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The second part of the daily update in the Iran war from March 17 between the hours of noon (GMT) and midnight (GMT) includes news from Iran, Israel, the USA and Lebanon.
Footage circulated just after lunch of a targeted assassin strike on a vehicle that was commuting through traffic in Tehran.
Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu published a statement saying that Ali Larijani had been eliminated, which should now free the people of Iran to protest without fear.
The IDF said it had observed increased readiness by Hezbollah to carry out rocket barrages towards Israeli territory in the evening, noting the military was operating to thwart the group’s activities.
Israeli Channel 12 claimed a senior Israeli political official said the campaign in Iran was picking off leaders one by one, adding: “They fled to tents, so we are killing them there.”
Director of the National Counterterrorism Center Joe Kent announced he had resigned, saying he could no longer support the war against Iran, while adding in his resignation letter that Iran posed no imminent threat to the US, claiming that the conflict was driven by lobbying pressure from Israel.
According to the FPRI, a new analysis reported that over 5,000 munitions were used in the first 96 hours of the war involving the US and Iran, including 35 different weapon types, reflecting the intensity of the conflict, as researchers estimated a cost between $10-$16 billion.
Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz told pilots and crews they were proving the Israeli Air Force is the best in the world, noting that the operation was systemic, while what was achieved is worth decades of security, adding that if the Iranian people overthrew the regime, it would be a 150% achievement.
Head of the Israeli negotiation with Lebanon, Ron Dermer, said it was possible to talk about a peace agreement with Lebanon, and they had no plans to occupy it, and while there were 13 border dispute points with Lebanon, most had been resolved.
The number of injured US troops in the war with Iran has surpassed 200, according to US military officials, with most injuries reported across multiple countries in the early days, including Kuwait, Iraq, Saudi Arabia and the UAE, and many were linked to Iranian missile and drone attacks, reported the Washington Post.
French President Emmanuel Macron stated that France backed Lebanon in safeguarding its sovereignty and reaffirmed support for maritime security in the region, but France was still not ready to secure the Strait of Hormuz, however, they will be ready to escort ships once the strikes have stopped.
US President Donald Trump blessed NATO and allies for not rushing to the defence of the American and Israeli forces in Iran, saying that NATO should remain defensive and help defend the ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz.
An Israeli Channel 14 military correspondent stated that electricity should be cut in Beirut if Hezbollah launched the ‘massive rocket attack’ at 7pm, which eventually occurred, with more than 60 rockets detected in Israeli airspace, most reportedly falling in open areas.
US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee met with Prime Minister Netanyahu to discuss Israel’s list of targets for elimination, as well as the rumours circulating regarding the PM’s health condition.
Reuters stated that the US had encouraged Syria to take military action against Hezbollah in eastern Lebanon, but Damascus was hesitant over fears of escalation, as Syrian officials stated they were concerned such a move would drag the country into a wider regional conflict.
Key notes from Hezbollah Secretary General Naim Qassam in a message to the fighters included noting that the available solution was to stop aggression, withdraw from occupied territories, release prisoners, and return residents to the villages of their homes, adding that the resistance continues in the field of honour regardless of the sacrifices.
Kuwait Ministry of Health spokesperson Dr Abdullah Al-Sund said two members of emergency medical teams were injured following the fall of shrapnel onto an ambulance in the centre of the country, adding that both individuals were in a stable condition.
Trump said the US should have attacked Iran’s Kharg Island years ago, describing the regime as ‘bad players, vicious players’ for 48 years, while warning that if Iran had obtained a nuclear weapon, it would have been used within 24 hours, leading to a nuclear war.
According to Trump, the United States wasn’t ready to leave the campaign in Iran yet but will leave ‘in the very near future,’ adding that Iran had been ‘decimated from every standpoint,’ and noting great support from countries in the Middle East, while reiterating that there had been essentially no support from NATO.
Israeli Channel 12 reported that Netanyahu and Katz had instructed the IDF to immediately eliminate any senior Iranian or Hezbollah figure whenever clear intelligence and clear operational opportunity arise, without waiting for political approval.
According to Israeli sources, Hezbollah has decided to carry out a ‘repetitive’ event, attempting to launch increased barrages toward Israel every few days, in order to sow panic and exhaust the Home Front Command.
Former Iranian Security Advisor Ali Larijani was killed following 20 precision bombs striking his daughter’s flat directly in Tehran, killing Larijani, his son, and security guards, in what was considered a ‘limited window of opportunity.’
Oman LNG, whose export plant is situated on the Arabian Sea, has loaded nine cargoes of LNG heading for Asia, as the eighth largest LNG producer continued to make sales, while the world’s largest exporter Qatar remained halted following a drone strike two weeks ago, and UAE cargoes were being trapped inside the Gulf.
Unconfirmed footage appeared to show a pair of delta-wing aircraft above Shiraz, southern Iran, but neither the US or Israel operate these type of aircraft, meaning they could be Mirage 2000s (operated by the UAE), Eurofighters (operated by the UK, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait), or two Rafales (operated by France, Qatar and the UAE).
According to MTV Lebanon, the US Ambassador to Lebanon Michel Issa tried to persuade Lebanese Parliamentary speaker Nabih Berri to appoint a Shiite figure to a possible negotiation delegation with Israel, but Berri refused.
Iran’s Atomic Energy Committee announced that the Bushehr nuclear power plant was hit in a strike, but clarified no significant damage was caused and there were no casualties.
Drones and rockets launched by Hezbollah resulted in an impact by interceptor debris on the structure of Karmiel Station, as images published showed damage to apartments and buildings, while one injured person was evacuated from the scene in a minor condition.
Kan news reported that Israel was gearing up to increase its operations in the Strait of Hormuz following pressure from Trump, because despite Trump’s attempts so far, he has failed to build a coalition to provide security, and Israel is expected to act more significantly in the area, mainly in the field of intelligence.
Iran’s IRGC confirmed the death of Brigadier General Gholamreza Soleimani, head of the Basij Organisation of the Oppressed, in a terrorist attack by Israel-US forces, warning the Basij will never abandon seeking revenge for the killed leader, commanders and people.
An Israeli strike on Ainata in Lebanon damaged the Bint Jbeil Government Hospital.
KRI Prime Minister Masrour Barzani announced that the Kurdistan Region had decided to allow oil to flow through its Kirkuk-Ceyhan pipeline as soon as possible, thanking the US for its role and support in the process, stating that parallel discussions with Baghdad would continue urgently to lift import and trade restrictions and secure guarantees for oil and gas companies to safely resume production.
Iran further restricted the internet ahead of the annual Festival of Fire (Chaharshanbe Suri), which began at sunset on Tuesday, in an effort to forestall anti-regime demonstrations, reported Bloomberg, while Fars News Agency reported that security forces had threatened some residents about protesting in the capital.
The IDF issued an urgent warning to residents of Tyre and surrounding camps to immediately evacuate north of the Zahrani River, stating that the buildings targeted were used for military purposes and movements south of the river could endanger lives.
Netanyahu issued an update on Israeli operations in Iran, noting that Israeli aircraft were hitting the ‘terror operatives’ on the ground, in the crossroads, in the city squares, which was meant to enable the brave people of Iran to celebrate the Festival of Fire, (and of course, protest).
Dubai’s Media Office took to X to announce that the competent authorities confirmed the sounds heard in some areas of the Emirate area were as a result of interceptions and not impacts.
Following an attack at around midnight (Israeli time), local media reported power outages in northern Tel Aviv, as footage allegedly showed interceptions above Tel Aviv and above Dubai.
More launches were noted soon after heading to both Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, resulting in a lot of explosions, as emergency services rushed to impact scenes in Tel Aviv, and fire and rescue teams in Dan County attended other impact sites.
There were unconfirmed reports of two critically injured at one of the impact sites in the centre, both later confirmed dead, while it was confirmed that around 4-5 ballistic missiles were used, 3-4 were shot down, but some had cluster warheads.
Footage circulated showing multiple impact sites around Israel, including destruction at Tel Aviv Savidor Central train station, civilian vehicles being damaged when parked outside residences, and buildings were damaged by shrapnel.
Israel launched several airstrikes targeting Zak Al Blat in Beirut as jets flew low over the city, while footage released allegedly showed an assassination attempt by the IDF, and around five minutes later a violent airstrike was also reported on Dahieh in the Kafaat area.
Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei rejected proposals to send Iran’s foreign ministry by intermediaries, telling a foreign policy meeting ‘it is not the time for peace,’ a senior Iranian official told Reuters.
Senior Israeli Officials told the US diplomats that Iranian protestors ‘will get slaughtered’ if they try to take to the streets against the Iranian regime, according to the Washington Post.
The US Embassy compound in Baghdad had been subjected to heavy fire, with multiple direct strikes recorded by locals within a 12-hour period.
US aircraft carrier USS Gerald R Ford is preparing to leave the Red Sea to undergo repairs at the US Navy base in Crete, according to USNI news, stating that the repairs from the fire in the ship’s laundry that also ruined crewman beds were expected to last over a week.
The UK Foreign Secretary warned that Lebanon was on the brink of a conflict with catastrophic humanitarian consequences following Israeli aggression.
