Photo: AP

EA-Times Radio VideoCast: Will Trump Risk Ground Troops in Iran?

EA on International Outlets: US-Israel War — Trump’s Deception About “Talks” With Iran

UPDATES: US-Israel War on Iran, Day 30 — Trump Wobbles Again

UPDATE 0655 GMT:

A Bangladeshi national was killed in Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates when debris from an intercepted drone fell on a farm.

UPDATE 0651 GMT:

Two projectiles have struck a tanker off Qatar.

One caused a fire that has since been extinguished and another is unexploded in the vessel’s engine room, said the UK Maritime Trade Operations center.

The vessel was struck about 17 nautical miles north of Qatar’s Ras Laffan industrial hub, causing damage above the waterline. The crew is safe and there is no environmental impact.

UPDATE 0642 GMT:

An Iranian drone attack has set a large fire at Kuwait International Airport.

“Kuwait International Airport has been subjected to blatant attacks by drones launched by Iran and the armed factions it supports,” said the spokesman of the General Directorate of Civil Aviation.

Abdullah Al-Rajhis aid “fuel storage tanks…were targeted”. No casualties were reported.

UPDATE 0633 GMT:

American journalist Shelly Kittleson has been kidnapped in Baghdad by an Iranian-backed Iraqi militia Kata’ib Hezbollah, the US State Department says.

The Department said it was working to ensure the American’s release “as soon as possible”.

Iraq’s Interior Ministry claimed authorities intercepted a vehicle that overturned as it fled: “Security forces were able to arrest one of the suspects and seize one of the vehicles used in the crime.”

Kittleson is a long-time freelancer who works in the region for outlets such as Al-Monitor.

UPDATE, APRIL 1:

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has indicated that Iran will accept a ceasefire “provided that essential conditions are met”.

Pezeshkian said Iran had the “necessary will” to end the war if it receives guarantees that there will be no repetition.

In a call with European Council President António Costa, Pezeshkian criticized European Union silence on US-Israeli strikes as a betrayal of human rights. He said the targeting of Iran during active negotiations proves the Trump Administration has no faith in diplomacy, only in “dictating its own greed”.

Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi added:

UPDATE 1500 GMT:

The Lebanese Health Ministry says nine people have been killed and 137 others injured by Israeli attacks over the past day.

The toll from Israeli attacks since March 2 is 1,247 killed and 3,680 injured.

UPDATE 1358 GMT:

Italy is denying the use of the Sigonella airbase in Sicily to US aircraft carrying weapons for the war on Iran.

An official at the Italian Defense ministry confirmed that “some US bombers” had been due to land at the base before heading to the Middle East.

Under treaties signed in the late 1950s, the US Navy can use the base for logistical and training purposes. However, the base cannot be a transit hub for aircraft transporting weapons for war unless in an emergency situation, permission for which needs to be approved in the Italian Parliament.

The official said the US hsought permission to land the aircraft while they were en route to Sicily, failing to follow the procedures for Parliamentary approval.

Spain’s Defense Minister Margarita Robles has reiterated Madrid’s commitment to NATO while denying use of Spanish airspace to US warplanes.

Robles said the US and Israel “can’t be the ones who, without anyone’s support, not even of their allies, decide what type of rules or peace apply in the world”.

She told the Spanish Parliament:

We are faced with a scenario that the government defines as a war that runs contrary to international law and to which our response has been firm and consistent.

Our position is supported by the majority of people, and not just Spanish but European….

This decision absolutely doesn’t imply a break with our transatlantic links. The bases continue to function….

Two countries went to war and expected us to join them….We don’t accept lectures from anyone in regard to our commitment to peace.

UPDATE 1353 GMT:

An Iranian provincial official says this morning’s airstrikes on Husseiniya Azam (see 1000 GMT), a Shia religious site in northwest Iran used for ceremonies and gatherings, killed at least four people and injured 26 others in the area.

UPDATE 1052 GMT:

Analysts have confirmed Iran’s destruction of an advanced US E-3 Sentry warning and control system aircraft on the Prince Sultan base in Saudi Arabia last Friday.

The E-3 was one of six stationed at the airbase. The US has 16 in total.

UPDATE 1015 GMT:

Iran is earningalmost twice as much on oil exports as it did before the US-Israel War.

The Iranians are maintaining their pre-war export level of 2.4 million to 2.8 million barrels of oil and petroleum products per day, including 1.5 million to 1.8 million barrels of crude.

With global oil prices rising from just over $60 per barrel to $113, the Iranians are reaping a windfall.

Last week the Trump Administration waived sanctions on 140 million barrels of Iranian oil, with a potential yield of around $15 billion to Tehran.

UPDATE 1000 GMT:

Iranian Red Crescent teams are conducting search and rescue operations after a US-Israeli airstrike on a Shia religious site, the Husseiniya Azam, used for ceremonies and gatherings, in Zanjan in northwest Iran.

UPDATE 0735 GMT:

Israel has extended its zone of forced evacuation in southern Lebanon.

The Israeli military has issued an “urgent warning” to people between the Litani and Zahrani Rivers. Spokesman Avichay Adraee told residents to move immediately to the north of the Zahrani, warning that remaining in the area may “endanger your lives and that of your families”. He said Israeli airstrikes are ongoing and troops are operating “with significant force”.

The forced evacuation zone now extends from the Litani River to areas beyond the Zahrani River, around 40 km (25 miles) north of the Israeli border. The orders cover more than 1,470 square km (568 square miles), around 14% of Lebanon’s territory, and affect more than 100 towns and villages.

More than 1 million of Lebanon’s population of around 5.8 million people have been displaced.

UPDATE 0732 GMT:

Iranian media report the killing of 11 people and injuring of 15 in an attack on the city of Mahallat in Markazi Province in northwest Iran.

Four
residential units in Mahallat city were “directly hit by projectiles” with significant damage, says the Iranian Students News Agency.

UPDATE 0716 GMT:

Indonesia’s Foreign Minister Sugiono has called for an emergency UN Security Council meeting over the killing of three Indonesian peacekeepers in southern Lebanon.

After speaking with UN secretary António Guterres, Sugiono assked “for a swift, thorough and transparent investigation” into the “heinous attack”.

Israel’s military said it is reviewing reports to assess whether the peacekeepers were slain by Israeli or Hezbollah action.

One Indonesian soldier was killed early Monday when a projectile exploded near a positions close to the village of Adchit al-Qusayr. An explosion later in the day killed the other two, destroying their vehicle near Bani Hayyan.

UPDATE 0703 GMT:

According to US officials, Donald Trump — contrary to his messages on social media — has told aides he is willing to end the military campaign against Iran even if the Strait of Hormuz is controlled by Tehran and largely closed to shipping.

The officials told The Wall Street Journal that Trump and some advisors are concerned a mission to take control of the Strait would push the war beyond their proclaimed timeline of four to six weeks. Trump would proclaim that the US has achieved its main goals of decimating Iran’s navy and its missile stocks, and pressure Iran in talks to resume the free flow of trade.

If that failed, the US would press allies in Europe and the Gulf to take the lead on reopening the Strait.

Military options are not Trump’s immediate priority, the officials said.

Four Gulf States — Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Kuwait, and Bahrain — are urging Trump to continue the assault, arguing that the Iranian regime has not been weakened enough, say Gulf and Israeli officials.

Gulf representatives say privately that operations should not end until there are significant changes in the Iranian leadership or a dramatic shift in Tehran’s behavior.

Oman and Qatar favor a diplomatic resolution.

UPDATE 0701 GMT:

The Israeli military says four personnel have been killed and two injured in combat in southern Lebanon.

Three soldiers were from the same battalion. Another was slain in the same incident. One soldier was severely wounded and a reservist moderately injured.

UPDATE, MARCH 31:

Iran has struck a Kuwaiti crude oil tanker anchored at Dubai Port in the UAE.

The attack damaged and set afire the fully-loaded Al Salmi tanker. Officials warned of a possible oil spill, but later said there was no leakage

UPDATE 1817 GMT:

Two more UN peacekeepers have been killed in southern Lebanon, bringing the total to three over the past two days.

The latest fatalities occurred “when an explosion of unknown origin destroyed their vehicle near Bani Hayyan”. Two other peacekeeping troops were hurt, one severely.

An Indonesian UNIFIL peacekeeper was killed on Sunday when a projectile exploded at a position near the village of Adchit al-Qusayr, also in southern Lebanon.

UNIFIL said in a statement:

We reiterate that no one should ever have to die serving the cause of peace. We reiterate the urgent need for all actors to uphold their obligations under international law and to ensure the safety and security of UN personnel and property at all times, including avoiding any actions that may put peacekeepers in danger.

Deliberate attacks on peacekeepers are grave violations of international humanitarian law and of Security Council Resolution 1701, and may constitute war crimes.

UPDATE 1749 GMT:

Danish shipping giant Maersk says Oman’s port of Salalah, struck by a drone over the weekend, will reopen from Tuesday.

One worker was injured and minor damage caused by the strike on the port, run by Maersk subsidiary APM Terminals and one of Oman’s key shipping facilities.

Some “constraints” will remain but additional safety and “preventive” measures are being taken.

UPDATE 1735 GMT:

Iran has fired a ballistic missile towards Turkey, the fourth attempted attack during the US-Israel War.

NATO air defenses in the eastern Mediterranean again intercepted the missile.

Turkey’s Defense Ministry said all necessary measures were being taken “decisively and without hesitation” against any threat directed at Turkish territory and airspace.

Spokeswoman Allison Hart said, “NATO again successfully intercepted an Iranian ballistic missile heading to [Turkey]. NATO is prepared for such threats and will always do what is necessary to defend all allies.”

UPDATE 1507 GMT:

Two Chinese container ships have sailed through the Strait of Hormuz at the second attempt, having turned back into the Gulf on Friday, shiptrackers confirm.

UPDATE 1316 GMT:

Israel has killed a Lebanese soldier and wounded five others.

The soldiers were manning the coastal road in Tyre in southern Lebanon, where Israel is seeking to expand its zone of occupation.

While the Lebanese military is not a party to Israel’s war with Hezbollah, analysts see an Israeli message that Lebanon’s forces must pull back.

UPDATE 1304 GMT:

Spain has closed its airspace to US planes involved in attacks on Iran.

Defense Minister Margarita Robles said, “We don’t authorise either the use of military bases or the use of airspace for actions related to the war in Iran.”

Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez told legislators last Wednesday:

We have denied the United States the use of the Rota and Morón bases for this illegal war. All flight plans involving operations in Iran have been rejected. All of them, including those for refuelling aircraft.

UPDATE 1300 GMT:

Israel’s emergency services say an industrial building and a fuel tanker at the Bazan oil refinery in Haifa were struck by debris from an intercepted missile.

There were no immediate reports of any casualties or damage to production facilities.

UPDATE 1256 GMT:

Iran has again rejected direct negotiations with the Trump Administration.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said:

What has been discussed are messages we received through intermediaries stating that the US wants to negotiate.

Iran has been clear about its position from the beginning, and we know very well what the framework is that we are considering. The material conveyed to us has been excessive and unreasonable requests.

Donald Trump blustered on Truth Social this morning, with no evidence to support his claim:

Great progress has been made but, if for any reason a deal is not shortly reached, which it probably will be, and if the Hormuz Strait is not immediately “Open for Business,” we will conclude our lovely “stay” in Iran by blowing up and completely obliterating all of their Electric Generating Plants, Oil Wells and Kharg Island (and possibly all desalinization plants!), which we have purposefully not yet “touched”.

This will be in retribution for our many soldiers, and others, that Iran has butchered and killed over the old Regime’s 47 year “Reign of Terror”.

UPDATE 1101 GMT:

Human Rights Watch assesses that Iran has “repeatedly” used cluster munitions, delivered by ballistic missiles, in attacks on Israel during the US-Israeli War.

At least four civilians have been killed in the airstrikes. The use of cluster bombs is a violation of international humanitarian law.

“Iran’s use of cluster munitions in populated areas in Israel pose a foreseeable and long-lasting danger to civilians,” said HRW researcher Patrick Thompson. “Cluster munition bomblets are dispersed over a wide area, making them unlawfully indiscriminate in violation of the laws of war.”

UPDATE 0758 GMT:

Amid Donald Trump’s confusing, sometimes contradictory statements, US officials say he is considering an operation to seize almost 1,000 pounds of uranium in Iran.

US forces would have to be inside the country for days or longer, the officials note.

They say Trump has not made a final decision but is open to the idea.

UPDATE 0745 GMT:

On the first day of the US-Israel War, a newly-developed American-made ballistic missile hit a sports hall and elementary school in southern Iran.

An investigation by weapons experts and The New York Times established that the PrSM missile apparently missed a nearby military base. Local officials the strike and others on the city of Lamerd killed at least 21 people.

On the same day, February 28, a US Tomahawk cruise missile struck a primary school in the city of Minab, several hundred miles away. At least 175 people were killed.

The PrSM, which can fly more than twice as far as any other US missile, completed prototype testing last year. In early March, the head of US Central Command, Adm. Brad Cooper, confirmed that the PrSM had been used in combat for the first time.

The school in Lamerd was being used by a girls’ volleyball team at the time of the strike. Iranian media reported the killing of squad members.

Photos and videos show the premises were regularly used by children. The sports hall has been publicly identified as a civilian-use facility for years on digital mapping platforms.

Ground-level and satellite images after the PrSM strike show the sports hall with scorch marks and a partly collapsed roof. Footage from inside the school has blown-out windows, fire damage, and splotches of blood.

UPDATE 0734 GMT:

The UN has suffered its first fatality in Israel’s invasion of southern Lebanon.

An Indonesian peacekeeper was killed when a projectile exploded at a UN position near the village of Adchit al-Qusayr on Sunday. Another peacekeeper was critically injured.

ORIGINAL ENTRY: Frustrated that Iran’s regime has not surrendered, Donald Trump sank into a series of incoherent, sometimes false statements about the US-Israel War on Sunday.

Amid reports that the Pentagon has planned for ground operations which would requires weeks and perhaps months, Trump blustered that US forces could seized Kharg Island, the Persian Gulf hub for more than 90% of Iran’s oil exports.

He said his “preference would be to take the oil”, but then he wobbled:

To be honest with you, my favorite thing is to take the oil in Iran, but some stupid people back in the US say: “Why are you doing that?”…

Maybe we take Kharg Island, maybe we don’t. We have a lot of options. It would also mean we had to be there [in Kharg Island] for a while.

He added, “I don’t think they have any defense. We could take it very easily.”

Having threatened military escalation, Trump switched course and lied that direct and indirect US talks with Iran are making good progress.

We’ve got about 3,000 targets left – we’ve bombed 13,000 targets – and another couple of thousand targets to go. A deal could be made fairly quickly….

They’re gonna give up nuclear weapons. They’re gonna give us the nuclear dust. They’re gonna do everything that we want to do.

The Trump camp has exchanged messages via third parties with Iran, but there is no evidence that the regime has accepted direct talks.

Instead, Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf — whom the Trumpists wanted to promote as an Iranian leader accepting their 15-point ultimatum — said Iranian forces are “waiting” for US ground troops to arrive so they could “rain fire upon them”.

“We are in a major world war, and we must prepare ourselves for the tortuous and difficult path ahead of us until we reach the summit,” he posted. “Our firing continues. Our missiles are in place. Our determination and faith have increased.”

But Trump praised Ghalibaf and other Iranian leaders as “very reasonable” before backing away, “I think we’ll make a deal with them, I’m pretty sure, but it’s possible we won’t.”

After talks with Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey in Islamabad on Sunday, Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar spoke of preparations for “meaningful talks” in the coming days. However, there was no sign of Iranian acceptance.

Confronted with Iran’s control of the Strait of Hormuz, Trump wavered over the possibility of accepting a long-term system with Tehran in charge.

He blustered, in an apparent reference to Iran allowing Pakistan-flagged tankers passage through the Strait:

They gave us 10. Now they’re giving 20 and the 20 have already started and they’re going right up the middle of the Strait.

[Ghalibaf is] the one who authorized the ships to me. Remember I said they’re giving me a present? And everyone said: “What’s the present? Bullshit.”

When they heard about that they kept their mouth shut, and the negotiations are going very well.