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Iranian drone and missile barrages strike Arab states across the region (March 9-10 updates)
Iran and its allied militias continued launching drones and missiles across the Middle East between March 9 and 10, targeting energy infrastructure, airports, military bases, residential areas, and industrial facilities in Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and Jordan.
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Generation Jihad | We didn’t light it, but we tried to fight it
Many Americans believed a conflict with the Islamic Republic would be a new war. But as Bill Roggio and Behnam Ben Taleblu explain, the truth is simpler: this war began in 1979. Now, the question isn’t how the war started. It’s how it ends. Is this a limited war to degrade the Tehran regime — or the beginning of the end for the Islamic Republic?
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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, Kuwait, Bahrain, and the United Arab Emirates.
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Iran escalates attacks on Kurdistan Region of Iraq
Iran and Iranian-backed militias have escalated drone and missile attacks on the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, striking sites in Erbil and Sulaimani Governorates and killing at least three people. Many of the attacks are targeting Kurdish Iranian opposition groups.
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Analysis: 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 publicly shared definition of victory remains elusive. This inconsistency and lack of clarity may negatively impact the allies’ ability to achieve durable strategic objectives.
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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, targeting civilian infrastructure, military installations, airports, and political sites in Bahrain, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the UAE.
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US and Israel establish air superiority, focus strikes on Iranian military sites and ‘regime pillars’ (March 4–5)
On March 4 and 5, the United States and Israel continued attacks against elements of the Islamic Republic’s military assets, including its missile and naval threat capacity, as well as its repression apparatus. The countries also declared air superiority over Iran and signaled the beginning of a new phase of the operation.
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Ukraine will help combat Iranian drones in Middle East, Zelenskyy says
Ukraine says it will help the United States and its Middle East allies combat the Iranian drones that the Tehran regime is firing at the region. Russia has bombarded Ukrainian cities with these weapons for years, resulting in a series of defensive adaptations and innovations by the Armed Forces of Ukraine¬—and unmatched counter-drone experience.
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Iran targets US bases, diplomatic missions, and oil infrastructure in Arab countries on March 3–5
Between March 3 and March 5, Iran continued retaliating against the joint United States-Israeli military campaign by conducting widespread strikes across Arab Gulf countries using ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and drones. Attacks were launched against Jordan, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, and the United Arab Emirates.
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Iranian-backed militias continue attacks on US forces in Iraq
Iran-backed Iraqi militias claimed a series of drone and missile attacks against the “US presence” in the region on March 4 and 5, many targeting Iraqi Kurdistan, where significant American forces are located. US and Israeli forces are also likely operating against the Tehran-allied militias in Iraq, as both the militias and official government sources have reported a US presence and unidentified strikes against these groups.
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Iran’s regional partners spark protests across the Middle East and South Asia
Tehran’s partners and sympathizers have arranged protests across the region against the US-Israeli campaign against Iran, especially the killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Some of the demonstrations have turned violent and present a danger to the local US diplomatic presence and civilians.
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Israel conducts 1,600 strikes on Iran in 4 days of war, weathers Iranian missile and drones
Israel has carried out more than 1,600 strike sorties against Iran in the first four days of the war, targeting Iranian leaders, nuclear facilities, missile launchers, and other military infrastructure, according to the IDF. Iran has responded with repeated ballistic missile and drone salvos that have killed at least 10 people in Israel and wounded dozens. The Israeli Air Force said that one of its F-35s downed an Iranian Yak-130 aircraft. The fighting has closed Israeli airports and forced widespread civilian alerts as missile barrages continue across the country.
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Analysis: Why Iran’s ballistic missile launches are declining
Iran has lashed out at its neighbors with hundreds of missiles and drones. However, a careful analysis of the data shows that Tehran’s ballistic missile launches have been dropping since the start of the conflict, largely because of the impact of US and Israeli strikes.
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Iraqi Shiite militias claim attacks on US bases
Iraqi militias backed by Iran have continued to fire drones and missiles at American bases in Iraq and in the region. Both the Islamic Resistance in Iraq and Saraya Awliya al Dam have claimed responsibility for the strikes. Collectively, the groups have claimed dozens of operations against American bases since March 1.
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US-Israeli strikes hit Iran’s missile, nuclear, political, and repression sites
On March 2 and 3, the United States and Israel struck missiles and launchers nationwide, nuclear program sites at Natanz, and a key leadership target in Qom, while also hitting IRGC, Basij, police, and intelligence facilities in Tehran and western Iran.
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Iran expands retaliation for US-Israel campaign across Arab states (February 28–March 2)
The Tehran regime responded to the US-Israeli military campaign against it by launching coordinated missile and drone strikes across the Middle East on the first three days of the conflict. The attacks struck multiple Gulf Arab states and targeted civilian infrastructure, airports, ports, and military sites, with notable targets and impacts in the UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and Syria.
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Kurdish Iranian opposition groups say Iran targeted them in northern Iraq, claim operations in Iran
Kurdish Iranian opposition groups say that Iran targeted their bases in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq with drones and missiles following US and Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28. The Kurdistan Freedom Party (PAK) and other groups, including PDKI and Komala, reported attacks near Erbil, Duhok, and Sulaymaniyah, with footage suggesting the use of Shahed-type drones. The US State Department condemned the strikes, while Iraq’s Kurdistan Regional Government said its Peshmerga forces were also targeted. Kurdish opposition groups have also claimed that they are conducting anti-regime operations in Iran.
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Houthis express solidarity with Iran but do not launch retaliatory attacks—yet
Houthi leader Abdulmalik al Houthi has delivered speeches in support of the Islamic Republic of Iran since the start of the US-Israeli military campaign, but he has not yet announced specific retaliatory military action. Instead, the Houthis have officially called for mass demonstrations and increased media activity in support of the regime. However, officials from the Iran-backed group have told media outlets that it will resume attacks against Israel and Red Sea shipping.
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US-Israeli campaign hits Iranian regime’s military and repression apparatus, regime forms leadership council (March 1 updates)
The joint US and Israeli operation entered its second day, with American forces targeting command-and-control centers, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) headquarters, air defense systems, ballistic missile sites, and Iran’s naval forces. In parallel, Israeli strikes concentrated on targets in Tehran, including key pillars of the regime’s repression apparatus, as well as ballistic missile sites and launchers. Iranian retaliatory attacks killed three US service members and nine Israeli civilians.
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Iraqi Shiite militias join the war between Israel, the US, and Iran with drone attacks
The Islamic Resistance in Iraq (IRI), a coalition of Iran-backed Shiite militias, claimed over a dozen drone attacks against “enemy bases in Iraq and the region” and issued statements of support for the Tehran regime in retaliation for US and Israeli strikes on Iran. The groups are also responding to unclaimed airstrikes on Iraq that have reportedly killed at least six people, including four confirmed Iraqi militiamen.
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Generation Jihad | After decades of f*cking around, did Ayatollah Khamenei find out?
Reports following US and Israeli military strikes on Iran say that Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is dead. If true, is regime decapitation the opening salvo of the fall of the Islamic Republic? David Daoud and Joe Truzman are back with Bill Roggio to unpack what we know, what we don’t know, and whether this is the moment that reshapes the Middle East.
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US and Israel launch military campaign against Iran, Supreme Leader Khamenei reportedly killed
After the third round of nuclear talks between Tehran and Washington failed to produce meaningful progress, the US followed through on its threats against the Iranian regime. On the morning of February 8, in a joint operation with Israel, the US struck military sites in Iran and targeted the Islamic Republic’s leadership. The military campaign was supplemented with messaging to ordinary Iranians to take to the streets once the bombing ended, and Israeli sources say that Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has been killed.
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Iranian Kurdish groups unite against Tehran regime, Iraqi militias threaten Kurdistan Region
Five Iranian Kurdish opposition groups have announced a coalition aimed at opposing Iran’s regime. The alliance, unveiled at a joint press conference on February 22, includes the PDKI, PJAK, PAK, Komala, and the Khabat Organization. The move comes amid heightened US-Iran tensions and renewed threats from the Iranian-backed Iraqi militia Kataib Hezbollah, which warned the Kurdistan Region against cooperating with “foreign forces.”
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Russia to supply Iran with shoulder-fired air defense system
Russia and Iran have reportedly finalized a contract for the sale of 500 Russian “Verba” man-portable air defense systems (MANPADS) and 2,500 missiles as Iran tries to shore up its air defenses. However, it is unlikely that these weapons would significantly impact potential US operations against the Islamic Republic.
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Turkish foreign minister warns of nuclear arms race if Iran gets the bomb
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan warned on February 9 that Ankara may pursue nuclear weapons if Iran acquires them, signaling a potential shift from rhetorical grievance to a conditional proliferation policy. While downplaying evidence of Iran’s weaponization and opposing US military strikes, Turkish officials continue to legitimize Tehran’s nuclear activities while framing Turkish nuclearization as a defensive necessity tied to regional “balance of power.”
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Generation Jihad | The West’s greatest threat is still Al Qaeda
In its latest report on the state of global jihad, the UN reveals that Al Qaeda is expanding but doesn’t mention one critical fact: the jihadist group’s leader is based in Iran. Bill Roggio is joined by his FDD colleague Edmund Fitton-Brown—who previously oversaw the UN’s sanctions and monitoring team that produces these assessments—to unpack what the report gets right, what it misses, and why Al Qaeda—not the Islamic State—remains the most dangerous long-term jihadist threat facing the West.
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Iranian regime escalates hostilities with US, hardens negotiating position
Iran has ramped up military provocations against US forces as nuclear negotiations loom, with regime officials sending mixed signals on uranium enrichment while refusing to discuss missile programs or terror proxies. Internal regime sources reveal the leadership’s growing fear that a US strike could trigger mass uprisings. Despite killing over 36,000 protesters, according to some estimates, scattered demonstrations continue across Iran, with one official saying that “the wall of fear has collapsed.”
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Trump calls for Iraq to reject Maliki as prime minister, Maliki denounces US ‘interference’
On January 28, former Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al Maliki stated that he rejected “blatant American interference in Iraq’s internal affairs,” a day after US President Donald Trump said Maliki, who is a leading contender for the country’s next prime minister, should not retake the office. US envoy to Iraq Mark Savaya also said that Iranian-backed militias should be prevented from having power in the next government. Separately, several Iranian-backed militias threatened to support Iran in any conflict with the US or Israel and sent forces to the border with Syria amid fighting between the Syrian government and the Syrian…
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Iran and its proxies threaten retaliation against US and Israel amid US military buildup
Tehran and its regional proxy groups have threatened retaliation against the United States and Israel as Washington moves additional military assets into the Middle East after the regime’s lethal crackdown on protesters. Regime-affiliated outlets and proxy leaders have outlined various retaliation scenarios, including drone swarms, maritime disruption efforts, and suicide attacks.
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Analysis: Hezbollah: We will not remain neutral if Islamic Republic endangered
Hezbollah has yet to deploy operatives to protect the Islamic Republic of Iran’s regime from ongoing protests. However, the group has stated that it will not remain neutral if the United States or Israel attack the Tehran regime and threaten its existence. Hezbollah also claims the current Iranian authorities actually enjoy widespread domestic support and that calls for regime change are being instigated by Washington and Jerusalem.
