AJ
Recap of the war between US-Israel and Iran, including the latest political news, and updates on attacks across the regions.
🔹 ️Iranian state media IRIB published a statement saying: “If you haven’t obtained permission from Iran beforehand, do not proceed to the Strait of Hormuz; otherwise, you will be turned back! Thank you for your attention to this matter!”
🔹 ️According to the Washington Post, the Pentagon is preparing for weeks of ground operations in Iran, should President Trump decide to escalate the war.
🔹 ️Red alerts were issued in southern Israel surrounding Dimona, as Iran appeared to be targeting the Negev Nuclear Research Station early on Sunday morning, but the missile was allegedly intercepted.
🔹 ️Britain is preparing to deploy RFA Lyme Bay, retrofitted with autonomous mine-hunting drones, potentially to help clear naval mines in the Strait of Hormuz as part of efforts to reopen the blocked shipping route, reported The Times, adding that plans are under consideration as the crisis disrupts global oil flows.
🔹 ️Residents of Baharestan, south of Isfahan, recorded an explosion in the area of an ammo storage depot for the barracks in the city early on Sunday morning, while residents of southeastern Tehran recorded the aftermath of an Israeli airstrike on the Masoudieh barracks and a house in Soltani Alley after an Israeli strike late on Saturday evening, and residents of Bushehr reported that the domestic flights hall of the Bushehr Airport had been targeted, in what was likely a US air strike late on Saturday evening.
🔹 ️Later US and Israeli airstrikes hit the Electronics Industries in Shiraz, southwestern Iran, strikes were carried out on Yazd City in central Iran, as well as on the port city of Bandar Deylam in southern Iran.
🔹 ️Mosul residents awoke to loud explosions and smoke over the city following an airstrike launched by the US that targeted the city, as reports suggested the headquarters of the 14th Brigade were targeted in the strike.
🔹 ️Footage showed the aftermath of an Israeli strike on Tehran’s North Sohrevardi Street in the early hours of Sunday morning, as photos taken by residents of Tehran showed smoke rising above various locations including the Iranian Defence Industries Organisation, and residents of western Tehran also recorded a strike over an area that had been struck by Israel overnight.
🔹 ️Iranian Navy Commander Admiral Shahram Irani issued a warning to the US saying as soon as the Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier strike group came within range, the Iranians would ‘avenge the blood of the Dena martyrs by firing various shore-to-sea missiles,’ noting that all positions and movement of the Lincoln Strike Group and its requests from regional countries were being and moment-by-moment monitored by Iran.
🔹 ️An Iranian ballistic missile that targeted the Jerusalem area of central Israel was intercepted, while another missile fired at the north allegedly hit an open area, and simultaneously, several rockets were also fired from Lebanon to the north of Israel with some being intercepted and others ‘hitting open areas.’
🔹 ️UAE Presidential Advisor Anwar Gargash took to X to say that any political decision addressing the Iranian aggression against the Arab Gulf states must include clear guarantees to prevent future violations, uphold the principle of non-aggression, and mandate Iranian reparations for targeting civilian and vital facilities as well as civilians: “Iran deceived its neighbours about its intentions before the war and revealed premeditated aggression despite their sincere efforts to avoid it, making these two paths essential in confronting a regime that has become the primary threat to the security of the Arab Gulf.”
🔹 ️Kuwait’s Ministry of Defence said its armed forces detected 14 hostile ballistic missiles and 12 drones in the country’s airspace over a 24 hour period, with several striking a military camp and wounding 10 personnel, who were receiving treatment, adding that a private logistics company’s warehouses were also targeted, causing material damage but no casualties. Since the escalation began on February 28, Kuwait reports detecting a total of 307 ballistic missiles, 2 cruise missiles, and 616 drones, as forces remain on high alert.
🔹 ️UAE’s air defences intercepted 16 ballistic missiles and 42 drones launched from Iran within 24 hours up to lunch time on March 29, meaning a total of 414 ballistic missiles, 15 cruise missiles and 1,914 drones have targeted the Emirates since the start of the war. Attacks have killed two UAE military personnel, a Moroccan civilian contractor working with the armed forces, and eight civilians, while a total of 178 people have been injured, with wounds ranging from minor to severe.
🔹 ️Bahrain has decided to ban maritime movement for sea-goers from 6pm to 4am starting from Sunday and until further notice, due to the increased severity and risk of attacks from Iran overnight.
🔹 ️Top diplomats from Turkey and Egypt arrived in Islamabad for talks aimed at ending the war, with the Saudi Foreign Minister due to join the multilateral meeting on Monday, as Pakistan took a prominent role in the multi-nation effort to bring the US and Iran to the negotiating table, reported the Wall Street Journal. Pakistan Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar met with Egyptian counterpart Badr Abdelatty and Turkish counterpart Hakan Fidan, emphasising the ‘need for restraint, de-escalation, and the resolution of disputes through dialogue and diplomacy.’
🔹 ️Iran’s military warned it was ‘counting the moments’ to destroy US forces should President Donald Trump launch a ground invasion, as spokesperson for the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, the highest operational command centre of the armed forces, said any occupation would bring ‘captivity, dismemberment and disappearance’ for the aggressor, and the warning comes following the arrival of the US 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit in the Middle East on Saturday, expanding the range of options available to the president.
🔹 ️Al Araby Television Network, a Qatari station, said an Israeli missile struck its office building in Tehran, forcing its live broadcast to stop and causing ‘extensive damage.’
🔹 ️Israel and the United States are ‘working very closely in coordination’ to respond after Yemen’s Houthi rebels launched ballistic missiles at Israel, the first attack since the group formally entered the war, as Israeli military spokesperson Colonel Nadav Shoshani said Israel had grown accustomed to confronting repeated Houthi attacks, which have included missile and drone launches toward Israel and shipping in the Red Sea for more than two years, reported Bloomberg. The Houthis said they would continue operations until US-Israeli strikes on Iran and its proxies ceased, and the groups entry into the conflict adds a new front, with the Red Sea port of Yanbu, through which 5 million barrels of Saudi oil now flow after rerouting around the Strait of Hormuz, being well within Houthi missile range.
🔹 ️Saudi Arabia’s Defence Ministry said it had intercepted and destroyed ten drones that were attacking the country on Sunday morning.
🔹 ️Kuwait said its air defences had intercepted four drones, but noted that the radar systems had been severely damaged during a strike on the Kuwait International Airport on Saturday evening.
🔹 ️Smoke that was seen rising from the Victoria Base, initially repoted as unexplained, was said to be due to the American forces burning equipment before withdrawing from the base, according to Naya.
🔹 ️Iran launched ballistic missiles towards the north, centre and the third towards the south of Israel targeting Negev, including the Dimona and Arad areas, eventually impacting in an ‘open area,’ according to Israeli military, however footage that circulated on various news and intel networks showed heavy smoke at a facility in Ramat Hovav, while smoke was also seen rising near Ramallah, likely from the cluster munition used in the second of a wave of three missiles. Some reports suggested that Israeli Civil Defence had sealed off roads leading to the industrial zone in Ramat Hovav due to the risk of a hazardous chemical leak, urging residents to shut their windows and turn off air conditioning systems, as thick black smoke could be seen rising into the atmosphere.
🔹 ️Around two hours later, Iran targeted Beer Sheba in southern Israel, resulting in power outages in the area which were possibly as a result of damaged power lines.
🔹 ️PM Netanyahu published an address from Israel’s Northern Command, reassuring that the military was striking hard against Iran and Hezbollah, describing Israel as the active side threatening them, rather than them threatening Israel, while promising Israelis that they are determined to change the situation to the north from its roots.
🔹 ️Britain’s Defence Ministry announced that the RAF regiment gunners had shot down seven one-way attack drones overnight, with multiple gunners now achieving ‘ace’ status – credited with five confirmed enemy aircraft strikes – for the first time in Middle East defensive operations. British Typhoons and F-35 jets continued defensive missions over Jordan, Qatar, Bahrain and the UAE, while Royal Navy Wildcats patrolled the eastern Mediterranean.
🔹 ️Egypt is set to import more than a million barrels of Libyan crude monthly in a new deal to replace Kuwaiti supplies halted by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, with Libyas National Oil Corps picking up after Kuwait Petroleum Corps declaration of force majeure on exports, because Cairo is currently rationing energy and enforcing early business closures as the conflict continues and needs the replacements as soon as possible, reported Bloomberg.
🔹 ️US Representative Jim Himes, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, declined to dispute President Volodymyr Zelensky’s claims that Russia was providing intelligence to Iran, reported the WSJ, suggesting that Iran’s oil sales to China and drone acquisitions from Russia have created a cycle of funding that fuels attacks on both Ukrainian and US forces, noting that while he cannot discuss classified details, the strategic alignment between the two nations is evident.
🔹 ️Pakistan hosted a quadrilateral meeting on Sunday with Foreign Ministers from Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Turkey to discuss a ceasefire and discuss the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, with proposals including a multinational consortium to manage maritime traffic through the blocked waterway, but Saudi Arabia has demanded ironclad guarantees that Iran curb ballistic missile production and end support for regional proxies as part of any deal, reported WSJ, noting that Iranian officials had reportedly rejected these terms, refusing to discuss missile programmes while demanding protection for their allied groups from US and Israeli strikes, so mediators indicated the likelihood of a breakthrough remained low due to incompatible demands from both Washington and Tehran.
🔹 ️Foreign Minister Dar later said that talks focused on pathways to end the war, stressing that continued conflict served no party’s interests, while calling for US-Iran negotiations to be held in Islamabad, adding that discussions today explored ways to reach a near-term and sustainable resolutions, and also confirming a call with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi, who expressed support for US-Iran talks, as efforts continued to secure a lasting peace in the region.
🔹 ️Israel Channel 12 reported that the Commander of the United States Central Command Admiral Brad Cooper visited Israel to approve joint military strikes, adding that the Israeli military had prepared offensive plans for the coming days in coordination with US forces, with Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir approving a focus on strikes targeting Iran’s heavy military infrastructures.
🔹 ️Parliament Speaker Mohammed Bagher Ghalibaf said that “the enemy openly sends messages of negotiation and dialogue’ while covertly planning a ground invasion, ‘unaware that our men are waiting for American troops to enter on the ground so they can set them ablaze and punish their regional partners forever,’ while noting that strikes continued, missiles remained ready, and Iran’s determination and faith had grown stronger.
🔹 ️Up to 70 British nationals have been detained in the UAE for filming or photographing Iranian drone and missile attacks, according to Daily Mail, noting that tourists, expatriates, and airline crew have been held in crowded detention facilities, with some allegedly denied basic needs, after violating strict laws aimed at ‘protecting’ national security. Even receiving such images can be considered illegal, carrying penalties of up to 10 years in prison or heavy fines, but the large number of recent arrests have been overwhelming the legal system, leaving many detainees facing months in custody before being formally charged, though some were released on bail.
🔹 ️Iran has launched a campaign called ‘Janfada,’ meaning ‘Sacrificing Life,’ aimed at recruiting volunteers to fight US forces amid reports of a potential American ground operation, reported the WSJ, noting that according to a text message sent to mobile users in Iran, the campaign called on citizens to prepare to defend Iran’s territory in responses to the ‘threats of the American-Zionist enemy.’
🔹 ️Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez criticised his Israeli counterpart on X: “Netanyahu has prevented Catholics from celebrating Palm Sunday in Jerusalem’s Holy Places. Without any explanation. Without Reasons or motives. From the Government of Spain, we condemn this unjustified attack on religious freedom and demand that Israel respect the diversity of beliefs and international law, because without tolerance, coexistence is impossible. The European Union later condemned the prevention of the Palm Sunday Mass at the Holy Sepulchre by Israeli authorities, denouncing it a ‘violation of religious freedom.’
🔹 ️US Central Command issued a fact check regarding damage to an E-3 AWACS aircraft claimed by the IRGC on Saturday, stating that the damage to the aircraft had been caused by a clogged drain pipe from the aircraft’s kitchen dishwasher.
🔹 ️Israel is planning to propose to the US the establishment of military bases on its territory, reported Israeli Channel 12, saying that plans aim both to relocate existing bases from elsewhere in the Middle East as well as to build new facilities.
🔹 ️Power outages were reported in Tehran and Karaj following US/Israeli strikes on energy infrastructure, as Iranian state media reported electricity crews were working to restore the power, and officials later reporting that supply had been reconnected to most parts of both Karaj and Tehran. Iranian Deputy Minister of Energy Mostafa Rajabi Mashhadi said that several power transmission substations had been hit and the electricity was due to be restored within a few hours. Footage released also showed strikes on Iran’s Parchin Military Complex located southeast of Tehran. Fars News Agency reported the power outages had been caused by ‘shrapnel damage’ to a high-voltage tower in Alborz province and the Dushan Tappeh substation, later reporting that most of the supplies had been restored, but work was still underway to restore power in all areas.
🔹 ️An Iranian ballistic missile alert was announced over Israel, as alerts rang out in northern, central, and southern Israel as well as the West Bank, but the missile was intercepted on route, with debris reportedly falling in West Bank and Jordan, and the alert reportedly interrupted a Knesset session, forcing members to evacuate to the bomb shelter.
🔹 ️IAEA released a statement saying: “Based on independent analysis of satellite imagery and knowledge of the installation, the IAEA has confirmed the heavy water production plant at Khondab, which Iran reported had been attacked on 27 March, has sustained severe damage and is no longer operational – the installation contains no declared nuclear material.”
🔹 ️According to i24NEWS, a US official said: “By the beginning of next week, there will be enough forces to allow a significant ground operation against Iran,'” adding that all options remained ‘on the table’ when asked whether the ground operation was planned and what from it could take.
🔹 ️President Pezeshkian took to X in the evening of Sunday stating: “AI experts in the United States should make President Trump aware of the reality in his own country in the ‘No Kings’ protests. The American people are angry about ‘Israel First.’ They are tired of Israeli kings ruling over American democracy.”
🔹 ️Israeli officials told Channel 12 that if the US launches a ground invasion of Iran, Israel would participate in other ways that doesn’t include boots on the ground.
🔹 ️Explosions were reported in Baghdad as AJ-Ahadi confirmed three drones had attacked the Victoria Airbase in Baghdad, while explosions were also reported at the Kharkh neighbourhood of Baghdad close to the US Embassy, and a drone also impacted a school in the Al-Mahmudiya neighbourhood of Baghdad earlier in the evening.
🔹 ️US State Department said on Sunday: “Iran and its allied militias may intend to target American universities in Baghdad, Suleymaniyah and Duhok,” noting that the Iraqi government hadn’t prevented terrorist attacks against America and regional countries being launched from Iraq, which came after Iran issued a notice asking the US to condemn attacks by Israel on Iran’s universities by midday Tehran time or face the consequences.
🔹 ️President Trump told Israeli Channel 14 that the pressures on the Iranian regime were starting to bear fruit, adding that Iran was eager to reach an agreement and was actually begging for it, just like any party that faced destruction would want a deal, noting that: “We are capable of controlling the Strait of Hormuz and we are already working on it.”
🔹 ️More than 50,000 US troops are now in the Middle East following the arrival of 2,500 Marines and 2,500 sailors, which is about 10,000 more than normal, as Trump weighs options on his next move against Iran, reported NYT.
