Weekend Recap: IAF Fighter Jet Nearly Shot Down Over Iran
By Sammy,
An Israeli Air Force fighter jet came close to being shot down during a mission over Iran, the IDF said. The interception attempt failed, the military said, crediting the pilot's alertness and professionalism. The sortie was completed successfully and the incident was investigated, with lessons drawn.
US Forces Strike Iran's Key Oil Hub at Kharg Island
American forces struck over 90 targets on Kharg Island, the hub through which 90% of Iran's oil exports flow, according to US Central Command. Trump declared the island's military targets "totally obliterated" on Truth Social, threatening to also hit oil infrastructure if Iran continues blocking the Strait of Hormuz.
Iranian state media denied any damage to oil facilities, with Fars News Agency citing sources on the ground saying no oil infrastructure was affected. Iran warned that strikes on its energy infrastructure would trigger retaliatory strikes on energy facilities of companies cooperating with the US in the region, with Foreign Minister Araqchi vowing to act with caution to avoid populated areas.
When asked about potentially seizing Kharg Island, Trump declined to give a direct answer, saying "who'd ask a question like that, and what fool would answer it," while adding he could "change my mind in seconds."
Strait of Hormuz Shipping Traffic Collapses Amid Conflict
Only 77 ships crossed the Strait of Hormuz in the first two weeks of March, compared with over 1,200 during the same period last year, according to maritime data firm Lloyd's List Intelligence. Most were shadow fleet vessels - aging, poorly insured ships with opaque ownership linked to Russia and Iran. Since early March, 20 commercial ships have been attacked or reported incidents, with the International Maritime Organization confirming 16 separate incidents including eight involving oil tankers.
Iranian-affiliated vessels account for 26% of remaining passages, followed by Greek-linked ships at 13% and Chinese at 12%. A senior Lloyd's List Intelligence analyst noted that Iran is still exporting through the strait. Iran's new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei had stated that blocking the strait "must definitely be used" as leverage against the US.
Trump announced the US Navy would "soon" begin escorting tankers through the passage and called on China, France, Japan, South Korea, Britain and others to send warships to the area, warning the US would be "bombing the hell out of the shoreline" in the meantime.
India secured exceptions for two Indian-flagged LPG tankers, the Shivalik and Nanda Devi, which crossed under Indian Navy escort after Prime Minister Modi spoke with Iranian President Pezeshkian. Tehran's ambassador to India confirmed the exceptions without specifying the number of vessels granted safe passage.
Iran Launches Missile and Drone Strikes Across the Region
Iranian ballistic missiles struck central and southern Israel multiple times overnight, including cluster bomb warheads that damaged a building rooftop in Shoham, cratered a highway, and damaged cars in Rishon Lezion, with no injuries in those strikes. A third missile was allowed to hit an open area per IDF protocol, with a large explosion heard across central Israel.
In Eilat, three people were injured including a 12-year-old boy hospitalized in moderate condition and two others lightly hurt by shrapnel, with at least three impact sites reported in the city. The IDF said it was investigating the circumstances of the impacts.
A missile struck the helipad inside the US Embassy compound in Baghdad, with smoke visible over the complex - the embassy had renewed a Level 4 security alert the previous day warning that Iran-aligned groups may continue to target US interests. A separate airstrike in Baghdad killed a member of Kataeb Hezbollah, one of the most powerful Iran-backed factions, according to two security sources.
Five US Air Force refueling planes were damaged but not destroyed at Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia in an Iranian missile strike, with no fatalities reported, according to the Wall Street Journal. The IRGC declared US interests in the UAE - including ports, docks, and military sites - to be legitimate targets and urged nearby residents to evacuate. A British maritime security firm reported an explosion near the Sharjah anchorage in the UAE, assessed to be a projectile interception, with no damage or injuries to a nearby vessel. A drone attack and fire at Fujairah port, outside the strait, suspended some oil loading operations.
Israeli Military Strikes Hit Iran, Lebanon, and Hezbollah Targets
Israeli jets struck over 200 targets across western and central Iran in one day, including ballistic missile launchers, air defense systems, and weapons storage sites, with a particular focus on degrading Iran's missile launch capacity. Two senior Iranian intelligence officers - Abdollah Jalali-Nasab and Amir Shariat, acting heads of Iran's military emergency command intelligence unit - were killed in a strike on a Tehran facility. Their predecessor had been killed on the war's first day.
Israel also struck Iran's primary space research center, which it said was used to develop military surveillance satellites, and a factory producing air defense systems, saying the strikes significantly degraded Iran's ability to rebuild its aerial defenses.
In Lebanon, Israel struck over 110 Hezbollah command centers since the escalation began, including several in Beirut's southern suburbs and southern Lebanon. An IRGC Quds Force commander, Hisham Abd al-Karim Yassin, who oversaw Hezbollah's communications network, was killed in a Wednesday strike in Lebanon.
Israel issued fresh evacuation orders for Beirut's Dahiyeh district and warned it would act against what it described as Hezbollah's use of ambulances and medical facilities for military purposes. Lebanon's health ministry said an Israeli strike on a healthcare center in southern Lebanon the previous day killed at least 12 medical personnel, and two paramedics affiliated with Hezbollah and Amal were also reported killed. An apartment building in Beirut's Bourj Hammoud area was struck for the second consecutive day, the same building having been hit without casualties the day before.
US Dispatches Marine Expeditionary Unit to the Middle East
The 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit - roughly 2,200 Marines aboard three navy ships, including F-35s and MV-22 Osprey aircraft - was ordered to head to the Middle East from its permanent base in Japan. The deployment does not necessarily mean ground deployment in Iran, as the unit can also provide land, amphibious, and aviation support to commanders in the region.
The Wall Street Journal reported that Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine had warned Trump in multiple pre-war briefings that Iran might try to close the strait using mines, drones, and missiles. Trump acknowledged the risk but decided to proceed, reportedly telling advisers he believed Iran would capitulate before taking that step and that the US military could reopen the waterway if needed.
Hezbollah Vows Long Fight as Lebanon Front Intensifies
Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem said in a televised address that Israeli assassination threats against him were "worthless" and that his forces had "prepared for a long confrontation," describing the conflict as "an existential battle, not a limited or simple battle." He said the enemy's threats "do not frighten us" and that Israelis "will be surprised on the battlefield."
Hezbollah has been firing around 100 rockets daily into northern Israel since March 2, when it began attacking Israel following the killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Sirens sounded across the Galilee multiple times Saturday with no injuries reported. Netanyahu tapped longtime aide Ron Dermer to handle the Lebanon file for the duration of the war, leading talks with Washington and potentially with Beirut directly.
Turkey Intercepts Iranian Missile, Vows to Stay Out of War
President Erdogan said Turkey would not be dragged into the war but confirmed a third Iranian ballistic missile fired toward Turkish territory had been intercepted. Speaking at a Ramadan fast-breaking dinner, he said Turkey was taking "all preventative actions" against airspace threats, adding that keeping the country "away from this pit of fire" was his top priority while stressing Turkey was "prepared for all threats."
Diplomatic Efforts Intensify Around Ceasefire and Hormuz
France said it is working to build a multinational coalition to eventually escort tankers through the Strait of Hormuz, in talks with European, Asian, Gulf Arab, Canadian, and Indian partners, though India has shown some resistance and nothing has been finalized. French officials said they want to pursue a diplomatic rather than forced reopening, with one European diplomat noting Iranian approval would ultimately be needed. Italy denied a Financial Times report that it was separately negotiating safe passage for its own ships.
Israel and Lebanon are expected to hold direct talks in coming days, possibly in Paris or Cyprus, with Jared Kushner involved and Ron Dermer leading the Israeli side, according to Haaretz. French President Macron offered Paris as a venue for ceasefire talks and called on both Israel and Hezbollah to halt hostilities, warning that "everything must be done to stop Lebanon from descending into chaos."
UN Secretary-General Guterres visited Beirut, saying "there is no military solution, only diplomacy" and that diplomatic channels remain open. Iraqi Prime Minister al-Sudani vowed to prevent further attacks after a French soldier was killed in an airstrike in Kurdistan, pledging an investigation, with Kurdistan's regional president calling on Baghdad to act against "outlaw groups."
Bodies of 84 Iranian Sailors Repatriated from Sri Lanka
The bodies of 84 Iranian sailors killed when the warship IRIS Dena was sunk by a US submarine torpedo off Sri Lanka on March 4 were repatriated by special flight from Mattala International Airport. A Sri Lankan court ordered the bodies released to the Iranian embassy after they were held in a morgue in the port city of Galle.
Two other Iranian ships from the same naval exercises sought shelter in the region - the IRIS Lavan docked in India and the IRIS Booshehr in Sri Lanka. An Indian source said the repatriation flight would also stop in India to collect crew members from one of those vessels.
Trump on the War, the Uranium, and Iran's New Leader
Asked how he would know the war was over, Trump said simply: "When I feel it in my bones." On Iran's stockpile of over 400 kilograms of highly enriched uranium, he said the US was "not focused on that" for now, while leaving open the possibility of future action, saying "at some point we might be." He described Iran's new Supreme Leader as "probably alive in some form" but "damaged." In a Truth Social post, Trump said Iran "is totally defeated and wants a deal - but not a deal that I would accept."
Iran Cracks Down Internally as Internet Blackout Continues
Iran's Revolutionary Guard claimed to have destroyed 111 enemy drones since the war began, including an MQ-9 over Fars province, providing no breakdown between types of aircraft destroyed. Internally, Iranian authorities arrested 54 people described as supporters of exiled crown prince Reza Pahlavi, accusing them of planning unrest, and said 11 individuals were "neutralized." Two others were detained on allegations of spying for Israel and the US and photographing sensitive sites.
A man in Shiraz was arrested for running a network selling Starlink internet access across multiple provinces, which carries a penalty of up to two years in prison under Iranian law. Iran has been under a near-total internet blackout since the war began, with authorities having previously disrupted Starlink terminals during an earlier 18-day blackout in January amid anti-government protests.
Exiled Crown Prince Pahlavi Declares Readiness to Govern Iran
Exiled crown prince Reza Pahlavi announced from the US that he is ready to lead a transitional government following the fall of the Islamic Republic, saying capable individuals inside and outside Iran have been identified for a transitional body. He said the selection process was being led by a senior advisor at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies.
Trump has publicly questioned Pahlavi's viability as a leader, noting he has not been in Iran for decades, and has instead suggested he favors an internal power shift similar to what occurred in Venezuela, though how that could play out in Iran remains unclear.
US Offers $10 Million Reward for Senior Iranian Officials
The US State Department announced rewards of up to $10 million for information on ten senior IRGC officials, including Iran's new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, who has not been seen publicly since reportedly being wounded in the war's opening strikes. The reward list also includes Iran's security chief Ali Larijani, Intelligence Minister Esmail Khatib, Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni, and two officials in Khamenei's office, along with four other unnamed officials.
Larijani appeared in videos verified by Reuters alongside President Pezeshkian and Foreign Minister Araqchi at an anti-Israel rally in Tehran, despite US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's assertion that Iran's leadership was "cowering" underground.
UN and Qatar Warn of Humanitarian and Supply Chain Strain
The UN's top humanitarian official, Tom Fletcher, warned that closing the Strait of Hormuz would have "immense impact" on aid operations globally, saying that when ships stop moving through the strait, food, medicine, fertilizer and other supplies become harder to move and more expensive to deliver.
Qatar's interior minister said the Gulf country's strategic water reserves are sufficient for four months and food security reserves for 18 months. Qatar also said it was evacuating several key areas as a precautionary measure amid Iranian strikes on Gulf countries, with some residents in Doha's central Musheireb district receiving phone alerts to evacuate immediately.
Formula One Cancels Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grand Prix Races
The Bahrain Grand Prix scheduled for April 12 and the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix scheduled for April 19 are set to be officially canceled, with an announcement expected by Sunday at the latest due to a March 20 freight deadline. Multiple sources told Reuters the cancellation was seen within the sport as just a matter of time, with Iranian drones and missiles having hit Manama - where most team personnel would have been staying.
The cancellations leave April without a race on the F1 calendar, reducing the season to 22 rounds. The next race after this weekend's Chinese Grand Prix will be Japan on March 29, followed by Miami on May 3.
Amsterdam Jewish School Blast Draws Israeli Condemnation
An overnight explosion outside a Jewish school in Amsterdam prompted Israel's foreign ministry to say that "an antisemitism epidemic is raging" in the Netherlands, calling on the Dutch government to do "much more" to fight antisemitism. No injuries were reported in the blast.
Ukraine's Zelensky Warns of Consequences as World's Attention Shifts
Ukrainian President Zelensky said that while it is understandable the world's attention has shifted to the Middle East, the situation is "not good for Ukraine." Speaking to students at Sciences Po university in Paris, he said there is "nothing good for Ukraine in the war in the Middle East" as global focus moves away from the conflict with Russia.
Topics: Iran, Strait of Hormuz, Lebanon & Hezbollah
Reported by Sammy for Bernie News Network. See our editorial standards and corrections policy.