According to reports, 10,000 U.S. Army troops, likely from combat units, will join the more than 50,000 troops already deployed to air and army bases, as well as on warships throughout the Middle East, ahead of and following the launch of Operation Epic Wrath.
Meanwhile, “G7 countries have no choice but to watch and wait in the Middle East crisis,” Politico reports. On Monday, the finance and energy ministers and central bank heads of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United States, and the United Kingdom held an “unprecedented joint meeting” to coordinate response measures. According to Politico, at the end of the meeting, the countries issued a joint statement urging states not to restrict energy exports. The appeal, the outlet states, was addressed to Russia and China.
From the United States, Trump, through Caroline Leavitt, called on Arab countries to shoulder the costs of Washington’s military operation against Iran. The request was justified by Jerome Powell’s remarks on the $38.99 trillion US national debt: “We don’t need to reduce the debt, we just need to maintain our primary budget and start growing the economy more vigorously… If we don’t act soon, it’s not going to end well.”
Trump shared his 1987 interview in which he called on the United States to seize Iranian oil facilities.
Trump in a CBS interview: “We’re not long away from declaring victory. We want to wrap up some things… We’ve had a complete regime change. These people are unlike anything anyone’s ever heard of before, and frankly, they’re more reasonable. So we’ve had a complete regime change, beyond anything anyone’s ever heard of. That’s a huge deal.”
Iran denies any contact with the US administration and accuses Trump of speaking solely for financial gain and to influence the market.
US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said he repeatedly heard American soldiers express support for a war with Iran: “This fight is long overdue. We must solve this problem for our children. We cannot pass the buck. Please thank the President on our behalf.”
Hegseth on Iran: “We know exactly what Russia and China are doing… and we are taking action. There are certain things that adversaries are doing to provide information and intelligence that they shouldn’t… We are aware of that and are acting accordingly.”
Hegseth on negotiations with Iran: “They are very real.” Once again, Tehran denied the allegations. Hegseth on NATO: “You can’t really talk about a real alliance if there are countries that aren’t willing to support you when you need it.”
Following Spain and Italy, France has now also barred the movement of American aircraft over its territory in an anti-Iran stance. Italy, in accordance with international treaties, and France, in refusing to transport weapons to Israel. A German government spokesman said: “The government views the death penalty law passed in Israel with great concern. The government is also concerned that the law likely applies exclusively to Palestinians in the West Bank.”
The United States requested one of Poland’s two Patriot air defense batteries for deployment in the Middle East, but Warsaw refused.
From Russia, in a lengthy interview with RT, Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov said: “We are in the midst of a reorganization of the world order that will hopefully lead to the formation of a stable and equitable multipolar world.” “Right now, this restructuring looks more like disintegration. The struggle for power around the world is fierce.” “Trump says he doesn’t care about international law, cities are being destroyed with ‘biblical cruelty,’ and children’s hospitals are being targeted.” “In this situation, no one except us and our allies cares about international law.” […] “What we are witnessing now has all the hallmarks of an escalation in a broader conflict that some have dubbed World War III.” “The United States and Israel are trying to prevent the normalization of relations between Iran and its neighbors.” “We will not chase Western elites by demanding anything.” “Given that our relations with the West are in crisis, it is crucial to promote Russia’s interests while maintaining an open window of dialogue.”
Benjamin Netanyahu asked Trump on March 31 for a ground military operation in Iran: “We need to take control of the Strait of Hormuz. The United States is threatening to address this issue with force, I hope they do so.” Netanyahu stated: “We are in talks to form an alliance with the Arab nations to help us fight alongside us. In the past, I have held secret discussions with Arab leaders about the Iranian threat. Now they are aware of this threat.”
The Israeli Knesset has approved a bill introducing the death penalty for terrorists, National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir announced. The plan calls for carrying out sentences by hanging. The bill received the support of 62 members of the 120-seat Knesset in its decisive third reading. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also voted in favor. Forty-eight MKs voted against the measure. The opposition called the law shameful, immoral, and contrary to fundamental democratic values and international law, and announced its intention to challenge it before Israel’s Supreme Court.
Finally, Netanyahu proposes diverting the Persian Gulf gas pipelines westward, through the Red Sea and the Mediterranean, bypassing the Iranian chokepoint. “Detour around the Iranian chokepoint through Saudi Arabia and continue toward our ports.”
Despite Lebanon’s demands to leave the country by Sunday, the Iranian Foreign Ministry says the Iranian ambassador to Beirut will continue his work and remain in office.
Golden Pass LNG, a joint venture between QatarEnergy and ExxonMobil on the US Gulf Coast, has started production at its first liquefaction plant. The United States is now the world’s largest LNG exporter and an active participant in the war that is disrupting supplies from the Persian Gulf.
Fuel prices in the United Arab Emirates will rise sharply starting April 1, 2026. The price increase is quite significant: gasoline has increased by about 0.8-1 dirham per liter, and diesel by almost 2 dirhams per liter.
The Iranian parliament passed a law imposing duties of up to $2 million on ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz, payable in Iranian rials. An Iranian official in an interview with Al Jazeera said: “No ship has passed through the Strait of Hormuz without Iran’s consent and thorough document checks.” Trump said that countries affected by fuel disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz should purchase fuel from the United States or secure their own oil routes.
Iran rejects all reports of talks with the United States, with Foreign Minister Sayed Ababs Araghchi actually saying: “What happened… a request for negotiations accompanied by US proposals through intermediaries.” “We will not forget the betrayal that diplomacy has suffered twice in less than a year.”
In a statement, Minister Araghchi again criticized the US military presence in the region, saying, “It is time to withdraw US troops from the region.”
Araghchi emphasized that Iran respects Saudi Arabia and considers it a “brotherly country.” In his statement, he asserted that Iranian attacks are not directed against the Arab or Iranian people, but against “occupation forces incapable of ensuring the security of the region.” The Iranian minister also implied that air control systems were specifically targeted in the attacks. The statement comes at a time of heightened tension in the Middle East and heightened tensions between Iran and the United States.
X has blocked the page of Quds Force Commander Ismail Qaani.
Iran considers Ukraine complicit in US and Israeli aggression against Tehran, given the deployment of Ukrainian anti-drone experts in Arab countries, said Iran’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Amir Saeed Iravani.
Ebrahim Zolfaqari, spokesman for Khatam al-Anbiya’s central headquarters: “The armed forces will cut off the foot of any aggressor who enters the country and lead it to utter ruin and shame. Dreams of controlling the Strait of Hormuz will be buried along with the United States. With illusions and fantasies, they believe that propaganda can force Iran into submission.”
And now a look at the military scenarios unfolding in the Middle East and Western Asia, updated at 4:00 PM on March 31. HUMINT data suggests that China is sharing information with Iran on the location of US military units and their equipment.
According to Bloomberg: “In the month following the US-Israeli war against Iran, at least 2,400 Patriot PAC-3 and GEM-T interceptor missiles were consumed out of the 2,800 they had before the war. The agency notes that Lockheed Martin produces about 650 PAC-3 missiles per year.”
The Turkish Ministry of Defense: “For the fourth time since the start of the war, warships and NATO forces in the Eastern Mediterranean intercepted a ballistic missile launched by Iran that entered Turkish airspace.”
Iran and Hezbollah carried out joint attacks in Israel: The Haifa oil refinery was bombed by Iran. Direct hits targeted Josh Dan and Bnei Brak. The Israeli defense force did not intercept the missiles that fell on Israel overnight. Jerusalem was hit. Rambam Hospital in Haifa alone reported that more than 50 Israeli soldiers have been injured so far. Wounded Hezbollah soldiers from Lebanon have also arrived.
Iranian cluster bombs fell in several areas of Israel, with 13 injured on the morning of March 31 in Tel Aviv. According to Israel Army Radio: “More than 5,500 Israelis are homeless on the eve of Passover after their homes were destroyed during the war. This indicates that Iran and Hezbollah are targeting the homes of Israeli soldiers.”
Jordanian defenses intercepted one of the missiles headed toward Israel at 5:00 a.m. on March 31.
Israeli media sources are reporting two separate security incidents in southern Lebanon, subject to military censorship. According to reports, more than 10 evacuation helicopters took off from Lebanon. In the first incident, Hezbollah attacked IDF soldiers with attack drones. The second incident involved the detonation of explosive devices. At least four Israeli soldiers are reportedly dead in southern Lebanon.
The French Ministry of Foreign Affairs reports that a A French convoy of UN UNIFIL forces was attacked by Israeli ground forces in southern Lebanon.
According to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), four more Israeli soldiers were injured yesterday in Hezbollah attacks in southern Lebanon by shrapnel from a rocket that fell near Israeli troops, while in another, three reservists were slightly injured after a drone crashed near Israeli troops.
Two Israeli military vehicles were hit by Hezbollah and both were seen burning. Each vehicle typically carries up to 12 soldiers, but the IDF reported: two soldiers were killed and several others were seriously and mortally wounded following a targeted attack on a troop transporter in southern Lebanon. Another joint attack between the Revolutionary Guards and Hezbollah occurred late in the morning of March 31. Israeli media sources claim that the March 30 ambush set by Hezbollah occurred just 3 km from the border, in difficult and complex, mountainous and rocky terrain near the town of Beit Lif. The trap was sprung for the Nahal reconnaissance forces, who were unknowingly surrounded in Beit Lif. Four people were killed, including the commander, and six were wounded.
Clashes are ongoing between resistance fighters and IDF forces in the town of Aynata, in southern Lebanon. The predominantly Shiite village of Deir Seryan in southern Lebanon was razed by the IDF. A Mossad agent who escaped arrest has taken refuge inside the Ukrainian embassy. Lebanese officials say he is “wanted by the judiciary” and that several arrest warrants are pending against him.
An Iranian missile fell on a house in the village of Almadesh, in the city of Alhaddiya, south of Al-Hasakeh, Syria.
An airstrike was reported against the headquarters of pro-Iranian militias in the Anbar region of western Iraq. On March 30, US warplanes refueled in Iraq. An attack on the American University in Sulaymaniyah, Iraq. Video footage shows the Iraqi resistance group Saraya Awliya al-Dam (SAD) striking US targets in the region.
A targeted attack on US interests in Kharj, Saudi Arabia.
Explosions in Dubai. Black smoke was also seen billowing near Jebel Ali, where the port is located. Euronews journalists based in Dubai reported that at least five strong explosions rocked the city. Air defense interceptions were likely. At approximately 12:00 on the 31st, a new attack occurred in Dubai in the al-Satwa area, Dubai, UAE. Drone attack on telecommunications company in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates. An attack earlier this morning targeted the US headquarters in the UAE.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Navy announced an attack on a base housing 200 US commanders and officers in the UAE. A US military command and control center located outside the Al Minhad base in the UAE was also hit.
Fars News: “If the UAE continues to participate in US air and missile strikes, host intelligence forces, and assist Israel, Iran will target the port of Fujairah and the key pipeline that transports oil out of the Strait of Hormuz.”
Ukrainian media are mourning the death of a Ukrainian officer, Lieutenant Anatolii Onyshchuk, who “participated in the training of fighters from Persian Gulf countries and shared his experience in using interceptor drones.”
A Kuwaiti oil tanker, the Al Salmi, was reportedly targeted near the coast of Dubai, sparking concerns about a possible oil spill. Four people were injured. The tanker was 57 km off the coast of the Emirates. The vessel was carrying 2 million barrels of oil: 1.2 million Saudi and 800,000 Kuwaiti. Firefighters are working to contain the fire. The tanker is one of the largest in the world and is carrying millions of barrels of crude oil. It belongs to the Kuwait Oil Company. US crude oil futures rose more than $3, reaching a record high of $105.91 per barrel.
A member of Iran’s National Security Commission announced the approval of a plan for managing the Strait of Hormuz. Key points of the plan include: Enhanced security measures in the strait; Safety protocols for military vessels; Environmental protection considerations; Financial and tariff regulation; Ban on passage for US and Israeli vessels; Strengthen Iran’s sovereign authority and the role of its armed forces; Cooperation with Oman on the legal framework; Restrict access for countries imposing unilateral sanctions against Iran.
According to Al Arabiya, as of March 29, Iran has launched 300 drones and 550 ballistic missiles against Israel, as well as 1,119 missiles and 3,792 drones against its Gulf neighbors since the beginning of the Middle East conflict.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claimed responsibility for downing two US MQ-9 drones over Isfahan, the second such incident in the past two hours. Nine students and a teacher were killed in the US-Israeli bombing of Isfahan.
The Iranian military shot down a US Lucas drone in Qeshm. With this latest attack, the total number of drones destroyed by Iran has reached 147. An attack on the Qeshm desalination plant has been denied.
An Israeli-American attack on a major Iranian pharmaceutical company specializing in anticancer, anesthetic, and rare disease drugs has been reported, causing significant damage to its production line.
Antonio Albanese e Graziella Giangiulio
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