WAR WITH IRAN - DAY 21 - WILL TRUMP GO AFTER IRANS KHARG OIL REFINERIES?

 JEWISH KING JESUS IS COMING AT THE RAPTURE FOR US IN THE CLOUDS-DON'T MISS IT FOR THE WORLD.THE BIBLE TAKEN LITERALLY- WHEN THE PLAIN SENSE MAKES GOOD SENSE-SEEK NO OTHER SENSE-LEST YOU END UP IN NONSENSE.GET SAVED NOW- CALL ON JESUS TODAY.THE ONLY SAVIOR OF THE WHOLE EARTH - NO OTHER. 1 COR 15:23-JESUS THE FIRST FRUITS-CHRISTIANS RAPTURED TO JESUS-FIRST FRUITS OF THE SPIRIT-23 But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming.ROMANS 8:23 And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.(THE PRE-TRIB RAPTURE)

WAR WITH IRAN - DAY 21 - WILL TRUMP GO AFTER IRANS KHARG OIL REFINERIES?.

THE NEXT US-ISRAEL HIT ON IRAN SHOULD BE VERSE 37. ALL OFFENSIVE NUKE SITES MISSLES,DRONES,AND OF COURSE KHEMENI AND THE IRGC GUARDS.THEN AFTER IRANS REGIME CHANGE. MUSLIMS COME TO JESUS BY THE MILLIONS.

JEREMEIAH 49:32-39 (IN IRAN AT THE BUSHEHR OR ARAK NUKE SITES AND ALL OFENSIVE WEAPONS DESTROYED IN IRAN)
Jeremiah 49:32-39    
32 Their camels shall be a booty, and the multitude of their cattle a spoil: and I will scatter to all winds those who have the corners [of their hair] cut off; and I will bring their calamity from every side of them, says Yahweh.
33 Hazor shall be a dwelling-place of jackals, a desolation forever: no man shall dwell there, neither shall any son of man sojourn therein.(Location & Size: It was strategically located along the Via Maris (Way of the Sea), a major trade route connecting Egypt with Syria and Mesopotamia.)
34 The word of Yahweh that came to Jeremiah the prophet concerning Elam,(IRAN) in the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah king of Judah, saying,
35 Thus says Yahweh of Hosts: Behold, I will break the bow of Elam,(IRANS OFFENSIVE WEAPONS) the chief of their might.(MISSLES AND NUKE SITES)
36 On Elam (IRAN) will I bring the four winds from the four quarters of the sky, and will scatter them toward all those winds; and there shall be no nation where the outcasts of Elam shall not come.(SINCE 1979 IRANIANS HAVE GOTTIN OUT OF IRAN BECAUSE OF KHEMENI AND HIS APOCOPOLIPTIC DEATH CULT BELIEF-BLACK HATER 12ERS)
37 I will cause Elam (IRAN) to be dismayed before their enemies, and before those who seek their life;(ISRAEL THE LITTLE SATAN AND THE U.S THE BIG SATAN) and I will bring evil on them, (MISSLES) even my fierce anger,(FIRE) says Yahweh; and I will send the sword after them,(IRANS OFFENSIVE WEAPONS) until I have consumed them; (DESTROYED THEM ALL NUKE SITES,MISSLES ETC)
38 and I will set my throne in Elam,(IRAN WILL BECOME A CHRISTIAN NATION) and will destroy from there king (KHEMENI, ISLAM) and princes, says Yahweh.(IRANIAN ARMY GUARDS)
39 But it shall happen in the latter days, that I will bring back the captivity of Elam,(IRAN) says Yahweh.(WERE IN THE LATTER DAYS NOW)

WHEN ARE THE 500 MILLION MIGRATING BIRDS IN ISRAEL IN THE SPRING TIME.(GET READY ISLAM TO BE BIRD SEED FOR THESE BIRDS)
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/m0bXU5Xqc5M
The 500 million migratory birds in Israel during the spring arrive from Africa and head toward Europe and Asia, with the peak migration occurring in March and April. While migration starts in late February, the most intense movements, particularly of birds of prey, storks, and pelicans, occur during the third week of March and continue into April. 
Key Details on the Spring Migration
Peak Period: Mid-March through April.
Main Migration Route: The birds use the Great Rift Valley, which includes the Hula Valley and Eilat, acting as a "bottleneck" where millions of birds fly through the narrow land bridge.
Best Spots: The Hula Lake Park (Northern Israel) and the Eilat Birding Center (Southern Israel) are primary locations for observing the migration.
Key Species: Hundreds of thousands of white storks, along with black kites, raptors, and pelicans, pass through over these months.
uration: The spring migration runs from late February and continues into June, though the heaviest traffic is in March/April. 

The 500 million migratory birds fly over Israel in the fall between late August and mid-December. The peak migration period for the autumn, when the highest volume of bird traffic occurs, is typically October and November. 
Key Fall Migration Details
Location: The Hula Valley (Agamon Hula Park) in northern Israel is the premier spot to witness this phenomenon.
Timing: Migration starts as early as late June with some waders, but intensifies from mid-August through November.
Peak Festival: The "Annual Hula Valley Bird Festival" is usually held in November to align with the peak migration traffic.
Key Species: Many birds of prey (raptors), including honey buzzards and steppe eagles, cross during this time, along with massive flocks of storks and cranes.
While roughly 500 million birds pass through in the autumn on their way to Africa, the same number crosses again in the spring (mid-February to May) on their way back to Europe and Asia. 

JEREMEIAH 49:23-27
23  Concerning Damascus.(SYRIA) Hamath is confounded, and Arpad: for they have heard evil tidings: they are fainthearted; there is sorrow on the sea;(WAR SHIPS WITH NUKES COMING ON SYRIA) it cannot be quiet.
24  Damascus is waxed feeble, and turneth herself to flee, and fear hath seized on her: anguish and sorrows have taken her, as a woman in travail.
25  How is the city of praise not left, the city of my joy!
26  Therefore her young men shall fall in her streets, and all the men of war shall be cut off in that day, saith the LORD of hosts.
27  And I will kindle a fire (NUKES OR BOMBS) in the wall of Damascus, and it shall consume the palaces of Benhadad.(ASSADS PALACES POSSIBLY IN DAMASCUS)

Why does the US have Iran's Kharg Island in its sights? Robert Greenall,Alys Daviesand-Frank Gardner,security correspondent, in Riyadh-MAR 20,26

Donald Trump has warned of possible further US action against a small island off the coast of Iran - home to a major oil terminal that is considered the country's economic lifeline.It was reported on 13 March that the US military had bombed Kharg Island. Trump said at the time that its military facilities were "totally obliterated" but that US forces had held off targeting its oil infrastructure.On Friday US news outlet Axios, quoting four sources with knowledge of the issue, said that the administration was considering plans to occupy or blockade the island to pressure Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz - one of the world's most important shipping channels, located south of Iran's coast.Trump had previously warned that he would reconsider the decision not to target oil facilities on the island should Iran or others "do anything to interfere" with the safe passage of ships through the strait. Since then, Iran has continued threatening to attack some ships that attempt to pass through Hormuz.Aaron Maclean, the host of the School of War podcast and a CBS national security analyst, said that the US thinking was likely that the island could be seized and "used as leverage" to compel the Iranians to keep the strait open.Iran's military said oil and energy infrastructure belonging to firms working with the US would "immediately be destroyed" should Kharg's oil infrastructure be attacked.Will the US try to seize the island? There has been speculation for some time about whether US forces would at some point attempt to take over Kharg Island.Its seizure would not only choke off Iran's oil exports but could also provide a platform from which to carry out attacks against the mainland.Axios sources said an occupation by ground forces was now under serious consideration but that another option was to impose a naval blockade to prevent tankers from reaching the island.Media reports last week suggested that amphibious ships carrying up to 5,000 Marines and sailors were being sent to the Gulf, adding to that speculation.Both the Pentagon and the White House have declined to offer comments on specific troop deployments or potential plans - but have repeatedly made clear that the option is available."President Trump wisely keeps all options at his disposal," a White House official told the BBC earlier this week.Taking the island would effectively cut off the IRGC's economic lifeline, impacting its ability to be able to conduct war, security analyst Mikey Kay, from the BBC's Security Brief, says.According to Maclean, any US operation to seize the island would be relatively small in size, but challenging. A US landing force would have to be moved considerable distances, either through naval vessels or as part of an airborne landing force.Why is Kharg Island important to Iran? A map of Iran showing the locations of major oil and gas facilities. Black squares mark oil refineries, including one near Tehran. Blue circles mark oil terminals along Iran’s southern coastline on the Gulf, with a label identifying Kharg Island as Iran’s largest oil terminal. Neighbouring countries such as Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the UAE are shown west of Iran, with the Caspian Sea to the north. A small inset map highlights Iran’s position on a world map.Kharg Island is a small rocky outcrop just 15 nautical miles (24km) off the coast of Iran.Despite its size, it is one of the most critical pieces of Iran's energy infrastructure.The US striking this small but vital island in the northern Gulf is like going for Iran's economic jugular vein.Ninety percent of Iran's crude oil comes through a terminal on the island - transported through pipes from the mainland.Trump has specifically mentioned the potential of targeting these pipelines, but said he had so far held off to avoid long-term damage to Iran's economy."We can do that on five minutes' notice. It'll be over," Trump said on 16 March. "Just one simple word, and the pipes will be gone too. But it'll take a long time to rebuild that."Very large tankers - capable of carrying up to 85 million gallons of oil - are able to come up to the island's long jetties to pick up the oil. The island's coast is close enough to deep waters, unlike the shallower coast of the mainland.The tankers then come back down the Gulf and out of the Strait of Hormuz, to China - the main buyer of Iranian oil.A terminal for the export of Iranian oil, the island provides a major source of revenue for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).What did the US and Iran say about the 13 March attack? Trump said on 13 March that the US Central Command (Centcom) had "executed one of the most powerful bombing raids in the History of the Middle East and totally obliterated every MILITARY target in Iran's crown jewel, Kharg Island".He added that "for reasons of decency" he had "chosen NOT to wipe out the Oil Infrastructure on the Island".Centcom said US forces had struck "more than 90 Iranian military targets on Kharg Island, while preserving the oil infrastructure".The regional military command unit said it had destroyed naval mine storage facilities, missile storage bunkers and numerous other military sites.Iranian state media reported that no damage was done to the island's oil facilities. The semi-official Fars news agency said US attacks targeted air defences, a naval base, airport control tower and a helicopter hangar.Ehsan Jahanian, political deputy to the governor of Bushehr province in southern Iran, said "no military personnel, oil company employees, or island residents suffered casualties in the attack, and all sectors are continuing their routine activities".Jahanian said the process of exporting oil from Kharg was "fully under way", and the "activities of companies based on the island are continuing without interruption", according to a report by the IRGC-affiliated Tasnim news agency.Following the strikes, the country's military warned that oil and energy infrastructure belonging to firms working with the US would "immediately be destroyed and turned into a pile of ashes" if its energy facilities were attacked.Why didn't the US target the island's oil facilities? Military action to destroy the island's infrastructure would be hugely damaging to Iran.It would also present a significant escalation to the conflict.It would likely send global oil prices soaring even higher and could also lead to Iran targeting more oil infrastructure across the Middle East.Two weeks into the war, Iran still has the capacity to launch large numbers of low-cost, high-explosive drones at its Gulf Arab neighbours as well as at shipping vessels.It could, potentially, expand those targets to include vital infrastructure like desalination plants that provide drinking water for millions.Follow updates on the Iran war-Justin Crump, a military analyst and former British Army officer, said the 13 March bombing was an attempt by Trump to deter Iran from escalating the conflict further."He's showing it as being merciful but saying he could be more punishing to the IRGC" by targeting the oil facilities, Crump, who is also CEO of intelligence consultancy Sibylline, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme the following day.Trump previously stated that the aim of the war was so that Iran's people could rise up and overthrow the Islamic Republic's regime.While he has since expressed other motivations for the war, Crump said targeting the island's oil infrastructure was "difficult" as it would destroy the country's economic lifeline for a long period of time."That doesn't really say much for their [the Iranian people's] future," he said, adding that, when the island's oil infrastructure was destroyed during the Iran-Iraq war in the 1980s, it took a long time to rebuild.

More Marines head to Mideast as US threatens key-MAR 20,26

US President Donald Trump on Friday ruled out a ceasefire with Iran, as American officials said more US Marines were headed to the Middle East in a possible sign of a coming ground operation three weeks into the war.A possible target for the troops could be Iran’s Kharg Island, with the White House telling AFP the United States could “take out” the vital oil hub at any time if Trump chose.The Axios news outlet reported that Trump was considering an occupation or blockade of the island to pressure Tehran to reopen the crucial Strait of Hormuz. Trump said “I may have a plan I may not” but refused to tell reporters one way or the other, while describing Kharg as “certainly a place that people are talking about. But I can’t tell you that.”“We can have dialogue, but I don’t want to do a ceasefire. You don’t do a ceasefire when you’re literally obliterating the other side,” Trump told reporters outside the White House.Asked if Israel will agree to end the war when the US decides to do so, Trump responded, “I think so, yeah.”“The relationship is a very good one. We want more or less similar things. You know what we want? We want victory — both of us — and that’s what we’ve got,” Trump said.He also doubled down on his criticism of the NATO military alliance for not heeding his demand for help in securing the narrow waterway, as he blamed Iran’s stranglehold over the strait for the spike in global oil prices.“So easy for them to do, with so little risk. COWARDS, and we will REMEMBER!” Trump posted on his Truth Social network, accusing NATO of failing to join the “fight to stop a Nuclear Powered Iran.”“Without the USA, NATO IS A PAPER TIGER!”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. Trump said Friday, “It would be nice” if the countries that rely on the Strait of Hormuz would get involved in helping to keep it open, which he asserted would be a “simple military maneuver” but requires help with “ships” and “volume.”The strait has “to be guarded and policed, as necessary, by other nations who use it,” he added in further comments on the matter. “The United States does not! If asked, we will help these countries in their Hormuz efforts, but it shouldn’t be necessary once Iran’s threat is eradicated. Importantly, it will be an easy military operation for them.”The 79-year-old Republican — who rose to power on a promise to end America’s long Middle Eastern wars — nevertheless insisted the joint US-Israeli operation was going “extremely well.”“It’s not even a contest,” Trump said earlier 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. “And you know what? We like it that way.”The 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 US midterm elections.In a later Truth Social post, Trump declared, “We are getting very close to meeting our objectives as we consider winding down our great military efforts in the Middle East with respect to the terrorist regime of Iran.” He proceeded to list what he said were the US military objectives.“(1) Completely degrading Iranian missile capability, launchers and everything else pertaining to them. (2) Destroying Iran’s defense industrial base. (3) Eliminating their navy and air force, including anti-aircraft weaponry. (4) Never allowing Iran to get even close to nuclear capability, and always being in a position where the USA can quickly and powerfully react to such a situation, should it take place. (5) Protecting, at the highest level, our Middle Eastern allies, including Israel, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Kuwait, and others.”Destroying Iran’s defense industrial base, eliminating Iran’s air force and anti-aircraft weaponry and protecting US allies in the Middle East were not among the objectives that US officials had given for the war to date.While the list has fluctuated, US officials have generally stuck to the destruction of Iran’s missile program, the destruction of Iran’s navy, the ending of Iran’s support for armed proxies and ensuring that Iran can never obtain a nuclear weapon.More US Marines-Trump has said he does not plan to put boots on the ground in Iran. According to three US officials who spoke with Reuters, the USS Boxer, an amphibious assault ship, along with its Marine Expeditionary Unit of about 2,500 Marines and accompanying warships, would deploy to the region, although they did not say what their role would be.Two officials said there still was no decision on whether to send troops into Iran itself.The Marine Corps said in response that the two groups are “deployed at sea,” while the US 3rd Fleet said they are “conducting routine operations.”A week ago, US media reported a separate deployment to the Middle East of some 2,500 Marines aboard as many as three ships.A possible mission for the Marines could be an operation against Kharg Island, which handles almost all of Iran’s crude exports.“We need about a month to weaken the Iranians with aerial attacks, take over the island, catch them by the balls and use this in negotiations,” an unnamed American source told Axios.“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 told 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.”Kelly added that 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.”US forces hit Kharg on Friday in strikes that Trump said had “totally obliterated” all military targets on the island.Trump has said the United States has so far held off striking the island’s infrastructure, but has threatened to do so if Iran keeps blocking the Strait of Hormuz.Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.

UK okays US use of its bases to strike Iranian threats to shipping in Strait of Hormuz-Britain authorizes American military to launch operations from UK aimed at ‘degrading’ Iran’s capabilities to hit ships, after Trump criticizes Starmer for not doing more to help By Reuters Today, 9:44 pm-MAR 20,26

LONDON — 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.UK 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.US 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 deescalation and a swift resolution to the war.”Opinion polls in Britain suggest widespread skepticism about the war, with 59% of those surveyed by YouGov saying that they were opposed to the US-Israeli attacks.

Cops forcefully clear Eid prayers outside Jerusalem’s Old City amid Iran war closure-Muslim worshipers clash with police as holy sites, including the Al-Aqsa Mosque and Western Wall, are off limits to most while wartime restrictions on gatherings remain in effect-By Charlie Summers-and AFP Today, 7:20 pm-MAR 20,26

Hundreds of Muslim worshipers clashed with police while holding Eid al-Fitr prayers at the gates of Jerusalem’s Old City Friday, as the Al-Aqsa Mosque, Western Wall and other holy sites remain closed amid the war with Iran.A few hours later, a fragment from an intercepted Iranian ballistic missile struck some 400 meters from the Western Wall and Al-Aqsa Mosque compound on the Temple Mount, causing damage at a parking lot in the Old City’s Jewish Quarter but no injuries.Since the start of the US-Israel war against Iran on February 28, Israeli authorities have, for security reasons, barred access to the Old City for anyone other than residents or shop owners. The restrictions extend to all holy sites, including the Western Wall, Al-Aqsa Mosque and Church of the Holy Sepulchre, which have been closed since March 6. Gatherings nationwide remain limited to 100 people indoors and 50 people outdoors, provided a shelter can be reached in time.For Eid al-Fitr, which marks the end of Ramadan, Muslim worshipers denied access to the Old City arrived with prayer mats under their arms at dawn Friday under the watchful supervision of Israeli police.Shouting “Allahu akbar” (“God is the greatest”) or chanting the shahada (the Muslim declaration of faith), the crowd tried to push through the city gates.Police forcefully dispersed hundreds of worshipers, with footage showing officers using tear gas and batons against the crowd of Palestinians, running after individuals who gathered to pray outside Herod’s Gate.At least one individual was arrested, Haaretz reported.Eventually, the worshipers managed to take up a position next to Herod’s Gate as the police relented for a few minutes and allowed the street prayers to take place.An imam standing on a plastic stool delivered a short sermon.“Pray, invoke Almighty God and hope that your prayers will be answered,” he told the worshipers. “O God, grant victory to the oppressed.”The Israel Police then pushed back the worshipers, who dispersed without resistance into the narrow streets, buying still-warm bread from street stalls as they went.‘Broken heart’The gathering of just a few hundred worshipers was a far cry from the typical way Eid is usually marked in Jerusalem, when some 100,000 people flock to the Temple Mount compound.The Temple Mount is the holiest site in Judaism and was home to the ancient biblical temples. Muslims call the site the Noble Sanctuary. It is home to Al-Aqsa Mosque, the third-holiest site in Islam, and the iconic Dome of the Rock shrine.Researchers say this is the first time the site was closed during the last 10 days of Ramadan and for Eid al-Fitr since Israel captured East Jerusalem and the Old City from Jordan during the 1967 Six Day War and later annexed them in a move not recognized internationally.“Today, Al-Aqsa has been taken from us. It’s a sad and painful Ramadan,” Wajdi Mohammed Shweiki, a silver-haired Palestinian man in his 60s, told AFP.“It’s a catastrophic situation for the inhabitants of Jerusalem, for Palestinians in general and for all Muslims across the globe,” he added.The Israel Police said that “despite the high-alert status, police allowed prayers to be conducted on the street outside the Old City of Jerusalem without intervention.”“However, officers were required to enforce… life-saving guidelines when crowds later exceeded authorized capacity and seemingly attempted to breach security perimeters into the Old City,” they said.Authorities maintain that they are solely concerned with enforcing Home Front Command wartime guidelines, but critics have accused law enforcement of operating on a double standard when it comes to Jewish versus Arab public gatherings.Earlier this week, the Foreign Press Association lambasted police for what it called an “unprovoked assault” on journalists covering evening prayers outside the walls of the Old City, which left a CNN producer with a fractured wrist.Officers detained several reporters, damaged photographic equipment and confiscated memory cards, the statement read.There is also fear among some Palestinians that it could be part of efforts to rewrite the strict rules governing access to Jerusalem’s holy sites.The Temple Mount has seen violence, particularly with large crowds gathering during Ramadan, and has seen clashes between Palestinians and Israeli security forces over the years, with Hamas using its religious symbolism as a means of rallying support.“The occupier, under the pretext of security and for its own interests, has closed the mosque,” said cleric Ayman Abu Najm, who had come from Beit Hanina, a Palestinian neighborhood in East Jerusalem.“In the history of the occupation, this is the longest period during which the Al-Aqsa Mosque has been closed.”Israel says it is committed to upholding this status quo, though Palestinians fear it is being eroded.While politics and faith are always closely tied in this flashpoint city, for some Muslims the inability to access Al-Aqsa this year was felt as a deep personal loss.“Ramadan without the Al-Aqsa Mosque is a very sad feeling, a feeling of having a broken heart,” said worshiper Zeyad Mona.Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.

Khamenei, who remains unseen, claims 'enemy has been defeated'Iran threatens to target tourist, recreational sites worldwide as it keeps up attacks on Gulf-In first remarks of war, Iranian Quds Force chief hails Tehran-led ‘resistance front’ for fighting Israel and US; American military to deploy some 2,500 more Marines to the Mideast By Agencies and ToI Staff Today, 5:53 pm-MAR 20,26

Iran on Friday threatened to target recreational and tourist sites worldwide and insisted it was still building missiles, striking a defiant tone nearly three weeks after the start of US-Israeli strikes that have killed a slew of Tehran’s top leaders and hammered its weapons and energy industries.Iran fired on Israel and energy sites in neighboring Gulf Arab states as many in the region marked one of the holiest days on the Muslim calendar. Iranians were also celebrating the Persian New Year, known as Nowruz, a normally festive holiday that is more subdued this year.The US military was meanwhile deploying three more warships and roughly 2,500 more Marines to the Middle East, an official said. One US official confirmed Friday that the USS Boxer and two other amphibious assault ships, along with roughly 2,500 Marines of the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit, have deployed from their home port of San Diego and are bound for the Middle East.Two other US officials confirmed that the ships were deploying, without saying where they were headed. All three officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive military operations.With little information coming out of Iran, it was not clear how much damage its arms, nuclear, or energy facilities have sustained since the war began on February 28, or even who was truly in charge of the country. But Iran has shown it is still capable of attacks that are choking off oil supplies and denting the global economy, raising food and fuel prices far beyond the Middle East.The US and Israel have offered shifting rationales for the war, from hoping to foment an uprising that topples Iran’s leadership to eliminating its nuclear and missile programs. There have been no public signs of any such uprising, and no end in sight to the war.Iran threatens worldwide tourist sites-Iran’s top military spokesman warned Friday that “parks, recreational areas and tourist destinations” worldwide won’t be safe for Tehran’s enemies.The threat from Gen. Abolfazl Shekarchi renewed concerns that Iran may revert to using terrorist attacks beyond the Middle East as a pressure tactic.“We are watching your cowardly officials and commanders, pilots and wicked soldiers,” added Shekarchi.The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Quds Force commander Esmail Qaani, meanwhile, praised Tehran’s “resistance front” regional allies for fighting the US and Israel in the current conflict, Iranian media reported on Friday, in his first remarks amid the war.US and Israeli leaders have said that weeks of strikes have decimated Iran’s military. Airstrikes have also killed its supreme leader, the head of its Supreme National Security Council, and a raft of other top-ranking military and political leaders.The Israeli military said Friday that Ismail Ahmadi, head of intelligence for the Basij, an internal security force, had been killed by a strike earlier in the week that hit other Basij leaders.On Thursday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed Iran’s navy was sunk and its air force in tatters, while adding that its ability to produce ballistic missiles had been taken out. The IRGC disputed the missile claim on Friday.“We are producing missiles even during war conditions, which is amazing, and there is no particular problem in stockpiling,” spokesman Gen. Ali Mohammad Naeini was quoted as saying in Iran’s state-run IRAN newspaper.A short time after the statement was released, Iranian state television said Naeini was killed in an airstrike.A rare statement for Nowruz attributed to the country’s new Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei was also released Friday, saying Iran’s enemies need to have their “security” taken away.Khamenei hasn’t been seen since he succeeded his father, the 86-year-old Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed in an Israeli airstrike on the first day of the war.“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,” declared the younger Khamenei in his statement.He also named the Persian New Year as the year of a “resistance economy under national unity and national security,” while claiming attacks against Turkey and Oman were not carried out by Iran or its allied forces.A Kuwait refinery comes under attack and explosions shake Dubai-Iran has stepped up its attacks on energy sites in Gulf Arab states after Israel bombed Iran’s massive South Pars offshore natural gas field earlier in the week.Two waves of Iranian drones attacked a Kuwaiti oil refinery early Friday, sparking a fire. The Mina Al-Ahmadi refinery, which can process some 730,000 barrels of oil per day, is one of the largest in the Middle East. It was damaged Thursday in another Iranian attack.Bahrain said a fire broke out after shrapnel from an intercepted projectile landed on a warehouse, and Saudi Arabia reported shooting down multiple drones targeting its oil-rich Eastern Province.Heavy explosions shook Dubai as air defenses intercepted incoming fire over the city, where many were observing Eid al-Fitr, the end of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan.In Iran, meanwhile, many were marking Nowruz even as Israel said it had launched new strikes, and explosions were heard over Tehran. The Persian New Year, which coincides with the spring equinox, is a tradition observed across southwestern Asia that dates back thousands of years.Loud explosions could also be heard in Jerusalem after the Israel Defense Forces warned of incoming Iranian missiles. First responders said they treated two people around 70 years old who were lightly wounded.In addition to steadily striking Iran, Israel has regularly hit Lebanon, targeting Iran-backed Hezbollah terrorists who have been firing rockets and drones into Israel.On Friday, Israel broadened its attacks to Syria, saying it hit infrastructure there in response to what it described as attacks on the Druze minority. Syria’s state-run SANA news agency did not immediately acknowledge the attack.More than 1,300 people have been killed in Iran during the war. Israeli strikes in Lebanon have displaced more than 1 million people, according to the Lebanese government, which says more than 1,000 people have been killed. Israel says it has killed more than 500 Hezbollah operatives.In Israel, 15 people have been killed by Iranian missile fire. Four people were also killed in the West Bank by an Iranian missile strike.At least 13 US military members have been killed.The war is raising risks to the world economy-Iran’s attacks on energy infrastructure in the Gulf, combined with its stranglehold on shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic waterway through which a fifth of the world’s oil and other critical goods are transported, have raised concerns of a global energy crisis.US President Donald Trump lobbed fresh insults at NATO allies who have spurned his call for help protecting the strait. US allies have refused to join the war, saying they weren’t consulted before the US and Israel launched it. Trump called NATO members “COWARDS” in a social media post, saying: “NATO IS A PAPER TIGER.”Brent crude oil, the international standard, has soared during the fighting and was around $108 per barrel Friday, up from roughly $70 per barrel before the war began.Surging fuel prices come at a moment when many world leaders were already struggling to bring down the high prices of food and many consumer goods. Asia is getting hit hard as most of the oil and gas exiting the Strait of Hormuz is transported there.But the price shocks are reverberating throughout the world economy. Key raw materials — like helium used in making computer chips, and sulfur, a raw material in fertilizer — have been obstructed and could be in short supply soon, raising the prices of goods all the way down the supply chain.

UK cops arrest suspected Iranian spies for trying to enter nuclear submarine base-Arrests at base housing Britain’s nuclear-armed submarine fleet come amid rising Iran-linked threats in Britain, three weeks into the US-Israel war against the Islamic Republic By Agencies Today, 4:41 pm-MAR 20,26

Scottish police on Friday said they arrested two people attempting to enter a Royal Navy base in the northwest where Britain’s nuclear submarines are based, including a man identified by UK media as Iranian.“Around 5 p.m. on Thursday, 19 March, 2026, we were made aware of two people attempting to enter HM Naval Base Clyde,” Police Scotland said in a statement sent to AFP.“A 34-year-old man and 31-year-old woman have been arrested in connection and inquiries are ongoing,” the police added, without providing additional details.The Royal Navy confirmed the arrests but said that “as the matter is subject to an ongoing investigation, we will not comment further.”The Clyde base, known as Faslane, is located on the west coast of Scotland and is key to Britain’s security, hosting the country’s nuclear-armed submarine fleet, as well as its attack submarines.The arrests come three weeks into the US-Israel war on Iran. While Britain has not taken part in the attacks on Iran, the country’s forces have downed Iranian missiles and drones in the Gulf region.The UK has allowed the United States to use two of its military bases — in Fairford in southwest England and Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean — for operations in Washington’s war against Iran, which the British government insists are purely “defensive.”The threat posed to Britain from Iran has been the subject of repeated warnings from the UK’s domestic spy agency MI5, with accusations that Tehran was behind more than 20 suspected kidnap and assassination plots in the country.There have been several cases of suspected Iranian spies being arrested in the UK over the last year. Iran has repeatedly denied allegations of spying, saying it is part of a campaign against it by hostile Western powers.Two men appeared in a London court on Thursday, accused of being tasked by Iran to carry out hostile surveillance on Jewish people and sites in London.Britain has been a nuclear power since the 1950s. Since the 1990s, its nuclear deterrent has consisted of four Royal Navy submarines armed with Trident ballistic missiles.Earlier in March, the Scottish Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament organized a demonstration outside the Clyde base, which regularly attracts protests.

Mossad chief told PM before war that he thought Iran’s regime could be toppled – report-Barnea said to have presented assessment that if the Iranian government were decapitated, and its institutions and means of repression seriously weakened, system could fall By ToI Staff Today, 4:23 pm-MAR 20,26

Mossad head David Barnea, in meetings with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his government prior to the US-Israeli attack that started the ongoing war with Iran, assessed that it would be possible to topple the Iranian regime, Channel 12 reported Thursday.The TV network, citing multiple unnamed sources, said that Barnea told the political echelon that if the military goals of the operation were achieved – decapitation of the leadership, as well as serious harm to regime institutions and its capacity to repress its own citizens – then the Mossad and the CIA would know how to ensure that Iranians would again take to the streets, and to find an alternative to the regime.The report stressed that the Mossad chief provided disclaimers and qualifications, and noted both that the situation was developing and that achieving the desired ends could take a long time.Both Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump addressed the Iranian people when announcing the start of the military campaign, and indicated that the operation could set the conditions for the fall of the regime.Both said, however, that it would be incumbent upon the Iranians themselves to seize the opportunity.In the subsequent three weeks, the US and Israel have avoided committing to regime change, focusing instead on the security threat posed by the Islamic Republic’s military capabilities, particularly its nuclear and ballistic missile programs.On Thursday, US Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard said the US intelligence community “assesses that the regime in Iran appears to be intact, but largely degraded.” She also assessed that if the regime survives, it will likely try to rebuild its military capabilities.Also Thursday, in his first English-language press conference since the start of the war, Netanyahu defined the war’s three goals as ending the nuclear threat, ending the ballistic missile threat, and “creating the conditions for the Iranian people to grasp their freedom, to control their destiny.”Later, responding to a question, the premier said there were “a lot of signs” that the regime was “cracking,” but declined to assert it would collapse“I can tell you that we’re working to create the conditions for it to collapse, but it may survive, it may not. If it survives, it’ll be a lot weaker,” he said.The premier also said that while a regime cannot be toppled only from the air, without a ground component, “There are many possibilities for this ground component, and I take the liberty of not sharing with you all those possibilities.”Netanyahu also praised the Iranian people for their bravery.Tehran has acknowledged that more than 3,000 people died during the anti-regime unrest in December and January.The US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), however, has recorded more than 7,000 killings, the vast majority of them protesters, while warning the toll could be far higher. Trump has claimed the number is more than 35,000.

Despite IDF strikes, Iran’s feared Basij security forces still patrol Tehran’s streets-Regime-loyal volunteers for highly decentralized force man dozens of checkpoints; over 100 Iranians arrested for alleged ties to enemy states, some for holding Starlink internet dishes By Sarah El Deeb Today, 3:29 pm-MAR 20,26

BEIRUT, Lebanon (AP) — Hours after Israel killed the top commander of Iran’s Basij this week, it struck again — this time at the rank and file of the feared force that helped crush widespread protests this year. A drone blasted one of the Basij’s many temporary roadblocks erected around the capital, Tehran.Israel and the US say they aim to break the Islamic Republic’s tools of domestic control in their campaign of bombardment, now nearly three weeks old. Since the war began, monitors estimate that up to a third of strikes have targeted the top echelons and major bases of the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard and its Basij volunteers tasked with enforcing loyalty to Iran’s theocratic rulers.Last week, Israel began striking Basij checkpoints, extending the threat to low-ranking members. But the Basij, police and Revolutionary Guard have maintained their grip, and there has been no sign yet of Iranians heeding US and Israeli calls to rise up, as many seek refuge from the airstrikes and uncertainty.Residents say security forces still have an intimidating presence in Tehran. War monitors say an intensified crackdown that began with the crushing of January’s nationwide protests continues, often targeting those who take videos of strikes or try to get around a weekslong internet blackout to contact the outside world.Israel’s campaign may aim to undermine the morale of Basijis and prompt defections or refusals to serve. It could also encourage the many Iranians who remain furious over the thousands killed in January’s crackdown. In early March, Israel’s military issued a Farsi-language message urging the mothers of Basijis to “save their children” by encouraging them to put down their arms.But the Basijis are highly ideological and “the most decentralized force within an already highly decentralized system,” said Hamidreza Azizi, an expert on Iran’s security and foreign policy.Israel’s killing of its top commander, Gen. Gholam Reza Soleimani, early Tuesday, is unlikely to disrupt it, Azizi said. The Basij chief is chosen not for expertise but for “ideological rigidity and demonstrated loyalty to the supreme leader,” playing a more symbolic role.“In most cases, Basij units operate autonomously or semiautonomously, particularly in operational matters,” Azizi said.Basij checkpoints have proliferated across Tehran, often just a line of traffic cones and a few vehicles.One resident said there were five or six new checkpoints in his upscale neighborhood alone. They search vehicles for weapons, examine documents and sometimes demand to look at people’s phones, he said, speaking on condition of anonymity for his safety.Israel strikes Basij checkpoints across Tehran-The strikes on checkpoints began on March 11, with at least 15 incidents on a single day documented by Armed Conflict Location and Event Data, a US-based monitoring group.“We are landing crushing blows on the Revolutionary Guards and the Basij, both in the streets and at checkpoints,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the next day, adding that the aim was to create the conditions for Iranians to overthrow their government.On Tuesday, the Israeli military said it struck more than 10 Basij positions across the capital. A video posted online and verified by the AP showed two vehicles burning near traffic cones on a multilane boulevard in central Tehran. The location matched that shown in aerial footage released by the Israeli military of a Tuesday strike hitting a checkpoint as a bus and cars passed.Moments after an Israeli airstrike hit a Basij checkpoint in Tehran. https://t.co/rddOnhdqMf pic.twitter.com/OIl5iLRoDk— Ariel Oseran أريئل أوسيران (@ariel_oseran) March 17, 2026-Iranians have been spreading videos and posts on social media showing locations of checkpoints, often tagging the Farsi account of the Israeli military and urging it to strike, sometimes in the name of protesters who were killed in the area. Others trade news about checkpoints to alert commuters to traffic.Several videos show checkpoints set up under bridges, apparently as cover from strikes.Basij providing manpower as police engaged amid war-The Basij, Farsi for “mobilization,” has tens of thousands of volunteers under the command of the Revolutionary Guard. Most are unarmed, engaged in “ideological and political activities,” said Azizi, a visiting fellow at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs.They function like the Communist Party did in the Soviet Union, with branches in schools, universities, government institutions and other organizations, he said.Volunteers, both men and women, work to ensure loyalty to the Islamic Republic. That might mean holding religious lectures or harassing those who flout social restrictions. They can also be mobilized for state-organized events, including counterprotests, Azizi said.District-level paramilitary units deploy in times of domestic unrest — like the January protests — armed with everything from batons and electroshock devices to live ammunition.Since those protests and into the current war, the Basij’s role has been to provide manpower, said Azizi.“The state’s security apparatus has been continuously engaged, leaving many of its core forces both deeply entrenched and likely fatigued,” he said. By manning checkpoints, the Basij helps security agencies to focus on information gathering and arrests.100+ arrested in one week, accused of ‘conspiring’ with enemyIranians describe mass text messages warning against protests and aggressive Basij patrols in Tehran. On Thursday, Iran announced the execution of three men detained in the January protests, the first such sentences known to have been carried out.In the last week, semiofficial news outlets have reported the arrest of more than 100 people across Iran, most accused of conspiring with enemy states or sharing media reports with foreign entities. At least 14 were accused of possessing Starlink internet dishes or planning to sell them or virtual private network cards. Starlink has been one of the only ways to access the global internet since the unprecedented blackout began on January 8.The government has also reportedly shut down parts of Iran’s internal internet and revoked some VPN cards given to people with specialized jobs.The Iran Human Rights Documentation Center, a US-based group, said people have been rounded up for taking pictures identifying the location of checkpoints, bases and military installations. Authorities are also still detaining people linked to the January protests, former political prisoners, or members of minorities.The rights group said it had reports of security forces opening fire at checkpoints. In one incident, two teenage brothers were shot and killed after honking their car horn in celebration of the killing of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in the war’s opening salvo.

Haifa refinery says more missile attack damage found near site, but most production online-Facility will take ‘few days’ to restore after Thursday Iran strike; Haifa’s deputy mayor urges government to close refineries as soon as possible: ‘Playing Russian roulette with residents’ lives’By Sue Surkes-Today, 3:05 pm-MAR 20,26

The Bazan oil refinery in Haifa said Friday it discovered additional damage to its site overnight following an Iranian missile attack a day earlier, which will take “a few days” to restore.The refinery said in a regulatory filing to the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange that damage was caused to “exterior infrastructure belonging to a third party, which is essential to the [refinery’s] activities, located outside the refinery site.”It said most production is active and the rest is on its way to being restarted.Energy Minister Eli Cohen said Thursday that “no significant damage to infrastructure sites” had been caused in the attack after fragments from a missile interception hit the facility.According to the filing, the company initially believed the impact had been limited to power lines and an open area next to a management building. There were no injuries in the attack.Responding to the filing, Avihu Han, Haifa’s Deputy Mayor and Chairman of the Haifa Bay Cities Association for Environmental Protection, urged the government to shutter the refineries as soon as possible, in line with its own decision to transition to importing and safely storing petroleum distillates in different locations.“We can’t continue playing Russian roulette with the lives and security of the residents of the Haifa metropolis and the energy security of the citizens of the State of Israel,” he said.“Yesterday’s incident and today’s announcement about the shutdown of the facilities are further proof that refineries in the heart of a civilian metropolis represent a failure of energy (policy) and security,” he said.During the June 2025 war with Iran, three Bazan workers were killed in a fire after an Iranian missile strike.Twelve fire and rescue teams were sent to the facility after it was hit by fragments from an Iranian missile interception on Thursday.Firefighters carried out extensive scans of the area and extinguished a blaze at the site. They also disconnected the sources of power supply to the facility, the fire service said, adding that they carried out operations to cool the facility and check for any hazardous materials.Iran has been targeting energy infrastructure in Israel and the Gulf since the start of the current conflict.On Wednesday, Israel attacked Iran’s massive offshore South Pars natural gas field, located in the Bushehr Province, in strikes coordinated with the US.The Bazan facility, home to a distinctive cooling tower that looms over the densely populated Haifa Bay, has for years been threatened with attack by Israel’s adversaries, including from Lebanon by Iranian terror proxy Hezbollah.Residents, environmental activists and others have long lobbied for the Bazan facility to be shuttered and moved elsewhere, due to both the heavy pollution it causes to the area and fears of disastrous consequences should it be struck.In 2022, the government voted to relocate the facility by 2030. Work on the removal of an array of large oil tanks adjacent to the site was set to begin this year.Joshua Davidovich and Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.

Board of Peace envoy: Gaza mediators have ‘framework’ to rebuild, but Hamas must disarm-Mladenov says reconstruction requires ‘full decommissioning by Hamas’; terror group says won’t respond to proposal until it sees outcome of Israeli-US war on Iranian regime-By Jacob Magid-and ToI Staff Today, 12:52 pm-MAR 20,26

Nickolay Mladenov, the former UN diplomat charged with implementing US President Donald Trump’s plan for a postwar Gaza Strip, said on Thursday that the ceasefire’s mediating countries have agreed on a “framework” to see Gaza rebuilt, but that Hamas must be disarmed.Mladenov wrote on X that the US, Qatar, and Egypt have all agreed on a “framework” that “can unlock reconstruction, breathe life into communities, and bring closer to unity and a negotiated resolution of the Palestinian question. It is now on the table.”He said, however, that executing on the framework “requires one clear choice: full decommissioning by Hamas and every armed group, with no exceptions and no carve-outs.”A senior US official told NPR that the mediators gave Hamas –  which remains the de facto government of roughly half the Strip, even after two years of war sparked by the terror group’s October 7 onslaught – a formal proposal to this effect in Cairo last week.The terror group was asked to provide its response to the proposal in about a week, the report said.However, a Hamas official told the US public broadcaster that the group would wait to see the outcome of the ongoing US-Israeli war against the Iranian regime, which has been a major backer of the terror group and its allies, before responding.A report earlier this month said negotiations around disarmament, amnesty, and other issues had been put on hold with the outbreak of the war.The optimism expressed by Mladenov – whose formal title on Trump’s Board of Peace is high representative for Gaza – came despite Hamas’s security forces stepping up their control of the territory in recent weeks.The October 2025 ceasefire deal mostly ended two years of fighting triggered by Hamas’s 2023 attack on Israel, and the first phase secured the release of all remaining hostages taken by the terror group, in exchange for Israel’s release of thousands of Palestinian security prisoners and detainees.Gazans who spoke with The Times of Israel in recent days testified to the terror regime’s increased presence in the Strip in recent weeks, enforcing price controls, managing the distribution of goods arriving from outside the Strip, and seeming to intimidate some residents who’d previously spoken to international media by name, but now insist upon anonymity.Under the ceasefire, Hamas’s civil governance of Gaza is supposed to be replaced by a committee of Palestinian technocrats operating under Trump’s Board of Peace.However, the members of the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG) have yet to enter the Strip, holding fort in Cairo since being formed and refraining from returning to the enclave until better conditions are in place for them to govern.Under the Trump plan, the NGAG would be supported by a temporary International Stabilization Force that would work alongside a “newly trained and vetted Palestinian police force.”The technocratic body announced last month that it was opening applications for “qualified candidates” seeking to serve in a “transitional police force” to be deployed in the Strip, but no such force has been set up as yet.Nurit Yohanan contributed to this report.