So do
you think we would know?”South Pars is part of the world’s largest gas field
which Iran shares with Qatar, where it is named the North Field.Kaabi said
QatarEnergy had not yet assessed whether insurance would cover its war-related
losses.
Damage details
He said not only had the attack on Ras Laffan knocked out 17 percent of Qatar’s
LNG export capacity, but the impact would last up to five years because of what
was damaged. “The cold boxes are gone,” Kaabi said, referring to the cooling
mechanism damaged on two of the complex’s 14 trains, which purify and chill gas
for transport as a liquid.
“This is the main unit, that is the cooling box of the LNG, it is completely
destroyed.”
Major expansion now delayed
Having evacuated its facilities after an Iranian attack earlier this month,
there will also be a delay to expansion at Ras Laffan, Kaabi said, impacting gas
meant for delivery to countries including France, Germany, and China from
2027.“It wasn’t easy to pull everybody from offshore, you know, 10,000 people
evacuated in 24 hours, and shut down all the operations,” he said. “I’m so glad
we have zero injuries, zero fatalities. It is because of that decision we took.”
The expansion, set to boost Doha’s position as the world’s top LNG exporter, was
to have ramped up Qatar’s liquefaction capacity from 77 million to 126 million
tons per annum by 2027. “No work is happening on the North Field expansion.
There are no workers there. It’s definitely delayed,” Kaabi said. “I think it
will be delayed for months, if not a year or more.”QatarEnergy’s production can
only restart should hostilities end, and even then it would take at least three
to four months to resume loading fully, Kaabi said.
Wider Gulf economic impact
Kaabi, who is also chairman of Qatar Airways, said the wider impact of the war
would ripple across all the economies of the Gulf.“This has taken the whole
region back 10-20 years.”
“Tourism is out. Your airlines are not flying ...Your trade is down. There is
nothing moving from any of the ports.”“You have economies that have zero income
from oil and gas, and we are predominantly an oil and gas economy. So obviously,
the spending from the governments is going to be at a much, much lower rate.”
‘Difficult to describe’
Kaabi has spent his career at QatarEnergy, joining the state firm in the
mid-1980s while still studying at Pennsylvania State University. Known for
keeping a cool head in challenging situations, he rose through the ranks to
become CEO of what was then Qatar Petroleum in 2014.Asked how he felt about the
attacks on his company and country, Kaabi was lost for words. “How I feel is
difficult to describe,” he said before pausing and moving on to the next
question.
NATO says Iraq mission relocated to Europe
AFP/March 20/2026
NATO’s mission in Iraq has been fully relocated to Europe because of the Middle
East war, the alliance said, with the last staff from a non-combat force of
several hundred leaving the country on Friday. The mission was in an Iraqi
military base in Baghdad’s Green Zone near the US embassy, which has been
targeted several times since the start of the US-Israeli war with Iran three
weeks ago.A statement from the alliance’s European command said: “NATO Mission
Iraq has adjusted its posture, safely relocating all its personnel from the
Middle East to Europe.”NATO’s mission in Iraq provides assistance, advice and
training to the Iraqi security forces involved in counter-extremist operations,
aiming in particular to prevent any resurgence of the ISIS militant group. The
mission will continue to operate from NATO’s regional command in the Italian
city of Naples, the alliance said. General Alexus Grynkewich, Supreme Allied
Commander Europe, offered thanks to the Iraqi government and allies “who
assisted in the safe relocation of NATO personnel from Iraq.”“I would also like
to thank the dedicated men and women of NATO Mission Iraq, who continued their
mission throughout this period. They are true professionals,” he said.
NATO said earlier Friday it was “adjusting” its mission in Iraq, with a French
military source confirming the force was being temporarily relocated because of
the regional war. Alliance spokesperson Allison Hart emphasized that “NATO and
Iraq’s political dialogue and practical cooperation, including through NATO
Mission Iraq, will continue.”According to its website, the mission established
in 2018 currently has several hundred personnel from NATO allies and from
partner countries Austria and Australia. It has been headed since May 2025 by
General Christophe Hintzy from France.“A decision was taken to relocate them in
line with NATO’s posture regarding non-combat missions,” a French military
source told AFP. “Given the current threat environment, it is less relevant to
keep them in place.”An Iraqi security official told AFP there had been “no
disagreement” with Iraq’s government regarding the redeployment, calling it a
“temporary withdrawal” in light of the Mideast security situation.
War in
the Middle East: Latest developments
Agence France Presse/March 20/2026
Here are the latest developments in the Middle East war:
UAE arrests -
Police in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) said they have arrested 109 people for
unauthorized filming and posting "misleading" information during the war.
Caspian hit again -
Israel's military said it was launching strikes in Iran's Noor region on the
shores of the Caspian Sea, a day after carrying out its first strikes against
Iranian targets in the body of water bordered by five nations.
Syria strike -
Israel's military said it had struck Syrian army camps in response to what it
called attacks against the Druze community in the southern Sweida province.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said in a statement that "we will not allow
the Syrian regime to exploit our war against Iran and Hezbollah to harm the
Druze". Israel is home to a Druze community, the largest Arab minority serving
in the Israeli military.
Beirut sound barrier -
An Israeli warplane broke the sound barrier over Beirut on Friday morning, state
media said, as AFP journalists heard loud booms reverberate across the city and
in distant mountains.
Cargo ships hit -
The United States and Israel struck 16 Iranian cargo vessels in port towns on
the Gulf in attacks that burnt the vessels, local media reported.
Syria 'harmony' -
Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa said he is working to keep his country out of
the war.
"It is important to remember that Syria has always been an arena of conflict and
strife during the past 15 years and before that, but today it is in harmony with
all neighbouring countries regionally and internationally," he said, adding that
Damascus stood "in full solidarity with the Arab states".
UK 'participation' -
Iran's foreign minister told his UK counterpart in a phone call that Tehran
would view any U.S. use of British bases as "participation in aggression".
"These actions will certainly be regarded as participation in aggression and
will be recorded in the history of relations between the two countries," said
Abbas Araghchi, according to a statement released by Iran's foreign ministry,
which did not say when the phone call took place.
Guards' spokesman killed -
Iran's Revolutionary Guards said in a statement on their website that their
spokesman, Ali Mohammad Naini, had been killed in U.S.-Israeli strikes.
Earlier, Naini refuted remarks by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that
Iran could no longer produce ballistic missiles, saying there was "no concern"
and "even under wartime conditions we continue missile production".
Crude prices dip -
Crude prices slipped, after U.S. and Israeli leaders said that Israel would no
longer target any more of Tehran's energy infrastructure.
Sri Lanka refusal -
Sri Lanka refused permission to the United States to station two of its
warplanes at an airport in the island's south in early March, President Anura
Kumara Dissanayake told parliament.
Sri Lanka maintains close ties with the United States, its biggest export
market, and Iran which is a key buyer of tea, its main export commodity.
Gulf attacks -
Drone attacks hit Kuwait's Mina Al-Ahmadi oil refinery, causing several fires
but no casualties, state media said.
Earlier, Kuwaiti and Emirati authorities said air defenses were responding to
missile and drone attacks and Saudi Arabia's defence ministry said it had
intercepted and destroyed more than a dozen drones in the country's east and
another in the north.
Bahrain's interior ministry said that shrapnel from an "Iranian aggression"
caused a fire at a warehouse, which was brought under control and resulted in no
injuries.
UAE arrests -
UAE authorities have arrested at least five members of a "terrorist network"
linked to Iran and Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, state media said.
Report: Trump mulls risky Kharg Island takeover to force Iran to open strait
Naharnet/March 20/2026
The Trump administration is considering plans to occupy or blockade Iran's Kharg
Island to pressure Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, four sources with
knowledge of the issue told U.S. news portal Axios. U.S. President Donald Trump
can't end the war, at least on his terms, until he breaks Iran's chokehold on
shipping through the strait, according to Axios. In the meantime, global energy
prices are surging. But an operation to take over Kharg Island, which sits 15
miles offshore and processes 90% of Iran's crude oil exports, could put U.S.
troops more directly in the line of fire. Thus, such an operation would only be
launched after the U.S. military further degrades Iran's military capacity
around the Strait of Hormuz. "We need about a month to weaken the Iranians more
with strikes, take the island and then get them by the balls and use it for
negotiations," a source with knowledge of the White House thinking said. Such an
operation, if approved, would also require more troops. Three different Marine
units are on their way to the region. The White House and the Pentagon are
considering sending even more troops soon, a U.S. official said.
"He wants Hormuz open. If he has to take Kharg Island to make it happen, that's
going to happen. If he decides to have a coastal invasion, that's going to
happen. But that decision hasn't been made," a senior administration official
told Axios. "We've always had boots on the ground in conflicts under every
president, including Trump. I know this is a fixation in the media, and I get
the politics, but the president is going to do what's right," a second senior
official said, adding no decision had been made. Republican U.S. Senator Tom
Cotton, who chairs the Senate Intelligence Committee, said Trump had been
"prudent" not to rule out a ground invasion, though he wouldn't say whether he
was in favor. Cotton contended that closing the strait was an act of desperation
by Iran, but said Trump had "mountains of plans" for that contingency.
While Kharg Island is critical to Iran's oil industry, there's no guarantee that
taking it would convince Tehran to make peace on Trump's terms. Retired Rear
Admiral Mark Montgomery told Axios such a mission could expose U.S. troops to an
unnecessary degree of risk given the uncertain upside."If we seize Kharg Island,
they're going to turn off the spigot on the other end. It's not like we control
their oil production," he said. Montgomery said it was more likely that after
around two more weeks of attacks to degrade Iran's capabilities, the U.S. would
send destroyers and aircraft into the strait to escort tankers, eliminating the
need for an invasion. Trump originally wanted to end the war before his planned
trip to China at the end of March. The crisis in the strait has compelled him to
postpone that trip and continue the war longer than he'd planned, two sources
with knowledge said. Last Friday, the U.S. military conducted massive airstrikes
on dozens of military targets on Kharg Island. The strike was a "shot across the
bow" to convince the Iranians to reopen the strait, U.S. officials said. But it
was also a preparatory step to degrade Iran's military capabilities on the
island and lay the groundwork for a potential ground operation. "We can take out
the island anytime we want. I call it the little island that sits there so
totally unprotected. We've taken out everything but the pipes. We left the pipes
because to rebuild the pipes would take years for them," Trump said on Thursday.
Trump also told reporters on Thursday that he was "not putting troops anywhere,"
though he added: "If I were, I certainly wouldn't tell you."Three sources said
an occupation of the island by ground troops is under serious consideration.
Another option is to impose a naval blockade and prevent tankers from reaching
the island. One source said Pentagon lawyers had even been consulted to provide
opinions on the legality of such potential moves.
In addition to the 2,500-strong Marine expeditionary force that will arrive
within days, two more similarly sized units are also heading to the region. The
White House and Pentagon are discussing further reinforcements beyond that, but
no decision has been made. One source cautioned that there are many potential
operations for the Marines beyond Kharg Island, such as evacuating staff from
embassies in the region if necessary.
Trump rules out Iran truce as
more Marines head to Middle East
Agence France Presse/March 20/2026
U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday ruled out reaching a ceasefire agreement
with Iran, as more Marines headed to the Middle East in a possible sign of a
coming ground operation. Trump insisted Washington had the upper hand in the
three-week-old war, despite Iran effectively blockading the Strait of Hormuz in
a move that has sent global oil prices skyrocketing. "I think we have won,"
Trump told journalists at the White House alongside Secretary of State Marco
Rubio. "I don't want to do a ceasefire. You know you don't do a ceasefire when
you're literally obliterating the other side."Trump would not confirm a report
by the Axios news outlet that he was considering an occupation or blockade of
Iran's Kharg Island to pressure Tehran to reopen the strait. "I may have a plan
or I may not," Trump said when asked by an AFP reporter. "It's certainly a place
that people are talking about but I can't tell you." The White House told AFP
earlier that the United States could "take out" the vital oil hub "at any time"
if Trump chose. U.S. forces hit Kharg on Friday in strikes that Trump said had
"totally obliterated" all military targets on the island, but Washington has so
far avoided hitting its oil infrastructure. Surging oil prices have put pressure
on Trump to bring the war to an end, amid Republican fears the economic shock
could hurt the party in November's midterm elections.Trump has previously said
he does not plan to put boots on the ground in Iran.
'We will REMEMBER!' -
But The Wall Street Journal said Washington is deploying between 2,200 and 2,500
U.S. Marines from the California-based USS Boxer Amphibious Ready Group and 11th
Marine Expeditionary Unit. Asked about the reports, the Marine Corps said the
two groups are "deployed at sea," while the U.S. 3rd Fleet said they are
"conducting routine operations." A week ago, U.S. media reported a separate
deployment to the Middle East of some 2,500 Marines aboard as many as three
ships. Trump meanwhile branded NATO allies "cowards" for not heeding his demand
for help in securing the Strait of Hormuz. "So easy for them to do, with so
little risk. COWARDS, and we will REMEMBER!" Trump posted on his Truth Social
network. "Without the U.S.A., NATO IS A PAPER TIGER!" Trump posted. He has
blamed Iran's stranglehold on the narrow waterway, through which around one
fifth of global crude supplies pass in peacetime, for the current oil price
spike. Six key powers including Britain, France, Germany and Japan -- whose
premier met Trump at the White House on Thursday -- say they are ready to
"contribute to appropriate efforts" but have not made any commitment. But the
79-year-old Republican -- who rose to power on a promise to end America's long
Middle Eastern wars -- nevertheless insisted the joint U.S.-Israeli operation
was going "extremely well.""It's not even a contest," Trump said earlier Friday
as he presented naval cadets with an American football trophy at the White
House.Trump added of Iran that "we want to talk to them, and there's nobody to
talk to," because of the killing of Iran's former supreme leader and a host of
other top officials.
10 major Iranian naval targets
struck in Operation Epic Fury
Bridget Toomey/FDD's Long War Journal/March 20/2026
Head of US Central Command (CENTCOM) Admiral Brad Cooper said on March 16 that
the United States has destroyed over 100 Iranian naval vessels. President Trump
identified crippling the naval forces of the Islamic Republic as a core priority
of Operation Epic Fury. Within just days, US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth
declared the Iranian navy to be “combat ineffective.” The US has targeted
various naval assets, including ports, bases, ships, and at least one submarine.
As of March 10, US forces had also destroyed 16 mine-laying vessels that
threatened the Strait of Hormuz, with Trump stating that the total had reached
more than 30 on March 16.
The Islamic Republic of Iran operates parallel naval forces: the Islamic
Republic of Iran Navy (IRIN) and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy (IRGC-N).
The IRIN has had ambitions to function as a blue-water force with an area of
responsibility that includes the Caspian Sea, the Gulf of Oman, and beyond. The
IRGC-N is primarily a green-water force capable of operating in the Persian
Gulf. However, in recent years, the IRGC-N has expanded its operating
capabilities in neighboring seas. The two navies share responsibility for the
Strait of Hormuz.
The following is a list of the top 10 targets hit by the US in the conflict,
including facilities and ships:
Major naval ports targeted
Bandar Abbas is a major Iranian naval installation situated on the southern
coast of the Strait of Hormuz. The port is home to the IRGC-N Headquarters, IRGC-N
1st Naval District, which is responsible for the Strait of Hormuz, and the IRIN
Forward Southern Fleet Headquarters. Additionally, key Iranian vessels are based
out of the maritime facility. American forces struck the port on at least
February 28, March 2, and March 5. Satellite imagery shows that the strikes on
Bandar Abbas damaged onshore infrastructure and docked vessels.
Chabahar and Konarak are port cities located on opposite shores of the Chabahar
Bay on Iran’s southern coast, near the eastern border with Pakistan. The Konarak
Naval Base is the headquarters of the IRIN 3rd Naval District, which has
responsibility over the Gulf of Oman. Chabahar, which hosts the IRGC-N Imam Ali
Naval Base, is a deep-water port and the Islamic Republic’s only port directly
open to the Indian Ocean. The United States struck naval assets in the areas,
including bases, vessels in port, and nearby air and drone bases, on at least
February 28 and March 5.
Bushehr hosts the IRGC-N 2nd Naval District headquarters, responsible for the
northern/central Persian Gulf. It formerly hosted the IRIN 2nd Naval District
headquarters but is now a support base for the IRIN 2nd Naval District
headquarters, which was relocated to Jask on the other side of the Strait of
Hormuz. Satellite imagery confirmed that the United States struck naval
infrastructure and vessels at Bushehr as well as the nearby airbase.
Bandar Mahshahr is the headquarters of the IRGC-N 3rd Naval District, located on
the northern Persian Gulf near the border with Iraq, and is responsible for the
northern Gulf area. Reported satellite imagery shows the port was struck in the
first days of the conflict.
Significant vessels targeted
The IRIS Shahid Bagheri was a merchant vessel converted into a drone carrier
with a nearly 600-foot runway. It was the only ship with a ski-jump ramp in the
Islamic Republic’s naval fleet, a feature that enables more and larger drones to
launch compared to other IRGC-N and IRIN vessels. The IRGC-N received the ship
in February 2025. IRGC officials previously claimed that the carrier could
conduct missions for up to a year without refueling, which would have enabled
the IRGC-N to significantly extend its operational range and capacity. CENTCOM
struck the ship on February 28 in the Persian Gulf, and it was reported to be
sinking as of March 3.
The IRIS Makran was a converted tanker that served as the IRIN’s first forward
base ship, capable of supporting helicopters and special operations forces
independent of shore-based infrastructure. The US-Israeli operation targeted and
destroyed the vessel in Bandar Abbas, with satellite imagery from March 2
showing it on fire.
The IRIS Dena was a Moudge-class frigate in the IRIN’s Southern Fleet that was
commissioned in 2021. The vessel possessed a helicopter pad, anti-ship missiles,
and surface-to-air missiles. It was intended to expand the IRIN’s ability to
operate beyond Iranian waters. On March 4, a US submarine targeted the vessel
with a torpedo and sank it in the Indian Ocean south of Sri Lanka as it returned
from naval exercises in India.
Kilo-class submarines, of which the Islamic Republic has three, are operated by
the IRIN and are the most capable class of submarine in the regime’s fleet. The
Russian-built submarines can launch anti-ship missiles and torpedoes, as well as
lay mines. Satellite imagery indicates that a Kilo-class submarine docked at
Bandar Abbas was struck and likely sunk. CENTCOM head Cooper said on March 3
that the United States had sunk “the most operational Iranian submarine,” likely
referencing a Kilo-class submarine.
The IRIS Shahid Sayyad Shirazi is a Soleimani-class catamaran warship
commissioned in February 2024. It is one of the regime’s most advanced warships
operated by the IRGC-N, with a vertical launch system for missiles and a launch
pad for drones and helicopters. CENTCOM announced that it struck the ship on
March 3, and it was reportedly still on fire, but not reported sunk on March 4.
**Bridget Toomey is a research analyst at the Foundation for Defense of
Democracies focusing on Iranian proxies, specifically Iraqi militias and the
Houthis.
https://www.fdd.org/analysis/2026/03/18/10-major-iranian-naval-targets-struck-in-operation-epic-fury/
Read in FDD's Long War Journal
IRAN WAR UPDATE: Airstrike
kills Iranian general after he said war will go on; Iran threatens world tourism
sites
Eddie Chau/Toronto Sun/March 20/2026
Iran’s armed forces insisted it was still building missiles, counterclaiming
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who said the country no longer could.
Gen. Ali Mohammad Naeini of the Revolutionary Guard said the Iran war would go
on. Shortly after stating this, Iranian state television reported he was killed
in an airstrike.
The American military has deployed three more warships and about 2,500 more
marines to the Middle East. The third week of the war against Iran continued on
Friday, with heavy explosions heard in Dubai as air defences intercepted
incoming fire over the city.
Meanwhile, Bahrain’s Interior Ministry reported a fire erupting after shrapnel
fell on a warehouse. Kuwait said it was working to intercept incoming Iranian
fire.
Saudi Arabia reportedly shot down multiple Iranian drones.
Here’s what’s going on Friday in the Iran war:
This comes after a series of attacks from Iran on other troops at British,
French and Italian bases in northern Iraq.
Gen. Alexus Grynkewich, NATO’s top commander, confirmed that the last troops
left on Friday. He thanked the government of Iraq and allies who helped to
safely relocate them, as well as the troops involved, calling them “true
professionals.”
The mission advises Iraqi security forces and is not involved in combat. It will
now be run from NATO headquarters in Naples, Italy.
Hezbollah hit five towns and villages in northern Israel
Hezbollah has claimed responsibility for firing salvos of rockets and drones
that struck Israeli military positions and towns and villages including Kiryat
Shemona, Hanita, Avivim, Ramot Naftali and Shlomi in northern Israel. The group
said Friday that its fighters attacked a group of Israeli soldiers inside the
Lebanese town of Khiam, the scene of intense fighting over the past few days.
Trump calls NATO members ‘COWARDS’
U.S. President Donald Trump has called NATO members ‘COWARDS’ as he complains
again on social media that they didn’t join his call to protect Strait of
Hormuz.
In a Friday morning Truth Social post, Trump said that, ” NATO IS A PAPER
TIGER!”
The president also claimed “that fight is Militarily WON” and that NATO members
are complaining about high oil prices but don’t want to help open the strait.
“We will REMEMBER!” he said.
Iran threatens to attack ‘parks, recreational areas and tourist destinations’
A warning was issued by Iran’s top military spokesman, stating that “parks,
recreational areas and tourist destinations” worldwide won’t be safe for
Tehran’s enemies.
Gen. Abolfazl Shekarchi made the threat as Iran continues to be hit by American
and Israeli airstrikes. It renews a concern that Iran could revert to using
militant attacks beyond the Middle East as a pressure tactic in the war.
“From now on, based on the information we have about you, even parks,
recreational areas and tourist destinations anywhere in the world will no longer
be safe for you,” Shekarchi said in a statement published by Iranian state
television.
More than 2,500 marines deployed by U.S. military
The U.S. military is deploying three more warships and roughly 2,500 more
marines to the Middle East, said an official. One American official confirmed
that the USS Boxer and two other amphibious assault ships, along with roughly
2,500 Marines of the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit, are headed to the Middle
East from their home port of San Diego.
Two other U.S. officials confirmed that the ships were deploying, without saying
where they were headed.
Israel: Strikes on Syria were to protect Druze minority
Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz has warned the Syrian government against
using the Iran war as a cover to harm Syria’s Druze community. This comes after
the Israeli military said Friday it has struck sites in the Sweida area in
response to what it said were attacks against the Druze. There was no immediate
word on casualties. Syrian state media has not commented or reported on the
Israeli strikes. It wasn’t immediately clear when the strikes took place. “We
will strike with even greater force,” Katz said. In the past two days, activist
groups in the Druze majority province said skirmishes have taken place between
armed Druze groups and Syrian government forces.
Before his death, Gen. Ali Mohammad Naeini insisted Tehran was still able to
build missiles despite the attacks coming from Israel and the United States.
This is a counterclaim to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who said
Iran no longer could. “Our missile industry score is 20 and there is no concern
in this regard because we are producing missiles even during war conditions,
which is amazing, and there is no particular problem in stockpiling,” Naeini
said.
He also said the war would go on.
“These people expect the war to continue until the enemy is completely
exhausted,” the general said. “This war must end when the shadow of war is
lifted from the country.
Kuwaiti refinery hit by drones, sparking fires
The Mina Al-Ahmadi oil refinery in Kuwait was again the victim of yet another
attack by Iranian drones, sparking a fire at several of its units. Iranian state
television acknowledged the attack, but didn’t claim responsibility. There were
no immediate injuries from the attack.
The Friday attack comes as Iran ramps up its targets on energy sites in Gulf
Arab states after Israel bombed Iran’s massive South Pars offshore natural gas
field in the Persian Gulf on Wednesday.
Shrapnel sparks fire in Bahrain, Saudi Arabia destroys drones
Bahrain’s Interior Ministry said a fire was started after shrapnel fell on a
warehouse in the island kingdom. Firefighters worked to control the blaze. Saudi
Arabia reported shooting down multiple Iranian drones on Friday morning,
targeting its oil-rich Eastern Province.
Iranians mark Persian New Year under airstrikes
Iranians marked Nowruz, or the Persian New Year, early Friday morning as
airstrikes began. The Israeli military announced early Friday it had begun
strikes on Tehran.
The announcement came after an intense day of Iranian missile strikes targeting
Israel, with more than a dozen launches on Thursday alone.
– With files from The Associated Press
Deepfakes on the Front Lines: Iran’s AI Disinformation
Campaign
Leah Siskind and Marina Chernin/FDD-Policy Brief/March 20/2026
The war with Iran has triggered a torrent of disturbing AI-generated imagery,
videos, and narratives circulating widely on social media — such as smoke
billowing from a Bahraini high-rise or rockets striking directly in the heart of
Tel Aviv. The majority of these videos are produced by Iranian government-linked
influence networks and are propagated by the Russian and Chinese information
ecosystems — the web of state media, social platforms, and online actors through
which Moscow and Beijing spread their message. This strategy exemplifies the
authoritarian media playbook in action: the Iran-Russia-China-North Korea axis
shares technology best practices with each other and then amplifies mutually
beneficial anti-Western propaganda.
The advancement of AI tools in recent months, particularly the advent of AI
agents that can act without human oversight, has made the creation of synthetic
disinformation easier than ever. AI enables scalable psychological operations
targeting both domestic and international audiences. The New York Times has
identified in the past two weeks more than 110 unique deepfakes that convey a
pro-Iran message through battlefield images, missile strike depictions, and
general war footage. Much like the deepfake deluge during the June 2025 Iran
war, when Iranian accounts spread fake videos of prominent Israeli landmarks
ablaze and repurposed battle footage from other conflicts, the purpose of this
content is to push a false narrative of Iranian military success and Western
failure.
How the Axis of Disinformation Works
Cooperation between members of the authoritarian axis is especially effective
because it doesn’t require close coordination or centralized command. Rather,
each leverages its own existing information warfare infrastructure to spread
similar narratives, benefitting from shared investment toward the common goal of
destabilization.
While Iran produces deepfakes of downed American fighter jets being paraded
through Tehran, or pro-regime content for fake Western influencer accounts,
Russia and China amplify these posts. Russia has longstanding expertise in
laundering disinformation and using bot networks on social media. China uses
state-aligned media accounts to echo anti-U.S. narratives in order to compound
confusion about what is happening on the ground. Last week, Chinese state media
shared a claim that Iran shot down an American F-15 jet, a pro-China account
posted a fake image claiming that the Iraqi resistance had shot down a U.S.
KC-135 refueling aircraft, and another pro-China account claimed that Israeli
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had fled his country.
Solutions Offered That Aren’t Really Solutions
Some social media platforms have begun to address the problem of AI-generated
falsehoods. X announced on March 3 that it would punish creators who post AI war
videos without labeling them as AI by booting them from X’s revenue-sharing
program for 90 days. This addresses the problem of rage-bait influencers who
seek to monetize controversial content but does nothing to deter state-aligned
accounts whose purpose is to spread disinformation, not to make a profit. For
social media companies that have been extremely reluctant to address
AI-generated disinformation, this is an important step, but X’s policy must
begin to consider nonfinancial consequences to disempower state-sponsored
sources of disinformation. These principles should be extended beyond active
conflicts, which are currently the policy’s only target.
Government and the Private Sector Should Work in Tandem To Fight Information
Warfare
Washington has a critical role to play in combating the spread of AI-enabled
disinformation. However, significant cuts to the FBI’s Foreign Influence Task
Force, the State Department’s Global Engagement Center, and the Foreign Malign
Influence Center at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence have
greatly diminished the government’s ability to counter foreign influence
operations.
To meet the evolving threats of AI propaganda and deter its axis of adversaries
from sowing chaos domestically, the administration must rebuild and expand each
of the aforementioned offices and continue to adapt their methods to the rapidly
evolving media ecosystem. Ultimately, it is only with the public and private
sectors both working concurrently to combat information warfare, the former by
implementing stronger content moderation policies and the latter by reinvesting
in its own institutions, that the United States will be able to regain its once
significant advantage in this sphere.
*Leah Siskind is a research fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies’
(FDD’s) Center on Cyber and Technology Innovation (CCTI), where Marina Chernin
is an intern. For more analysis from the authors and FDD, please subscribe HERE.
Follow FDD on X @FDDand @FDD_CCTI. FDD is a Washington, DC-based, nonpartisan
research institute focusing on foreign policy and national security.
News of
the ongoing war between Iran on one side and the US and Israel on the other. The
news is abundant, fragmented, and difficult to keep track of as it evolves
constantly. For those wishing to follow the course of the war, the following are
links to several television channels and newspapers:
Asharq Al-Awsat Newspaper
https://aawsat.com/
National News Agency
https://www.nna-leb.gov.lb/ar
Al Arabiya/Arabic
https://www.alarabiya.net/
Sky News
https://www.youtube.com/@SkyNewsArabia
Nidaa Al Watan
https://www.nidaalwatan.com/
Al Markazia
https://www.nidaalwatan.com/
Al Hadath
https://www.youtube.com/@AlHadath
Independent Arabia
https://www.independentarabia.com/
The Latest
LCCC analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published
on March 19-20/2026
Question: Did Jesus go to hell between His death and resurrection?
GotQuestions.org/March 20/2026
Answer: There is a great deal of confusion regarding this question. The concept
that Jesus went to hell after His death on the cross comes primarily from the
Apostles’ Creed, which states, “He descended into hell.” There are also a few
Scripture passages that, depending on how they are translated, describe Jesus
going to “hell.” In studying this issue, it is important to first understand
what the Bible teaches about the realm of the dead.
In the Hebrew Scriptures, the word used to describe the realm of the dead is
sheol. It simply means “the place of the dead” or “the place of departed
souls/spirits.” The New Testament Greek equivalent of sheol is hades, which also
refers to “the place of the dead.” The New Testament indicates that sheol/hades
is a temporary place, where souls are kept as they await the final resurrection
and judgment. Revelation 20:11–15 makes a clear distinction between hades and
the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the permanent and final place of judgment
for the lost. Hades, then, is a temporary place. Many people refer to both hades
and the lake of fire as “hell,” and this causes confusion. Jesus did not go to a
place of torment after His death, but He did go to hades.
Sheol/hades is a realm with two divisions—a place of blessing and a place of
judgment (Matthew 11:23; 16:18; Luke 10:15; 16:23; Acts 2:27–31). The abodes of
the saved and the lost are both generally called “hades” in the Bible. The abode
of the saved is also called “Abraham’s bosom” (KJV) or “Abraham’s side” (NIV) in
Luke 16:22 and “paradise” in Luke 23:43. The abodes of the saved and the lost
are separated by a “great chasm” (Luke 16:26). When Jesus died, He went to the
blessed side of sheol, or paradise. (Some believe, based on a particular
interpretation of Ephesians 4:8–10, that Jesus took believers with Him from
sheol to another place of bliss that we now call heaven. More likely, Ephesians
4 refers to the ascension of Christ.) All the unbelieving dead go to the cursed
side of hades to await the final judgment. All the believing dead go to the
blessed side of hades to await the resurrection. Did Jesus go to sheol/hades?
Yes, according to Jesus’ own words, He went to the blessed region of sheol.
Some of the confusion has arisen from such passages as Psalm 16:10–11 as
translated in the King James Version: “For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell;
neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption. . . . Thou wilt show
me the path of life.” “Hell” is not a correct translation in this verse. A
correct reading would be “the grave” or “sheol.” Jesus said to the thief beside
Him, “Today you will be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:43); He did not say, “I
will see you in hell.” Jesus’ body was in the tomb; His soul/spirit went to be
with the blessed in sheol/hades. Unfortunately, in many versions of the Bible,
translators are not consistent, or correct, in how they translate the Hebrew and
Greek words for “sheol,” “hades,” and “hell.”
Some have the viewpoint that Jesus went to “hell” or the suffering side of sheol/hades
in order to further be punished for our sins. This idea is completely
unbiblical. It was the death of Jesus on the cross that sufficiently provided
for our redemption. It was His shed blood that effected our own cleansing from
sin (1 John 1:7–9). As He hung there on the cross, He took the sin burden of the
whole human race upon Himself. He became sin for us: “God made him who had no
sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God”
(2 Corinthians 5:21). This imputation of sin helps us understand Christ’s
struggle in the Garden of Gethsemane with the cup of sin that He asked to pass
from Him (Matthew 26:39).
As Jesus neared death, He said, “It is finished” (John 19:30). His suffering in
our place was completed. His soul/spirit went to hades (the place of the dead).
Jesus did not go to “hell” or the suffering side of hades; He went to “Abraham’s
side” or the blessed side of hades. Jesus’ suffering ended the moment He died.
The payment for sin was paid. He then awaited the resurrection of His body and
His return to glory in His ascension. Did Jesus go to hell? No. Did Jesus go to
sheol/hades? Yes.
There’s Only One Path to Victory in Iran
Mark Montgomery/The New York Times/March 19, 2026
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/19/opinion/iran-war-strait-hormuz.html
In less than three weeks, the United States and Israel have destroyed many of
the military assets Iran has used to menace the Middle East for decades. The
Pentagon reported 15,000 strikes in the first 10 days, which not only blew up
launchers, missiles and ships; they also leveled some of the production sites
that once replenished Iran’s arsenal.
At least another two weeks of attacks will be necessary to ensure the regime
cannot pose a serious military threat for several years — if it survives at all.
Forcing the threat from Tehran into remission certainly would constitute a
military victory, arguably the United States’ first in Iran since 1979.
But there are two actions that would subvert such a victory. The first is if
President Trump prematurely calls off the operation before the necessary targets
have been hit. He did this last summer, forcing an early end to Israel’s
military campaign against Iran. Another week of operations then might have
prevented Tehran from responding as forcefully as it did in the first days of
this conflict.
The second failure would be if the United States allows Iran to maintain control
of the Strait of Hormuz. Should the regime survive the war with the power to
close Hormuz at will, disrupting the transit of fossil fuels and other crucial
commodities, any declarations of victory by the United States will ring hollow.
A tense struggle is underway between what’s required for success and the
enormous financial stress the war puts on energy and stock markets. Victory is
possible, but only if the United States endures that financial strain until it
can gain control over the Strait of Hormuz and reopen the flow of trade.
At the moment, transits through the strait are down roughly 90 percent. Nearly
all shipments of liquefied natural gas have stopped. Approximately 400 oil
tankers are trapped in the Persian Gulf to the west of the Strait of Hormuz,
unable to depart, and a comparable number of ships sit on the strait’s eastern
side, in the Gulf of Oman. The price of Brent crude oil — the benchmark for oil
prices — has risen more than 50 percent over the past month. If oil gets to $150
per barrel, it could send markets into a steep downward spiral. At that point,
pressure on the Trump administration to reopen the strait would most likely grow
substantially.Opening the strait won’t be easy. Iran can threaten shipping with
aerial drones, primarily Shahed drones loaded with explosives, and unmanned fast
attack boats. It also has cruise missiles that are especially dangerous because
the strait is just 21 miles wide at its narrowest point, giving American
warships only 30 or 40 seconds to employ defensive measures. Iran’s missiles,
drones and unmanned attack boats have already been severely degraded by
airstrikes and will continue to be hit hard, so the greatest obstacles to
reopening the strait are now Iranian mines, some about the size of a washing
machine, lying silently on the sea floor. American attacks have put 16 of Iran’s
mine-laying vessels out of commission, but Iran probably maintains hundreds,
perhaps thousands of mines.
The Reagan administration confronted a similar challenge nearly 40 years ago,
when Tehran sought to pressure the Persian Gulf states to end their support for
Saddam Hussein in the Iran-Iraq war. As part of Operation Earnest Will, U.S.
Navy warships escorted Kuwaiti tankers in the Persian Gulf to protect them from
Iranian attacks. The operation was ultimately a success, despite the fact that a
mine ripped into a Kuwaiti oil supertanker on the very first convoy in July
1987. The next spring, a mine nearly sank an American warship, breaking the
ship’s keel and injuring about 60 sailors.
Today’s challenge is greater because Iran now has more-advanced mines than it
did in the 1980s. And it regularly ignores the rules that international law lays
out for mine warfare, such as properly marking mined areas. Some mines sit on
the sea floor or are tethered to it. Still others can be programmed to count
ships, so an American minesweeper could run the route and another ship could
follow before the mine would detonate to bring down a third boat.
Mr. Trump is reportedly desperate to start having Navy ships escort tankers
across the strait. The lesson of Operation Earnest Will is to avoid trying to
pass the strait prematurely, before American forces can remove as much of the
threat as possible. If there are mines in the water, it is essential to complete
the painstaking, dangerous and slow work of demining.
I participated in convoy operations nearly 40 years ago, and I learned that
there is no fast option — only methodical work that takes weeks, not days, of
persistent satellite surveillance, as well as air cover by fighter jets and
armed helicopters. Most likely, over the next two weeks, a sufficient number of
American destroyers will arrive in the northern Arabian Sea to escort commercial
vessels. It would be helpful if allies supplied capable warships, but this is
not a necessity in the short term.
The president should remember that China is watching. If pressure in the oil
markets is enough to break America’s resolve and lead Mr. Trump to pull out of
the war, Chinese leaders are that much more likely to conclude that our
commitments to defend Taiwan are nothing but bluster.
If the United States can hold firm for the next few weeks, it can fully degrade
Iran’s war-making apparatus. This would usher in a multiyear interval of calm of
the kind that neither sanctions nor diplomacy has been able to produce in over
four decades. In that window, a better regional order could emerge.
The president has reached a decisive point. He cannot both end the war
immediately and claim victory. It is one or the other.
**Mark Montgomery is a retired U.S. Navy rear admiral and a senior fellow at the
Foundation for Defense of Democracies. He was formerly a policy director for the
Senate Armed Services Committee.
The Times is committed to publishing a diversity of letters to the editor. We’d
like to hear what you think about this or any of our articles. Here are some
tips. And here’s our email: letters@nytimes.com.
Follow the New York Times Opinion section on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok,
Bluesky, WhatsApp and Threads.
A correction was made on March 20, 2026: An earlier version of this article
referred incorrectly to rules governing mine warfare. Such rules were not stated
in the Geneva Conventions but in other international protocols, including the
Hague Conventions.
Operation Roaring Lion Is Rewriting the Rules of War Against Iran
Mark Dubowitz/FDD-Policy Brief/March 20/2026
Operation Roaring Lion, Israel’s ongoing military campaign against the clerical
regime in Iran, should not be understood as a short punitive strike or a limited
demonstration of force. It is a sustained operation intended to dismantle, layer
by layer, the military systems that allow the regime to fight, deter, repress,
and survive.The campaign’s strategic logic is increasingly visible in the
pattern of targets. Israeli strikes are not simply reducing launch capacity or
destroying isolated assets; they are systematically attacking the command
structures, production chains, and defensive architecture that make coordinated
Iranian military action possible.According to Israeli assessments, repeated
attacks on the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps have severely disrupted
command-and-control functions. Field commanders are increasingly operating
without central coordination, relying on local initiative rather than organized
military direction. Israeli operational flexibility now allows real-time
targeting of senior figures at ranges of roughly 1,500 kilometers — an
unprecedented capability in this theater. The military-industrial dimension is
equally significant. Missile production infrastructure has been hit so
extensively that Israeli officials assess Iran currently lacks meaningful
reconstitution capacity. Before the war, Iran was estimated to produce roughly
100 ballistic missiles per month. That capacity is now zero.
Air superiority has expanded in parallel. Israeli officials assess that roughly
80 to 85 percent of Iran’s air-defense architecture — including radars,
interceptors, and detection systems — has been destroyed, giving Israeli
aircraft broad freedom of action across much of Iranian airspace. Only after
that strategic groundwork does the campaign’s scale become fully clear. Since
the operation began, approximately 5,700 combat sorties have been flown, with
more than 540 strike waves conducted across central and western Iran and dozens
more deep inside Iranian territory. Over 12,000 munitions have reportedly been
employed, including approximately 3,600 in Tehran alone, generating roughly
8,500 strike points across the country. What makes those numbers strategically
meaningful is that they rest on years of preparation. Before the first strike,
Israeli planners built a large operational framework based on expanding
intelligence penetration and close coordination with Washington. Many targets
struck today were identified only through continuous intelligence development
during earlier phases of confrontation.
That preparation was evident in the opening phase, when Israel reportedly
eliminated 40 individuals within 40 seconds. That decapitation effort, supported
by a major deception operation, was followed immediately by “Genesis,” a massive
strike package involving roughly 200 Israeli aircraft attacking launch
infrastructure, storage sites, and critical military nodes across Iran. Since
then, the campaign has displayed unusual operational flexibility. Israeli
sources indicate that roughly one-fifth of sorties change targets after takeoff,
reflecting real-time intelligence integration rarely seen at this scale.
Structured strike corridors allow simultaneous pressure across multiple
distances while preserving tempo.
Its defining feature may be that Israel has sustained this offensive intensity
while defending its own skies. More than 90 percent of projectiles launched at
Israeli territory have been intercepted, preserving strategic freedom of action
and allowing the operation to continue without major loss of momentum. This is
no longer simply attrition. It is the deliberate dismantling of the regime’s
military nervous system.
https://www.fdd.org/analysis/2026/03/19/operation-roaring-lion-is-rewriting-the-rules-of-war-against-iran/
*Mark Dubowitz is the CEO of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD).
For more analysis from Mark and FDD, please subscribe HERE. Follow Mark on X @mdubowitz.
Follow FDD on X @FDD. FDD is a Washington, DC-based, nonpartisan research
institute focusing on national security and foreign policy.
Yemen, the unfinished business America ignores at its peril
Edmund Fitton-Brown and Bridget Toomey/Washington Examiner/March 20/2026
As thousands of drones and missiles fly through the skies of the Middle East
targeting the United States and its allies, one group’s weapons are notably
absent — the Islamic Republic of Iran’s partner in Yemen, the Houthis. That
doesn’t mean the group no longer poses a threat. The Houthis were at the
forefront of the war in Gaza and kept up a military campaign against Israel,
commercial shipping in the Red Sea, as well as American and partner naval forces
for two years. They only relented in October 2025 when the Gaza ceasefire went
into effect. The group was also the leading defender of the Islamic Republic
during the 12-Day War in June, claiming responsibility for multiple missile
attacks against Israel. They were also the only foreign proxy to launch attacks
in direct coordination with Tehran. The group’s violence in support of
Palestinians and the Islamic Republic is as much a product of strategic
decision-making as of their fanatical religious ideology, which casts the group
as a protector and leader of the Muslim world. This makes it even more
surprising that the Houthis have not jumped to defend the Islamic regime in
Tehran now. They were once spoken of as the leading Iranian proxy, but now Iraqi
militias and Lebanese Hezbollah are in the headlines. In response to Houthi
aggression, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) launched a campaign of airstrikes,
called Operation Rough Rider, against the Yemeni terrorist group in March 2025,
which went on for more than seven weeks and struck more than 1,000 targets.
Then, on May 6, President Donald Trump announced a ceasefire with the group,
saying they would not attack the U.S. and that “they will not be blowing up
ships anymore.”
Predictably, the Houthis did not stick to their end of the bargain. Only two
months after the ceasefire, the group returned to targeting commercial ships,
including killing innocent crewmembers. From May 2025 until the end of attacks
in October 2025, the Houthis targeted four ships with missiles, drones, and
other weapons, severely damaging one and sinking two. The group also continued
its attacks on Israel, which was not a party to the ceasefire. After a brief
pause early in 2025 during a temporary ceasefire in Gaza, the Houthis resumed
launches against Israel in mid-March as Operation Rough Rider was underway. They
went on to launch more than 90 ballistic missiles and at least 45 drones at the
Jewish state during and after the U.S. air campaign.
Tehran’s Yemeni partner also spent the months since Operation Rough Rider
rearming through continued weapons smuggling and efforts to improve their
domestic production. While local forces have had notable successes in
intercepting these efforts, they have by no means stopped the flow of arms and
components to the Houthis.
There is no consensus on why the Houthis have chosen to hold their fire this
round, but one thing is certain: It is a strategic choice, not a lack of
capability.
The Trump administration aims to “degrade [Iran’s] proxy terror networks” in
Operation Epic Fury. To accomplish this, it will need to devote focused
attention to Yemen. Operation Rough Rider and subsequent Israeli strikes,
particularly against senior Houthi leadership — including the killing of
military chief of staff Mohammad al Ghamari — have damaged Houthi capabilities.
However, they maintain forces, ballistic missiles, drones, and anti-ship
capabilities. They will continue to present a threat to Israel, commercial
shipping, and America’s regional partners.
The U.S. can only address this challenge by coupling the ongoing targeting of
the Islamic Republic’s assets with a strategy to counter the Houthis. This
should leverage local partners, Yemeni and Saudi, prioritize maritime
interdiction of Houthi-smuggled weapons and components not only by the U.S. but
by regional powers in the Combined Maritime Forces, and increase intelligence
efforts and coordination among the U.S., Yemenis, and countries in the region to
prepare for future action. Houthi supply lines from China also must be severed
through interdictions and sanctions on procurement networks.
The strategy also must target Oman as a financial and logistics hub for the
group, which must be shuttered. Oman has been given a shock by Iran lashing out
at all its neighbors, including itself and Qatar, which did nothing to provoke
it.
Now is the moment to extend the damage done to the Islamic Republic throughout
its regional terrorist network and capitalize on its regional aggression to
leave Tehran and its Houthi partners isolated.
*Edmund Fitton-Brown is a Senior Fellow at the Foundation for Defense of
Democracies. Bridget Toomey is a research analyst at the Foundation for Defense
of Democracies and former British Ambassador to Yemen focused on Iranian
proxies.
https://www.fdd.org/analysis/2026/03/19/yemen-the-unfinished-business-america-ignores-at-its-peril/
Read in Washington Examiner
Japanese Prime Minister Looks To Balance Regional Issues With Iran War During
Meeting
Jack Burnham/FDD-Policy Brief/March 20/2026
Tokyo is looking to support the United States during its ongoing war with Iran.
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi met with President Donald Trump on March
19 to discuss the possibility of Japan sending military assets to the Strait of
Hormuz, along with a range of trade and defense issues ahead of Trump’s now
postponed trip to China. The visit highlights Japan’s interest in stabilizing
regional ties amid both global energy market turbulence and initial pre-summit
negotiations between Washington and Beijing.
Tokyo Weighs Commitment to Escort Operations
President Trump had previously requested that Japan, along with NATO allies and
China, deploy ships to the Strait of Hormuz, a key maritime corridor for
Japanese energy imports, to assist in possible escort and convoy operations for
commercial shipping. While Takaichi initially ruled out the possibility of
deploying Japanese minesweepers to the region during a parliamentary session on
March 12, Tokyo’s position may have shifted slightly, with Takaichi telling
lawmakers on March 18 that she would indicate “what we can do and cannot do
based on the Japanese law” during her meeting with Trump. Japan has previously
deployed military assets to the Gulf during past U.S. operations, including
after Operation Desert Storm in 1991, though its forces were legally forbidden
from entering active combat zones. During the meeting, Takaichi promised to
coordinate with the United States to stabilize global energy markets, building
on the International Energy Agency’s pledge to release 400 million barrels of
oil from emergency reserves. Takaichi also reiterated Trump’s position that Iran
can never be allowed to obtain nuclear weapons, though she noted that Tokyo had
reached out to Tehran over the past week in a bid to resolve the ongoing
conflict.
Japan Seeks To Maintain Momentum on Bilateral Trade Ties and Taiwan
While weighing its response to the war, Tokyo remains committed to strengthening
trade ties with the United States. The Commerce Department announced in February
that Japanese firms had outlined plans for $36 billion in investments across a
range of natural gas plants, critical mineral firms, and a deep-water crude
export facility, marking the first tranche of an anticipated $550 billion in
Japanese investment over the coming years. The planned investments may also
limit the impact of a newly announced Section 301 trade investigation targeting
67 countries, including Japan, for alleged “excess industrial capacity” within
their manufacturing sectors. Japan also remains focused on countering China’s
continued bullying over its approach to Taiwan while seeking to tamp down
possible divergences with Washington. While the United States delayed announcing
its latest package of arms sales to Taipei ahead of Trump’s expected trip to
Beijing, Tokyo has stood by its comments that a Chinese attempt to seize the
island may prompt the deployment of the Japanese Self-Defense Forces. This issue
reverberated ahead of Takaichi’s visit to the United States, with Tokyo publicly
disputing a March 14 report from the Office of the Director of National
Intelligence that claimed her remarks represented a “significant shift” in
Tokyo’s policy toward Taipei.
Washington Should Reassert Importance of Regional Defense Ties
As Washington prepares options for reopening the Strait of Hormuz, the United
States should work with Japan to become an energy security anchor in East Asia,
relying on its large stockpiles to supplement expanded U.S. exports to key
regional allies and partners. This effort will both calm energy markets and
prevent a growing supply shock from rippling out into the broader global
economy. Both Washington and Tokyo should also accelerate their efforts to
bolster their growing defense ties, particularly as the conflict has pulled some
U.S. forces away from the region. This effort should include accelerating joint
investments in the Golden Dome missile defense project, an initiative that
Takaichi has promised to join, and bolstering the coproduction of advanced
missiles, ships, and other platforms.
**Jack Burnham is a senior research analyst in the China Program at the
Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD). For more analysis from Jack and FDD,
please subscribe HERE. Follow Jack on X @JackBurnham802. Follow FDD on X @FDD.
FDD is a Washington, DC-based, nonpartisan research institute focusing on
national security and foreign policy.
US and Israel strike more military targets, plus Iran’s leadership, repression
units, and energy sites (March 17-18 updates)
Janatan Sayeh/ FDD's Long War Journal/March 20/2026
The US campaign against Iran has continued to degrade the Islamic Republic’s
military capacity, with thousands of targets struck, including missile
infrastructure, air defenses, drone systems, and naval assets, alongside the use
of bunker-penetrating munitions against fortified coastal sites near the Strait
of Hormuz. Operations by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have complemented the
US effort with strikes across Iran, including on missile-related sites and
personnel. Strikes have also extended to economic targets, including gas
processing facilities in Asaluyeh, which prompted Iranian threats of retaliation
against regional and Israeli energy infrastructure. At the same time, the focus
of the campaign has increasingly shifted toward the regime’s internal security
apparatus, with strikes targeting Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)
security units, Basij internal security militia positions, police logistics
centers, and command nodes.
Senior Iranian regime figures tied to intelligence and repression, including
Minister of Intelligence Mohammad Khatib, Secretary of the Supreme National
Security Council Ali Larijani, and Basij commander Gholamreza Soleimani, were
killed, further disrupting leadership structures. These developments coincide
with signs of strain inside Iran’s security forces. Despite this pressure, the
regime has continued its internal crackdown.
A military overview
CENTCOM’s March 18 summary of Operation Epic Fury indicates that the campaign
has surpassed 7,800 strike targets, with over 8,000 combat sorties flown and
more than 120 Iranian vessels put out of action. The US’s targeting focus has
remained consistent, centered on command-and-control infrastructure, IRGC
leadership and intelligence nodes, air and missile defense systems, and Iran’s
ballistic missile and drone ecosystem, alongside naval and military support
capabilities. Yesterday, US Central Command (CENTCOM) stated that US forces had
carried out strikes using heavy bunker-penetrating munitions against fortified
Iranian missile positions near the Strait of Hormuz. Israeli operations between
March 17 and 18 hit more than 200 regime-linked sites, including ballistic
missile storage and launch facilities, drone infrastructure, air defense
systems, missile launchers, and war production sites. In western Iran, real-time
intelligence enabled the identification and killing of five regime military
personnel operating at a missile-related site. In Tehran, strikes also hit
infrastructure tied to the Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force’s ballistic
missile array.
The latest high-profile assassinations
Mohammad Khatib, Iran’s minister of intelligence, was killed by Israel on March
18. “Khatib played a significant role during the recent protests throughout
Iran, including the arrest & killing of protestors, and led terrorist activities
against Israelis & Americans around the world,” the IDF noted in an X post
announcing the elimination. Ali Larijani, secretary of the Supreme National
Security Council and the former parliament speaker, was killed by Israel on
March 17. The IDF noted, “Larijani was considered one of the most veteran and
senior figures within the Iranian regime leadership, and was a close associate
of the Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei,” adding that he “personally oversaw the
massacre that was carried out against Iranian protestors.”Gholamreza Soleimani,
the commander of the Basij, was killed on March 17 by Israel. The IDF noted,
“Under Soleimani, the Basij unit led the main repression operations in Iran,
employing severe violence, widespread arrests, and the use of force against
civilian demonstrators.”Ghassem Ghoreyshi, Basij deputy commander, was
reportedly killed on March 17, according to the London-based Iran International.
Attacks against Iranian energy infrastructure
Iran’s Passive Defense Organization, a state body responsible for civil defense
and protecting critical infrastructure, stated on March 18 that Iran’s “enemies”
struck “refineries 3, 4, and 6 in the South Pars Special Economic Zone (Asaluyeh),”
the country’s main offshore gas processing hub along the Persian Gulf coast.
Videos posted by regime outlets corroborated the story, showing heavy smoke in
the vicinity of the facilities. Axios claimed that the attacks were carried out
by Israel “in coordination” with Washington. Islamic Republic President Masou
Pezeshkian condemned the strikes and threatened, “This will complicate the
situation & could have uncontrollable consequences, the scope of which could
engulf the entire world.”The IRGC-affiliated Fars News Agency stated that
“refineries in the region and Israel are awaiting Iranian missiles.” It added,
“Immediately after the Zionist regime’s attack on the gas refining facilities in
Asaluyeh, Iran published a list of Israel’s and the region’s gas fields and
refineries, urging people to stay away from these areas.”
Israel intensifies attacks on the regime’s repression apparatus
Alongside conventional military targets, the Israeli portion of the campaign has
placed a clear emphasis on dismantling the regime’s internal security command.
Israeli strikes in Tehran hit an IRGC security unit responsible for suppressing
protests, a national police logistics and support center, and Basij positions
operating across more than 10 locations in the city. The IDF’s messaging
accompanying these strikes was explicit: “We will eliminate those who have
Iranian blood on their hands,” alongside a pledge to pursue Basij forces “at
checkpoints, in tents, and wherever they are present.”
Consistent with these claims, Israeli strikes have reportedly hit key Basij
repression infrastructure, killing close to 300 field commanders and operatives.
Targets included a Basij logistics repair and maintenance center used to service
vehicles and motorcycles for street crackdowns, as well as sites tied to the
IRGC’s 27th Mohammad Rasulullah Division. In addition, the “Imam Hadi” security
unit, a central command node in Tehran, and the “Imam Ali” battalions, a
frontline force used to suppress protests, were both struck and suffered heavy
personnel and equipment losses.
The Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs Persian-language account posted a video
on March 17 showing a Special Units (riot police) vehicle burning in Enghelab
Square following an Israeli airstrike that was captioned, “Step by step,” a
phrase suggesting a gradual, systematic effort to dismantle the regime’s
repression forces. The account posted another clip later that day showing aerial
footage of a hyperlocal strike that destroyed a regime security checkpoint in
Tehran. Another post showed a blast hitting a Basij member inside a tent,
reflecting how personnel have shifted to improvised setups after infrastructure
was destroyed.
Fars News Agency reported on March 17 that the US and Israel have carried out
assassination attempts against regime officials with the aim of “demoralizing
the public.”
Iran International, citing anonymous sources, claimed that morale within Iran’s
security forces is deteriorating, with growing absenteeism and desertion across
units, including cases where large portions of personnel failed to report for
duty. The outlet also noted repeated delays in salary payments to Special Units
Command personnel, with some units experiencing multiple late-wage cycles this
year, contributing to refusals to participate in regime-backed deployments and
public events. The combined pressure of financial strain and operational losses
has reportedly begun to disrupt force availability in some urban areas.
A March 17 Wall Street Journal article claimed that the Mossad has contacted
Iranian military and security personnel directly, including through phone calls
and messages, warning them they have been identified and could be targeted. The
communications reportedly reached individuals across the IRGC and other security
bodies, with messages delivered in real time during the conflict.
Regime repression continues
Authorities executed a man accused of allegedly spying on behalf of Israel on
March 18, with officials claiming that he had “provided images and information
of the country’s sensitive sites to Mossad officers”. IRGC media also announced
that some 75 Iranians were arrested on suspicion of ties to “terrorists” and
“monarchists.” Security forces also raided a gathering on March 17 in Tehran’s
Chitgar neighborhood and reportedly fired shots toward the crowd
https://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2026/03/us-and-israel-strike-more-military-targets-plus-irans-leadership-repression-units-and-energy-sites-march-17-18-updates.php
**Janatan Sayeh is a research analyst at the Foundation for Defense of
Democracies focused on Iranian domestic affairs and the Islamic Republic’s
regional malign influence.
Pakistan: Exponentiating Persecution of Religious Minorities
Uzay Bulut/Gatestone Institute/March 20/2026
Pakistan, included by US President Donald J. Trump in his "Board of Peace" for
the Gaza Strip, nevertheless continues to be one of the most dangerous countries
for Christians and other non-Muslims. International watchdog organizations
continue to rank Pakistan among the most difficult countries for Christians.
"The year 2025 was marked by a deepening crisis for religious minorities in
Pakistan, characterized by entrenched legal discrimination, rising mob violence,
and a climate of near-total impunity for perpetrators." — 2025 report by "Voice
of Pakistan Minority."The same day Masih was murdered, United States Commission
on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) thankfully issued its 2026 report,
in which it urged the US government to redesignate Pakistan as a "Country of
Particular Concern" (CPC), under the International Religious Freedom Act of
1998, over systematic and ongoing violations of religious freedom. USCIRF also
called for lifting an existing waiver that exempts Pakistan from penalties
available with the designation. In addition, USCIRF calls for targeted sanctions
on Pakistani officials and government agencies responsible for severe violations
of religious freedom by freezing those individuals' assets and/or barring their
entry into the US under human rights-related financial and visa authorities,
citing specific religious freedom violations.
USCIRF additionally called for holding accountable individuals who incite or
participate in vigilante violence, targeted killings, forced conversion, and
other religiously based crimes. It noted: "The U.S. Congress should incorporate
religious freedom concerns into its larger oversight of the U.S.-Pakistan
bilateral relationship through hearings, letters, resolutions, and congressional
delegations and advocate for the release of FoRB [Freedom of Religion or Belief]
prisoners in Pakistan."
Pakistan would seem hardly the most helpful member for any real "Board of
Peace."
In March 2025, Zohaib Iftikhar, a Muslim, slit the throat of his coworker, Waqas
Masih, a 22-year-old Christian, after accusing him of committing blasphemy by
touching an Islamic textbook with "unclean hands."Pakistan, included by US
President Donald J. Trump in his "Board of Peace" for the Gaza Strip,
nevertheless continues to be one of the most dangerous countries for Christians
and other non-Muslims. International watchdog organizations continue to rank
Pakistan among the most difficult countries for Christians. On Open Doors' 2026
World Watch List, which assesses persecution faced by Christians worldwide,
Pakistan again ranks eighth. The report cited systemic discrimination, mob
violence, forced conversions, bonded labor, and gender-based abuses, noting that
perpetrators often act with impunity.
According to a 2025 report by the organization "Voice of Pakistan Minority":
"The year 2025 was marked by a deepening crisis for religious minorities in
Pakistan, characterized by entrenched legal discrimination, rising mob violence,
and a climate of near-total impunity for perpetrators. "Christians, Hindus, and
other non-Muslim minorities faced a combination of physical attacks, forced
displacement, and structural exclusion. The Christian community remained
particularly vulnerable to accusations of blasphemy that rapidly escalated into
collective punishment, with mobs burning churches, targeting homes, and
destroying livelihoods in affected neighborhoods. Hindus and smaller communities
continued to report forced conversions, abductions, and coerced marriages of
women and girls, often in contexts where access to effective legal remedies was
severely constrained by corruption, intimidation, and bias.On March 4, a
21-year-old Christian farmworker in Pakistan's Punjab Province, Marcus Masih,
was tortured to death by his Muslim employers, who then tried to stage the
murder scene as a suicide by hanging, the victim's brother said. The same day
Masih was murdered, United States Commission on International Religious Freedom
(USCIRF) thankfully issued its 2026 report, in which it urged the US government
to redesignate Pakistan as a "Country of Particular Concern" (CPC), under the
International Religious Freedom Act of 1998, over systematic and ongoing
violations of religious freedom. USCIRF also called for lifting an existing
waiver that exempts Pakistan from penalties available with the designation. In
addition, USCIRF calls for targeted sanctions on Pakistani officials and
government agencies responsible for severe violations of religious freedom by
freezing those individuals' assets and/or barring their entry into the US under
human rights-related financial and visa authorities, citing specific religious
freedom violations.
USCIRF additionally called for holding accountable individuals who incite or
participate in vigilante violence, targeted killings, forced conversion, and
other religiously based crimes. It noted:
"The U.S. Congress should incorporate religious freedom concerns into its larger
oversight of the U.S.-Pakistan bilateral relationship through hearings, letters,
resolutions, and congressional delegations and advocate for the release of FoRB
[Freedom of Religion or Belief] prisoners in Pakistan."
The Christian Daily International reported that Marcus Masih's murder reflects
broader vulnerabilities faced by religious minorities in Pakistan. The country's
stratified social system confines Christians, Hindus, and other religious
minorities to low-wage and dangerous jobs in informal sectors. In recent years,
several high-profile cases have underscored these concerns.
In February 2025, Christian laborer Wasif George was abducted by Muslim
landowners, humiliated and paraded on a donkey after being accused of stealing
wood. Images and videos of the assault circulated widely on social media.
Despite pleas from his family, none of the main perpetrators was arrested. In
March 2025, Zohaib Iftikhar, a Muslim, slit the throat of his coworker, Waqas
Masih, a 22-year-old Christian, after accusing him of committing blasphemy by
touching an Islamic textbook with "unclean hands."
In May 2025, Christian laborer Kashif Masih was tortured to death by a group of
Muslims, including a former police officer, over an unproven allegation of
theft. The murder sparked outrage among minority-rights groups, who criticized
authorities for failing either to prevent or promptly prosecute such crimes. In
June 2024, 18-year-old Catholic worker Waqas Salamat was tortured to death by
his Muslim employer and others for allegedly leaving his job without permission.
His family said he was subjected to hours of eventually fatal electric shocks.
USCIRF said in its latest report:
"In 2025, religious freedom conditions in Pakistan continued along a troubling
trajectory. The government continued to enforce its strict blasphemy law,
impacting people of all faiths, including religious minorities. Increasing
vigilante attacks and mob violence targeting religious minorities, specifically
Ahmadiyya Muslims and Christians, contributed to an intensified climate of fear
and intolerance. "Authorities continued to wield the blasphemy law and its death
penalty provision to punish those deemed to have insulted Islam."
In January 2025, four individuals were sentenced to death for allegedly posting
blasphemous content on social media. Also, a mentally challenged Christian man,
Farhan Masih, was imprisoned on charges of blasphemy and terrorism. Despite
being acquitted, he could not return to his village due to fear for his safety.
In March 2025, the Lahore High Court removed from its case list Junaid Hafeez's
appeal hearing related to charges of blasphemy. Hafeez — a former visiting
lecturer at the Department of English Literature of the Bahauddin Zakariya
University — was arrested by police in 2013, and his trial started in 2014.
Authorities have held Hafeez in solitary confinement since 2014. He was
sentenced to death in 2019 on blasphemy charges. His appeal against the sentence
has been pending since 2020.
In October, a high court finally acquitted Christian pastor Zafar Bhatti of
blasphemy charges after 13 years in prison. Days after his release, after years
of medical neglect, Bhatti succumbed to cardiac arrest.
Violent attacks against religious minorities continue with impunity. Days after
a Christian man's throat was slit over a false blasphemy allegation arising from
his refusal to renounce his faith, a Hindu man, Nadeem Naath, a 56-year-old
Hindu, was shot to death in Peshawar by a Muslim, Muhammad Mushtaq, after
refusing to convert to Islam, on March 29. Last September, two gunmen attacked
Christian pastor Kamran Naz as he traveled to Islamabad to lead a church
service. He had previously received death threats and was accused of
"proselytizing among Afghan refugees."
Reports of forced conversions among Hindu and Christian girls in Punjab and
Sindh Provinces persisted throughout 2025. In February, a 12-year-old Christian,
Saba Shafique, was reportedly abducted in Sindh Province, forcibly converted to
Islam, and married to a 35-year-old man, Muhammad Ali. In July, the Sindh Human
Rights Commission expressed concern about the abduction and forced conversion to
Islam of a 15-year-old Hindu girl, Shahneela. Her uncle said in a police report
that two armed men had forcibly entered the family's home in Matli and kidnapped
Shahneela. Additionally, although Pakistan's constitution establishes Islam as
the state religion, a 1974 amendment declared Ahmadis as non-Muslims, thereby
excluding them from political representation and equal voting rights.
In 2025, USCIRF reported:
"Throughout Pakistan, authorities continued to impose restrictions on Ahmadiyya
Muslims' ability to practice their faith and allowed for assaults against
Ahmadiyya mosques. In February, a mob of TLP members destroyed minarets of an
Ahmadiyya mosque in Sialkot without police intervention. In October, three
gunmen attacked an Ahmadiyya mosque in Rabwah, wounding six worshipers. No group
claimed responsibility for the attack.
"In March, authorities arrested dozens of Ahmadiyya Muslims, including children,
for offering Friday prayers. Days later, police issued two First Instance
Reports against two dozen Ahmadiyya Muslims, based on a complaint from TLP
members that the community was sacrificing animals for Eid-ul-Adha. "In April, a
mob affiliated with the TLP stormed an Ahmadiyya mosque to prevent the community
from offering Friday prayers. During the attack, the mob beat to death an
Ahmadiyya man, Laeeq Cheema. Police allegedly did not intervene to stop the
attack."Christian community members criticized the Pakistani government for
failing to deliver justice and accountability for the 2023 Jaranwala attacks,
during which mobs destroyed homes belonging to Christians and churches, after
allegations of blasphemy. Last June, Christian communities accused authorities
of ignoring evidence after a Pakistani court acquitted 10 Muslims involved in
burning a church during the 2023 Jaranwala attacks. In August, victims of those
attacks held protests to mark the two-year anniversary and repeated calls for
government action.
In May, Pakistan's National Assembly unanimously passed the Islamabad Capital
Territory Child Marriage Restraint Bill to curb child marriages and, by
extension, the forced conversions of underage girls. Under this legislation,
those who facilitate or coerce a child into marriage, including family members
or clerics, can face up to seven years' imprisonment. The question remains: Will
anyone actually enforce this law?
Pakistan's Council of Islamic Ideology strongly opposed the bill and declared it
"un-Islamic" for not conforming with Islamic injunctions. Jamiat
Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rahman called for rallies
protesting the law. Leaders of the Mili Yakjethi Council (MYC) similarly
condemned the bill, calling it "un-Islamic" and unconstitutional. In 2025,
several attacks or threats of violence against places of worship took place. In
February, the US Embassy in Islamabad reported that Tehreek-e-Taliban (TTP)
threatened to attack Faisal Mosque. In response, the embassy prohibited US
employees from traveling to the area. In March, at least six people, including a
chief clerk, were killed by a suicide attack after Friday prayers at an Islamic
seminary in northern Pakistan.
Pakistan's estimated population is 252 million, of which 96.5% are Muslim
(85-90% Sunni and 10-15% Shi'a) and 3.5% belong to other religious communities,
including Christians and Hindus, and perhaps fewer than 200 elderly Jews, if
that, who might try to pass as Parsis.
Pakistan would seem hardly the most helpful member for any real "Board of
Peace."
**Uzay Bulut, a Turkish journalist, is a Distinguished Senior Fellow at
Gatestone Institute.
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/22354/pakistan-persecution-of-religious-minorities
© 2026 Gatestone Institute. All rights reserved. The articles printed here do
not necessarily reflect the views of the Editors or of Gatestone Institute.
The UAE Will Not Be Bullied by Iran — Nor Derailed From Peace
Robert Williams/Gatestone Institute/March 20/2026
In a region too often dominated by arsonists, the United Arab Emirates stands
for something rarer and far more valuable: order, courage, legitimacy, and the
conviction that peace is not weakness, but strength.
At a time when much of the Middle East remains trapped between revolutionary
slogans and recurring violence, the United Arab Emirates has chosen a different
path: order over chaos, statehood over militias, modernity over ideological
ruin. For years, the UAE has worked to build a future-focused nation anchored in
innovation, economic dynamism, strategic openness, and institutional strength.
It has sought to project the image — and the reality — of an Arab state
confident enough to embrace progress, invest in peace, and defend stability.
That is precisely why Iran and its proxies find the UAE so intolerable. The
success of the Emirates is not merely economic. It is political, strategic, and
civilizational. It demonstrates that an Arab country does not need to surrender
to the logic of militias, sectarian intimidation, or permanent confrontation in
order to be strong. It can be sovereign, modern, secure, and globally connected.
It can invest in opportunity instead of grievance. It can build instead of
destroy. That example is a direct rebuke to the worldview promoted by the
Iranian regime and the armed networks it has spent decades cultivating across
the region.
Recent events have made that reality impossible to ignore. The dismantling by
Emirati authorities of a terrorist network allegedly linked to Iran and
Hezbollah is not simply a law-enforcement success story. It is the exposure of a
method. The network reportedly operated under fictitious commercial cover and
was allegedly involved in money laundering, terrorism financing, and activities
threatening the country's national security and financial stability. This is not
incidental. It reflects the deeper logic of Iranian power projection: not merely
open confrontation, but covert penetration; not only military pressure, but
financial infiltration; not just proxies on battlefields, but shadow networks
working quietly inside sovereign states.
In other words, Iran's aggression is not confined to missiles, drones, or
inflammatory rhetoric. It extends into the commercial sphere, the banking
sphere, and the strategic vulnerabilities of the modern state. The aim is not
only to intimidate, but to corrode. To create insecurity from within. To force
governments to operate under the permanent shadow of destabilization.
What the UAE has shown is that it will not yield to that pressure.
This is what makes the Emirati response so important. The UAE has not retreated
into panic. It has not allowed aggression to derail its national ambitions. It
has not abandoned its model of development, its investment climate, or its
strategic commitment to regional stability. Instead, it has responded as a
serious state should respond: by defending its citizens, protecting its
territory, reinforcing its institutions, and continuing to move forward.
That is resilience — not as a slogan, but as a governing doctrine.
Under international law, every sovereign state has the right, and indeed the
obligation, to defend its population and territory against armed threats, covert
subversion, and terrorist penetration. The UAE's determination to protect its
infrastructure, its economy, and its public safety is therefore not an act of
excess. It is an affirmation of sovereignty and legality. A state does not need
to apologize for defending itself. This is where the credibility of His Highness
Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan becomes central. Under his leadership, the
UAE has become one of the clearest examples in the Arab world of disciplined
strength. He has guided the country with a strategic vision that rejects both
passivity and recklessness. The Emirati model under Mohamed bin Zayed is not
built on theatrical rage or ideological posturing. It is built on patience,
institutional seriousness, technological advancement, and a clear understanding
that national strength comes not only from deterrence, but from the ability to
build, endure, and inspire confidence. He has driven the UAE into modernity
without allowing it to lose its strategic bearings. He has strengthened the
state without allowing extremism to define its posture. He has shown that
leadership in the modern Middle East requires more than rhetoric: it requires
composure under pressure, clarity of purpose, and the ability to transform
national ambition into durable policy.
Nowhere is that clearer than in the UAE's commitment to peace with Israel.
For the Iranian regime and its regional clients, normalization, coexistence, and
regional cooperation are intolerable because they threaten the very foundations
of their political narrative. Peace weakens the appeal of revolutionary
confrontation. Prosperity undercuts the politics of grievance. Partnership
exposes the bankruptcy of endless militancy. The Abraham Accords were therefore
never merely diplomatic symbolism. They represented a strategic reordering of
the region — one in which Arab states could openly choose cooperation,
innovation, trade, and stability over perpetual conflict.
The UAE has not allowed Iranian aggression to reverse that choice.
That matters profoundly. Because the true answer to Tehran's model is not simply
retaliation. It is the construction of an alternative order: one based on
sovereignty, lawful statehood, economic growth, and pragmatic peace. Iran
exports coercion. The UAE invests in connectivity. Iran relies on proxies and
destabilization. The UAE has chosen development and strategic partnership. Iran
thrives on fear. The UAE continues to build a future.
That is why the Emirates deserves recognition. Not only for dismantling covert
threats and defending its citizens, but for refusing to let intimidation dictate
its destiny. The country's message is unmistakable: the path to peace will not
be abandoned, the march toward modernity will not be halted, and a sovereign
Arab state has every right to defend itself while continuing to pursue
prosperity.
In a region too often dominated by arsonists, the UAE stands for something rarer
and far more valuable: order, courage, legitimacy, and the conviction that peace
is not weakness, but strength.
Robert Williams is based in the United States.
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/22361/the-uae-will-not-be-bullied-by-iran
© 2026 Gatestone Institute. All rights reserved. The articles printed here do
not necessarily reflect the views of the Editors or of Gatestone Institute. No
part of the Gatestone website or any of its contents may be reproduced, copied
or modified, without the prior written consent of Gatestone Institute.
X Platform Selected twittes for
March 20/2026