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17:47
Supreme Leader: Iran Has Dealt A 'Dizzying Blow' To Its Enemies
Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei said Tehran has dealt a "dizzying blow" to the country's enemies in a written address to the nation for the Persian New Year, Norouz, as Iran's military continued to launch attacks across the Middle East.
"At the moment, due to the particular unity that has been created between you our compatriots -- despite all the differences in religious, intellectual, cultural and political origins -- the enemy has been defeated," his message said on March 19.
Newly appointed as supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei has not appeared in public after his father Ali Khamenei was killed in a wave of US-Israeli air strikes at the start of the war on February 28.
His written message for Norouz marks the second time he has communicated with the public in his new position.
Khamenei also denied that Iranian forces were behind recent attacks on Oman and Turkey, instead blaming Israel, though he provided no evidence. He further claimed that Tehran seeks to strengthen relations with its Middle Eastern neighbors.
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15:02
Czechs Investigate Fire At Arms Producer They Say Is 'Likely' Terror Attack
A firetruck stands in front of a burned production hall at an industrial estate in the Czech town of Pardubice on March 20.
Czech authorities have launched a probe into a fire that broke out at an arms producer's warehouse they say may be part of a terror attack over links the firm has to Israel.
The March 20 blaze broke out at a facility owned by arms producer LPP Holding in the city of Pardubice some 100 kilometers east of Prague. The company develops and produces drones and other military equipment.
No one was injured in the fire.
"We are dealing with all available information. There is a probable connection with a terrorist attack," Interior Minister Lubomir Metnarsaid in a post on X.
LPP said in 2023 that it would be cooperating with the Israeli firm Elbit Systems.
A group called Earthquake Faction said on Telegram that it was responsible for the fire, which it called a "key production center for Israeli weapons."
The claim could not be immediately verified.
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14:35
Ground Operation In Iran Currently Not Worth Pursuing, Says Analyst
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Current Time
Nikita Smagin, an expert on Iranian foreign and domestic policies, hastold Current Timethat a ground operation in the Iran conflict seems unlikely for now, despite speculation driven by reports of troop movements.
Nikita Smagin (file photo)
Of course, a ground operation seems like a natural next step to many in the current situation if you truly want to bring about a change in power, he said on March 20. However, its clear that this is a very complex scenario, and for now, its probably not worth pursuing.
It seems to me that the idea of a ground operation is not currently on the agenda, Smagin added. However, that does not mean it won't appear on the agenda at some point in the future. In theory, it is still possible."
Smagin also said Irans strikes in the region have decreased but remain quite painful, with a shift toward softer targets such as oil facilities.
Even with limited capabilities, Iran is still capable of causing serious destruction and can quite effectively block the Strait of Hormuz, he said.
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14:08
Ukraine Says It Has Deployed Anti-Drone Units In 5 Middle Eastern Countries
Rustem Umerov is secretary of Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council. (file photo)
Ukraines national security chief said the country has deployed military units in five Middle Eastern countries to counter Iranian drones and protect critical and civilian infrastructure.
Rustem Umerov wrote on X on March 20 that Ukrainian units had been stationed in these countries and that further steps had been outlined for developing long-term security cooperation with each of them, including "preparing practical solutions for air defense based on Ukraine's experience."
Work is also underway to expand coverage areas, he added.
Umerov visited the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait and Jordan this week.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had previously said the country was ready to help counter Iranian loitering munitions, or so-called kamikaze drones.
Following its war with Russia, where Moscow has made extensive use of Iranian-designed drones. Ukraine has developed capabilities to counter such systems.
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13:43
Swiss Government Halts Export Permits For Weapons Headed To US
The Swiss government says it is halting the issuance of licenses for weapons that are bound for export to the United States, citing the country's neutrality doctrine.
"On 20 March, the Federal Council examined the implications of applying the principle of neutrality to exports to the states involved in the Iran conflict,"the government saidin a statement.
"The export of war materiel to countries involved in the international armed conflict with Iran cannot be authorized for the duration of the conflict," it added. "Existing licenses and exports of other goods will now be regularly reviewed by an interdepartmental group of experts, particularly with regard to their compatibility with neutrality."
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13:34
UAE Says It Intercepted Missiles And Dozens Of Drones In Latest Attacks
Smoke billows from a fire near Dubai International Airport after a "drone-related incident" in the United Arab Emirates earlier this week.
The United Arab Emirates said its air defense systems intercepted four ballistic missiles and 26 drones launched from Iran on March 20 as regional tensions continue.
Since the start of what it described as "blatant Iranian aggression," the UAE said it has intercepted 338 ballistic missiles, 15 cruise missiles and 1,740 drones.
The UAE Foreign Ministry said in a post on X that the attacks have killed two members of the armed forces and six foreign nationals, while 158 people have been injured.
It added that the country's defense systems "remain fully prepared and ready to deal with any threat" and vowed to protect the countrys sovereignty and security.
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12:58
Historic Sites Closed For Persian New Year Ceremonies
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By
RFE/RL's Radio Farda
A woman poses for a picture before an ancient gate while touring through the ruins of ancient Persepolis, an ancient city of the Achaemenid Persian Empire dating back the the 5th century BC.
The head of Irans national heritage sites said the tomb of famed Persian poet Hafez, the ancient city ofPersepolis, and other historic landmarks would be closed for Norouz ceremonies today, when such sites are usually open to large crowds of visitors.
According to Iranian media, Farhad Azizi said on March 20 that the decision was due to the countrys current situation, RFE/RL's Radio Fardareports.
According to the official, museums under the Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Tourism will also remain closed during Norouz, the Persian New Year.
At the same time, the head of the Hegmataneh World Heritage site -- an ancient Median-era complex dating back to the 7th century BC -- said it would also be closed during Norouz.
In a separate report, the governor of Isfahan said 21 historical sites in the province had suffered serious damage during the war, with total losses estimated at $500 million.!
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12:23
Israeli Air Defense Soldier Arrested On Suspicion Of Spying For Iran
Israeli authorities said they had arrested a reserve soldier who served in the countrys air defense system, known as the Iron Dome, on suspicion of passing information to Iran.
The soldier was identified as Raz Cohen, a 26-year-old resident of Jerusalem.
Authorities say that he had been in contact with Iranian intelligence agents for several months and, under their direction, carried out various security-related tasks, including transferring sensitive information.
The Times of Israelreportsthat the soldier had been recruited via Telegram and had passed on coordinates of bases and the names of responsible personnel.
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11:44
Iraq Pulled Into Iran War As Tehran Expands The Battlefield
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By
Frud Bezhan
Members of the Popular Mobilization Forces stand guard at a military base near the Iraqi-Syrian border in Al-Qaim. (file photo)
Since the United States and Israel launched their bombing campaign against Iran, Tehran has expanded the battlefield across the Middle East.
That includes in Irans western neighbor, Iraq, where Tehrans proxy forces have carried out almost daily attacks against US targets, including diplomatic and military facilities, triggering retaliatory American air strikes.
Iran itself has carried out waves of missile and drone strikes in Iraq's semiautonomous Kurdish region in the north, where Iranian Kurdish opposition groups operate camps and offices.
The intensifying violence has threatened to destabilize Iraq, a Shiite-majority country of some 46 million people that is still recovering from years of insecurity following the US-led invasion in 2003 and the long conflict it set off.
The chances of Iraq being pulled deeper into the Iran war are extremely high, said Colin Clarke, executive director of the Soufan Center, a New York-based think tank.
That's partly a result of Tehran's influence, especially over the past two decades, where the regime has become in many ways inextricably linked with Iraqi militias.
Read morehere.
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11:30
UK Couple Being Used As 'Human Shields' In Iran, Says Family
Craig and Lindsay Foreman were on a motorbiking trip across the world when they were arrested in Iran in January 2025. (file photo)
The family of a British couple imprisoned in Iran say the pair are being used as effective human shields amid the US-Israeli war, as they renewed criticism of the UK governments efforts to secure their release.
Lindsay and Craig Foreman are being held in harsh conditions in Tehrans Evin prison, their son Joe Bennettsaid, according to Reuters.
"My parents are living under a 'drone of drones', the constant, maddening buzz of 600 machines in the sky," Joe Bennett, Lindsay Foreman's son, said in a statement.
"They are sharing small rectangular cells with rats and cockroaches, sleeping on metal bunks without mattresses in a state of constant physical pain."
The couple were arrested in January 2025 while passing through Kerman during a round-the-world motorcycle trip. They were later sentenced to 10 years in prison on espionage charges, which they and their family deny.
