'Most Extensive': IRGC Launches 82nd Wave of Missile, Drone Strikes Against US-Israeli Assets

Thursday, 26 March 2026 11:37 AM

Screengrab from footage released by IRGC shows the moment of launch of suicide drones against US-Israeli assets in the 82nd wave of Operation True Promise 4, on March 26, 2026.

The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) has announced the launch of the 82nd wave of retaliatory operations against the invading US-Israeli coalition, using different types of missiles and drones. 

In a Thursday statement, the IRGC said that this wave came in retaliation for earlier airstrikes against critical infrastructure and civilian facilities throughout Iran.

It noted that the wave began early on Thursday and would continue throughout the day. 

According to the statement, designated US interests in Arifjan and al-Kharj districts of Saudi Arabia, the US Defense Logistics Site (kGL), the Patriot radar systems in Bahrain's Sheikh Isa region, support fuel depots of the US military, a hangar for P8 surveillance aircraft, a hangar for MQ-9 Reaper combat drones, and a satellite communications dish for drones deployed at Ali al-Salem airbase were devastated with a large swarm of kamikaze drones.

The retaliatory strikes were dedicated to honorable and heroic Iranians in the northern provinces of East Azarbaijan, Ardabil, Gilan, Mazandaran and Golestan. 

It also noted that a military command center in the occupied territories, as well as industries related to the Israeli regime's nuclear program near the Dead Sea, were also hit in an "impact-driven" strike. 

Meanwhile, footage coming from the occupied territories show the impact of Iranian missiles. 

The IRGC said fighters from the Axis of Resistance successfully conducted 230 operations in the past 24 hours, registering the "most extensive" in terms of scale against US interests and Israeli positions.

It noted that fighters from the Lebanese Hezbollah resistance movement launched 87 operations, members of the Iraqi Islamic Resistance group conducted 23 offensives, and Iranian Armed Forces carried out 110 retaliatory missile and drone strikes.

The IRGC statement described the ongoing conflict in West Asia as a war of choice by the United States, the Israeli regime and their regional allies, stressing that the response against the large-scale aggression will continue until "the hands of aggressors and tyrants are cut off from the region," and genuine peace and stability are restored.

The United States and Israel launched an extensive and unprovoked military campaign against Iran in the wake of the assassination of Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei, along with several high-ranking military commanders and civilians on February 28.

The aggression has comprised a series of intensive strikes on both military installations and civilian facilities throughout the country, leading to considerable loss of life and widespread damage to infrastructure.

In response, the Iranian Armed Forces launched retaliatory missile and drone operations against American bases across West Asia and Israeli positions in the occupied territories.

Iraq’s Economy Teeters as Oil Sales Collapse

Crude exports have fallen by more than 70% because of hte war in Iran, leading to major shortfall in the state budget

Raya Jalabi in Beirut

Iraq is facing an economic crisis following the collapse of its oil sector due to the Iran war, compounding the pressures on a weak caretaker government struggling to contain the fallout of a spiralling conflict.

The country’s oil exports have fallen from 3.4mn barrels per day to around 250,000 since the war started, with storage tanks at near-critical levels, as Iran’s effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz shut off its main shipping route. Production has been slashed by nearly three quarters.

Tasked with tackling the crisis is a caretaker government with limited powers, still in place five months after the last general election.

The administration has also been grappling with more than three weeks of US strikes on Tehran-backed Shia militias inside Iraq, as Washington fights a shadow front of the Iran war on Iraqi soil. This week, seven Iraqi soldiers were killed in an apparent US strike on a military base.

“Iraq is much more vulnerable than the Gulf states right now,” said Renad Mansour, director of the Iraq Initiative at the Chatham House think-tank. “In normal times, a fragmented state can muddle through. But at moments of massive conflict, it’s much more susceptible to shock.”

Iraq’s failure to modernise and diversify its economy over the past two decades has left it uniquely exposed to this disruption, economists say.

One of the world’s most oil-dependent nations, Iraq’s crude sales make up around 90 per cent of the state budget. It also relies on imports for 90 per cent of consumer goods, food and medicine — many via Hormuz. And its grid depends heavily on Iranian gas imports, which have plunged due to Israeli attacks on Tehran’s largest gasfield.

The country, OPEC’s second-largest producer, has already lost about $5.4bn — almost 2 per cent of its 2024 GDP — in oil sales from the Strait’s closure, estimated Justin Alexander, director of Khalij Economics.

The budget is under severe strain, with enough money to pay public sector salaries for the next month or two, but problems look set to arise in May, said Abdul Rahman al-Mashhadani, an Iraqi economist.

The government’s challenge has been complicated by rogue Iran-backed Shia militia groups that have attacked a range of US targets, including its embassy in Baghdad and military base in Erbil, as well as hotels and oil and gas installations.

Apparent US retaliations have hit locations across the country, including a strike on a residential area in central Baghdad last week.

“For the past few years, the government took advantage of relative stability to build bridges and roads instead of also diversifying its economy and creating a coherent security sector that could have put an end to these attacks,” said Mansour.

Baghdad is urgently trying to find alternative ways to ship its oil to global markets, including by repairing the pipeline currently in use and another damaged pipeline in the north. Last week, Baghdad declared force majeure on all oilfields developed by foreign oil companies.

It hopes to increase current exports to 500,000 b/d but even that “will not be enough, not even to cover basic obligations such as social welfare payments, let alone salaries”, he said.

It is only able to export the current quarter of a million b/d via a pipeline that runs from the semi-autonomous Kurdistan region to Turkey’s Ceyhan port. The arrangement is tenuous, owing to a longstanding dispute between the Kurdish authorities and Baghdad, and only came about due to pressure from Washington, Iraqi officials told the FT.

In January, the country’s foreign minister who also chairs the economic committee, said the country was running a monthly deficit to fund the bloated public sector payroll — a key source of patronage for political parties, which accounts for around 40 per cent of Iraq’s workforce.

“The government has no real options except to borrow directly from the central bank and also from the IMF,” Mashhadani said, noting that the central bank has stepped in during previous crises, such as the Covid-19 pandemic.

The CBI claims to have 12 months of import cover, but much of its liquidity sits in accounts controlled by the US Federal Reserve. Before the war, Washington threatened Iraq with a dollar crunch if it failed to rein in the militias. There are fears it will renew those threats, Iraqi officials said.

Additional reporting by Anas al-Gburi in Baghdad and Verity Ratcliffe in London

Russia Sending Drones to Iran, Western Intelligence Says

Moscow close to completing phased deliveries of lethal weapons, food and medicine to Tehran

Jacob Judah in London, Henry Foy in Brussels, Max Seddon in Berlin and Neri Zilber in Tel Aviv

Russia is close to completing a phased shipment of drones, medicine and food to Iran, according to western intelligence reports that detail Moscow’s efforts to keep its embattled partner fighting.

Senior Iranian and Russian officials began secretly discussing delivering drones days after Israel and the US attacked Tehran, two officials briefed on the intelligence said. The processing of deliveries began in early March and was expected to be completed by the end of the month.

Moscow has close ties with Tehran and has provided its ally with crucial support including satellite imagery, targeting data and intelligence support, people familiar with the matter said.

The shipments of weaponry such as drones would be the first evidence Moscow has been willing to provide lethal support to Iran since the start of the war.

Asked about Moscow sending drones to Iran, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said: “There are a lot of fakes going around right now. One thing is true — we are continuing our dialogue with the Iranian leadership.”

A senior western official said Moscow was stepping in to shore up not only the Iranians’ fighting capabilities but also to underwrite the broader political stability of Tehran’s regime.

In public Moscow has highlighted provision of humanitarian aid since the conflict began, saying last week that it has sent more than 13 tonnes of medicine to Iran through Azerbaijan and is planning to continue the shipments.

Iran has made firing one-way attack drones across the Middle East a core element of its military strategy. It has fired more than 3,000 such drones, which it is able to produce cheaply, since the outbreak of fighting.

Russia has been producing one-way attack drones based on Iranian designs for use in Ukraine since 2023. They have been modified to enable them to evade air defences and carry heavier payloads.

Antonio Giustozzi, senior research fellow at the Royal United Services Institute, said of the Iranians: “They don’t need more drones. They need better drones. They are after the more advanced capabilities.”

Giustozzi said he had heard independently from sources within the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps that discussions on drone deliveries had been opened with Russia in the immediate aftermath of the US and Israeli strikes on Iran.

One of the western security officials said they had not established the precise class of drones Russia agreed to send to Iran this month. They added Moscow would only be in a position to deliver models such as the Geran-2, which are based on the Iranian Shahed-136.

Israel last week targeted a key military transfer route between Russia and Iran on the Caspian Sea with strikes, people familiar with the matter said.

Nicole Grajewski, a professor at Sciences Po university in Paris who studies the Russia-Iran relationship, said Tehran could want to reverse engineer the drones to help improve its indigenous systems.

The advanced Russian weaponry could also improve the effectiveness of Iranian drone strikes, especially if Tehran did not have the time to integrate that technology into its domestic systems, she added.

Grajewski said: “The Russians dramatically improved the Shaheds, including modifications to the engines, navigation and anti-jamming capabilities. So these systems are already more advanced than the ones Iran was producing domestically.”

Tehran has also asked Russia for more advanced air defence capabilities and agreed a deal last December to deliver 500 man-portable Verba launch units and 2,500 9M336 missiles over three years.

Russia has declined, however, Iranian requests for the S-400, one of Moscow’s most advanced air defence systems, current and former western officials said.

The Kremlin likely views such a step as risking an escalation of tensions with the US. Iran’s military would require extensive training and instruction to use the complex S-400, meaning Russian crews would in effect be targeting US jets under combat conditions, they added.

Russia and Iran signed a strategic partnership agreement last year that fell notably short of committing the sides to the other’s mutual defence.

Hezbollah Sets Unparalleled Record: 87 Operations Strike 'Israel'

By Al Mayadeen English

The Islamic Resistance in Lebanon, Hezbollah, sets a record number of 87 operations against the Israeli enemy, destroying 10 Merkavas and pounding military assets across the occupied north.

The Islamic Resistance in Lebanon - Hezbollah conducted a series of operations targeting Israeli occupation forces and positions on Wednesday. The Resistance is also confronting invading Israeli occupation forces near the border, scoring successive hits on their armored forces.

Importantly, the Resistance pummeled the positions of Israeli occupation forces in the southern border town of al-Qawzah. These efforts come as part of the Resistance's defense against a multi-pronged Israeli advance, aimed at occupying additional territory in southern Lebanon and pushing confrontations away from northern settlements. 

On Wednesday, the Resistance announced that it had also conducted two operations a day earlier. The first was a surface-to-air missile (SAM) ambush that targeted an Israeli fighter jet. Hezbollah's Air Defense Force fired multiple SAMs at the fighter jet, forcing its retreat at 5:30 pm.

The second was a rocket attack on a staging post for Israeli occupation forces and armored vehicles in al-Qawzah, which occurred at 11:20 pm. 

The following are the operations carried out on Wednesday, March 25, 2026:

Frontline defense

At 12:30 am, in continuation of its defense of southern Lebanon, the Resistance fired another salvo of rockets at Israeli occupation forces and armored vehicles in al-Qawzah.

At 4:45 am, Hezbollah fighters hit an Israeli Merkava tank in the same town via an anti-tank guided missile (ATGM).

At 5:30 am, Hezbollah's Unmanned Air Force launched a swarm of one-way attack drones, targeting the positions of Israeli troops in al-Qawzah.

At 5:45, the Resistance launched barrages of rocket-artillery and artillery rounds at the positions of Israeli occupation troops in al-Qawzah.

At 6:00 am, the Resistance hit a second Merkava tank in al-Qawzah, using an ATGM. An Israeli military helicopter attempted to land and evacuate injured troops in the area of the attack; however, it was forced to retreat after a Hezbollah fighter fired a Man-Portable Air-Defense System (MANPAD) missile at it. 

Simultaneously, a salvo of rockets was fired at a grouping of Israeli troops positioned between the towns of al-Qawzah and Beit Lif.

At 7:00 am, Hezbollah fired barrages of rockets at Israeli occupation assembly points in the coastal border town of al-Naqoura.

At 7:40 am, the Resistance fired three separate salvos of rockets at Israeli occupation forces in al-Qawzah.

At 8:30 am, rocket-artillery projectiles were fired at a grouping of Israeli troops in the town of Debl.

At the same time, the Resistance's artillery units targeted Israeli troops positioned between the towns of al-Qawzah and Beit Lif.

At 8:40 am, Hezbollah fighters hit a grouping of Israeli troops at al-Qawzah with an explosive-laden FPV drone, killing and injuring several.

At 9:00 am, the Resistance hit a grouping of Israeli occupation troops, for the 7th time since confrontations resumed on March 2 in al-Qawzah, with an explosive-launched FPV drone.

At 9:05 am, the Resistance fired a salvo of rockets at Israeli occupation forces positioned in the vicinity of the al-Khiam prison. 

At 9:15 am, another FPV drone targeted Israeli troops in the vicinity of the al-Khiam detention center.

Concurrently, Hezbollah hit an Israeli Humvee vehicle with an ATGM in the border town of Mays al-Jabal, near the town's hospital.

At 9:30 am, the Resistance launched a one-way attack drone at a grouping of Israeli troops, positioned in the border village of Alma al-Shaab.

At 10:15 am, Hezbollah fighters hit a third Merkava tank, this time near the al-Taybeh project, using an explosive-laden FPV drone.

At 10:40 am, Resistance fighters targeted a grouping of Israeli troops in the al-Hamames site, south of al-Khiam, with a swarm of one-way attack drones. The site is one of several set up within Lebanese territory, following the ceasefire of November 2024.

At 10:45 am, after Hezbollah fighters had discovered an Israeli attempt to tow one of the Merkava tanks that the Resistance had damaged, near the al-Taybeh project, Resistance fighters fired a salvo of rockets at the advancing force.

At 11:00 am, an FPV drone struck an Israeli Humvee in the border town of Maroun al-Ras.

At 12:00 pm, the Resistance fired a second salvo of rockets and artillery rounds at Israeli occupation troops in Debl.

Simultaneously, Resistance fighters targeted two Merkava tanks near the pond in the Debl with guided missiles and achieved direct hits.

At 12:30 pm, Hezbollah fighters located an Israeli force in the town of al-Taybeh and launched a one-way drone attack at the force. The drone scored a direct hit, as Israeli military helicopters were called in to evacuate casualties.

At 12:45 pm, a third salvo of rockets was fired at Israeli troops positioned in the town of Debl.

At 1:15 pm, artillery units targeted a grouping of Israeli troops in the town of al-Khiam.

At 1:30 pm, Resistance fighters targeted a Merkava tank at the newly established Israeli enemy position in the border town of Markaba with an attack drone.

At 2:00 pm, the Resistance fired the fourth salvo of rockets at Israeli troops in the town of Debl.

At 2:00 pm, Resistance fighters targeted a gathering of Israeli enemy soldiers in the settlement of Kiryat Shmona with a swarm of attack drones.

At 2:30 pm, another one-way attack drone targeted Israeli troops in al-Taybeh.

At 3:30 pm, after monitoring an Israeli enemy force in al-Taybeh, Islamic Resistance fighters targeted it for the third time with an attack drone and achieved direct hits. 

At the same time, Hezbollah fighters targeted an Israeli troop concentration and military vehicles near the pond in Debl with a swarm of attack drones, achieving direct hits. 

At 3:35 pm, Resistance fighters targeted a gathering of Israeli enemy soldiers and vehicles in the town of al-Taybeh for the fourth time with artillery shells.

At 4:10 pm, Resistance fighters targeted a gathering of Israeli enemy soldiers and vehicles around Khiam detention center for the third time with artillery shells.

At 4:20 pm, Hezbollah targeted a gathering of Israeli enemy soldiers and vehicles in the Taybeh project for the second time with an attack drone.

At 4:30 pm, Hezbollah fighters targeted a gathering of Israeli enemy soldiers in Margaliot for the second time with an attack drone.

At 5:00 pm, and in a single operation, Resistance fighters targeted 3 Merkava tanks and a D9 bulldozer west of the al-Taybeh project with guided missiles.

In a concurrent operation, Resistance fighters targeted a Merkava tank near the pond in Debl with a guided missile and achieved a direct hit.

At 5:10 pm, after monitoring a force of Israeli enemy soldiers attempting to withdraw destroyed vehicles west of al-Taybeh project, Islamic Resistance fighters targeted them with a rocket barrage.

At the same time, in Khiam, Resistance fighters targeted a gathering of Israeli enemy soldiers and vehicles around Khiam detention center for the fourth time with a rocket barrage.

At 6:00 pm, Resistance fighters targeted a gathering of Israeli enemy soldiers in Tal Abu Madi in the border town of Dhaira with a rocket barrage.

At 6:00 pm, Hezbollah targeted a Merkava tank in Debl with a guided missile and achieved a direct hit.

At 6:10 pm, a third attack drone targeted a gathering of Israeli enemy soldiers in the al-Taybeh project.

At 6:50 pm, after monitoring an Israeli armored force advancing in al-Taybeh toward the Al-Muhaysinat area, Islamic Resistance fighters targeted it with guided missiles, destroying 4 Merkava tanks and a D9 bulldozer. Clashes were still ongoing when the statement was released. 

At 7:55 pm, Hezbollah fighters targeted a gathering of Israeli enemy soldiers in rural Alma al-Shaab with a rocket barrage.

At 8:00 pm, as confrontations continued in al-Taybeh, Resistance fighters targeted two Merkava tanks with guided missiles, destroying them, bringing the total destroyed tanks to six. Clashes were still ongoing when the statement was released. 

15 minutes later, Hezbollah issued a follow-up statement on the confrontations in al-Taybeh. By 8:15 pm, Islamic Resistance fighters had targeted two Merkava tanks with guided missiles, destroying them, bringing the total destroyed tanks to eight. Clashes were still ongoing when the statement was released. 

At 8:50 pm, after an Israeli armored force advanced from al-Taybeh toward the entrance of al-Qantara, Islamic Resistance fighters engaged them at close range, targeting a D9 bulldozer with direct missiles and achieving a confirmed hit. Clashes were still ongoing when the statement was released. 

At 9:00 pm, Resistance fighters targeted a gathering of Israeli enemy soldiers at the al-Bagdadi site opposite Mays al-Jabal with a rocket barrage.

At 9:15 pm, Resistance fighters targeted a gathering of Israeli enemy soldiers in rural Marwahin with a rocket barrage.

At the same time, Islamic Resistance fighters targeted a gathering of Israeli enemy soldiers in the Shlomi settlement with a swarm of attack drones.

For the fifth time, at 9:30 pm, Islamic Resistance fighters targeted a gathering of Israeli enemy soldiers and vehicles around Khiam detention center with a swarm of attack drones.

For the sixth time, at 9:30 pm, fighters targeted a gathering of Israeli enemy soldiers and vehicles in the city square of Khiam with a swarm of attack drones.

At 10:00 pm, Islamic Resistance fighters targeted a gathering of Israeli enemy soldiers and vehicles in al-Qawzah for the eighth time with artillery shells.

At 10:00 pm, Hezbollah targeted a gathering of Israeli enemy soldiers and vehicles in al-Taybeh, Tal al-Muhaysinat, with a rocket barrage.

At the same time, on the al-Qantara axis, confrontations continued, with Hezbollah targeting a Merkava tank and achieving a confirmed hit. Clashes were still ongoing when the statement was released. 

At 10:00 pm, Resistance fighters targeted a gathering of Israeli enemy soldiers and vehicles in al-Taybeh at Tal al-Muhaysinat with a rocket barrage.

At 10:05 pm, Resistance fighters targeted a gathering of Israeli enemy soldiers in Margaliot for the third time with a rocket barrage.

Continuing the confrontations in Taybeh, Al-Muhaysinat, and at the entrance of al-Qantara, Islamic Resistance fighters, at 10:10 pm, Hezbollah targeted the forces attempting to withdraw destroyed vehicles and evacuate casualties with rockets and artillery shells.

At 11:45 pm, Resistance fighters targeted a gathering of Israeli enemy soldiers and vehicles in the border town of Maroun al-Ras with a rocket barrage.

In line with these defensive operations, Hezbollah's artillery forces launched a coordinated attack composed of over 100 rocket-artillery projectiles at Israeli occupation military assembly points in the towns of al-Qawzah and al-Naqoura, as well as in northern settlements. The Resistance said that the attacks were launched at 7:30 am and achieved direct hits.

Wednesday’s operations marked a significant rise in the use of FPV drones, which have emerged as a highly effective tool in modern warfare, enabling precise and deadly strikes against military personnel and armored vehicles.

Rocket salvos, drone strikes

The Resistance also fired rockets and launched one-way attack drones at Israeli targets in the occupied territories and targeted the city settlement of Kiryat Shmona, which it had previously warned its settlers to evacuate.

Hezbollah emphasized that the settlement and other northern settlements have been militarized by Israeli occupation forces and are thus legitimate targets of its attacks.

At 1:30 am, the Resistance fired a salvo of rockets at the settlement of Kiryat Shmona.

At 5:35 am, Hezbollah launched a swarm of one-way attack drones at the Shomera Barracks, targeting a grouping of Israeli troops.

At 5:50 am, the Resistance rocket force targeted an Israeli military command headquarters near the Yiftah Barracks.

At 6:03 am, Hezbollah fired a salvo of rockets at the Dado Base, housing the headquarters of the Israeli military Northern Command, north of the occupied city of Safad.

At 6:20 am, a salvo of rockets targeted Israeli artillery positions in the settlement of Dishon.

At 6:30 am, the Birya Barracks came under a rocket attack, launched by the Resistance.

At 7:00 am, the Resistance fired a salvo of rockets at Israeli military infrastructure in the occupied city of Safad.

At 8:30 am, an explosive-laden FPV drone targeted the Meron Air Operations and Control Base, in a relatively long-range strike, as Meron is located more than 10 km south of the border.

At 12:00 pm, the Resistance fired a salvo of rockets at the settlement of Qatsrin in the Israeli-occupied Syrian Golan Heights.

At 1:20 pm, Hezbollah fighters fired a salvo of rockets at the Beit Hillel Barracks.

Concurrently, the Resistance fired tactical missiles at the Krayot, a cluster of four city settlements north of Haifa, in response to the ongoing Israeli bombing of civilian infrastructure and residential buildings.

At 2:00 pm, the Resistance fired a salvo of rockets targeting Israeli military infrastructure in the city settlement of Karmiel.

At 2:10 pm, a salvo of rockets targeted a logistics support base in the settlement of Kerem Ben Zimra.

At the same time, Resistance fighters targeted Israeli military infrastructure in Ma’alot-Tarshiha with a rocket barrage.

At 2:30 pm, within the framework of the warning issued by the Islamic Resistance to a number of settlements in northern occupied Palestine, fighters targeted the settlements of Misgav Am, Metula, Kiryat Shmona, and Dafna with rocket barrages.

At 2:30 pm, Israeli army positions were targeted with a barrage of rockets across Metula, Misgav Am, and Margaliot. 

At 2:45 pm, Hezbollah fighters targeted the Keila barracks in the occupied Syrian Golan with a rocket barrage.

At 3:00 pm, within the framework of the warning issued by the Islamic Resistance to a number of settlements in northern occupied Palestine, Nahariya was targeted with a rocket barrage.

At 4:50 pm, Resistance fighters targeted the Krayot area north of occupied Haifa with a precision rocket strike.

At 7:00 pm, Resistance fighters targeted Israeli army positions in Dhaira, Hendeb Yaron, and the newly established Blat position with rocket barrages.

At 8:10, Resistance fighters targeted the settlement of Nahariya with a rocket barrage.

At 8:20 pm, Resistance fighters targeted the settlement of Beit Hillel with a rocket barrage.

At 9:30 pm, Kiryat Shmona was targeted for the second time with a rocket barrage.

At the same time, Resistance fighters targeted Metula for the second time with a rocket barrage.

At 10:40 pm, Hezbollah targeted an Israeli logistical base in Karm Ben Zimra in Upper Galilee for the second time with a rocket barrage.

Hezbollah Destroys 10 Merkava Tanks in Taybeh-Qantara Battle

By Al Mayadeen English

Source: Islamic Resistance in Lebanon Military Media

Hezbollah says it destroyed 10 Merkava tanks and two D9 bulldozers in a Taybeh-Qantara ambush targeting Israeli forces in south Lebanon clashes.

A statement issued by Hezbollah’s operations room detailed a large-scale confrontation in the Taybeh-Qantara axis, where resistance fighters carried out a coordinated ambush against advancing Israeli forces in south Lebanon.

According to the statement, forces from the Israeli occupation forces' 36th division, specifically the 7th brigade, deployed a remote-controlled bulldozer on Tuesday, March 26, to probe Hezbollah defensive positions between the Moheisbat area in Taybeh and the town of Qantara. Resistance fighters monitored the movement and deliberately delayed engagement to lure the force into a prepared ambush.

At 18:50 on Wednesday, an armored unit advanced in a column formation from Moheisbat toward Qantara in an attempt to seize the town. Hezbollah fighters waited until all vehicles entered a predesignated kill zone before launching guided missiles at the central formation, which consisted of four Merkava tanks and a D9 bulldozer, destroying them entirely.

Merkava tanks, bulldozers destroyed

As a rear unit of four Merkava tanks attempted to conceal its position using heavy smoke cover, Hezbollah fighters launched a second wave of guided missile strikes, destroying the entire unit as the tanks were seen burning.

Simultaneously, Hezbollah artillery support units targeted Israeli command centers positioned in the Taybeh, Rab Thalathin, and al-Ouwayda area, as well as reinforcements dispatched to evacuate casualties.

A forward unit attempted to continue advancing toward the entrance of Qantara but was met with direct missile fire, resulting in the destruction of a D9 bulldozer and a Merkava tank, followed by another tank.

Israeli soldiers were forced to abandon remaining vehicles and retreat on foot toward the Moheisbat area while attempting to evacuate the wounded.

Hezbollah stated that the operation resulted in the destruction of 10 Merkava tanks and two D9 bulldozers, adding that a similar attempt two days earlier from Taybeh toward Deir Siryan had also been thwarted, with eight Merkava tanks destroyed.

Defense of Lebanon ongoing as Hezbollah confronts IOF 

This comes as Hezbollah continues to valiantly defend Lebanon in the face of "Israel" under Operation Devoured Straw.

The Islamic Resistance in Lebanon – Hezbollah conducted a series of operations targeting Israeli occupation forces and positions on March 25, while continuing to confront advancing troops near the southern border and inflicting successive strikes on armored units.

The fighting was particularly intense in the southern border town of al-Qawzah, where positions held by Israeli forces came under sustained fire. The operations formed part of a broader effort to counter a multi-pronged Israeli advance aimed at seizing additional territory in southern Lebanon and shifting the front line away from northern settlements.

The Resistance also revealed details of two operations carried out the previous day. In the first, its Air Defense Force launched multiple surface-to-air missiles at an Israeli fighter jet at 17:30, forcing it to retreat from Lebanese airspace.

After War on Iran, is US Protection Still Worth the Cost for the Gulf?

By Al Mayadeen English

Gulf states question the US security umbrella as the Iran war exposes risks to energy infrastructure, accelerating shifts in the petrodollar system.

Gulf states are increasingly confronting a fundamental question as the war on Iran rages on: Is reliance on the US security umbrella still worthwhile?

Since US and Israeli attacks on February 28, US military bases and assets across the Gulf have been targeted in retaliatory operations using missiles and drones, damaging energy infrastructure, disrupting economies, and exposing the limits of Washington's so-called protection. 

The petrodollar bargain

For decades, the Gulf-US relationship rested on an implicit bargain: US protection in exchange for Gulf energy, oil priced in dollars, and the recycling of hundreds of billions of dollars from petrodollars back into US arms, technology, and financial markets. This framework, established in the 1970s, has been central to US-Saudi relations and underpins the dollar’s role as the global reserve currency.

Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) nations, including Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Oman, and Bahrain, peg their currencies to the dollar, supported by reserves estimated at around $800 billion. Sovereign wealth funds in the region manage more than $6 trillion, largely invested in US-heavy assets such as stocks, bonds, and private equity. Saudi and UAE funds alone hold nearly $250 billion in US Treasury securities, with additional billions in global dollar deposits.

Three strains on the petrodollar system

The petrodollar relies on three pillars: Washington’s dependence on West Asian oil, pricing of oil in dollars, and Gulf confidence in US security. All three are under pressure:

Reduced US dependence on Gulf oil as America becomes a net energy exporter.

Erosion of dollar-denominated oil trade, with China, Russia, and Iran pursuing alternative currencies.

Questioned US security guarantees, highlighted by the Iran war and attacks on Gulf energy infrastructure.

Gulf states look east

Economists suggest the war could accelerate a shift toward Asian partners. Former Goldman Sachs economist Jim O’Neill argued that Gulf nations may increasingly turn to China, India, and other major oil consumers, as “aligning with the US no longer guarantees security.”

Saudi Arabia now sells four times as much oil to China as it does to the US, according to Deutsche Bank.

Moreover, Deutsche strategists note the petrodollar regime was already under strain: most West Asian oil flows to Asia, sanctioned Russian and Iranian oil trades in non-dollar currencies, and Saudi Arabia has been localizing defense industries and experimenting with non-dollar oil payments. The war may intensify these trends, potentially forcing Gulf states to liquidate dollar assets to cover economic damage.

Recently, a senior Iranian official said Iran is considering allowing a limited number of Strait of Hormuz oil tankers to pass through the strategic waterway, provided that the oil cargo is traded in Chinese yuan.

Long-term implications

The offensive could accelerate a transition from a petrodollar-dominated system toward a mix of petroyuan, petrorupee, or petroeuro reserves. A global shift away from fossil fuels would further challenge petrodollar dominance.

Deutsche Bank warns that West Asia’s strategic importance to the dollar’s reserve status remains significant, and the war could test the foundations of the system. Reports of oil shipments possibly using the yuan through the Strait of Hormuz underscore the long-term economic ramifications of the war.

Gulf investors and policymakers are now closely watching the war’s trajectory, knowing that its outcome may reshape financial, trade, and military alignments for decades.

EXCLUSIVE: Ugandan Opposition Leader Bobi Wine Speaks to M&G from Exile in the US, Calls for Sanctions against Museveni

By Lenin Ndebele

Bobi Wine Robert Kyagulanyi 1

Robert Kyagulanyi, aka 'Bobi Wine', leader of the National Unity Platform.

Ugandan opposition leader Kyagulanyi Ssentamu said he fled to the United States to save his life but eventually he would return home to face President Yoweri Museveni’s government.

Speaking to the Mail & Guardian from Washington DC, Ssentamu, also known by his stage name Bobi Wine, said: “I had to save my life to be able to speak to the world and later, I will return to my country for the regime to do whatever they want to me in the full glare of the world. My fight is in Uganda.” 

Bobi Wine, under the National Unity Platform, was one of seven opposition candidates that challenged Museveni for the presidency on 15 January. Museveni won a seventh term with 71.65% of the vote, while Bobi Wine came second with 24.72% in a disputed election.

Bobi Wine said it was not an election but “a military operation” that resulted in his house arrest, while his wife and family members were tortured.

Major general Muhoozi Kainerugaba – Uganda’s military commander and son of the president – has used social media to issue direct, inflammatory threats against Bobi Wine, including threats to “behead” him or “castrate” his associates.

About his escape, he said he was assisted by some in the military and police who also felt oppressed under the Museveni establishment.

“There are many oppressed men and women in uniform and these are the people who helped me to escape,” he said. “That’s why, to me, the issue is about the Ugandan people versus their oppressor.”

Now in the US, Bobi Wine is calling on international pressure for sanctions against the Ugandan strongman.

The US has since criticised the Ugandan general elections as a “hollow exercise” marred by violence, intimidation and irregularities, failing to meet democratic standards.

US officials have condemned the suppression of opposition and called for accountability in the wake of President Museveni’s disputed seventh term, with some lawmakers calling for a review of security aid.

On why he decided to go to the US, instead of a country in Africa for safety, he said solidarity in the region had been wavering.

“Even those in solidarity with us have found safety in silence and complacency. It’s only the likes of former Botswana president Ian Khama who speak openly about what’s happening in Uganda. Otherwise, many African leaders prefer diplomacy to democracy,” he added.

In January, Khama said Museveni’s victory “followed a typical authoritarian playbook”.

While the late 1970s dictator Idi Amin is arguably the most eccentric to come out of Uganda, Wine said, compared to Museveni, he was not as bad.

“Museveni is 10 times worse than Amin!” he said.

Museveni has won disputed elections since 1996, when he first ran for president after ruling unelected for 10 years.

South African Police Commissioner Masemola Served with Warrant for Involvement in Matlala’s R360 Million Medicare24 Contract

By Nkateko Joseph Mabasa

National Police Commissioner Fannie Masemola. (SAPS/X)

National Police Commissioner Fannie Masemola is reportedly facing criminal charges relating to the controversial R360 million Medicare24 contract awarded to businessperson and alleged leader of the Big Five cartel, Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala. 

On Wednesday, the Special Investigating Unit served Masemola with a warrant for an upcoming court appearance on 21 April. 

This comes after 12 police officials appeared in the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria on charges of corruption and fraud in their involvement with Matlala’s healthcare contract. 

The list of implicated South African Police Service (SAPS) officers include Brigadiers Brian Cartwright, Rachel Matjeng, Alpheus Ngema, Patrick Nthengwe and Colonel Tumisho Maleka. 

The Investigative Directorate Against Corruption said the 12 SAPS officials contravened the Public Finance Management Act and facilitated the unlawful procurement process for Matlala. 

The controversial R360m Medicare24 tender was approved during Masemola’s tenure as police commissioner. However, Masemola later cancelled the contract after media reports about poor service delivery and the illegal awarding of the contract to Matlala’s company. 

Suspended police minister Senzo Mchunu told the Mail and Guardian on Wednesday that he had raised alarm about the contract with Masemola and that the arrests vindicated his side of the story. 

Multiple witness testimony at the Madlanga commission and parliament’s ad hoc committee have linked Mchunu to Matlala — an association the suspended minister has denied. 

“I was correct in directing the national commissioner to review and cancel the contract. The investigation and subsequent cancellation process started way back in 2024. The 12 senior generals are not the only ones who will be arrested. There will be more,” Mchunu said. 

Along with Matlala, the 12 SAPS senior officials will return to the dock on 7 April. The state opposed Matlala’s bail application while the rest of his co-accused were granted bail of between R40 000 and R80 000, with stringent conditions attached.

“Treasury regulations were violated and Matlala and Medicare24 were favoured by SAPS bid evaluation committee members, which will become apparent from the evidence later in the process,” said National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson Kaizer Kganyago.

“Medicare24 did not have the facilities/equipment and/or staff to make good on the tender, which was budgeted for approximately R360 million but owing to the collusion between the SAPS officials and Medicare 24, the lowest bid, which was approximately R228 million, which bid came from Matlala, was awarded this contract, nonetheless,” he said.

Matlala received more than R50m before Masemola cancelled the illegal contract.

President Ramaphosa Acknowledges NPA Charges Against Police Commissioner Masemola

Mongezi Koko

25 March 2026 | 11:33

General Masemola is expected to appear in court soon following his links to the irregular awarding of a multimillion-rand tender to Medicare 24.

President Cyril Ramaphosa says he has noted the National Prosecuting Authority’s (NPA) decision to charge Police Commissioner Fannie Masemola.

Masemola is expected to appear in court soon, after being linked to the irregular awarding of a multi-million-rand tender to Medicare 24.

The company is owned by criminally accused, controversial businessman Vusumuzi 'Cat' Matlala.

The investigation into the matter, which began in 2024, has so far led to the arrest of 16 police officials who appeared before the Pretoria Magistrates' court on Wednesday.

Fifteen have been granted bail of between R40,000 and R80,000.

Masemola, who had initially distanced himself from any wrongdoing in the case, will be the most senior official to be charged in the tender scandal.

The Presidency has announced that Ramaphosa will address the matter in line with the law

Meanwhile, police spokesperson Athlenda Mathe has assured Masemola is cooperating.

"General Fannie Masemola remains committed to upholding the rule of law and the integrity of the office he serves. He has taken note of the charges against him and has pledged full cooperation with all lawful process that seeks to address wrongdoing. This is the right necessary course to ensure we restore public confidence in our institution."

South Africa's Top Cop to be Charged in Corruption Case

By Africa News with AP

South African prosecutors said Wednesday they intend to charge the head of police over a $20-million health tender, in a case that has rocked the country and pulled in a dozen other officers.

National Police Commissioner Fannie Masemola has been served with a summons to appear in court next month, said Kaizer Kganyago, spokesman for South Africa's National Prosecuting Authority.

The case centres on a now-cancelled 2024 police tender for health services awarded to businessman Vusimuzi "Cat" Matlala, who is suspected of links to organised crime.

It was not immediately clear what charges Masemola will face, but a police spokeswoman confirmed he will honour the April 21 court appearance.

President Cyril Ramaphosa said he had "noted" the confirmation of the charges, and would address the issue "in accordance with the law".

The presidency added that he remained committed to ensuring the police force "remains stable and able to continue fulfilling its policing mandate."

Fifteen people, including a dozen police officers and a director of Matlala's company, were charged on Wednesday on suspicion of corruption in the awarding of the tender.

All of them - except Matlala, who had already received 50 million rand ($2.9 million) before the contract was terminated -- were granted bail.

Described locally as a "tenderpreneur", a term referring to individuals who have made fortunes through government contracts, Matlala shot to national prominence after a regional police chief accused the force and South Africa's police minister of drabbling in criminality.

The allegations triggered the minister's removal from office and a formal commission of inquiry was set up by the president, turning the saga into a national spectacle.

Broadcast daily on television and radio, the hearings have become a closely followed saga for South Africans.

A separate parliamentary inquiry is also probing claims that senior officers had corrupt ties with crime bosses and took money for favours.

Matlala was arrested in May last year in connection with the 2023 attempt on his ex-partner Thobejane's life.

His name had already surfaced in the Tembisa Hospital scandal, where more than 2.2 billion rand ($129 million) was allegedly siphoned off.

The Tembisa hospital case cost whistleblower Babita Deokaran her life in 2021, when she was shot nine times outside her home.

South Africa’s Top Police Officer Faces Charges in a Widening Corruption Scandal

By MOGOMOTSI MAGOME and MICHELLE GUMEDE

1:49 PM EDT, March 25, 2026

JOHANNESBURG (AP) — South Africa’s top police officer was served with a warrant Wednesday and is facing charges in relation to a widening corruption scandal that saw 12 other senior officers arrested by anti-graft investigators.

National Police Commissioner Fannie Masemola was served with a warrant ordering him to appear in court next month in relation to an investigation into an allegedly corrupt contract to provide health and well-being services to police officers, police spokesperson Brig. Athlenda Mathe said at a court appearance for the other officers.

The high-profile arrests and warrant came while an inquiry continues into alleged high-level corruption in the South African police. Parliament also held special hearings into the allegations.

A sprawling police corruption scandal

The judge-led inquiry was ordered last year by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, who had already suspended the police minister in what is becoming a major scandal for Africa’s leading economy.

Mathe declined to detail the charges against Masemola but said “he has taken note of the charges brought against him, and he has pledged his full cooperation.” He was ordered to appear in court on April 21, Mathe said.

A spokesperson for state prosecutors also declined to say what the charges against Masemola were but confirmed they were in relation to the contract that the 12 other officers were arrested over.

Ramaphosa’s office said in a statement he was aware of prosecutors issuing the warrant against Masemola and was committed to ensuring the police force “remains stable and able to continue fulfilling its policing mandate.”

Ramaphosa deployed the army on the streets in some areas in South Africa earlier this month to help with law enforcement in what was viewed as an admission that police were failing to reign in the country’s high rates of violent crime.

12 senior officers face corruption charges

The other senior police officers were arrested in an operation by the National Prosecuting Authority’s anti-corruption unit, reportedly at the police’s national headquarters in the capital, Pretoria. They face charges of corruption and fraud, prosecutors said.

The officers, one of them a major-general and several of them brigadiers — some of the highest ranks in the South African police — were all released on bail.

They are accused of corruption alongside a businessman who allegedly has links to organized crime and whose company is at the heart of the multi-million-dollar police contract that was ultimately canceled.

The businessman, Vusi “Cat” Matlala, is one of several witnesses who has testified on alleged links between senior police officers and crime bosses. He testified at the Parliament hearings that he had paid a former police minister around $30,000 for what he said was protection.

Matlala was already under arrest and is being held at a maximum-security prison on attempted murder and other charges in an unrelated case.

South Africa has been beset by corruption

South Africa has been beset by corruption scandals for years, often involving large government contracts. Former President Jacob Zuma resigned in 2018 because of graft allegations and his time in charge was marred by a period of widespread corruption at state-owned companies.

Many of those cases are still being investigated.

Allegations of wrongdoing against the police are also not new. Former Police Commissioner Jackie Selebi was convicted of corruption in 2010. He died in 2015.

This inquiry into police corruption stems from a dramatic press conference last year by a provincial police officer, who accused Police Minister Senzo Mchunu and senior police officers of having links with organized crime. KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Commissioner Lt-Gen. Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi claimed that criminal syndicates and drug cartels had infiltrated the police at the highest level.

Mchunu has been accused of illegally ordering the closure of a specialist crime-fighting unit in order to protect alleged criminals that it was investigating.

Some startling revelations

The inquiry and the Parliamentary hearings into alleged police wrongdoing have often been broadcast live on national news stations and have included some startling revelations, including by one of the senior police officers who was arrested and is facing corruption charges.

Brig. Rachel Matjeng testified to having a romantic relationship with Matlala, who has a long history of criminal charges that were dropped, but denied she took money and gifts from him for corrupt reasons. She said he gave her money and gifts — which included a weight loss drug — only because they were lovers.

An interim report from the police corruption inquiry, which is due to continue next month, has been handed to Ramaphosa and recommends criminal investigations against several other police officers.

Terrorists in Northern Nigeria Kill 10 Security Forces and 1 Resident, Officials Say

By DYEPKAZAH SHIBAYAN

5:04 PM EDT, March 25, 2026

ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — Armed militants ambushed Nigerian security forces who were responding to a distress call in the northwestern state of Kebbi, fatally shooting nine soldiers, a police officer and one resident, authorities said Wednesday.

The militants targeted the security forces in Kebbi’s Shanga council area late Tuesday when they were being deployed to respond to warnings about a pending attack, according to Yahaya Sarki, a spokesman for Kebbi state government.

Several soldiers also were injured in the attack in the village of Giron Masa, said Sarki, who shared photos of burned vehicles along a dusty road surrounded by forests.

Kebbi Governor Nasir Idris visited the injured soldiers at the hospital and said the attack had caused great loss. “Those that lost their lives, the government of Kebbi state will do everything to assist the families,” he said.

The attack is the latest in a cycle of violence in Nigeria’s conflict-battered region where armed groups often target security forces and remote communities in areas with limited state and security presence.

No group immediately claimed responsibility for Tuesday’s attack, but some residents suspected the Islamic State Sahel Province (ISSP), known locally as Lakurawa, which recently has become more lethal in states like Kebbi and Sokoto along the porous border with Niger Republic.

Lakurawa was the target of a U.S. strike carried out in Nigeria in December in collaboration with the Nigerian military. That strike came as part of U.S. intervention efforts after U.S. President Donald Trump alleged that Christians were being targeted in killings in Nigeria.

The Nigerian military has said in the past that Lakurawa has roots in neighboring Niger and that it became more active in Nigeria’s border communities following a 2023 military coup in Niger that fractured relations between Nigeria and Niger.

Kenya’s Flower Industry Loses Millions of Dollars Weekly Due to the Iran War

By NICHOLAS KOMU

5:43 AM EDT, March 25, 2026

ISINYA, Kenya (AP) — Kenya’s flower industry has reported weekly losses of up to $1.4 million since the Iran war began, with growers attributing the losses to a decline in demand and shipping disruptions.

The Kenya Flower Council, a private sector organization representing growers and exporters of cut flowers and ornamentals in Kenya, said Tuesday the ongoing conflict has resulted in over $4.2 million in losses over the last three weeks.

“We are seeing a reduction in movement, delays in movement of produce, and longer routes, while pricing is extremely high. Last week, we were at $5.80 per kilo, which is the highest we’ve had in the last 10 years,” KFC Chief Executive Officer Clement Tulezi told The Associated Press.

Kenya’s horticulture sector, one of its most important industries, is worth over $800 million annually, according to the Central Bank of Kenya.

At Isinya Flower Farms, located 56 kilometers (34miles) south of Nairobi, Marketing Manager Anantha Kumar says exports have dropped by more than half.

“Previously, we used to export 450,000 stems per day, and currently we are doing about 150,000 to 200,000 stems a day. So we are discarding almost 50%,” Kumar told The Associated Press.

Normally, direct flower exports to the Middle East account for about 30% of business at Isinya Flower Farms and up to 15% nationally, with Europe being the largest market, accounting for up to 70%.

However, while the Middle East isn’t Kenya’s main export market for flowers, cargo freight to Europe been disrupted by the conflict in the Middle East, resulting in reduced exports as well as higher costs.

“With the current freight rates, customers are not able to buy. And while the freight rates are high, it is also difficult to get the freight. Only a few freights are operating, as mainly the Middle Eastern carriers have stopped, and the European carriers are charging about $5 per kilo, which is two times the normal rate,” Kumar said.

Growers like Isinya Flower Farms now warn that, should the conflict drag on, the sector will continue to deteriorate, with scenarios similar to the COVID-19 period looming. Experts warn this will likely result in job losses in a sector that employs up to half a million Kenyans directly.

The Kenya Flower Council now says it is lobbying the Kenyan government to introduce direct cargo flights to Europe in a bid to maintain the European market and cushion growers.

IRGC Launches Wave 79 of Operation True Promise 4, Targets US Bases

By Al Mayadeen English

The IRGC announced wave 79 of Operation True Promise 4, targeting the Israeli occupation and US military installations across the region with missiles and drones.

The Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) announced that it had launched wave 79 of Operation True Promise 4, targeting “Israel” and US military bases across the region.

According to the IRGC statement, the operation specifically targeted satellite reception stations in Eilat, which are used by the Israeli occupation forces.

The statement also confirmed attacks on multiple US military facilities, including Camp Arifjan and Ali Al Salem Air Base in Kuwait, and Isa Air Base in Bahrain.

Wave 79 of the operation involved the deployment of long- and medium-range missile systems, utilizing both solid and liquid fuel types, alongside one-way attack drones, according to the IRGC.

Iranian army announces strike on Erbil airport

The IRGC emphasized that the operation reflects its ongoing commitment to confront hostile forces in the region and to target military infrastructure deemed threatening to its national security interests.

The Iranian Army announced a surface-to-surface missile strike on Erbil Airport, targeting a "gathering of US forces and Israeli-backed separatist groups."

The army added that the targeted area is "one of the most significant support and command hubs for US operations, housing a wide array of military equipment and systems."

US options for talks narrow

For weeks, the United States and "Israel" have insisted that Iran's military capacity has been severely degraded. US President Donald Trump and War Secretary Pete Hegseth have repeatedly claimed that sustained strikes have crippled Iran's command structure and weakened its ability to respond. By their account, the conflict should already be moving toward an end.

Yet the opposite appears to be happening. The escalation continues faster, sharper, and with fewer clear exit points, according to an analysis by BBC's Amir Azimi published Monday.

On Saturday, claims surfaced that Iran launched two missiles toward the US-UK base on Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean, a distance of approximately 3,800 kilometers, far beyond the 2,000-kilometer range previously attributed to Iran's arsenal.

Although it should be noted that Iran did not assume responsibility for this, the missiles did not reach the island, and the incident was heavily discussed in the media in terms of Washington's underestimation of Iranian capabilities.

Whether this reflects a previously undisclosed capability or one developed under bombardment, the implication is the same: military pressure has not halted Iran's progress.

Trump's ultimatum and retreat

Trump raised the stakes on Saturday night, issuing a 48-hour threat demanding that Iran reopen the Strait of Hormuz, warning that failure to comply would lead to the US "obliterating" Iranian power plants.

Iran rejected the demand and responded with a similar threat: any attack on its energy infrastructure would be met with strikes across the region. Iran's Defense Council also raised the possibility of mining parts of the Persian Gulf.

The exchange appeared to set both sides on a direct path toward a far more dangerous phase of the war on Iran. Yet only hours before the deadline was due to expire, Trump stepped back. In a post on Truth Social, he claimed there had been "very good and productive conversations" with Iran and announced a five-day pause on any planned strikes against Iranian energy infrastructure.

US-Israeli Strikes Fail to Disrupt Gas Supply in Southwest Iran

By Al Mayadeen English

Source: Agencies

US and Israeli strikes targeting infrastructure in southwest Iran caused no disruption to gas supply, as Tehran confirms stable energy operations despite escalation.

Reports from Iranian media state that the joint US-Israeli airstrikes targeting Iranian energy infrastructure in the nation's southwest failed to cause any disruptions in gas supply. 

Local authorities told Fars that the attack targeted a gas pipeline linked to a power plant in Khorramshahr. They told the news outlet that despite the attack, there are no problems with maintaining the supply of energy and gas to the city and that the plant remains fully operational. 

The report by Fars also highlighted that there were no casualties as a result of the joint US-Israeli attack on the energy site. 

Strength of Iran's energy infrastructure

The failure of the bombing to disrupt energy flows highlights a recurring pattern in which attacks on infrastructure do not necessarily translate into sustained operational setbacks.

Iranian authorities stressed that both gas provision and electricity generation in Khorramshahr remain stable, suggesting that contingency measures or system redundancies mitigated the intended impact.

This development comes despite the strategic significance of energy infrastructure as a frequent target in conflicts involving regional and international actors.

Iran's Energy networks, particularly in strategically vital regions, are structured to withstand disruptions, limiting the effectiveness of aerial strikes aimed at degrading essential services. The failure to damage and put them out of commission is an example of the lack of tangible gains the US and "Israel" have achieved since their unlawful attack on February 28. 

Increasing US-Israeli escalation against Iranian energy sites

The US-Israeli coalition also bombed a gas administration building and a pressure reduction station on Kaveh Street in Isfahan on Tuesday. Fars reports that the strike caused damage to parts of the facilities and residential homes located near the energy sites. 

Isfahan is considered to be one of the key sites in Iran's gas distribution network; the plants are responsible for syphoning gas to other cities and industrial sectors. 

These attacks come after US President Donald Trump's claim of a five-day pause in attacking gas and energy infrastructure in Iran.

Trump said that the pause in targeting these sites follows "very good and productive conversations" with Iran regarding how to come to a ceasefire, a claim which Iran outrightly denied, with Iran's parliament speaker, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, saying that any claims regarding talks between Tehran and Washington are "fake news" made to influence the oil market. 

Iranian retaliation to attack on energy infrastructure

Iran stated previously that if its energy sites are targeted, it will attack US-linked energy plants in the region. 

Living up to its claims, Iranian missile strikes on key US-linked Gulf energy infrastructure have been costing major Western oil companies billions in revenue loss, with damage to critical facilities threatening to take years to repair fully.

One of the most significant impacts of these Iranian strikes was on the US-linked Pearl gas-to-liquids facility in Qatar, which is one of Shell’s most advanced and profitable assets. The plant, valued at nearly $20 billion, suffered heavy damage, causing half of its production lines to be expected to remain offline for at least a year, per to Qatari authorities.

Non-stop Ops: Hezbollah Engages Israeli Troops, Pounds Enemy Assets

By Al Mayadeen English

Hezbollah continues its operations in defense of its people, targeting military infrastructure, occupation troops, armored vehicles, and illegal settlements,

The Islamic Resistance in Lebanon - Hezbollah announced a series of military operations against "Israel" in defense of Lebanon early Tuesday, in response to the Israeli aggression targeting Lebanon, particularly the South, Bekaa, and Beirut. 

These come as part of Hezbollah's retaliatory operation against "Israel", Devoured Straw, and involve top-tier confrontations, coordinated attacks, and direct engagement of Israeli occupation troops along the Lebanese-Palestinian border. 

Notably, the Resistance reported intense confrontations in the border town of al-Qawzah throughout Tuesday, with Israeli troops coming under Resistance fire several times, as well as Israeli military vehicles, including Merkava tanks and D9 bulldozers. A combination of attack drones, rocket barrages, and precision guided missiles were utilizied to thwart enemy advances into the town. 

In detail: 

Operations targeting Israeli troops 

Hezbollah has been successfully engaging Israeli occupation troops along the occupied border, deterring and overwhelming the invading forces. Using a combination of artillery, rockets, and drones, Resistance fighters have been consistently targeting soldier concentrations and their armored vehicles, inflicting direct hits and casualties among their ranks. 

At 7:20 AM, Al Mayadeen's correspondent in South Lebanon reported intense confrontations as Resistance fighters engaged an Israeli force attempting to invade the town of al-Qawzah. 

Hezbollah later announced several simultaneous and follow-up operations in the al-Qawzah axis, disclosing that precision guided missiles and attack drones were deployed against the invading force, achieving direct hits among its ranks. 

1. In its first declared operation, Hezbollah announced that a troop and armored vehicle concentration was targeted at 23:40 PM on Monday, in the Al-Zuhour neighborhood in Maroun al-Ras with artillery shells.

2. At 1:30 AM, Resistance fighters targeted a gathering of enemy soldiers at the Fatima Gate on the Lebanese-Palestinian border with a rocket barrage.

3. At 6:00 AM, the Islamic Resistance targeted  a gathering of Israeli enemy soldiers southwest of the border town of Alma al-Shaab with a rocket barrage.

4. Also at 6:00 AM, the Islamic Resistance targeted a gathering of Israeli enemy soldiers at the newly established site of Blat in southern Lebanon with a rocket barrage.

5. At 6:42 AM, the Resistance targeted a force of Israeli enemy soldiers positioned inside a house in the border town of al-Qawzah, following surveillance, with a guided missile, achieving a direct hit.

6. In a follow-up operation at 7:00 AM, the Resistance targeted a gathering of Israeli enemy soldiers and vehicles in the border town of al-Qawzah with a rocket barrage.

7. Simultaneously and in the same town, the Resistance targeted at 07:00 AM a gathering of Israeli enemy soldiers at the Hill of Al-Khamara in the border town of al-Qawzah with a rocket barrage.

8. At 7:45 AM, the Resistance targeted a gathering of Israeli enemy soldiers at the newly established site of Blat in southern Lebanon with a guided missile, achieving a direct hit.

9. At 8:45 AM, Hezbollah fighters targeted an Israeli enemy concentration in al-Qawzah with an attack drone, achieving a direct hit. 

10. At 9:00 AM, the Resistance targeted a gathering of Israeli enemy soldiers near a school in the border town of Alma al-Shaab with a rocket barrage.

11. At 9:20 AM, Hezbollah fighters targeted an Israeli enemy concentration in al-Qawzah with a rocket barrage for the second time. 

12. At 10:20 AM, and for the third time, Hezbollah fighters targeted an Israeli troop gathering in al-Qawzah with an attack drone, achieving a direct hit. 

13. For the fourth time, the Resistance targeted at 10:50 a gathering of Israeli enemy soldiers in the border town of al-Qawzah using an attack drone, achieving a direct hit.

14. At 12:10 PM, the Resistance targeted a gathering of Israeli enemy soldiers on Al-Khamara Hill in al-Qawzah using an attack drone, achieving a direct hit.

Operations targeting Israeli military sites, bases

Key Israeli military sites, including military bases, barracks, and artillery positions, have been under constant Resistance fire, disrupting enemy attacks and causing the occupation significant material losses. 

The first operation came 10 minutes into the new operational day, emphasizing Hezbollah's uninterrupted, round-the-clock operations and a sustained state of readiness across changing hours.

15. At 00:10 AM, the Resistance targeted the Lymann barracks north of Nahariya with a swarm of attack drones.

16. At 1:20 AM, the Resistance targeted the radar site in Magd al-Tiffin, south of the settlement of Ma'alot-Tarshiha, with a swarm of attack drones.

17. In a simultaneous operation, the Resistance targeted at 01:20 AM Israeli enemy artillery positions in the settlement of Sa'sa' with a swarm of attack drones.

18. At 2:20 AM, Hezbollah targeted Israeli enemy artillery positions in Ein HaKoveshim, opposite the border town of Alma al-Shaab, with a rocket barrage.

19. At 6:00 AM, the Islamic Resistance targeted a newly established site in Nimr al-Jamal, opposite the border town of Alma al-Shaab, with a rocket barrage.

20. At 10:00 AM, the Resistance targeted Camp 100, a training camp for Israeli infantry forces located north of Ayelet HaShahar, with a rocket barrage.

21. At 10:30 AM, the Resistance targeted the Rafael military industries complex north of the Krayot area with a heavy rocket barrage.

22. At 11:30 AM, the Resistance targeted an enemy artillery position in the settlement of HaGoshrim with a rocket barrage.

23. At 2:20 PM, the Resistance targeted the Adathar site (Jabal Adir) with a swarm of attack drones.

24. At 2:30 PM, the Islamic Resistance targeted an air defense system in the settlement of Ma’alot-Tarshiha with a swarm of attack drones.

Hezbollah's Military Media also shared footage from one of its operations, carried out on March 10, targeting the Israeli occupation's Giva base east of the occupied city of Safad, with a barrage of rockets.

Merkavas, D9s targeted

25. At 11:30 AM, the Resistance targeted three Merkava tanks in a single operation in the vicinity of the Khiam Detention Center with guided missiles, achieving direct hits.

26. At 12:45 PM, the Resistance targeted an Israeli D9 military bulldozer also in the vicinity of the Khiam Detention Center, achieving a direct hit.

27. At 1:15 PM, the Resistance struck a Merkava tank on the road to al-Qawzah using an attack drone, achieving a direct hit.

28. At 1:50 PM, Hezbollah targeted an Israeli D9 military bulldozer in Beidar al-Faqqani in the border town of Taybeh with a guided missile, achieving a direct hit.

Illegal settlements under fire

Hezbollah also carried out a series of operations against illegal settlements as part of the evacuation warnings issued to Israeli settlers in the occupied north, which urged their retreat 5 kilometers from the border, particularly within the framkework of the warnings issued to Kiryat Shmona and Nahariya.

29. At 10:30 AM, Hezbollah fighters targeted the settlement of Nahariya with a rocket barrage.

30. At 11:30 AM, the Resistance targeted the settlement of Kiryat Shmona with a rocket barrage.

100 Hezbollah rockets pummel 'Israel' per day

Israeli media acknowledged that Hezbollah is engaged in a prolonged war of attrition, amid continued rocket fire and growing doubts over the Israeli occupation’s ability to achieve its military objectives.

"Israel’s" Channel 12 reported that rocket launches from Lebanon toward northern occupied Palestine have reached an average of one rocket every 16 minutes, with around 20 sirens sounding across 19 settlements daily.

The report described a persistent pattern of attacks, noting that Hezbollah fires approximately 100 rockets per day toward northern settlements, regardless of broader regional developments.

Cut off by Hormuz Closure, Italy Seeks Gas Security in Algeria

By Al Mayadeen English

23 Mar 2026 22:25

Italian PM Meloni heads to Algeria to secure gas supplies after Iran's closure of the Strait of Hormuz blocks Qatari LNG exports, hitting Italy's energy imports.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni is preparing to visit Algeria in an attempt to secure alternative gas supplies after the closure of the Strait of Hormuz severed Qatar's ability to export LNG, forcing Doha to scale back contractual commitments to several countries, including Italy.

The visit underscores Rome's deepening pivot toward North Africa as a cornerstone of its energy security strategy, and the urgency that the Hormuz closure has injected into that effort.

For Italy, which had relied on Qatar for roughly 10% of its gas needs, the disruption is a manageable but keenly felt blow. The broader impact on global energy markets has been severe, with gas prices rising sharply and placing additional strain on European economies already navigating a difficult post-Ukraine energy transition.

What makes the timing particularly sensitive is that Rome had only recently stabilised its energy picture after years of effort to wean itself off Russian gas following the onset of the Ukraine war in 2022, a process that saw Algerian imports fill much of the gap left by Moscow.

Algeria: Italy's indispensable energy anchor

Algeria now supplies around 30% of Italy's total gas needs, delivered via the TransMed pipeline, also known as the Enrico Mattei pipeline, which has carried Algerian gas through Tunisia and under the Mediterranean to Sicily since the 1980s.

By 2023, Algerian supplies had reached 25.5 billion cubic metres, valued at approximately $14 billion, while Russian volumes had collapsed from 29 bcm in 2021 to just 2.9 bcm.

By 2024, trade between Algeria and Italy had reached a total value of $15.9 billion, with Algeria accounting for around 36% of total Italian gas imports via pipeline. Italy, in turn, became the largest export market for Algerian gas delivered through pipelines, with a share exceeding 40%.

Europe diversifies, Italy leads

Meloni's visit takes place against the backdrop of a broader European scramble to reduce dependence on supply chains now exposed as fragile. Italy is holding parallel talks with the United States and Azerbaijan to cover the shortfall.

The Trans-Adriatic Pipeline already brings Azerbaijani gas to Italy, currently supplying about 10% of its needs, with the potential to supply up to 25%. New LNG regasification infrastructure has also expanded Italy's capacity to receive cargoes from suppliers outside the Gulf.

Italy has been positioning itself as the Mediterranean's new gas hub, with pipelines from Azerbaijan, Libya, and Algeria bringing gas to its shores, alongside floating storage and regasification units enabling additional imports from Egypt. This infrastructure position gives Rome both a national energy lifeline and a potential transit role for European partners.

Global LNG Supply Crisis Looms as Gulf Shipments Near Final Delivery

By Al Mayadeen English

22 Mar 2026 16:32

Global energy markets brace for disruption as final Gulf LNG shipments arrive, following the Strait of Hormuz blockade and attacks on Qatar’s Ras Laffan facility.

The global energy market is approaching a critical inflection point as the last liquefied natural gas (LNG) shipments from the Gulf near their destinations, marking an abrupt halt in one of the world’s most vital energy supply routes.

Carriers that departed the region before the beginning of the US-Israeli war on Iran are expected to arrive within the next 10 days. Once delivered, however, the flow of LNG from the Gulf will effectively cease due to the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic artery through which a significant share of global energy exports passes.

Qatar, responsible for roughly one-fifth of global LNG production, suspended exports in the early days of the confrontation, triggering immediate concerns over supply shortages and market instability.

Energy infrastructure targeted amid regional escalation

The disruption has been compounded by direct strikes on critical infrastructure, particularly Qatar’s Ras Laffan industrial complex, one of the largest LNG processing hubs in the world.

Missile attacks this week caused extensive damage to the facility, forcing a significant portion of its production capacity offline. The fallout has already reverberated across global markets, with LNG prices in both Asia and Europe surging sharply.

Even prior to the escalation, tankers from Qatar and the United Arab Emirates had already begun their journeys. According to shipping analysis, these shipments now represent the final buffer before the full impact of the supply shock is felt.

The longer-term outlook remains constrained, with officials warning that a substantial share of Qatar’s production capacity will remain offline for years.

Import-dependent nations face severe energy strain

Countries heavily reliant on LNG imports are among the hardest hit, with Pakistan emerging as one of the most vulnerable.

Nearly all of its LNG imports, approximately 99%, originated from Qatar last year. With its final cargoes already delivered in the early days of the war, the country now faces an imminent supply vacuum.

Both LNG import terminals have drastically scaled down operations and are expected to halt gas dispatch entirely by the end of the month. One terminal is already on the verge of running dry.

“After that we’ll run dry,” Iqbal Ahmed, Pakistan GasPort chair and chief executive, told the Financial Times. “We do not know when the next cargo will come in.”

Efforts to secure alternative supplies have failed, as offers from global suppliers came at prohibitively high prices. The country is now expected to revert to more polluting and costly fuel sources to sustain power generation.

“I see us having one very difficult year followed by two or three difficult years to follow,” Ahmed added.

Bangladesh and Taiwan brace for shortages

Bangladesh faces similar challenges, albeit with slightly more diversified supply options. Authorities have already implemented rationing measures, including institutional closures, to manage dwindling reserves.

Taiwan, a major LNG importer undergoing an energy transition, moved swiftly to secure replacement shipments. Officials confirmed that 22 cargoes had been arranged to stabilize supply through April. However, rising summer demand could expose vulnerabilities if disruptions persist.

Analysts warn of potential “severe energy shortages” under prolonged constraints, particularly if maritime routes remain inaccessible.

Major economies shift strategy as LNG prices surge

Larger economies are adjusting their strategies in response to tightening supply and escalating costs.

Asian benchmark LNG prices have doubled since the onset of the crisis, reaching approximately $23 per million British thermal units. Increased shipping distances and charter rates have further compounded costs.

Japan and China, two of the world’s largest LNG importers, are cautiously navigating the market. While both are expected to purchase limited spot cargoes, they are simultaneously preparing to increase reliance on coal and, in Japan’s case, nuclear energy.

Japan, less exposed to Gulf disruptions, is also advancing the restart of nuclear facilities to offset potential shortages.

Long-term disruptions threaten global energy stability

The immediate supply shock is expected to evolve into a prolonged structural disruption.

Qatar’s energy minister, Saad Al-Kaabi, previously stated that approximately 17% of the country’s LNG capacity could remain offline for three to five years due to damage at Ras Laffan.

“This means that we will be compelled to declare force majeure for up to five years on some long-term LNG contracts,” he said.

Until maritime transit through the Strait of Hormuz resumes, global LNG markets are likely to remain constrained, with ripple effects across energy security, industrial output, and economic stability worldwide.

Sudan Braces for Drug Shortages as War on Iran Impacts Supplies

20 March 2026

A pharmacist discusses the acute shortage of medicines at a drugstore in Khartoum, Sudan, March 20, 2026

March 20, 2026 (KHARTOUM) – The war against Iran is raising fears of severe medicine shortages in Sudan as manufacturing and import costs surge three weeks after the conflict began.

Sudanese authorities are preparing for the worst-case scenario. The country’s domestic production is already crippled by years of civil war and a lack of foreign currency.

Official data shows that about 85% of Sudan’s industrial sector has been damaged since 2023. This includes factories in Khartoum that previously produced 80 types of medication.

Health Minister Haitham Mohamed Ibrahim met with pharmaceutical officials last week to discuss drug availability amid the escalating conflict in the Gulf.

Ibrahim said the government is looking to ensure supplies through the National Medical Supplies Fund and is seeking new international partnerships.

The meeting also reviewed plans for the “Teryaq” industrial city and a World Health Organization proposal for regional procurement.

Experts told Sudan Tribune that the Middle East conflict will cause delivery delays and significantly higher shipping costs.

Mohamed Bashir, secretary-general of the National Medicines and Poisons Board, said Sudan has activated protocols with countries outside the Gulf.

Bashir said the government is expanding contract manufacturing and reviewing strategic stocks of life-saving drugs for cancer and kidney disease.

Walid Mohamed Ahmed, head of the medicine importers’ division, said insurance and transport costs have jumped by up to 120%.

Ahmed said that while Port Sudan is still receiving older orders, new shipments are facing significant delays. Air freight costs have also risen.Sudan travel guide

Even alternative suppliers like Egypt and Turkey are affected because their raw materials from China and India pass through conflict zones, Ahmed added.

Economic analyst Haitham Mohamed Fathi said rising oil prices will drive up the final cost of medical products.

Fathi urged the government to form an emergency committee to monitor critical stocks, despite Sudan’s main shipping routes from Europe remaining open.

He suggested the crisis could be an opportunity for Sudan to move production to safer states in the centre and east.

By mid-2024, Sudan’s strategic reserves of essential medicines had already dropped to less than 20% of pre-war levels.

Third Repatriation Flight for Sudanese Refugees to Leave Uganda on Sunday

22 March 2026

Sudanese refugees in Uganda wait for passport renewals at the Sudanese embassy in Kampala. (File Photo)

March 21, 2026 (KAMPALA) – A third flight repatriating Sudanese refugees from Uganda is scheduled to depart on Sunday via Badr Airlines, the Higher Committee for Voluntary Repatriation said on Saturday.

The flight is part of a broader project that began in February 2026 and aims to return Sudanese citizens who fled to Uganda during the ongoing conflict.

Uganda currently hosts approximately 92,000 Sudanese refugees. While a small percentage live in the capital, Kampala, the majority reside in the Kiryandongo refugee camp, which serves as the primary reception centre.

Reem Abdel Jalil, the committee’s spokesperson in Uganda, told reporters the flight will carry 100 passengers from Entebbe International Airport to Port Sudan.

The flight is being provided free of charge by Badr Airlines as part of a corporate initiative to support the return of displaced citizens and ease the financial burden on refugees.

Families scheduled to depart have gathered at the Sudanese Friendship School in Kampala ahead of their transfer to the airport on Sunday morning.

The committee intends to repatriate about 10,000 refugees during the project’s first phase. Officials have called on the private sector and business leaders to provide additional funding to sustain the initiative.

Finance Minister Gibril Ibrahim noted that local airlines have pledged seven free flights to facilitate the return from Entebbe to Port Sudan.