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March 10, 2026 Iranian drone and missile barrages strike Arab states across the region (March 9-10 updates) Between March 9 and March 10, Iran and its allied militias continued launching drones and missiles across the Middle East, targeting energy infrastructure, airports, military bases, residential areas,... March 10, 2026 Is the Islamic Republic Down and Out in the Levant and Beyond? Since October 7, 2023, Iran’s theocracy has watched its entire westward foreign policy crash, disabled by an Israeli counterattack and its shockwaves. The Islamic Republic’s proxy-based imperialism,... March 10, 2026 Qatar Has More Than Earned U.S. Condemnation for Persecuting Religious Minorities at Home It should not be surprising that a government that provides sanctuary to Hamas and avidly supports the Muslim Brotherhood has a record of infringing its own citizens’ religious liberty. Finally, it has... March 9, 2026 Mojtaba Khamenei Brings Monarchy Back to Iran For the third time in its history, the Islamic Republic of Iran has chosen a rahbar, or supreme leader. The father of the revolution, Grand Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini (1979-89), was known for his provocative theological erudition and charismatic authority. His successor, the Ayatollah Ali Khamenei (1989-2026), compensated for his lackluster religious standing with experience in government and a mastery of detail. March 9, 2026 Trump Could End the War Tomorrow. I Don’t Think He Will. Energy markets breathed a sigh of relief on Monday after President Donald Trump suggested he could declare victory over Iran at any time. “I think the war is very complete, pretty much,” he told... March 9, 2026 South Africa Should Stand with the Iranian People, Not Their Oppressors Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei may be dead, but the warm feelings linger on in South Africa. The Islamic Republic’s brutal repression of its civilians and the US-Israeli operation against... March 9, 2026 Israel’s Goals and Challenges in the New Hezbollah War Hezbollah’s opening of a front from Lebanon in support of Iran was not a surprise for Israel, which is again discussing the forcible dismantling of the organization. It remains unclear whether... March 9, 2026 Turkish Deployment of F-16s in Occupied Portion of Cyprus Raises Tensions in Eastern Mediterranean Using the regional turmoil sparked by the war against Iran’s clerical regime as a cover, Turkey has deployed six F-16 fighter jets to the occupied part of Cyprus. Turkey’s March 9 action represents... March 9, 2026 Sisi Faces Modest Fury Over Iran War Excerpt Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi is built for crisis. He seized power through a military coup after a year of Muslim Brotherhood rule and has spent more than a decade navigating economic... March 9, 2026 Cypriot, Lebanese officials blame Hezbollah for drone attacks on UK base in Cyprus; IRGC responsibility also possible On March 1, a loitering munition struck the UK Royal Air Force (RAF) base in Akrotiri on the southern tip of Cyprus at approximately 10:03 pm. The drone, reported to be an Iranian Shahed-type... March 9, 2026 Mojtaba Khamenei Replaces His Father as Supreme Leader of Iran’s Clerical Regime Iranians Urged To Pledge Allegiance to New Leader: Mojtaba Khamenei, the 56-year-old son of eliminated Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has been appointed to replace his father. Iran’s Assembly of Experts released a statement calling on Iranians to “keep unity and pledge allegiance to the new supreme leader.” Trump Says ‘He’s Not Going To Last Long’: President Donald Trump said that Iran is “going to have to get approval from us” regarding the appointment of its next leader. “If he doesn’t get approval from us, he’s not going to last long. We want to make sure that we don’t have to go back every 10 years, when you don’t have a president like me that’s not going to do it,” Trump stated. More Hardline Than His Father: “Mojtaba is expected to be more hardline than his father, and his ascent means the Iranian regime may get more repressive,” Axios observed. The younger Khamenei was sanctioned by the United States in 2019 for having “acted for or on behalf of” his father. March 9, 2026 Regarding Security Considerations for Artificial Intelligence Agents March 9, 2026 The Lebanese Army Goes Rogue The Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF), under its commander Rodolphe Haykal, has defied the state it is sworn to serve, effectively siding with Hezbollah at a moment when Lebanon teeters on the edge of the abyss. After... March 8, 2026 Gulf states have a stark choice — and Trump must make them face it Iran has turned its war with the United States and Israel into a direct assault on its Persian Gulf neighbors — targeting not just American military and diplomatic installations based in these Arab states,... March 8, 2026 Israel didn’t drag the US into war with Iran — they enabled us to fight it smarter and faster A dangerous lie has taken hold in Washington: that Israel somehow pressured the United Statesinto war with Iran. It’s wrong. And both President Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubiohave said so directly. ... March 8, 2026 Lebanon Weighs Legal Action Against Hezbollah’s Chief as Israel’s Northern Front Turns Deadly Reports from Beirut suggest Lebanese Justice Minister Adel Nassar is considering “legal action” against Hezbollah’s leader, Naim Qassem. For decades Hezbollah, a proxy of the clerical regime in... March 8, 2026 Action on Another Front: Strikes on Pro-Tehran Militias in Iraq Air strikes, likely conducted as part of American-Israeli operations, are hitting Iran-backed Shiite militias in Iraq, but no one is taking credit. The militias themselves claim to have launched dozens... March 8, 2026 Iran continues striking civilian infrastructure and US bases in the Gulf (March 7–8 updates) Between March 7 and 8, Iran continued launching drones and missiles across the Persian Gulf, targeting energy infrastructure, airports, military bases, government buildings, and urban areas in Saudi Arabia,... March 8, 2026 Rockets target US Embassy in Baghdad after Iraqi Shiite militia group issues threat over war in Lebanon On March 6, the Coordination Committee of the Iraqi Resistance (CCIR) issued an ultimatum over recent Israeli attacks in Lebanon: Stop bombing the southern Dahiyeh suburbs of Beirut (a known... March 8, 2026 Iran escalates attacks on Kurdistan Region of Iraq Iran and Iranian-backed militias in Iraq increased attacks on the Kurdistan Region of Northern Iraq on March 6 and 7. “Drone and missile attacks targeting sites in the Kurdistan Region’s... March 8, 2026 Washington’s Chance to Force Qatar and Iran’s Breakup For years, Qatar has tried to dance at two weddings. America’s launch of Operation Epic Fury is forcing Doha to choose one. March 7, 2026 Israel strikes over 500 targets in Lebanon, issues evac orders in renewed war with Hezbollah (March 2–6) The November 27, 2024, ceasefire agreement signed by Israel and Lebanon, negotiating on behalf of Hezbollah, finally broke down completely. In the early morning hours of March 2, 2026, Hezbollah’s forces... March 7, 2026 Separatism Would Hand the Iranian Regime a Lifeline As joint U.S.–Israeli operations have degraded the Islamic Republic’s military capabilities, the conflict is entering its next phase. Washington and Jerusalem are reportedly considering backing armed... March 6, 2026 Sudan’s Armed Forces Arrest Commander Aligned With Muslim Brotherhood Over Support for Iran Sudan has arrested the commander of an armed Islamist group for pledging to fight on behalf of Iran’s clerical regime. Sudanese Islamist leader Al-Naji Abdullah appeared in military uniform on March... March 6, 2026 Lebanon’s Narrow Window To Disarm Hezbollah Once again, Hezbollah has dragged Lebanon into a war with Israel. Despite promising signals, Beirut remains unserious about reasserting the state’s authority. On March 2, the Lebanese Cabinet proscribed... March 6, 2026 Israel Is Taking Aim at Hezbollah’s Banking Sector. The U.S. Should Follow Suit. The ongoing war against Iran’s clerical regime isn’t confined to the skies above Tehran — at least not for Israel. On March 2, the Israel Defense Forces attacked 18 branches of Al-Qard al-Hassan... March 6, 2026 The ‘peace president’ was right to go to war President Donald Trump entered his second term promising to measure America’s success not only by the battles we win but the ones we end. Operation Epic Fury has become the largest test of that vision. Trump’s critics call it a “war of choice.” ... March 6, 2026 Australia bans Hizb ut Tahrir under new hate laws The government of Australia formally banned Hizb ut Tahrir on March 6, designating the Islamist organization as a hate group in a move aimed at curbing extremist ideology and preventing radicalization.... March 6, 2026 Similarities and differences in US and Israeli targets and objectives in Iran campaign The US and Israel have cooperated to achieve impressive operational successes against Iran, but a mutually shared definition of victory remains elusive. This inconsistency and lack of clarity could undermine... March 6, 2026 Iran and proxy militias strike energy infrastructure, US bases, and Gulf capitals on March 6 On March 6, Iran and its aligned militias continued their campaign of missile and drone attacks across the Middle East, striking civilian infrastructure, military installations, airports, and political... March 6, 2026 Trump Demands Tehran Regime’s ‘Unconditional Surrender’ Trump Emphasizes ‘No Deal’ With Regime: President Donald Trump said on March 6 that the United States would make “no deal with Iran except UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER.” Trump... March 6, 2026 Iran’s ‘Hezbollah Blueprint’ To Survive the U.S. Military’s Massive Air War The 12-Country Offensive: Why Iran is Attacking Oman and Azerbaijan to Sabotage Operation Epic Fury ... March 6, 2026 Who Is Mojtaba Khamenei? With its head gone, the Islamic Republic now lurches forward like a zombie in search of a new one. The son of former supreme leader Ali Khamenei, Mojtaba, appears to be next in line, a... March 6, 2026 Israeli strike eliminates Hamas commander in Lebanon The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) killed Hamas commander Wasim Atallah Ali near the coastal city of Tripoli, Lebanon, on February 5. The elimination adds to the growing number of Palestinian terrorists who... March 6, 2026 US and Israel establish air superiority, focus strikes on Iranian military sites and ‘regime pillars’ (March 4–5) The American and Israeli campaign against the Islamic Republic of Iran reached its 100th hour on March 5, as both forces in the joint operation continued to target military assets. The United States highlighted... March 6, 2026 Why Hezbollah Joined the Iran War Excerpt ... March 6, 2026 Iranian and Iranian-Backed Attacks Against Americans (1979-Present) Armed conflict between the United States and Iran did not begin in 2026, but instead has deep roots that extend back to the 1979 Islamic Revolution. For nearly five decades, the clerical regime in Tehran... March 5, 2026 The Four Paths for a Post-Khamenei Iran The Islamic Republic is at an inflection point. Less than a week ago, the Islamic Republic lost its Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in a daytime Israeli air strike that stunned the world. And... March 5, 2026 Hezbollah’s Recklessness May Restore Israel’s ‘Security Zone’ Hezbollah built much of its political legitimacy on the claim that it forced Israel to withdraw from its “security zone” in southern Lebanon in 2000. The group’s decision to now join Iran’s war... March 5, 2026 China’s Defense Budget Keeps Growing While Economy Contracts In the middle of its spring budgeting season, it’s guns, not butter, for Beijing. Ahead of its annual “Two Sessions” legislative gatherings on March 5, China unveiled its latest series of planned... March 5, 2026 Trump Administration Foreign Policy Tracker: March Trend Overview Welcome back to the Trump Administration Foreign Policy Tracker. Once a month, we ask FDD’s experts and scholars to assess the administration’s foreign policy. They provide trendlines... March 5, 2026 Israel Did Not Drag the US Into War “If anything, I might have forced Israel’s hand,” President Donald Trump exclaimed to a journalist on March 3. He was answering a question posed by ABC News Senior Political Correspondent... March 5, 2026 Strikes on Iranian Nuclear Sites Signal Resolve To End Tehran’s Nuclear Weapons Program Four strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities during the current U.S.-Israeli military campaign underscore both allies’ determination to eliminate Iran’s remaining pathways to nuclear weapons. The... March 5, 2026 Trump’s Iran Exceptionalism Before the coming of Donald Trump, Republican presidential candidates always adopted a harsh line toward the Islamic Republic. If elected, they softened their approach. Ronald Reagan established... March 5, 2026 Hezbollah leader vows to fight until the end in renewed war with Israel On March 2 at approximately 1:30 am, Hezbollah attacked Israel with several rockets and drones for the first time since the November 27, 2024, ceasefire went into effect. The group officially claimed the... March 5, 2026 Ukraine will help combat Iranian drones in Middle East, Zelenskyy says Years of Russian bombardment with Iranian drones have provided Ukraine with unparalleled experience in finding cost-effective ways to counter these weapons. Now, that hard-won expertise may be about to... March 5, 2026 Iran targets US bases, diplomatic missions, and oil infrastructure in Arab countries on March 3–5 Between March 3 and March 5, Iran continued responding to the joint United States–Israeli military campaign with widespread retaliatory strikes across the Middle East. The attacks consisted of coordinated... March 5, 2026 Iranian-backed militias continue attacks on US forces in Iraq As America and Israel continued striking Iran, the Islamic Republic’s partners in Iraq claimed additional attacks against the “US presence” in the region on March 4 and 5, particularly... March 5, 2026 Escalation Without Detonation: Russia’s Nuclear Threats Fears of a renewed arms race are echoing around the world once again, ignited by last month’s expiration of New Start, the last treaty limiting U.S. and Russian nuclear arsenal deployment. This week,... March 4, 2026 Beware Turkey’s ambitions in the post-Iran power vacuum The US military and the Israeli Defense Forces continue unleashing their might on the Iranian regime — and precise intelligence, overwhelming firepower and a bit of good luck could soon usher...

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