Iran's Missile Cap Died With Khamenei, Putting Europe Within Reach
Iran for years maintained that it had capped its ballistic missile range at 2,000 kilometers.
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran's then-supreme leader, said in 2021 that he had imposed the limit despite protests from military figures, framing it as a deliberate choice.
That choice, according to Iranian military officials, was a signal to Europe that it was not in Iran's crosshairs.
On March 21, within weeks of Khamenei's assassination in the US-Israeli war with Iran, Tehran fired two ballistic missiles at Diego Garcia, a joint US-British base in the Indian Ocean some 4,000 kilometers from Iranian territory.
The cap, it appears, is gone.
To read the full analysis by RFE/RL's Kian Sharifi, click here.
Iraq Power Grid Stabilizes After Iranian Gas Supplies Resume Following South Pars Strike
Iraq's electricity grid has stabilized following the resumption of Iranian gas supplies disrupted by an Israeli strike on the South Pars gas field, the country's Electricity Ministry said on March 21, according to Iraq's state news agency.
Ministry spokesman Ahmed Moussa said Iranian gas was flowing again at 5 million cubic meters, with national grid output stabilizing at 14,000 megawatts. He said the ministry had managed the interruption by rerouting domestic gas supplies and coordinating diesel fuel deliveries to affected stations.
South Pars provides around 80 percent of Iran's domestic gas needs and is the primary source of Iranian gas exports to Iraq. Iran supplies roughly one-third of Iraq's gas and power needs.
Iran retaliated for the South Pars strike by hitting Qatar's Ras Laffan Industrial City, causing extensive damage, and also struck two refineries in Riyadh.
Katz Says Attacks On Iran Will Intensify In Coming Days
Israel Katz, Israel's defense minister, said military operations against Iran are expected to increase in intensity in the coming days.
"The intensity of the attacks that will be carried out by the Israeli and US military against the Iranian regime and its supporting infrastructure will increase significantly," Katz said in a statement released by Israel’s Defense Ministry on March 21.
His remarks come amid ongoing joint military operations by Israel and the United States targeting Iranian military and strategic infrastructure.
Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump indicated that he could consider a reduction in hostilities, saying he may support a "winding down" of military actions under certain conditions.
The remark comes as a growing number of media outlets report -- citing unnamed US officials -- that thousands of additional US ground troops are on their way to the region, a move seen as giving the United States additional options in the war with Iran.
The conflict between Israel, the United States, and Iran has escalated in recent weeks, with both sides exchanging attacks. Iran has launched missile and drone strikes targeting Israel and US positions in the region, while also contributing to regional tensions affecting key shipping routes, including the Strait of Hormuz.
The escalation has raised concerns globally, particularly over energy markets and economic stability, as disruptions in the region have contributed to increased oil prices and market volatility.
IAEA Urges 'Restraint' After Attack On Natanz Facility
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) announced on March 21 that Iran had notified the organization of the attack on the Natanz nuclear enrichment facility.
The agency wrote in a post on X-Net that no increase in radiation levels had been reported outside the facility, adding that it was investigating the report.
IAEA Director-General Rafael Grossi, it added, has reiterated his call for "military restraint to prevent a nuclear accident."
Earlier, Iran's Atomic Energy Organization said that the uranium enrichment facility in Natanz, known as the Martyr Ahmadi-Roshan Enrichment Complex, had been attacked by the United States and Israel.
Massive Fire Breaks Out At US Diplomatic Compound Near Baghdad Airport
Eyewitness images shared on March 21 showed a massive fire at a US diplomatic facility near Baghdad airport in Iraq.
The images show a huge fire followed by dark columns of smoke rising into the sky.
Iraqi security sources said the fire was reported after renewed drone attacks on the US diplomatic compound near Baghdad airport.
At least three attacks were also reportedly on this diplomatic facility, with a fire breaking out after the third attack.
The pro-Iranian militia group Ashab al-Kahf has claimed responsibility for the attacks on the US diplomatic compound in a statement.
Reporting by Reuters and AFP
Iran Says Natanz Uranian Enrichment Facility Attacked
Iran's Atomic Energy Organization said on March 21 that the uranium enrichment facility in Natanz, known as the Martyr Ahmadi-Roshan Enrichment Complex, had been attacked again by the United States and Israel, with no leakage of radioactive materials reported.
The organization condemned the attack as "in violation of international laws and obligations, including the NPT and other regulations related to nuclear safety and security."
"Technical and expert investigations have been conducted regarding the possibility of the spread of radioactive contamination," and "no leakage of radioactive materials has been reported in this complex and no danger threatens the residents of the areas surrounding this site," it said in a statement.
This is at least the second time that the Natanz facility has been targeted during the ongoing US-Israeli war with Iran that began on February 28.
Natanz was struck by US B-2 bombers on July 1, 2025 during Israel's 12-day war with Iran. At the time, US President Donald Trump said the facility was "completely and absolutely" destroyed.
Putin Insists Russia Remains 'Loyal Friend And Reliable Partner' To Iran
The Kremlin announced on March 21 that Russian President Vladimir Putin congratulated Iranian leaders on the occasion of Nowruz and declared that Moscow remains a "loyal friend and reliable partner" for Tehran.
Putin's message comes at a time when the extent of Moscow's actual support for Iran is disputed. Some Iranian sources have said that Iran has not received significant assistance from Russia in its biggest crisis since the revolution.
Putin sent congratulatory Nowruz messages to Mojtaba Khamenei, the newly appointed supreme leader of the Islamic republic, and Iranian President Masud Pezeshkian.
The Kremlin statement said: "Vladimir Putin wished the Iranian people to overcome these difficult tests with dignity and emphasized that in this difficult time, Moscow remains a loyal friend and reliable partner for Tehran."
Russia has said that US and Israeli attacks on Iran have brought the entire Middle East to the "brink of collapse" and created a major global energy crisis. Moscow has also described the killing of Ali Khamenei on the first day of the US-Israeli war with Iran as a "brutal murder."
Politico reported that Moscow has offered Washington that it would stop sharing intelligence with Iran in exchange for the US stopping sharing information with Ukraine, but the United States had rejected the offer.
The Kremlin has called the report "fake."
The "strategic partnership" agreement between Tehran and Moscow does not include a mutual defense clause, and Russia has repeatedly stated it does not want Iran to acquire nuclear weapons, a move that Moscow says could spark a nuclear arms race across the Middle East.
Mojtaba Khamenei Absent From Tehran's Eid al-Fitr Prayers
Prayers for the holiday of Eid al-Fitr in Tehran were held in the absence of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei and were instead led by the temporary Friday Prayers imam of the capital.
On the morning of March 21, Eid al-Fitr prayers were held in various cities of Iran, including Tehran, Qom, and Mashhad.
The capital's Eid al-Fitr prayers were held at Tehran's Grand Mosque, led by Mohammad Javad Haj Ali Akbari, Tehran's temporary Friday Prayer imam.
Given the uncertain status of Khamenei, who was recently announced as the third supreme leader of the Islamic republic and succeeds his father, Ayatollah Ali Kahmanei, this year's Eid al-Fitr prayer has garnered a lot of attention.
Later on March 21, a funeral prayer and burial ceremony for Ali Mohammad Naeini, the former spokesman for the Revolutionary Guards who was killed in a targeted Israeli attack, were also held.
A public funeral and burial has not yet been held for the elder Khamenei, despite three weeks passing since his death in a US-Israeli air strike on February 28.
FBI Warns Of Hackers Linked to Iran On Telegram
The FBI's Cyber Division has warned about Iran's use of the Telegram network to aim malware at dissidents and opposition groups worldwide.
"Iranian cyber actors are using Telegram as command-and-control (C2) infrastructure to push malware targeting Iranian dissidents and opposition groups around the world – resulting in data leaks and reputational harm," the FBI wrote on X on March 20.
The FBI provided a multi-page document explaining the technical details of how hackers affiliated with the Islamic republic operate on the Telegram network.
Japan Nears Deal With Iran To Allow Strait Of Hormuz Transit
Japan's Kyodo news, citing Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi, reported that Tehran is ready to allow Japanese-related vessels to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, the crucial global shipping artery that has been mostly shut down by Iran.
Araqchi told the Japanese news agency in a phone interview on March 20 that Tehran has started talks with Tokyo about possibly opening the strait. Japan depends on the Middle East for nearly all of its oil supplies and gets some 90 percent of its oil shipments through the strait.
Aragchi said Tehran has not closed the strategic waterway but has placed restrictions on vessels belonging to countries involved in attacks against Iran.
Western nations have held discussions about the possibility of escorting ships through the strait amid the US-Israeli war with Iran, but disputes remain among the allies about the potential action.