The United States’ next step is to launch several special operations with ground forces, but these do not amount to a full-scale invasion. The proposed option could be implemented within weeks, some analysts say as soon as all 17,500 American troops have arrived in the Middle East.
According to the Pentagon, the ground operation against Iran will last weeks or “a couple of months.” US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told G7 foreign ministers that the conflict with Iran will last another two to four weeks, Axios reports, citing sources. Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo believes that now is the perfect time for a US troop landing in Iran and that the United States must completely destroy this system.
The aircraft carrier George H.W. Bush is headed to the Middle East. Admiral Brad Cooper, commander of US Central Command (CENTCOM), arrived in Israel on March 29 for meetings with Israeli Chief of Staff General Eyal Zamir and other senior military officials. The main topic of the meetings was the ongoing joint campaign to strike Iran.
Trump openly stated his desire to seize Iranian oil and the possibility of occupying the Iranian island of Kharg. He compared the potential move to the Venezuelan scenario. “Frankly, my favorite option is to get Iranian oil, but some stupid people in the United States ask me, ‘Why are you doing this?’ But they are stupid,” Trump said in an interview with the Financial Times.
There has been no decision on Russia’s membership in Trump’s Peace Council; the concept seems irrelevant against the backdrop of the war in Iran, Peskov told TASS. Another 163 Rosatom employees have left Iran.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, Turkey’s Foreign Minister, and Pakistani Foreign Minister Muhammad Ishaq Dar spoke in vain about possible meetings in Islamabad. “Iran did not negotiate with the United States and did not participate in the meeting between Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Egypt in Islamabad,” the Iranian Foreign Ministry says.
Spain is closing its airspace and military bases to all American aircraft participating in the war with Iran. Egypt has ordered energy-saving measures, requiring shops and restaurants to close at 9:00 PM on weekdays and 10:00 PM on weekends, and introduced a work-from-home policy on Sundays for a month in April.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ordered the expansion of the buffer zone in southern Lebanon. The goal is to “prevent the threat of invasion and divert anti-tank missile attacks” from the Israeli border, he said. Israeli Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has publicly called for the assassination of Mohammed al-Jawlani, aka Ahmed al-Shara, the Syrian leader.
Hezbollah announced on March 30 that it had conducted 1,100 operations against Israel and issued 1,000 statements since entering the war.
Saudi Arabia is maximizing the capacity of the East-West oil pipeline due to disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz. Saudi Aramco is operating its East-West oil pipeline (Petroline) at its maximum capacity of 7 million barrels per day, diverting crude from eastern fields to the Red Sea port of Yanbu. The Houthis have already threatened to attack the Red Sea port.
In a statement addressing the concerns of Iranians living in the UAE following the revocation of their residence permits, the Iranian judiciary said there was no reason to worry about returning home and that Iranian citizens can enter the country through land border crossings. 1,200 Iranian citizens in the UAE have lost their residence permits.
Oman is the only one of the six Persian Gulf countries to have refused to sign the joint statement released this week condemning the attacks by Iran and its allies. Omani Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi called Iranian attacks on cities such as Dubai, Manama, and Doha “the only logical option” in response to the US and Israeli bombing campaign.
Passage through the Strait of Hormuz will be subject to a toll in accordance with a new Iranian law, reports Boroujerdi, a member of the Iranian Parliament’s National Security Committee.
In response, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said, “They want to establish a toll system in the Strait of Hormuz. Not only is it illegal, it’s unacceptable, it’s dangerous.” “It’s important that the world has a plan to address it.” “The United States is ready to be part of this plan. We must not lead it.”
The United Nations Secretary-General has established a task force to ensure navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, Guterres’ representative said. Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar announced that Iran has agreed to allow 20 more Pakistan-flagged vessels to transit the Strait of Hormuz; two ships will pass through the strait each day. Two India-bound tankers, loaded with approximately 94,000 tons of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), safely passed through the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday, the Indian government announced.
Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Egypt may form a consortium to manage the flow of oil through the Strait of Hormuz. Pakistan is invited to join this initiative. Currently, 20,000 sailors are stranded in the Gulf, with at least 22 civilian vessels damaged by bombing and eight crew members killed since the conflict began. Up to 80% of the oil tankers that managed to pass through the Strait of Hormuz in March belonged to Iran or countries with which it has established good relations, Bloomberg reports, citing data from intelligence sources. Monitoring. Thai Prime Minister Charnvirakul says Thailand has reached an agreement with Iran allowing Thai oil tankers to safely transit the Strait of Hormuz.
Following Israel Defense Forces (IDF) attacks on steel mills in Iran, Iranian media published a list of steel mills in Israel and the Persian Gulf countries as possible targets. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi threatened: “Israel attacked two of Iran’s largest steel mills, a power plant, civilian nuclear facilities, and other infrastructure. Israel claims it acted in coordination with the United States. The attack contradicts the US President’s extension of the diplomatic process. Iran will demand a very high price for Israel’s crimes.”
The Iran-linked hacker group Handala hacked the personal email account of FBI Director Kash Patel and released his photos and documents online. A US official confirmed the cyberattack.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has threatened to target American and Israeli universities in the Middle East in retaliation for attacks on Iranian campuses: “US- and Israeli-affiliated universities in Western Asia are ‘legitimate targets,'” it said, “and it has said it will target at least two of these institutions in retaliation for US and Israeli attacks on Iranian universities, including the Iran University of Science and Technology (IUST) in Tehran.”
A senior Iranian official told CNN that Tehran will set an “end date for the war” and “will not stop defending itself until it has taught Trump and Netanyahu a historic lesson.” The death of Navy Commander Ali Reza Tangsiri has been confirmed.
The Iranian parliament is seriously considering withdrawing from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) following US and Israeli aggression, said Alaeddin Boroujerdi, a member of the Iranian parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Committee. His words were reported by CNN: “Given the current circumstances, Iran’s accession to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) no longer makes sense, and the prevailing opinion among members of parliament seems to be precisely this: after these events, there is no reason to accept such restrictions. We are not trying to develop a nuclear bomb, but we cannot simultaneously play by the rules of the game and be bombed, and ultimately, the time has come to withdraw from the NPT.”
And now a look at the military scenarios in the Middle East and West Asia, updated at 2:30 PM on March 30. On March 28, a group of 2,500 Marines and 2,500 sailors arrived in the Middle East as part of the Tripoli amphibious strike group. On March 29, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) announced the arrival of the USS Tripoli (LHA-7), carrying the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), in the CENTCOM area of responsibility.
In a letter dated March 26, 2026, sent by the Commander of U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Forces (MARFORRES) and Marine Forces South, General Leonard Anderson IV, to all Marines under his command, he emphasizes the importance of operational readiness in light of ongoing operations in Iran and further states that a mass mobilization could become a reality as combat operations in the Western Hemisphere continue.
The Americans are actively monitoring the Bushehr area and Kharg Island in preparation for the landing operation. The United States is expected to deploy a sufficient number of ground troops to the Middle East by early this week, including thousands of Marines and paratroopers from the 82nd Airborne Division, to enable a ground operation in Iran, a U.S. source said.
The British Ministry of Defense announced that four gunners from the Royal Air Force’s 2nd Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) Wing earned their first “ace” honors by downing five or more Iranian drones during ongoing military operations in the Middle East. According to the British newspaper The Times, Britain will send the amphibious support ship RFA Lyme Bay to help open the Strait of Hormuz.
On March 30, the Turkish Ministry of Defense reported that NATO forces intercepted a missile launched by Iran in Turkish airspace, aimed at the US air base at Incirlik, in Adana.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) recently completed another wave of infrastructure attacks across Tehran, an attack on the Bushehr nuclear power plant. Over the weekend, Iranian and joint Hezbollah strikes targeted Eilat, Tel Aviv, and Jericho. A chemical plant in the Negev was attacked. On March 29, a second Iranian ballistic missile struck a chemical plant in the Negev. An Iranian ballistic missile struck an open area in the southern Israeli city of Beersheba. Iranian military drones struck the Elta electronic warfare center in Haifa and the fuel depot at Ben Gurion Air Base, disrupting radar, missile tracking, and air operations.
Chief of Staff Zamir decided to suspend the 941st Reserve Battalion, a battalion composed of former students of the Netzach Yehuda Battalion, from combat operations. A drastic decision has been taken, involving the suspension of an entire battalion following CNN’s reporting in Judea and Samaria. Furthermore, the soldier who gave the unauthorized interview to CNN will be suspended from combat operations, and the battalion’s officers will receive an official reprimand.
A drone attack by a newly formed Syrian Islamic Resistance group against a US base in Jordan, Mawfaq al-Sulti, the group called “Kataib Jund al-Karrar fi Bilad al-Sham.” An American KC-135R Stratotanker tanker sent a distress signal “7700” and declared an emergency over Jordan. The plane returned to Ben Gurion International Airport in Tel Aviv.
Southern Lebanon also experienced clashes and deaths over the weekend. Hezbollah released footage of a rocket attack on an Israeli army tank in the Lebanese town of Deir Seryan. The IDF confirmed: after repeated attempts to restore power, the Arak heavy-water reactor was attacked. A direct attack on Israeli troops on the border with Lebanon was reported on the night of March 28, with several seriously injured; there is talk of mines, but this has not been confirmed.
Killed in Lebanon by IDF: Ali Shayeb, a journalist for the Al-Manar network, and Fatima Fotouni, a journalist for Al-Mayadeen. The Bekaa region was severely affected.
On March 30, Hezbollah continued to launch shelling against settlements in northern Israel. Within 24 hours, Syrian army units discovered two tunnels connecting Syrian and Lebanese territory near the village of Hosh al-Sayed Ali, west of Homs. The tunnels were used by Lebanese militias for smuggling. Following a joint operation by Turkish intelligence (MIT) and Syrian forces, Onder Sigircikoğlu, discovered spying against Turkey, was arrested on the Syrian-Lebanese border.
In Iraq, too, a weekend of Israeli, American, and Iranian attacks against Iranian opposition forces. Erbil was hit. Kurdish media confirmed the report that the residence of the President of the Autonomous Region of Kurdistan, Nechirvan Barzani, in Dohuk, was attacked by drones launched by pro-Iranian groups in Iraq. The Iranian pro-Iranians denied the attack. A British F-35B fighter was spotted over Iraqi Kurdistan pursuing a convoy headed to Erbil.
On March 29, a US A-10C Thunderbolt II attack aircraft struck the headquarters of the Kataib Sayyid al-Shuhada group, also known as the 14th Brigade of the Iranian-backed Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), in the Ar-Rashidiyah area of Mosul, northern Iraq.
Victoria Air Base near Baghdad was hit again on March 29.
Islamic Resistance forces in Iraq attacked Ali Salem Air Base in Kuwait with drones on March 29. Four of the five Kuwaiti Air Force AS332 Puma helicopters were destroyed in a drone attack on the hangar where they were stored. Iran struck Kuwait International Airport.
Satellite images show damage to three American KC-135 tanker aircraft and damage to several other aircraft near Al-Sultan Air Base in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. According to CBS News, 14 people of unspecified nationality were injured in the Iranian attack on Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia. A USAF E-3 Sentry AWACS was also destroyed.
Arab sources reported Iranian missiles hitting a factory on the border with Bahrain and another at the PABCO refinery. The refinery was subsequently hit. Satellite images show damage to several buildings and structures, including a hangar for US Navy P-8 Poseidon patrol aircraft, at Isa Air Base in Bahrain.
Iran announced the destruction of a warehouse in Dubai containing Ukrainian anti-drone systems, where at least 21 Ukrainian specialists were stationed, according to Fars sources. Kiev denied the attack. Iranian missile and drone strikes hit Dubai Airport. A fire broke out near the Khalifa Economic Zones in Abu Dhabi following an Iranian attack. Emirates Global Aluminum announced that its facilities in the Al Taweelah area of Abu Dhabi suffered severe damage following an Iranian missile attack. Several employees were injured in the attack.
Yemeni Armed Forces Spokesperson General Yahya Saree on March 28: “We are ready to intervene militarily.” According to Israeli media, for the first time since the beginning of the war, missiles were detected coming from Yemen and heading south. The operation was coordinated with Hezbollah and Iran. “Our operations will continue until the declared objectives are achieved, as stated in the previous Armed Forces statement, and until the aggression against all resistance fronts ceases,” the Houthis wrote. Jewish sources reported that Yemen attacked Israeli territories twice in the last 24 hours. With the entry of Ansar Allah, a drone attack on any section of the pipeline could cause the price of oil to skyrocket to $200 a barrel overnight.
Iranian air defense shot down an Israeli IAI Eitan (Heron TP) multi-role drone over the Strait of Hormuz.
A joint Israeli-American attack on a vessel in Bandar-e-Leng, Iran, on the 28th. The Iranian city of Ardakan was hit. Several areas of Tehran were also affected. On March 29, large-scale power outages were reported in the Iranian city of Karaj (near Tehran) following US and Israeli airstrikes. A massive blackout was clearly visible in southeast Tehran due to the bombing of a main power line. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) confirms, using satellite imagery, that the Khondab heavy water plant, part of Iran’s Arak nuclear complex, “has suffered severe damage and is no longer operational.”
Antonio Albanese e Graziella Giangiulio
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