Baghdad Blasts Target Iran-Allied Groups, US Embassy
Explosions rocked multiple sites in Baghdad early on March 14, with an Iran-allied group being the target of two blasts while a drone attack reportedly targeted the US Embassy in the Iraqi capital.
Iraq, despite not being directly involved in the US-Israeli war on Iran, has increasingly seen violence spill over into its territory since the war started on February 28.
Two strikes targeted the powerful Iran-allied Kataeb Hezbollah group, killing two members including a "key figure," according to security sources.
At 2:15 a.m. on March 14, "a missile struck a house that was being used by Kataeb Hezbollah," a security source told AFP, adding that "a key figure was martyred," and two group members were injured.
About two hours later, an air strike hit a vehicle in eastern Baghdad, killing "a member of the Hashed al-Shaabi," another security source said. A Hashed al-Shaabi official told AFP that the slain member belonged to Kataeb Hezbollah.
Hashed al-Shaabi, also known as the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), is a former paramilitary group now integrated into Iraq's regular armed forces. Kataeb Hezbollah seeks to create an Iran-aligned regime in Baghdad.
The sources said it was not known who was behind the attacks, although Iran-backed fighters have blamed the United States and Israel in the past.
AFP later quoted an Iraqi security official as saying a drone attack had taken place against the highly guarded US Embassy in Baghdad. "A drone hit the embassy," the official said, with a second security source confirming that an attack had targeted the site.
AP cited Iraqi security officials as saying the projectile hit a helicopter pad inside the embassy compound.
With reporting by AFP
US Orders Nonemergency US Employees To Leave Oman
The US State Department on March 13 told its nonemergency US government employees and family members in Oman to leave the Gulf country as war in Iran continues to spread throughout the Middle East. The State Department updated its advisory to warn Americans of "safety risks," adding that "there has been an ongoing threat of drone and missile attacks from Iran and significant disruptions to commercial flights." Two people were killed in an Iranian drone strike in northern Oman, state media reported.
Five US Refueling Planes Damaged On Ground In Saudi Arabia: Report
Five US Air Force refueling planes were struck and damaged on the ground at an air base in Saudi Arabia, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing two unnamed U.S. officials.
The planes were hit during an Iranian missile strike on the Prince Sultan base, the report said, although the exact date of the attack was not immediately clear. No deaths were reported.
The WSJ said the planes were being repaired are expected to return to service.
Saudi Arabia and other US Gulf Arab allies have been the target of Iranian missiles and drones fired in retaliation for the massive US-Israeli air strikes against Iran, which began on February 28.
A US service member died on March 1 after suffering injuries during an attack at the Prince Sultan base.
The latest report comes a day after the US Central Command, responsible for American forces in the Middle East, said six crew members aboard KC-135 refueling plane were killed in an apparent midair collision with another refueling tanker over western Iraq. The other plane landed safely.
Trump Says US Forces 'Totally Obliterated' Targets On Kharg Island
President Donald Trump said on social media that US forces had carried out "one of the most powerful bombing" raids in the history of the Middle East on Iran's strategic Kharg Island in the Strait of Hormuz.
"Moments ago, at my direction, the United States Central Command executed one of the most powerful bombing raids in the History of the Middle East, and totally obliterated every MILITARY target in Iran’s crown jewel, Kharg Island," he wrote on his Truth Social platform.
"Our Weapons are the most powerful and sophisticated that the World has ever known but, for reasons of decency, I have chosen NOT to wipe out the Oil Infrastructure on the Island," he added.
Trump separately told reporters that the US Navy would "very soon" begin to escort ships through the strait as the US administration looked to secure global oil supplies amid disruptions caused by the US-Israeli war on Iran and Tehran's retaliatory strikes.
Trump Says Russia Might Be Helping Iran 'A Little Bit' In The War
US President Donald Trump said it is possible that Russian President Vladimir Putin is helping Iran in its war with the United States and Israel.
“I think he might be helping them a little bit, yeah, I guess, and he probably thinks we're helping Ukraine, right?" Trump told Fox News in a radio interview on March 13.
"Yeah, we’re helping [Ukraine] also,” Trump said. “And so, [Putin] says that, and China would say the same thing. You know, it’s like, hey, they do it and we do it. In all fairness, they do it and we do it.”
US media outlets have reported that the Kremlin is providing Iran with targeting information on US forces in the Middle East. CNN and The Washington Post have reported that Moscow was supplying Tehran with location details and movement data on US troops, ships, and aircraft.
US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, lead negotiator in trilateral talks with Moscow and Kyiv to end the war in Ukraine, has said he informed Moscow it should not support Tehran with intelligence regarding the war.
He also said Russian representatives had assured Trump in a telephone conversation that they would not share such information with Iran.
US defense chief Pete Hegseth has previously told reporters that Russia and China are “not really a factor” in the conflict with Iran.
$10 Million Bounty For Mojtaba Khamenei
The United States has offered up to $10 million for information on new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei and other Iranian officials.
Ukrainian President Meets Reza Pahlavi
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has met Reza Pahlavi, the exiled son of the last shah of Iran. From his X feed:
"We discussed in detail the situation in Iran and the region, as well as the U.S. operation against the terrorist regime."
"The Crown Prince and his team briefed me on signals they are receiving from inside the country."
"I am grateful to the Crown Prince for his clear assurances of support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. Our teams will remain in communication."
US Boosting Military Might In Middle East By Sending USS Tripoli, Marine Expeditionary Unit, RFE/RL Learns
The Pentagon is sending the USS Tripoli and the 31st MEU (Marine Expeditionary Unit) to the Middle East in a major boost to its military might in the region. Defense sources confirmed the deployment to RFE/RL on March 13, adding that approximately 2,500 US Marines will be accompanying the Tripoli ARG (Amphibious Ready Group). No timeframe was given for when the reinforcements are expected to arrive in the Middle East. According to ship tracking service Cruising Earth, the Tripoli is currently docked in its home port near San Diego, California. RFERL reached out to the White House for comment. It referred all inquiries to CENTCOM, which has not responded to requests for comment.
Sri Lanka To Repatriate 84 Iranian Sailors Killed In US Attack
The bodies of 84 Iranian sailors killed in a US submarine attack on their warship are expected to be repatriated today, Reuters reported, citing a source at the Iranian Embassy in Colombo.
A Sri Lankan court on March 11 ordered that the remains, held at the Galle National Hospital morgue, be handed over to the Iranian embassy.
Local media, citing the Sri Lankan Defense Ministry, also reported that the bodies are expected to be flown home on a special flight from Mattala International Airport.
Iran's IRIS Dena frigate was torpedoed and sunk on March 4 in international waters off Sri Lanka’s southern coast.
The 32 surviving sailors are currently being held at the Welisara naval facility under Sri Lankan supervision. Their future remains uncertain, as Sri Lanka coordinates with Iranian authorities on their return.
Meanwhile, the IRIS Bushehr, a support ship, and its 219 crew members remain in Sri Lanka with temporary entry visas.
Hegseth Appoints Investigating Officer To Look Into Missile Strike On Girls' School
US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth says an officer from outside of US Central Command has been appointed to investigate a deadly strike on a girls' school in Iran and will take “as long as necessary” to establish what happened.
Hegseth did not name the officer investigating the strike, which hit a girls' elementary school in Minab in Iran's southern province of Hormozgan on February 28.
Local officials say that at least 175 people were killed, including 168 children.
Evidence is building that the strike may be the result of US forces relying on outdated intelligence, according to multiple US officials familiar with the matter, though they cautioned that the assessment remains preliminary.