To All
Good Sunday Morning March 15, 2026.
I woke up to heavy fog this morning but clear skies by 9 and only climbing to 84 for a high today and 88 tomorrow. I hope that your weekend has been a good one so far and that you all have a great day today. I apologize for the late arrival
.To All
Thanks to Saundra Cima from Honor Flight
Medal of Honor Celebration - Tribute to Captain Royce Williams
Free and Open to the public
Saturday, March 21, 2026
USS Midway Museum Flight Deck
10 AM
Midway's website - https://www.midway.org/event/medal-of-honor-celebration-a-tribute-to-royce-williams
Video Below
Royce Williams, 100, reflects on Medal of Honor journey at historic State of the Union presentation
Come Join the celebration on the Midway March 21
Saundra Cima
Saundra@HonorFlightSanDiego.org
Warm Regards,
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HAGD
10-year-old Cody had been through more than most adults ever will. A terrible car accident left his spine broken — and doctors had to put him in a painful "halo brace" to keep him still. For weeks, he hadn't laughed… hadn't even smiled.
The night before a risky 12-hour surgery, his Child Life Specialist asked him what his biggest wish was.
Through tears, he whispered: "I want to meet a real soldier. A real hero." 🥺
What Cody didn't know was that the specialist's brother was a Navy SEAL.
The next morning, that wish turned into something unforgettable. Two SEALs — still in full gear, faces camouflaged, night-vision goggles flipped up walked into the pediatric ward. The whole hospital went silent.
They stepped into Cody's room. He looked up, eyes wide.
"Hey, Cody," one said softly. "We heard we've got a real fighter in here."
Cody could barely breathe. "You're… you're real," he whispered.
The other SEAL smiled, unclipping a patch from his vest. "This is our team patch. We only give it to the toughest guys we know. And you? You're tougher than any of us." 💪
For 10 minutes, Cody wasn't a scared patient he was one of them. A warrior. A brother.
And for the first time in days, he smiled. ❤️.
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1AKcz7PR58/
.This one really brought my screen out of focus…skip
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This day in Naval and Marine Corps History (thanks to NHHC)
Here is a link to the NHHC website: https://www.history.navy.mil/. Go here to see the director's corner for all 94 H-Grams.
.March 15
1889—A typhoon strikes Apia, Samoa, where American, German and British ships are protecting their national interests. The typhoon drives USS Trenton, USS Vandalia, and USS Nipsic ashore, killing 51 crew members, and sinks all three German ships with the loss of 150 crew.
1943—U.S. 7th Fleet is established in Brisbane, Australia during WWII, under the command of Adm. Arthur S. "Chips" Carpender.
1944—USS Shamrock Bay (CVE 84) is commissioned. During World War II, she serves in the Atlantic and is sent to the Pacific due the loss of escort carriers and participates in the Okinawa Campaign.
1947—Ensign John W. Lee, Jr., becomes the first African-American with a commission in the regular Navy and serves aboard USS Kearsarge (CV 33).
1953—Marine pilots of VMA 312 destroy eight rail cars, two possible radar towers, a power transformer and numerous other assorted targets in Korea before returning to USS Bataan (CVL 29).
1957—A ZPG-2 airship driven by Cmdr. Jack R. Hunt lands at Naval Air Station Key West, FL, after a flight that began Mar. 4 at South Weymouth, MA, then circled over the Atlantic Ocean toward Portugal, the African coast and back for a new world record in distance and endurance, covering 9,448 statute miles and remaining airborne 264 hours 12 minutes without refueling.
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This day in History 15 March
44 BC Julius Caesar is assassinated by high-ranking Roman Senators.
933 Henry the Fowler routs the raiding Magyars at Merseburg, Germany.
1493 Christopher Columbus returns to Spain after his first voyage to the New World.
1778 In command of two frigates, the Frenchman la Perouse sails east from Botany Bay for the last lap of his voyage around the world.
1820 Maine is admitted as the 23rd state.
1862 General John Hunt Morgan begins four days of raids near the city of Gallatin, Tenn.
1864 The Red River Campaign begins as the Union forces reach Alexandria, La.
1892 New York State unveils the new automatic ballot voting machine.
1895 Bone Mizell, the famed cowboy of Florida, appears before a judge for altering cattle brands.
1903 The British complete the conquest of Nigeria.
1904 Three hundred Russians are killed as the Japanese shell Port Arthur in Korea.
1909 Italy proposes a European conference on the Balkans.
1916 General John Pershing and his 15,000 troops chase Pancho Villa into Mexico.
1934 Henry Ford restores the $5-a-day wage.
1935 Joseph Goebbels, German Minister of Propaganda bans four Berlin newspapers.
1939 Germany occupies Bohemia and Moravia, Czechoslovakia.
1944 Cassino, Italy is destroyed by Allied bombing.
1949 Almost four years after the end of World War II, clothes rationing in Great Britain ends.
1951 French General de Lattre demands that Paris send him more troops for the fight in Indochina.
1955 The U.S. Air Force unveils the first self-guided missile.
1956 The first performance of My Fair Lady, starring Julie Andrews and Rex Harrison, takes place on Broadway.
1960 Ten nations meet in Geneva to discuss disarmament.
1965 Gamal Abdel Nasser is re-elected Egyptian President.
1967 President Lyndon Johnson names Ellsworth Bunker as the new ambassador to Saigon. Bunker replaces Lodge.
1968 The U.S. mint halts the practice of buying and selling gold.
1991 Four Los Angeles police are charged in the beating of Rodney King.
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. .
Thanks to the Bear and Dan Heller. We will always have the url for you to search items in Rolling Thunder
OPERATION ROLLING THUNDER …
. rollingthunderremembered.com .
.
Thanks to Micro
From Vietnam Air Losses site for ..March 15 . .
March 15: https://www.vietnamairlosses.com/loss.php?id=1039
Links to all content can now be found right on the homepage http://www.rollingthunderremembered.com. If you scroll down from the banner and featured content you will find "Today in Rolling Thunder Remembered History" which highlights events in the Vietnam war that occurred on the date the page is visited. Below that are links to browse or search all content. You may search by keyword(s), date, or date range.
An item of importance is the recent incorporation of Task Force Omega (TFO) MIA summaries. There is a link on the homepage and you can also visit directly via https://www.rollingthunderremembered.com/task-force-omega/. There are 60 summaries posted thus far, with about 940 to go (not a typo—TFO has over 1,000 individual case files).
If you have any questions or comments about RTR/TFO, or have a question on my book, you may e-mail me directly at acrossthewing@protonmail.com. Thank you Dan
Vietnam Air Losses
Access Chris Hobson and Dave Lovelady's work at: https://www.VietnamAirLosses.com.
This is a list of all Helicopter Pilots Who Died in the Vietnam War . Listed by last name and has other info https://www.vhpa.org/KIA/KIAINDEX.HTM
MOAA - Wall of Faces Now Includes Photos of All Service members Killed in the Vietnam War
The site works, find anyone you knew in "search" feature. https://www.vvmf.org/Wall-of-Faces/ )
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This Day in U S Military History
15 March
The Ides of March. In the ancient Roman calendar the 15th day of March, May, July and Oct. or the 13th day of the other months.
1521 – Ferdinand Magellan discovered the Philippine Islands, where he was killed by natives the following month.
1697 – A band of Abnaki Indians made a raid on Haverhill, Massachusetts. Twenty-seven women and children were killed in the raid. Less than a week from childbed, Hannah Duston was captured along with her infant daughter and a nurse, Mary Neff. Hannah's husband managed to escape with their seven other children. The baby was brutally killed, and Hannah and Mary were taken northward by their captors. After a march of 100 miles, the party paused at an island (afterward known as Penacook, or Dustin, Island) in the confluence of the Merrimack and Contoocook rivers above the site of present-day Concord, New Hampshire. There the two women were held and told that after a short journey to a further village they would be stripped and scourged. On the island they met Samuel Lennardson (or Leonardson), an English boy who had been captured more than a year earlier. During the night of March 30, Hannah and the boy secured hatchets and attacked their captors; 10 were killed, 9 of them by Hannah. The three captives then stole a canoe and escaped, but Hannah turned back and scalped the 10 corpses so as to have proof of the exploit. They reached Haverhill safely and on April 21 presented their story to the General Court in Boston, which awarded the sum of 25 pounds to Hannah Duston and half that to each of her companions.
1945 – On Iwo Jima, US 5th Amphibious Corps continues to engage the Japanese forces which are now confined a small area in the northwest of the island.
2010 – The passing of the United States generation that fought in World War I is marked by the funeral of Frank Buckles, who died on 27 February 2011, aged 110, and was buried with full military honors at Arlington National Cemetery. Frank Woodruff Buckles (born Wood Buckles, February 1, 1901 – February 27, 2011) was a United States Army soldier and the last surviving American veteran of World War I. He enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1917 and served with a detachment from Fort Riley, driving ambulances and motorcycles near the front lines in Europe. During World War II, he was captured by Japanese forces while working in the shipping business, and spent three years in the Philippines as a civilian prisoner. After the war, Buckles married in San Francisco and moved to Gap View Farm near Charles Town, West Virginia. A widower at age 98, he worked on his farm until the age of 105. In his last years, he was Honorary Chairman of the World War I Memorial Foundation. As chairman, he advocated the establishment of a World War I memorial similar to other war memorials in Washington, D.C.. Toward this end, Buckles campaigned for the District of Columbia War Memorial to be renamed the National World War I Memorial. He testified before Congress in support of this cause, and met with President George W. Bush at the White House. Buckles was awarded the World War I Victory Medal at the conclusion of that conflict, and the Army of Occupation of Germany Medal retroactively following the medal's creation in 1941, as well as the French Legion of Honor in 1999.
Medal of Honor Citations for Actions Taken This Day
SMITH, HENRY I.
Rank and organization: First Lieutenant, Company B, 7th lowa Infantry. Place and date: At Black River, N.C., 15 March 1865. Entered service at: Shell Rock Fall, Cerro Gordo County, lowa. Born: 4 May 1840, England. Date of issue: 7 September 1894. Citation: Voluntarily and under fire rescued a comrade from death by drowning.
HERRERA, SILVESTRE S.
Rank and organization: Private First Class, U.S. Army, Company E, 142d Infantry, 36th Infantry Division. Place and date: Near Mertzwiller, France, 15 March 1945. Entered service at: Phoenix, Ariz. Birth: El Paso, Tex. G.O. No.: 75, 5 September 1945. Citation: He advanced with a platoon along a wooded road until stopped by heavy enemy machinegun fire. As the rest of the unit took cover, he made a 1-man frontal assault on a strongpoint and captured 8 enemy soldiers. When the platoon resumed its advance and was subjected to fire from a second emplacement beyond an extensive minefield, Pvt. Herrera again moved forward, disregarding the danger of exploding mines, to attack the position. He stepped on a mine and had both feet severed but, despite intense pain and unchecked loss of blood, he pinned down the enemy with accurate rifle fire while a friendly squad captured the enemy gun by skirting the minefield and rushing in from the flank. The magnificent courage, extraordinary heroism, and willing self-sacrifice displayed by Pvt. Herrera resulted in the capture of 2 enemy strongpoints and the taking of 8 prisoners.
PIERCE, FRANCIS JUNIOR
Rank and organization: Pharmacist's Mate First Class, U.S. Navy serving with 2d Battalion, 24th Marines, 4th Marine Division. Place and date: Iwo Jima, 15 and 16 March 1945. Entered service at lowa Born: 7 December 1924, Earlville, lowa. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while attached to the 2d Battalion, 24th Marines, 4th Marine Division, during the Iwo Jima campaign, 15 and 16 March 1945. Almost continuously under fire while carrying out the most dangerous volunteer assignments, Pierce gained valuable knowledge of the terrain and disposition of troops. Caught in heavy enemy rifle and machinegun fire which wounded a corpsman and 2 of the 8 stretcher bearers who were carrying 2 wounded marines to a forward aid station on 15 March, Pierce quickly took charge of the party, carried the newly wounded men to a sheltered position, and rendered first aid. After directing the evacuation of 3 of the casualties, he stood in the open to draw the enemy's fire and, with his weapon blasting, enabled the litter bearers to reach cover. Turning his attention to the other 2 casualties he was attempting to stop the profuse bleeding of 1 man when a Japanese fired from a cave less than 20 yards away and wounded his patient again. Risking his own life to save his patient, Pierce deliberately exposed himself to draw the attacker from the cave and destroyed him with the last of his ammunition Then lifting the wounded man to his back, he advanced unarmed through deadly rifle fire across 200 feet of open terrain. Despite exhaustion and in the face of warnings against such a suicidal mission, he again traversed the same fire-swept path to rescue the remaining marine. On the following morning, he led a combat patrol to the sniper nest and, while aiding a stricken marine, was seriously wounded. Refusing aid for himself, he directed treatment for the casualty, at the same time maintaining protective fire for his comrades. Completely fearless, completely devoted to the care of his patients, Pierce inspired the entire battalion. His valor in the face of extreme peril sustains and enhances the finest traditions of the U.S. Naval Service.
*SARGENT, RUPPERT L.
Rank and organization: First Lieutenant, U.S. Army, Company B, 4th Battalion, 9th Infantry, 25th Infantry Division. Place and date: Hau Nghia Province, Republic of Vietnam, 15 March 1967. Entered service at: Richmond, Va. Born: 6 January 1938, Hampton, Va. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. While leading a platoon of Company B, 1st Lt. Sargent was investigating a reported Viet Cong meeting house and weapons cache. A tunnel entrance which 1st Lt. Sargent observed was booby trapped. He tried to destroy the booby trap and blow the cover from the tunnel using hand grenades, but this attempt was not successful. He and his demolition man moved in to destroy the booby trap and cover which flushed a Viet Cong soldier from the tunnel, who was immediately killed by the nearby platoon sergeant. 1st Lt. Sargent, the platoon sergeant, and a forward observer moved toward the tunnel entrance. As they approached, another Viet Cong emerged and threw 2 hand grenades that landed in the midst of the group. 1st Lt. Sargent fired 3 shots at the enemy then turned and unhesitatingly threw himself over the 2 grenades. He was mortally wounded, and his 2 companions were lightly wounded when the grenades exploded. By his courageous and selfless act of exceptional heroism, he saved the lives of the platoon sergeant and forward observer and prevented the injury or death of several other nearby comrades. 1st Lt. Sargent's actions were in keeping with the highest traditions of the military services and reflect great credit upon himself and the U.S. Army.
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AMERICAN AEROSPACE EVENTS for March 15, FIRSTS, LASTS, AND SIGNIFICANT ACCOMPLISHMENTS. THANKS TO HAROLD "PHIL" MYERS CHIEF HISTORIAN AIR FORCE INTELLIGENCE, SURVEILLANCE, AND RECONNAISSANCE AGENCY
15 March
1916: Capt Benjamin D. Foulois, and his 1st Aero Squadron, arrived at Columbus, N. Mex., for duty with General Pershing's punitive expedition against Mexican raiders. (11) (21)
1944: Ninth Air Force P-51 fighters are released from direct commitment to Eighth Air Force bombers unless required for specific missions.
1945: Fifteenth Air Force flew heavy bombers from bases in Italy on their longest mission of the war to attack the synthetic oil plant at Ruhland, Germany. (24)
1950: The JCS gave the USAF formal and exclusive responsibility for strategic guided missiles in a basic decision on the role and mission of guided missiles (See 21 March). (24) The only jet-powered and last remaining USAF Flying Wing, the YRB-49, crashed at Edwards AFB when its nose gear collapsed during a taxi test. (See 5 June 1948) (5)
1951: Using a KC-97A Stratofreighter, Boeing refueled a B-47 bomber for the first time. (12) (26)
1956: The USAF issued a requirement for an air-to-surface missile for the B-52. This missile became the Hound Dog. (6)
1957: HARMON TROPHY FLIGHT. The Navy's ZPG-2 airship landed after setting new world records for distance and endurance, covering 9,448 miles and remaining airborne 264 hours 12 minutes without refueling. The ship's commander, Cmdr J.R. Hunt received the Harmon Trophy for Aeronauts. (5)
1964: USAFE accepted five 412L air weapon control system sites, the first in this new air defense system. (4)
1967: The Sikorsky HH-53B, the largest and fastest helicopter in the USAF inventory, made its first flight. (16) (26)
1968: Major Jerauld R. Gentry flew the modified HL-10 Lifting Body on its first flight. (3)
1969: Exercise FOCUS RETINA. Through 20 March, Focus Retina deployed a brigade of the 82d Airborne Division from Fort Bragg in the largest tactical airlift attempted to date to move 2,500 assault troops and supporting equipment to Korea. The brigade staged through Okinawa and dropped into the Korean exercise area on 17 March. MAC, TAC, the US Strike Command, and Air Force Communications Service (AFCS) units supported the airlift. (16) (17)
1975: From Vandenberg AFB, Production Verification Missile (PVM-13) completed the last flight in the Wing VI Hybrid Explicit Flight Program. It supported the Wing VI configuration upgrade for the Minuteman at Grand Forks AFB. (5)
1977: Responding to a request from Zaire, MAC began a commercial airlift to move 642 tons of medical supplies, clothing, food, and equipment from Dover AFB in Delaware, Hill AFB, Barksdale AFB, and Pisa AB, Italy, to Kinshasa, Zaire. Fourteen DC-8s and one B-747 airlifted the supplies between March and June. (2)
1983: Through 28 March, SAC successfully demonstrated its new sea interdiction capability with three AGM-84 Harpoon missile launches from a B-52 at the Pacific Missile Test Range on Kwajelein Atoll. (16) (26)
1985: A MAC C-5 Galaxy delivered 1,000 rolls of plastic sheeting used to create protective shelters for victims of a 3 February earthquake that ravaged the coastal and interior regions of central Chile. (16)
1992: Through 18 April, C-5 Galaxies and C-130 Hercules aircraft moved 165 tons of food, medical supplies, clothing, blankets, and other relief items to eastern Turkey following a major earthquake. (16)
1999: An electric arcjet rocket engine, developed at the Air Force Research Laboratory's Propulsion Directorate as part of the Electric Propulsion Space Experiment (ESEX), fired for the first time in space aboard an ARGOS spacecraft. The arcjet engine consumed less than one-fourth the amount of fuel of an equivalent chemical engine. (3)
2003: Operation IRAQI FREEDOM. AFFTC deployed its NKC-135E Big Crow electronic combat aircraft from Kirtland AFB, New Mexico, to Souda Bay, Crete, where it carried out 37 communications jamming missions to support the operation. (3)
2005: An AFFTC team completed the first Avionics Modernization Program (AMP) risk-reduction flight on an MC-130E Combat Talon 1. The project tested improved terrain-following radar and algorithms for Air Force Special Operations Command pilots who would fly low level sorties. The upgrade included a new radome and a "glass cockpit" with a heads-up display. (3)
2007: The YAL-1A Airborne Laser successfully fired its target illuminator laser during a five-hour flight from Edwards AFB, Calif. The mission and test firing represented the Airborne Laser's first in-flight external laser firing and used the "Big Crow" NC-135E to verify the YAL-1A's ability to track an airborne target and measure atmospheric turbulence. (AFNEWS, Airborne Laser Fires Tracking Laser, Hits Target," 21 Mar 2007.)
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Iran Update Evening Special Report, March 13, 2026
MARCH 13, 2026
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The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) and The Critical Threats Project (CTP) at the American Enterprise Institute are publishing daily updates to provide analysis on the war with Iran. The updates focus on US and Israeli strikes on Iran and Iran and the Axis of Resistance's response to the strikes. The updates cover events from the past 24-hour period.
NOTE: ISW-CTP will not publish morning updates covering the war with Iran on March 14 and 15. ISW-CTP will publish threads on its social media channels in the morning on these days that cover the latest developments in the war and include relevant maps.
CORRECTION: ISW-CTP removed a sentence that incorrectly stated that the K1 base in Iraq hosts US and foreign troops. The Iraqi government assumed control of the base in 2020. ISW-CTP is also updating its assessment that Iranian-backed Iraqi militias conducted the attack on the K1 base upon further reports that a combined force strike targeted PMF positions at the base.
Key Takeaways
The US-Israeli combined force continued to target Iranian internal security infrastructure on March 13 in order to degrade the regime's repressive capabilities. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated on March 12 during his first press conference since the war started that Israel is "creating the optimal conditions for toppling the regime."
The combined force has continued to target Iranian defense industrial sites across Iran. US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth stated on March 13 that US and Israeli strikes have "functionally defeated" Iran's ballistic missile production capacity by destroying Iran's defense companies and production lines across Iran that manufacture missile components.
Iran is selectively allowing some ships to transit through the Strait of Hormuz. ISW-CTP has not observed any Iranian attacks against civilian vessels in the Strait of Hormuz since Iran struck a Chinese-state-owned Liberian-flagged vessel at 10:19 PM ET on March 11. Iran seems to be trying to disrupt commercial shipping with missiles and drones while avoiding the economic and political consequences of mining the Strait completely.
Israeli officials are reportedly discussing the potential expansion of Israeli ground operations in Lebanon. Israeli media reported that Israeli security and defense officials are examining several options, ranging from an expansive ground operation reaching the Litani River to more limited actions in southern Lebanon.
Toplines
The US-Israeli combined force continued to target Iranian internal security infrastructure on March 13 in order to degrade the regime's repressive capabilities. The combined strikes targeted Law Enforcement Command (LEC) sites, specifically connected to the traffic and economic security police units, in Gharchak, Tehran Province.[1] The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) separately struck Basij checkpoints in Tehran Province on March 12 and 13, including two in northeastern and southeastern Tehran Province.[2] Basij and other Iranian security personnel have dispersed from fixed checkpoints and taken cover in locations, such as highway underpasses and bridges in cities, including Rasht, Gilan Province, and parts of Tehran Province, likely to reduce exposure to drone surveillance and follow-on strikes.[3] The combined force has repeatedly targeted elements of Iran's internal security apparatus, including the LEC, Basij, and IRGC units, that are responsible for suppressing protests and maintaining domestic control.[4] Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated on March 12 during his first press conference since the war started that Israel is "creating the optimal conditions for toppling the regime."[5] Netanyahu noted that a regime needs to be "topped from the inside" but added that "[Israel] can definitely help" and is helping.[6] The IDF also reported that it targeted IRGC, LEC, and Basij command elements in Tehran during a new wave of strikes on March 13.[7]
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The combined force has severely degraded Iran's missile and drone capabilities, which has limited Iran's ability to launch retaliatory attacks in the region. A senior IDF official said that Israel has destroyed 160 to 190 launchers and disabled another 200 launchers.[8] Bloomberg reported on March 12 that Western countries estimate that the combined forces' strikes have destroyed 80 percent of Iran's total offensive capability.[9] The senior IDF official noted that Iranian missile crews are reportedly afraid to go out and that there are desertions as well as refusals to follow orders.[10] The official added that Iranian security force casualties are estimated to be at least 10,000.[11] Anti-regime media, citing informed sources, previously reported that the IRGC attempted to mobilize reserve forces earlier this week, but several individuals did not report to military centers.[12]
Iran is selectively allowing some ships to transit through the Strait of Hormuz. Sources with direct knowledge of the matter told Reuters on March 13 that Iran has allowed two Indian-flagged liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) carriers to sail through the Strait.[13] A crude tanker is also reportedly expected to arrive in India on March 14 with Saudi Arabian oil after sailing through the Strait on March 1.[14] The Turkish Transport and Infrastructure Minister separately said that Iran allowed a Turkish-owned ship to traverse the Strait.[15] Fars News reported that it allowed the Turkish ship passage because it was using an Iranian port.[16] Iranian Ambassador to Iraq Mohammad Kazem al Sadegh said on March 13 that Iraqi oil tankers are permitted to pass through the Strait if they provide their identity and destination and certify that they are not owned by a US or Israeli company.[17] United Nations data shows that maritime traffic through the Strait has dropped by 97 percent since the war began.[18]
CTP-ISW has not observed any Iranian attacks against civilian vessels in the Strait of Hormuz since Iran struck a Chinese state-owned Liberian-flagged vessel at 10:19 PM ET on March 11.[19] The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Organization (UKMTO) has reported over 20 maritime incidents in and around the Strait since March 1, however.[20] Iran seems to be trying to disrupt commercial shipping with missiles and drones while avoiding the economic and political consequences of mining the Strait completely. Unspecified US officials told the Wall Street Journal on March 10 that Iran has deployed fewer than 10 naval mines in the Strait so far, which means that Tehran has not yet attempted a large-scale mining effort.[21]
US and Israeli Strike Campaign
The combined force has continued to target Iranian defense industrial sites across Iran. The combined force struck Shiraz Electronics Industries (SEI) in Shiraz, Fars Province, on March 12.[22] Iran's industrial zones and defense-industrial sites often contain companies tied to Iran's defense industrial base and the Ministry of Defense and Armed Forces Logistics (MODAFL).[23] SEI is a MODAFL-affiliated subsidiary of Iran Electronics Industries (IEI) that the United States sanctioned in 2008 for producing military electronics for the Iranian armed forces, including radars, avionics, missile-guidance technology, and other electronic systems.[24] The combined force separately struck the Hajiabad Industrial Zone in Arak, Markazi Province, on March 13.[25] The zone hosts Pegah Aluminum Arak Company, which the United States sanctioned in April 2025 for manufacturing aluminum products for the Iran Centrifuge Technology Company (TESA), a key entity supporting Iran's uranium enrichment program.[26] US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth stated on March 13 that US and Israeli strikes have "functionally defeated" Iran's ballistic missile production capacity by destroying Iran's defense companies and production lines across Iran that manufacture missile components.[27]
The IDF also targeted Iranian air defense systems in Tehran Province on March 13.[28] The IDF reported that Israeli aircraft dropped 200 munitions against targets across Tehran Province, including air defense systems at one of the first air defense bases that Iran established in Tehran Province.[29] These strikes are consistent with the broader campaign to degrade Iran's integrated air defense network and expand Israeli freedom of operation over Iranian airspace.[30] US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth stated on March 13 that "Iran has no air defenses."[31]
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Iranian Inter-Regime Dynamics
Anti-regime media reported on March 13, citing unspecified sources, that some clerics in Iran have raised concerns about Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei's physical condition and capacity to govern.[32] Former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei's deputy chief of staff for political and security affairs, Ali Asghar Hejazi, and Guardian Council member Alireza Arafi reportedly rank among the clerics who question Khamenei's health and leadership competence.[33] Hejazi and Arafi have reportedly urged senior Iranian officials to reinstate the Leadership Council. The Iranian constitution states that a Leadership Council — composed of the president, the judiciary chief, and a Guardian Council member — will assume the Supreme Leader's duties until the Assembly of Experts convenes to select a new leader.[34] The Assembly of Experts previously selected Arafi as the Guardian Council member to serve as the third member of this council after Ali Khamenei died.[35] The March 13 report about concerns regarding Mojtaba Khamenei's leadership and efforts to reinstate the Leadership Council follows reports that some senior Iranian officials and members of the clerical establishment opposed Mojtaba's selection as supreme leader before the Assembly of Experts chose him for the position on March 8.[36]
Iranian Retaliation
Iran launched seven missile barrages at Israel between 3:00 PM ET on March 12 and 3:00 PM ET on March 13.[37] An Israeli journalist reported on March 13 that suspected Iranian missile fragments or cluster munitions struck a building in Shoham and damaged cars in Rishon Lezion, central Israel.[38] An OSINT account reported on March 13 that several Iranian cluster munitions impacted in Mishmar Hashiva, south of Tel Aviv.[39] IDF-affiliated media reported that there have been 28 impacts on residential buildings and 27 projectiles have fallen in open areas in Israel since the conflict started on February 28.[40]
Iran continued to fire at the Gulf states on March 12 and 13, but Gulf air defense systems have largely intercepted Iranian projectiles. Iran has fired roughly 2,000 projectiles at the Gulf since the conflict started on February 28.[41] ISW-CTP only observed one impact in the Gulf states between 3:00 PM ET on March 12 and 3:00 PM ET on March 13. An Iranian drone struck the al Awhi Industrial Zone in Sohar, Oman, on March 13, killing two workers.[42] Saudi Arabia reported that it intercepted 51 Iranian drones on March 13.[43] The Kuwaiti Army reported that it detected one Iranian ballistic missile on March 13, which fell outside "the threat area."[44] The Emirati Defense Ministry reported that it intercepted seven Iranian ballistic missiles and 27 Iranian drones on March 13.[45] Iranian drones and missiles targeting the UAE have decreased relative to the peak of attacks since March 8, however (see graphic below). US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth stated on March 13 that Iranian missile volume is down 90 percent and one-way attack drone volume is down 95 percent since the start of the war.[46]
Iranian Ballistic Missiles, Cruise Missiles and Drones Launched at the UAE between February 28, 2026 and March 13, 2026
Three unspecified US officials told the Wall Street Journal on March 13 that elements of an amphibious ready group, including Japan-based USS Tripoli and its Marine expeditionary unit (MEU), are deploying to the Middle East, following US Central Command (CENTCOM)'s request.[47] The USS Tripoli and its attached marine unit, the 31st MEU, are part of the Tripoli Expeditionary Strike Group, which also includes a guided-missile cruiser and a guided-missile destroyer.[48] The 31 MEU is a combat-ready force able to conduct "joint, maritime, and amphibious multi-domain operations," according to the US Navy.[49]
Israeli Campaign Against Hezbollah and Hezbollah Response
Hezbollah claimed 25 attacks targeting Israeli forces and positions in northern Israel and southern Lebanon between 3:00 PM ET on March 12 and 3:00 PM ET on March 13.[50] Hezbollah claimed several rocket and drone attacks targeting IDF positions and forces along both sides of the Israel-Lebanon border.[51] Hezbollah claimed two separate missile attacks targeting the IDF Meron Air Operations and Control Base at Mount Meron, northern Israel, and the Givaa Drone Base east of Safed, northern Israel.[52] Hezbollah previously targeted both sites on March 3 and 4, respectively.[53] An IRGC social media account reported on March 12 that Hezbollah launched the missile that struck Zarzir, northern Israel, damaging 300 homes and injuring 60 Israeli residents.[54] Israeli media previously reported that an Iranian missile struck Zarzir.[55] Most of Hezbollah's rockets and missiles come from Iran or are built using Iranian technology.[56]
The rate of Hezbollah attacks has varied since the group joined the war on March 1, as illustrated below. Hezbollah has also employed a variety of weapons in its attacks against Israeli forces and positions in northern Israel and southern Lebanon (see below).
Hezbollah-Claimed Attacks Targeting IDF and Positions in Northern Israel and Southern Lebanon
Hezbollah-Claimed Attacks between March 1, 2026 and March 12, 2026 by type
The IDF has continued to conduct airstrikes targeting Hezbollah across Lebanon. The IDF has conducted over 1,100 strikes in Lebanon since the conflict began on February 28.[57] The IDF has struck 190 Radwan Force sites, 200 Hezbollah missile launchers, 35 Hezbollah command centers, and 80 other Hezbollah sites.[58] The IDF has also killed over 380 Hezbollah fighters.[59] The IDF continued its strikes on March 12 and 13, targeting Hezbollah headquarters, fighters, weapons depots, and other infrastructure in Beirut's southern suburbs, the Bekaa Valley, and southern Lebanon.[60] The IDF struck the Zrariyeh bridge, which spans the Litani River, on March 13.[61] The IDF stated that Hezbollah used the bridge to move its fighters from northern to southern Lebanon to fight against Israeli forces.[62] The IDF added that Hezbollah positioned launchers near the bridge and conducted launches against Israel from there.[63] The IDF also killed Hezbollah Unit 127 operative Murtada Hussein Srour in an airstrike in Beirut on March 13.[64] Unit 127 is Hezbollah's aerial unit responsible for developing, producing, and launching attack drones.[65] The IDF stated that Srour was a prominent figure and a "center of knowledge" in weapons manufacturing within Hezbollah.[66]
The IDF has also continued to target Hezbollah organizations that provide financial and social services. The IDF struck several al Qard al Hassan branches, Hezbollah's main financial arm, across Lebanon on March 13.[67] Hezbollah uses funds transferred via al Qard al Hassan to finance its military operations, pay its fighters, and purchase weapons.[68] The IDF has destroyed 30 al Qard al Hassan sites since the start of the conflict.[69] The IDF reported that al Qard al Hassan has completely stopped its activities due to the IDF's recent strikes.[70] The IDF also reportedly struck two Islamic Health Authority centers in southern Lebanon on March 13.[71] The Islamic Health Authority is a Hezbollah-controlled organization that provides medical services to most of Lebanon's Shia population.[72]
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The IDF has continued to conduct ground operations and deploy forces to southern Lebanon since CTP-ISW's last data cutoff at 3:00 PM ET on March 12. The IDF reported that the IDF 91st Division reconnaissance forces identified several Hezbollah fighters in southern Lebanon and directed an IAF strike on them.[73] Israeli media reported that the IDF 91st and 36th divisions are advancing deeper into southern Lebanon.[74] The IDF reported that the IDF 146th Division destroyed a Hezbollah weapons depot, rocket launch platforms, reconnaissance devices, and buildings in southwestern Lebanon on March 13.[75] The division fired artillery at approximately 400 targets during its operations.[76] The IDF reported on March 13 that IDF Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir ordered a broad reinforcement of forces in the Northern Command and noted that additional forces, including a division, two brigades, and engineering battalions, will deploy to the northern border.[77] Israeli media reported that the IDF 98th Paratrooper Division will deploy to the Israel-Lebanon border.[78]Israeli officials are reportedly discussing the potential expansion of Israeli ground operations in Lebanon. Senior Israeli officials told Israeli media on March 12 that Israel's campaign against Hezbollah in Lebanon could continue even if Israel's campaign against Iran ended soon.[79] Israeli defense officials have reportedly spoken about Israel's campaign against Hezbollah being months-long rather than several weeks.[80] Israeli media reported that Israeli security and defense officials are examining several options, ranging from an expansive ground operation reaching the Litani River to more limited actions in southern Lebanon.[81] An unspecified Israeli security source also told Israeli media on March 13 that Israel intends to create a seven-to-eight-kilometer buffer zone in southern Lebanon similar to the "yellow line" in the Gaza Strip.[82] The IDF is reportedly working to establish 20 outposts deep inside Lebanese territory as part of this plan.[83]
Other Axis Response
Iranian-backed Iraqi militias are continuing to attack US forces and interests in Iraq. Iranian-backed Iraqi militias are almost certainly responsible for at least three drone attacks targeting sites at the Baghdad International Airport since 3:00 PM ET on March 12.[84] The Iraqi militias have repeatedly claimed attacks since the start of the war targeting the former US Victory base at the airport, although the United States withdrew from the base in 2011.[85] The Baghdad Diplomatic Support Center, which the Iraqi militias have previously attacked, is also co-located at the airport.[86] Footage posted on X on March 13 shows a fire at a power station near the airport following a drone attack.[87] The drone probably crashed before reaching the airport, assuming the militias launched it.
Two drones targeted the radar of an oil field in northern Basra Province on March 12, according to a security source speaking to Iraqi media.[88] One of the drones reportedly crashed into the outer tower of the radar but did not cause any damage.[89] Iraqi media also reported two separate instances of drone impacts in the same oil field on March 10.[90]
Three Iraqi security sources and two sources close to the militias told Reuters on March 12 that the militias have increased the pace of their drone and missile attacks over the last three to four days.[91] CTP-ISW has not yet observed definitive indicators that the militias have launched missiles, although the Islamic Resistance of Iraq, which is a coalition of Iranian-backed Iraqi militias, did use cruise missiles to attack Israel during the Gaza War.[92] Iran also began supplying the Iraqi militias with short-range ballistic missiles in 2018.[93] The Islamic Resistance in Iraq claimed on March 12 that it had conducted 31 drone and missile operations targeting occupation bases in Iraq and the region in the past 24 hours.[94] Likely front group Saraya Awliya al Dam also claimed on March 12 that it conducted 6 operations targeting US bases inside and outside of Iraq, as well as an attack targeting US interests in Kuwait.[95] Kataib Sayyid al Shuhada head Abu Alaa al Walai said on March 13 that the Islamic Resistance's operations are entering their second phase with unspecified "qualitative objectives" that signal a shift to a "new level of pressure and deterrence."[96]
Iranian-backed Iraqi militias have continued to target foreign targets in Iraq. A likely militia drone attack on a French base in Erbil, Iraqi Kurdistan, on March 12 killed one French service member and wounded at least six others.[97] Likely front group Kataib Sarqhat al Quds claimed responsibility on March 13 for a drone attack on US-Israeli interests in Erbil but did not provide further attribution.[98] The group admitted to working under the instructions of Harakat Hezbollah al Nujaba on March 5.[99] Kataib Sarqhat al Quds also published a statement earlier on March 13 in which the group threatened French interests due to the reported arrival of French aircraft in the Middle East.[100] French President Emmanuel Macron announced on March 9 that France will send ten additional warships to the Middle East to escort commercial ships through the Strait of Hormuz.[101] The Italian Defense Ministry also reported on March 12 that unidentified drones struck Camp Singara in Erbil overnight on March 11 and 12.[102] Camp Singara is a North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) base that operates under Operation Inherent Resolve.[103] Kataib Sarqhat al Quds released an additional statement on March 13, threatening Iraqis in Ninewa, especially the Counterterrorism Service, to expel US forces from the province.[104] The group claimed that French and Italian forces had begun to withdraw from Iraq, with France suspending its work in the international coalition.[105] An OSINT account also reported on March 10 that unidentified Iraqi militias conducted a drone attack targeting the UAE consulate in Erbil.[106]
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The combined force has struck additional Iraqi militia targets since CTP-ISW's last data cutoff. Geolocated footage posted on X on March 12 shows a US drone purportedly striking a Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) warehouse in Makhmour, Ninewa Province.[107] Multiple Iranian-backed Iraqi militias control PMF brigades that answer to Iran instead of the Iraqi prime minister.[108] A security source told Iraqi media on March 13 that an airstrike targeted a Kataib Hezbollah headquarters in Fallujah, Anbar Province.[109] Multiple airstrikes also targeted PMF positions near Tikrit, Salah al Din Province.[110] A security source told Iraqi media that the strike hit an Asaib Ahl al Haq headquarters.[111]
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The PMF Anbar Operations Command head reportedly ordered the evacuation of the PMF Anbar Operations Command headquarters in western Anbar Province to avoid combined force strikes.[112] The Anbar Operations Command head is associated with Kataib Hezbollah.[113] The combined force has repeatedly struck Kataib Hezbollah positions since the start of the war.[114] The headquarters facility reportedly hosts about 250 PMF members, according to a security source speaking to Iraqi media, which demonstrates the extent of the concerns about combined force targeting.[115] The Operations Command headquarters have not yet been evacuated as of 3:00 PM ET on March 13. The Anbar Operations Command head's evacuation order appears to have also caused another PMF Brigade in the area to evacuate its headquarters, however. Another security source separately told Iraqi media that the Badr Organization-affiliated 55th PMF Brigade evacuated its headquarters as a precautionary measure, with all of its personnel and vehicles leaving the area.[116]
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