Iran – Page 18 – The Defense Post

Mar- 2026 -

5 March

Plumes of smoke rise following reported explosions in Tehran on March 1, 2026, after Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was killed a day earlier in a large US and Israeli attack, prompting a new wave of retaliatory missile strikes from Iran.

Israel Initially Planned to Strike Iran in Mid-2026: Minister

Israel had initially planned to strike Iran in mid-2026, but developments inside the Islamic republic and shifting regional dynamics brought the timetable forward to February, Defense Minister Israel Katz said.

5 March

Middle East

Protesters drape themselves in Iranian flags as 350,000 Canadians take part in a protest against the Islamic Republic of Iran in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, on February 14, 2026.

Staff Writer With AFP

At Least 87 Dead After US Sinks Iranian Warship

A US submarine sank an Iranian warship off the coast of Sri Lanka on Wednesday, killing at least 87 sailors and leaving dozens missing, officials said.

4 March

Americas

Lithuanian troops defend their position versus opposing forces during a combat exercise.

Rojoef Manuel

Lithuania Open to Join US in Iran War if Asked

Lithuania would weigh sending troops to support the US in a conflict with Iran if Washington formally requested help.

4 March

Middle East

An Iranian motorcyclist rides past the Gandhi Hospital, which is damaged after US-Israeli strikes on a state TV telecommunication tower nearby in Tehran, Iran, on March 2, 2026.

Giulia Bernacchi

Israel Spent Years Hacking Tehran Traffic Cameras to Track Khamenei Before Strike: Report

Israel has reportedly spent years monitoring the movements of Iran’s Supreme Leader Khamenei through Tehran’s traffic camera network.

4 March

Arms

A SAMP/T air defense system is seen firing off a ballistic missile from the back of the military truck. Smoke and bright white-red fire can be seen jutting out of the missile as it flies straight upward. The background is a clear blue sky.

Christine Casimiro

Gulf States Request SAMP/T Air Defense, Anti-Drone Systems From Italy

Several Gulf countries entangled in the armed conflict between the US and Israel against Iran have sought air defense and anti-drone systems from Italy.

4 March

Americas

US President Donald Trump and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz hold a bilateral meeting in the Oval Office at the White House on March 3, 2026 in Washington, DC.

Staff Writer With AFP

Trump Says US Navy Could Escort Tankers, Iran Aimed to Strike First

President Donald Trump said the US Navy was ready to escort oil tankers through a crucial Gulf shipping route, as he justified his war on Iran by saying he believed Tehran was about to strike first.

4 March

Middle East

Members of Aurat March Lahore and the Progressive Students Collective (PSC) stage a protest demonstration outside the US Consulate at Shimla Pahari in Lahore, Pakistan, on March 3, 2026.

Staff Writer With AFP

Turkey Says Iran’s Indiscriminate Bombings Is ‘Wrong Strategy’

Iran's indiscriminate retaliatory attacks on targets across the Gulf states are the "wrong strategy," Turkey's top diplomat said.

4 March

Americas

Iranian youths walk past a state building covered with a giant anti-US billboard depicting a symbolic image of the destroyed USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72) aircraft carrier in downtown Tehran, Iran, on January 28, 2026.

Staff Writer With AFP

US ‘Totally Stupid’ to Attack Iran During Talks: UN Ambassador

The US made a "totally stupid decision" to attack Iran while in negotiations, and betrayed Gulf nations by trashing their diplomatic efforts, Tehran's UN ambassador said.

4 March

Middle East

Ukraine's Humvee-based air defense system armed with R-73 missiles

Staff Writer With AFP

Ukraine Offers Gulf States Air Defense Swap

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky offered US allies in the Middle East a swap of some of their air defense missiles in exchange for Kyiv's vaunted drone interceptors, to better protect them from Iranian drone attacks.

4 March

Middle East