War in Iran/Middle East/Gulf and beyond
(AFP/Al Arabiya) Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz warned that the United States and Israel would intensify their strikes on Iran in the coming week starting Sunday. – Israeli defense minister warns strikes on Iran to increase ‘significantly’
(Al Arabiya) The deputy commander of Iran’s Basij Force Azim Esmaili has been killed, Al Arabiya reported citing Iranian news media. – Iran’s Basij deputy commander killed
(Reuters/Al Arabiya) Iran fired two ballistic missiles at the US-UK military base Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean, the semi-official Mehr news agency reported on Saturday. – Iran fires missiles toward US-UK base in Indian ocean, Iran’s Mehr says
(Reuters/Al Arabiya) Russian President Vladimir Putin congratulated Iranian leaders on Nowruz and said Moscow remained a loyal friend and reliable partner to Tehran, the Kremlin said on Saturday. The extent of Moscow’s support for Iran, though, is in dispute. Some Iranian sources have said that they have had little real help from Moscow in the biggest crisis for Iran since the US-backed Shah was toppled in the 1979 revolution. – Putin tells Tehran: Russia stands by Iran
(Reuters/Al Arabiya) The US and Israel launched an attack on the Natanz uranium-enrichment facility on Saturday morning, Iran’s Tasnim news agency said. – Natanz enrichment facility targeted in US-Israeli attack, Iran’s Tasnim says
(Al Arabiya) A drone attack targeted Iraqi intelligence services in an upscale residential neighborhood in central Baghdad on Saturday morning, a senior security official said. “A drone targeted the headquarters of the Iraqi National Intelligence Service in the Mansour district” at around 10:00 am local time (0700 GMT), General Saad Maan, head of the Iraqi government’s security media unit, said in a brief statement. – Drone attack against Iraqi intelligence services in Baghdad: Official
(Ellen O’Regan – Politico) Israel and Iran launched fresh attacks on each other on Saturday, the latest in a string of attacks since the U.S. and Israel launched strikes on Tehran in late February. The U.S., meanwhile, was sending thousands more Marines to the Middle East, according to media reports, even as U.S. President Donald Trump broached “winding down” American military operations in the region. Israel’s military said Saturday’s attacks targeted “the Iranian terrorist regime” in Tehran, as well as “Hezbollah targets” in Beruit. Israel also said that it identified missiles fired from Iran at Israeli territory. – Israel, Iran launch fresh attacks as Trump floats ‘winding down’ Mideast operations – POLITICO
US
(Erin Doherty – Politico) President Donald Trump’s war in Iran is testing the bounds of his “America First” agenda. So far, his supporters are sticking with him. New results from The POLITICO Poll show that Trump’s 2024 voters are willing to accept the offensive, even as some of them say it violates MAGA principles or breaks his campaign promise not to start new wars. Their support is driven in large part by their unwavering trust in the president and his assurances the U.S. will only be involved “short term.” – Trump stretches ‘America First’ on Iran. His voters are going along with it. – POLITICO
