IRGC Threatens Missile Attacks On Israeli Forces On Lebanon, Gaza Strip Borders
The Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) claimed that Israel had crossed "red lines in genocide" of Lebanese and Palestinian civilians and said if this trend continues it will target the "gathering places" of Israeli forces in the north of the country and the Gaza Strip with missile and drone attacks.
This threat was issued by the IRGC after the Israeli Army announced on March 23 that two missiles fired from Iran toward Israel had landed in southern Lebanon.
The IRGC did not provide further details about the reason for the warning in its statement.
Since the start of the current war with Iran and the subsequent attacks on Israel by Hezbollah, which is deemed a terrorist organization by the United States, Israel has launched a large-scale simultaneous operation against the group in southern Lebanon.
In the latest developments, Lebanese officials said two people were killed and five others were wounded in an Israeli air strike on an area outside Beirut. The attack came after several overnight attacks on Beirut's southern suburbs.
The official Lebanese news agency reported continued Israeli attacks on various areas in the south and northeast of the country, as well as the entry of Israeli forces into a border town and clashes with residents.
Hezbollah has also announced attacks on Israeli forces in southern Lebanon and targets in northern Israel. The fighting, now in its fourth week, has killed more than 1,000 and caused widespread displacement in Lebanon.
Amazon Says Data Center In Bahrain Hit By Drone
Internet giant Amazon announced a disruption at one of its cloud services data centers in Bahrain, saying it was caused by a drone attack.
A company spokesperson confirmed the disruption to Reuters on March 24 but did not provide further details about the extent of the potential damage or how long the disruption would last.
Amazon says it is helping relocate customers to alternative locations.
Amazon's cloud services are crucial to the operation of many websites and government online services. Bahrain has been trying to become an IT hub in the Gulf by investing heavily in Amazon data centers and creating a "cloud zone."
This is the second time since the start of the US-Israeli war with Iran that Bahraini data centers have been targeted by drones. Earlier in the war, it was reported that Bahraini and UAE data centers were affected by power outages and were working to recover.
HRW: Iran's Attacks On Civilian Merchant Ships Could Amount To War Crimes
Human Rights Watch (HRW) said on March 24 that Iranian forces “appear to have deliberately targeted at least two civilian commercial ships in and around the Strait of Hormuz…which would amount to war crimes.”
The organization reported that it investigated recent incidents involving civilian vessels in the region and concluded that the ships were commercial in nature and carried civilian crews.
HRW said the attacks on merchant shipping were documented as part of its broader monitoring of maritime incidents in the Strait of Hormuz. It cited evidence such as maritime tracking data and publicly available information related to damaged vessels.
Citing international humanitarian law, HRW emphasized that deliberate attacks on civilian objects are prohibited and may constitute war crimes.
HRW also warned that such attacks and threats to commercial shipping could have wider global consequences, stating that they “may also contribute to significant global cost increases in energy, food, and other critical sectors,” harming people’s rights.
7 Kuwaiti Power Transmission Lines Out Of Service; Drones Intercepted In Saudi Arabia
Kuwait said on March 24 that its air-defense systems were responding to "missile and drone attacks" and that reported sounds of explosions were caused by intercepting these threats. The military urged citizens to follow the authorities' instructions.
The country's Electricity Ministry also announced that seven power transmission lines had been knocked out of service following the fall of the interceptors.
Elsewhere, Saudi Arabia said on March 24 that its air-defense systems had intercepted and destroyed a total of 19 drones targeting the country's Eastern Province in separate attacks over a two-hour period.
Britain has announced that it will deploy short-range air-defense systems to the region to counter the wave of Iranian attacks on Persian Gulf countries.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the equipment would be sent to Bahrain, Kuwait, and Saudi Arabia. The Rapid Sentry anti-drone system will also be transferred to Kuwait, and a British warship has been deployed to the eastern Mediterranean.
According to AFP, British officials say the country's military presence in the region has reached its highest level in 15 years and operational flights have increased in support of several countries in the region.
Commander Of Iranian-Backed Forces In Iraq Killed In Air Strike
A source in the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), an umbrella organization of mostly pro-Iranian militias that has nominally been a part of the Iraqi Army since 2016, announced on March 24 that seven of the group's forces were killed and 13 others were wounded following an air strike in western Iraq.
The source said the attack targeted a PMF base in Anbar Province and attributed it to the United States, according to AFP.
The PMF confirmed in a statement that Saad Dawai Al-Baiji, the group's operations commander in Iraq's Anbar Province, was killed "along with a group of his comrades as a result of a US air strike."
Targeting a Syrian Base
Meanwhile the Syrian Army said on March 23 that one of its bases in the northeast of the country had been targeted by a missile attack from Iraqi territory, while an Iraqi official said a local armed group was behind the attack.
"An Iraqi group fired seven Arash-4 rockets, an improved version of the Grad rocket, at a base in the Hasakah region," the Iraqi official, who asked not to be named, told AFP.
Iran Foreign Ministry Denies Targeting Diego Garcia Base
The Iranian Foreign Ministry has denied firing a missile toward the joint US-British military base on the Indian Ocean island of Diego Garcia, calling it "the latest lie by the Israelis."
Eyal Zamir, the Israeli Army chief of staff, has said that Iran used "a two-stage intercontinental ballistic missile with a range of 4,000 kilometers" to target the base.
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte later said the alliance "cannot confirm" that Israel's claim that the missiles fired at Diego Garcia were Iranian intercontinental ballistic missiles.
Ministry spokesman Ismail Baqai wrote in a message on the X social network on March 24, reposting Mark Rutte's words, that Israel's claims are "false flag storytelling."
On March 21, there were reports of Iran firing two intermediate-range ballistic missiles at the Diego Garcia base, although the missiles were said to have missed their target.
The island of Diego Garcia is about 3,800 kilometers from Iran and has a joint air base between the United Kingdom and the United States, capable of hosting long-range American bombers.
Explosion Heard In Jerusalem As Iran Fires Missiles At Israel
A loud explosion was heard in the sky over Jerusalem on the morning of March 24 after the Israeli Army announced it had detected another missile launch from Iran.
AFP reporters in the city reported that a loud explosion was heard minutes after the army announced it had detected missiles fired from Iran and was "trying to intercept the threat."
The Israeli Army announced that Iran had once again fired missiles toward the country and that defense systems were intercepting them.
According to AFP, the Israeli military said the missile attack targeted northern areas.
The Magen David Adom relief organization announced that it has not received any reports of casualties so far but rescue workers have been dispatched to the area where the impact was reported.
About 20 minutes after the attack was announced, the Israeli Home Front Command allowed citizens to leave the shelters.
Zelenskyy Says 'Growing Evidence' Of Russian Intelligence Support For Iran
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says there is "growing evidence" that Russia is continuing to "provide the Iranian regime with intelligence support."
Zelenskyy made the remark in an X post on March 23, providing few details but appearing to cite a report from Ukraine's military intelligence chief.
"This is clearly destructive activity, and it must be stopped, as it only leads to further destabilization. All decent states are interested in guaranteeing security and preventing a larger crisis," Zelenskyy wrote, noting that the US-Israeli war with Iran was affecting global markets and "significantly complicating the fuel situation in many countries."
"By helping the Iranian regime stay afloat and strike more accurately, Russia is effectively prolonging the war. There must be a response," added Zelenskyy, whose own country is battling a full-scale Russian invasion now in its fifth year.
US officials last week told RFE/RL that Russia is providing Iran with targeting information to attack US troops and military assets in the Middle East, confirming a Washington Post report. The Wall Street Journal subsequently reported that Russia was sharing satellite imagery and improved drone technology with Iran; the Kremlin declined to comment on that report.
Netanyahu Announces Talks With Trump On Iran War
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced on March 23 that he had spoken with US President Donald Trump about the war with Iran.
Netanyahu said that Trump believes Israeli and American military achievements in Iran can lead to an agreement that achieves the goals of the war while protecting Israel's vital interests.
In a video statement, he emphasized that Israel will defend its interests under any circumstances, while continuing to attack Iran as well as Hezbollah and other Iran-backed forces in Lebanon.
He once again claimed the ongoing attacks would destroy Iran's "missile and nuclear programs" and also cause "heavy damage to Hezbollah," which the US and Israel have designated as a terrorist organization.
VIDEO: US Calls Off Strikes On Iranian Energy Targets But Sector Called Still Vulnerable
US President Donald Trump said he was withholding any strikes on Iranian energy infrastructure for five days after "very good" talks with Tehran.
Iran's Energy Ministry said on March 23 the country's electricity sector had already suffered "extensive damage" amid US-Israeli strikes.
Engineer Dean Sharafi told RFE/RL's Radio Farda that energy facilities in Iran remain vulnerable and have "virtually no protection."
