While Donald Trump contradicts Donald Trump, Trump’s options for a “final strike” have been disclosed: “Seize or blockade Kharg Island (Iran’s main oil export hub). Invade or take control of Larak Island (key to control of the Strait of Hormuz). Seize Abu Musa and nearby islands (the strategic entrance to the Strait). Blockade or seize Iranian oil tankers in the region. Conduct massive air strikes against nuclear/energy facilities. Finally, the most extreme option is to conduct ground operations inside Iran to seize nuclear material.”
In mockery, Iranians demonstrated with Iranian and Hezbollah flags on the shore of Kharg Island, holding signs welcoming American troops. Iranian special forces videos titled “Habibi, come to Iran!” also appeared online.
Trump called NATO a “paper tiger,” adding, “I want you to remember what we said: They didn’t come to our aid.” He continued, “Even if we destroyed 99 percent of Iran’s military capabilities in the Strait of Hormuz and only 1 percent remained, that would still be a problem.”
FOX News reported that an improvised explosive device was discovered at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Florida. FBI Director Kash Patel says a brother and sister have been charged with conspiracy, one of whom is in custody and the other is fleeing to China.
A U.S. Navy sailor was injured aboard the aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72) during carrier-based air operations in the Arabian Sea on March 25, according to the U.S. Fifth Fleet (Central Command area). The injury is not combat-related and not life-threatening. The sailor was brought ashore in stable condition, and the ship remains fully operational. The Iranians have repeatedly claimed to have fired on the Abraham Lincoln.
An Iranian political and security source told Al-Mayadeen: “The entire narrative surrounding current developments, particularly the five-day deadline set by Trump, represents a new form of deception accompanied by a change in tactics.” According to the source, “on the eighteenth day of the war, US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and Israeli Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir pushed for what was described as a ‘full-scale attack’ against Iran as a way out of the ongoing stalemate.”
Pakistan claims there have been no negotiations beyond the 15-point plan, which Iran has already rejected.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz stated that the Naval Commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Alireza Tangsiri, was killed in an Israeli strike. “The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have killed the commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Naval Forces, the man directly responsible for the terrorist operation to mine and block maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz,” Katz said during a meeting with military officials today. Katz said the attack was a “message” from the IRGC: “The IDF will hunt you down and eliminate you one by one.” “We will continue to operate in Iran with all our forces to achieve our war objectives,” he added. According to Israeli sources, Tangsiri was attacked in the Iranian port city of Bandar Abbas during a meeting with senior IRGC naval commanders.
According to Channel 13, the Chief of Staff warned the Cabinet: “The Israeli army is on the verge of collapse from within. I am issuing 10 warning signals.” Zamir added: “The army now needs a conscription law, a reserve law, and a law to extend compulsory service. The reserves will not hold up. He said these things in front of the Prime Minister, the heads of the security apparatus, and the ministers.”
The Israeli Ministry of Defense announced that the 200th shipment of military equipment and ammunition from the United States and other countries has arrived in Israel, amid the ongoing conflict between the United States/Israel and Iran. The Ugandan Armed Forces are ready to support Israel in its conflict with Iran if they receive a request to do so from the Jewish state, said the Commander-in-Chief of the Ugandan Armed Forces, Muhoozi Kainerugaba.
Hezbollah sources for the Lebanese channel OTV: At this stage, there is no solution to the crisis with the expulsion of the Iranian ambassador. The next steps will be agreed upon between Hezbollah and the Amal movement. Not addressing the ambassador’s expulsion is an attempt to maintain the decision and mitigate its consequences. The cyberattack, claimed by the Fatemiyoun Electronic Command (FET) targeted the Lebanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ website. The incident included a DDoS attack that temporarily disrupted access to the official platform. The group stated that the action was carried out in response to the expulsion of the Iranian ambassador from Lebanon.
The war in Iran has been raging for 28 days, and during this time, approximately 55-60 oil tankers have managed to exit the Strait of Hormuz, nearly half of them bound for Iran. With an average of only two tankers per day, this is a far cry from the over 100 tankers per day recorded just a month ago.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio: “The Strait of Hormuz could be reopened tomorrow if Iran stops threatening shipping, which is outrageous and a violation of international law! All these countries that care about international law must do something about this!” “The Pentagon is considering seizing ships near the Strait of Hormuz or a full-scale invasion of Kharg Island, Iran’s main oil export hub, and other islands in the Persian Gulf,” according to Axios and several sources familiar with the matter. This confirms leaks from the White House. South Korea is participating in the French-led military meeting on intervention in the Strait of Hormuz, amid Iran’s tightening control. Tehran is demanding coordination for “non-hostile vessels” and is barring transit to US and Israeli-affiliated vessels. The United Arab Emirates is ready to use its naval forces to restore navigation in the Strait of Hormuz. The country has announced this to the United States and other Western partners, according to the Financial Times, citing insider sources. The Emirates, together with Bahrain, are also working on a draft UN Security Council resolution to provide a mandate for such operations.
Among the denials of the day was the one regarding the passage of ships through the Strait: according to Iranian sources, no American ship has passed through the Strait of Hormuz; Trump’s statements are theatrical. Ships pass through the Strait of Hormuz via a safe route established by Iran. In recent days, the departure of four ships has been confirmed: two bulk carriers, a container ship, and a gas tanker.
A convoy of seven trucks departed from Dagestan, Russia, headed for Iran, reportedly carrying 150 tons of humanitarian aid. The Iranian president thanked the Russian authorities and people in Russian for their support. Iranian envoy to the United Nations in Geneva, Ali Bahraini, said: “Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei is in good health and continues to manage state affairs. His absence from the public eye is due to heightened security needs in the current circumstances.”
Iranian Foreign Minister Araghchi at the emergency session of the Human Rights Council: “Indifference to injustice will never lead to peace. Iran is in the midst of an illegal war imposed by two nuclear-armed regimes, the United States and Israel. This war of aggression is clearly unjustified and extremely brutal, having begun on February 28 while diplomatic negotiations were underway. The United States and the Israeli regime are sabotaging talks and targeting civilians, including a deadly attack on a school in Minab. Over 600 schools have been damaged; hospitals and infrastructure have also been affected. The attacks constitute war crimes and warn of broader human rights violations. Tehran calls for international condemnation and accountability, stressing that it will continue to defend itself.”
An informed military source told the Tasnim news agency: “With the spread of speculation about the possibility of a historic American folly entering combat on Iran’s southern front, a wave of enthusiasm has spread among Iranian ground fighters to create a historic hell for the Americans on Iranian soil.” He added: “In addition to mobilizing over a million personnel for ground combat, in recent days a huge volume of requests from young Iranians have reached the Basij, Revolutionary Guards, and Army centers to participate in this combat. This well-informed military source continued: “The United States wants to open the strait with a suicidal act and self-sacrifice; no problem. We are ready for both to implement their suicidal strategy and for the strait to remain closed.”
“When US troops gather in a hotel, Iran considers that hotel to be American,” said military spokesman Shekarchi. He said Iran has demonstrated that US F-35 fighters are no longer safe. “The Strait of Hormuz will never be the same again.” Araghchi advises hotel owners in Gulf countries: “Do not provide accommodations to military personnel who could endanger the safety of other customers.”
Iran issues a warning over IAEA Director General’s statements: “The Iranian Foreign Ministry criticizes IAEA Director General Grossi, saying his statements were counterproductive and have worsened the situation.” In his latest statement, Grossi stated: “No war can destroy Iran’s nuclear capability, unless it is a nuclear war.” He also added: “I hope such an event does not happen.” He has thus far failed to condemn attacks on Iran’s peaceful nuclear infrastructure, including the two recent intrusions at the Bushehr nuclear power plant. Instead of issuing a serious warning about the effects of a war on Iran’s legally protected nuclear program and the use of other destructive and illegal weapons, he is pointing the way to destroy Iran’s legitimate and legal nuclear activities!
And now a look at the military scenarios in the Middle East and West Asia, updated at 2:30 PM on March 27. The United States has deployed high-speed, unmanned speedboats to patrol waters against Iran, publicly confirming their use in an active conflict for the first time. These unmanned speedboats can conduct reconnaissance and strikes. The deployment comes despite ongoing difficulties in establishing a fleet of unmanned vessels. Pentagon spokesman Tim Hawkins stated that the Global Autonomous Reconnaissance Cutter (GARC) has logged over 450 hours of navigation and traveled 2,200 nautical miles during operations As part of Operation Epic Fury, the US Navy has encountered delays and technical difficulties in developing autonomous ships, particularly to counter Chinese naval power. Recent tests have also revealed further operational challenges for the Global Armed Constabulary (GARC).
A large number of Avenger short-range air defense systems have been removed from MacDill Air Base in the United States and sent to the Middle East aboard aircraft and ships from various bases. The United States typically uses them to protect bases and troops engaged in offensive operations, but in Ukraine they failed to even shoot down drones. They will likely try to use them against group attacks, leaving munitions ashore to protect bases.
Greek frigates stationed in Cyprus will be replaced by new ships within the next week.
Israel was hit repeatedly between March 26 and 27. According to the Israeli military, 187 soldiers have been killed since the beginning of the battle against Iran and Hezbollah. According to a Wall Street Journal article, Israel has halted attacks against targets aimed at weakening the Iranian regime and is focusing its strikes on Iran’s military-industrial base to inflict the greatest possible damage in the time remaining before the war must be concluded.
Joint attacks between Hezbollah and Iran have become a daily occurrence. Three Hezbollah rockets landed in the city of Nahariya. Iran targeted a support base and a transportation center linked to the Israeli army in Tel Aviv using drones. Hezbollah attacked Israeli military bases in Haifa and Acre with advanced missiles. The Elyakim and Tifen bases in Acre, as well as the Haifa and Ze’ev air bases, were attacked with missiles.
Iran targeted Modi’in for the second time between March 26 and 27. According to Iranian sources, a key facility responsible for the production and repair of Israeli naval vessels in the Eastern Mediterranean, a facility that plays a crucial role in supporting its naval fleet, was targeted, as well as large fuel tanks for fighter jets in the port of Haifa. A drone exploded in the Shlomi area. Tel Aviv was hit by a wave of cluster missiles from Iran. Hezbollah launched a missile attack against the settlement of Al-Mutla, with explosions in Haifa. Further attempts were made to hit bases in the Negev and Dimona. Explosions were reported in Beit Shemesh, Galilee. Four more soldiers were reportedly injured.
Preliminary reports indicate a ballistic missile hit the US air base at Muwaffaq Al-Salti in Jordan.
There is an escalation in Lebanon, where Hezbollah is seeking direct confrontation with Israel. When the commander of the 603rd Battalion was asked if Hezbollah operatives were seeking direct confrontations, he replied: “They are looking for it. We have one casualty in the Golani Brigade since last night and we have five wounded in the 5th Brigade. We went out to attack and they were waiting for us.”
They have claimed responsibility for 90 raids so far in northern Israel and against the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) in southern Lebanon. The previous record was 87 attacks. The bombing damaged up to 21 Israeli tanks, as well as two D-9 bulldozers and two HMMWVs. Hezbollah used an FPV drone for the first time to destroy a Merkava 2 tank. Clashes and attacks against the IDF in Tyre. Lebanon’s Hezbollah announced it struck an Israeli army helicopter with an anti-aircraft missile in the town of Kafr Kila. In southern Lebanon, Hezbollah’s 77th Battalion was hit hard and subjected to multiple ambushes. Attacks also targeted Israeli tanks in Mareba. The number of Israeli soldiers injured in the incident in southern Lebanon, which occurred in the early afternoon of March 27, was not reported. Three rescue helicopters are heading north to evacuate wounded Israeli soldiers following clashes with Hezbollah in southern Lebanon. An Israeli Merkava tank was targeted in the town of Deir Srian.
Israeli settlers opened fire directly on residents of the Palestinian village of Tayasir, northeast of Tubas in the West Bank, causing several injuries.
An improvised explosive device, consisting of a 155 mm artillery shell, exploded as Iraqi Popular Mobilization Forces soldiers were attempting to defuse it. The event was captured by an infrared thermography system installed aboard a US AH-64D Apache helicopter. Explosions were reported at the US base in Erbil, northern Iraq. Iran launched a kamikaze drone attack on the Kurdish opposition headquarters in Sulaymaniyah, northern Iraq.
The Kuwait Port Authority announced today that the port of Shuwaikh was targeted by a drone attack. Initial reports indicate damage to the port, and no statistics on possible casualties have been released. Heavy damage was reported to the infrastructure of the Mubarak Al-Kabeer port in Kuwait following drone and missile attacks. Large fires broke out in the Kuwaiti port of Mubarak Al-Kabeer, off the coast of Iraq, after being hit by Iranian missiles.
At 5:00 a.m. on the 27th, the drone attack on US bases in eastern Saudi Arabia was ongoing. At 10:00 a.m., attacks continued against Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, and Kuwait.
Yemenis organized a million-person march in Sana’a, Yemen, to express support for Iran and the resistance. “We have our finger on the trigger and call on our people to be ready and prepared for all options.”
The Thai container ship continues to burn in the Strait of Hormuz. Contrary to Trump’s announcement, there has been a 95% decrease in ship traffic through the Strait of Hormuz. The Revolutionary Guard Navy reacts to Trump’s claim that the Strait of Hormuz is open: “The Strait of Hormuz is closed, and any movement through the strait will be severely opposed.” […] “On the morning of the 27th, following the corrupt US president’s lies about the alleged opening of the Strait of Hormuz, three container ships of different nationalities attempted to head towards the corridor designated for ships with permits, but were repelled by the Revolutionary Guard Navy’s warning,” the statement reads.
Iranian media have published a list of Iran’s future targets in the United Arab Emirates. These infrastructures will be included in the Armed Forces’ target database in the event of an attack on Iran. According to Reuters, the Houthis are prepared to resume attacks against merchant and military vessels in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and the Red Sea, potentially opening a second front against a second key trade route in the Middle East.
Following the escalation of tensions and the start of the second phase of the war, Iranian special forces and guerrilla units, consisting of the Iranian Army’s 65th Airborne Brigade, known as NOHED, in a joint operation with the Saberin special unit of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Ground Forces, have planned down to the smallest detail a swift, devastating, and aggressive attack against the Americans. Iranian military officials appear to consider one of the most effective actions to be the capture of American officials, soldiers, and businessmen in the coming days, modeled on events in the 1980s.
In the early hours of March 27, an Israeli-American was attacked in a residential area of Tehran. Red Crescent teams and firefighters were on site to rescue and assist civilians affected by the Israeli-American regime’s airstrikes. US/Israeli attack on the holy city of Qom, Iran. On March 26, a US/Israeli attack on the Haftun residential neighborhood in Isfahan killed 26 people, including seven children and seven women. US/Israeli airstrike on a residential area in Urmia (West Azerbaijan Province), Iran.
Another group of Russian specialists stationed at the Bushehr nuclear power plant was evacuated across the Iranian-Armenian border.
Antonio Albanese e Graziella Giangiulio
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