TOP STORIES Pentagon Weighs Sending 10,000 More Combat Troops to the Middle East | Axios The White House and the Pentagon are considering sending at least 10,000 additional combat troops to the Middle East in the coming days, according to a senior U.S. defense official. Trump Extends Deadline for Iran Negotiations | Axios President Trump extended the deadline for negotiations with Iran and paused his threat to bomb Iranian energy facilities by another 10 days. . . . He added that “talks are ongoing and . . . are going very well.” Iran Rejects US Ceasefire Plan, Issues Its Own Demands as Strikes Land Across the Mideast | Associated Press Iran on Wednesday dismissed an American plan to pause the war in the Middle East and launched more attacks on Israel and Gulf Arab countries, including an assault that sparked a huge fire at Kuwait International Airport. . . . Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said in an interview on state TV that his government has not engaged in talks to end the war, “and we do not plan on any negotiations.” . . . Press TV, the English-language broadcaster on Iranian state television, quoted an anonymous official as saying, “Iran will end the war when it decides to do so and when its own conditions are met.” It attributed to the anonymous official an Iranian five-point proposal that included a halt to killings of its officials, means to make sure no other war is waged against it, reparations for the war, the end of hostilities and Iran’s “exercise of sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz.” UANI IN THE NEWS
Iran War Divides Conservatives On and Off Stage at CPAC | CNN Now, with conflict underway, the threat of a prolonged American engagement is no longer theoretical. Mark Wallace — the CEO of United Against Nuclear Iran who displayed an Iranian drone at CPAC last year (one of two he owns) — acknowledged the challenge ahead rationalizing the war to a MAGA coalition that includes many skeptics. “The United States is fundamentally an isolationist country. That will always be a part of our politics,” Wallace told CNN this week. “I’m not afraid of that and I think we should have to defend ourselves and I do think this action very clearly meets the hangover test of Vietnam and Iraq.” Wallace said he hopes to convince conservatives when he addresses CPAC that Iran has been at war with the US for half a century and ending the threat makes the country and the region safer. Friday Main Stage at CPAC USA 2026 | CPAC 9:10 – 9:30 AM: No Nukes For Jihad: A Fireside Chat With Amb. Mark Wallace 6 Big Questions at CPAC 2026 | CNN . . . [The conference] includes prominent supporters of the war like Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas and former United Nations Ambassador Mark Wallace, who heads a group called United Against Nuclear Iran.
Clock Ticks on Trump’s Midnight Ultimatum for Iran to Reopen Strait of Hormuz or Face ‘Decimation’ as Oil Price Rockets | The Sun Ex-US ambassador Mark Wallace, now CEO of United Against Nuclear Iran, told The Sun: “We have long said that Iran’s ballistic missile programme threatened an area much wider than conventional wisdom had us believe. The attack on Diego Garcia is the first instance of the demonstration, albeit unsuccessful.”
Desperate Iran ‘Scrambles to Create Makeshift Missile to Hit Europe’ After ‘Sending Warning’ with Botched UK Base Strike | The Sun Ex-US ambassador Mark Wallace, now CEO of United Against Nuclear Iran, told The Sun: “We have long said that Iran’s ballistic missile programme threatened an area much wider than conventional wisdom had us believe. “The attack on Diego Garcia is the first instance of the demonstration, albeit unsuccessful.” Two India Tankers Pass Through Hormuz as Trump-Iran Standoff Simmers | Reuters At least 14 Iran-flagged loaded oil tankers have reached Asian waters around the Singapore Strait since February 28, according to analysis from U.S. advocacy group United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI), which monitors Iran-related tanker traffic. It’s "business as usual" for Iran, UANI senior adviser Charlie Brown said. There Is a Sinister New Power in Iran, and It’s Not Who the West Thinks | UANI Director of IRGC Research Kasra Aarabi and UANI Senior Advisor Saeid Golkar in the Telegraph Has a power vacuum emerged in Iran’s regime, and who is really calling the shots? As the conflict enters its fourth week, these questions are shaping Western policy and military strategy. The answer reveals why prematurely stopping the war will almost certainly produce a far more extremist regime. Pro-Regime Rallies in Tehran Are a Sign That the Ayatollahs Are Teetering | UANI Director of IRGC Research Kasra Aarabi in the Telegraph Images and video footage of large crowds – holding Islamic Republic flags, Hezbollah banners and images of the new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei—are being continuously aired on Iranian state-TV propaganda channels. These videos have then been regurgitated by parts of the mainstream media in the West and used to criticise Donald Trump on the basis that the US-led war has supposedly “rallied Iranians around the flag”. This couldn’t be further from the truth. This is not to suggest the videos we are witnessing are AI (though some have no doubt been manipulated). The people we are seeing on the streets are certainly real, but they represent a very narrow and extreme segment of Iranian society, what is known as the “hard base” (hasteyeh sakht) of the regime. . . . The hard base does not represent the broader Iranian population, which overwhelmingly not only opposes the regime but also seeks to topple it. . . . The regime was genuinely concerned that ordinary Iranians would use the military operation as an opportunity to take to the streets to topple the Islamic Republic. To mitigate this, the IRGC not only declared domestic martial law from the moment the war began, but worked closely with the regime to deploy its hard base onto the streets to deny space for dissenting Iranians to take part in anti-regime protests. . . . If anything, therefore, pro-regime rallies are not an indication of the Islamic Republic’s strength or support. They are a clear sign of a weak and vulnerable regime—one that can and must be toppled. Trump Proven Right on Iran’s Long-Range Missile Capability as Regime Targets US-UK Base, Experts Say | Fox News Jason Brodsky, the policy director of United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI), told Fox News Digital, “The Trump administration, in citing Iran’s missile threat as a rationale for Operation Epic Fury, was therefore justified in its decision to undertake military action as Iran has consistently refused to negotiate over its missile program. It also shows how dangerous it is to solely rely on Iranian nuclear weapons fatwas and the supreme leader’s public rhetoric in formulating U.S. policy. As long as Iran retains the technical capability beyond public pronouncements, it is a threat.” According to Brodsky, “I think it’s a message that the IRGC is in charge in Iran after Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s death. When Khamenei was alive, he limited the range of Iran’s missile program to 2000 km.” How Trump Could Topple Ayatollah with Just a 'Mini' US Ground Invasion of Iran: 'The Regime Is on the Ropes' | The Sun Jason Brodsky, policy director at UANI, warned, however, any sort of revolution would not happen overnight – and will be complicated. “There would need to be a convergence of labour and political protests and mass defections among the armed forces and security services,” he told The Sun. ‘Laughing Stock’ Britain Has Only One Destroyer in Service to Stop Iran’s Missiles…and It Can’t Even Protect London | The Sun Taking aim at the UK’s lacklustre interception capabilities, policy director at United Against Nuclear Iran Jason Brodsky said: “European powers can’t kick the can down the road any longer.” He also said that following the attack on Diego Garcia, European officials had to revisit assumptions they had previously made about Iran’s potential power to strike the continent. Trump’s Iran Strategy Showcases ‘Doctrine of Unpredictability’ amid Strike Threats and Sudden Pause | Fox News “I think that there’s definitely a method to the president’s decision-making here,” Jason Brodsky, policy director at United Against Nuclear Iran, told Fox News Digital. “He is testing to see what concessions the Iranian regime would be prepared to make,” Brodsky said. “The president can be testing diplomacy. The president can also be buying time. . . . All these things can be true at the same time. It’s not either-or. . . . I remain skeptical that we’re anywhere near a point where the Iranian regime will make significant concessions,” he said. Inside the Famous Manhattan Skyscraper That Hides Billion-Dollar Secret Extremist Network | Daily Mail Jason Brodsky, policy director at United Against Nuclear Iran and a former White House policy fellow during the Obama administration, has questioned whether the new entity is truly independent. ‘It still retains many of the existing Alavi leadership team,’ Brodsky told the Daily Mail. Certain Oil Tankers Are Making It Safely Through Strait of Hormuz—Here’s How | New York Post At least 14 Iran-flagged tankers have also reached the Singapore Strait, according to analysis from U.S. advocacy group United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI). It’s “business as usual” for Iran, UANI senior adviser Charlie Brown told Reuters, with another 15 of Tehran’s vessels sailing back to the Gulf after unloading their cargo in Asia. Mystery of Pop-Up ‘Terror Group’ Who Claimed Responsibility for Golders Green Ambulance Attack | Independent On 9 March, a post on the social media network Telegram, reportedly from a group called Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamiya (HAYI), announced the beginning of “military operations” against US and Israeli interests. Then, on Monday, a Telegram channel purporting to represent the group—whose name translates as the Islamic Movement of the Companions of the Right—made an unsubstantiated claim of responsibility for an arson attack on four Jewish ambulances in Golders Green, northwest London. . . . Jason Brodsky, policy director at the United Against Nuclear Iran, said: “Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamiyya’s branding on videos includes logos that are adopted from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and its broader terror network. The IRGC has different options to choose from in activating these groups: it can activate sleeper cells in the United Kingdom or it can employ transnational criminal syndicates to target Israeli interests, Jewish organisations, and the Iranian diaspora.” How GPS Spoofing is Creating Chaos in the Middle East as Iran Tightens Grip on Strait of Hormuz | Independent Charlie Brown, senior advisor to United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI) and a former US Navy officer, said the enhanced risks to ships caused by interference would figure into risk assessments for the owners of commercial ships, operators and insurers. “The result to shipping, which depends on [GPS] for routine operations, causes extra confusion and hampers safe navigation. It’s not impossible for shipping to navigate without GPS... The men and women on the ship can still navigate. It’s just harder and they need to be more aware of what they’re doing,” he told The Independent. Mr Brown explained that there have been efforts in recent years to ensure that mariners are not overly reliant on their GPS navigation systems and are still using multiple sources and cross-checking data for when automatic systems fail. “It is serious. It adds complexity. It adds risk. And it adds inconvenience both to the people on the ships, but also the people ashore trying to understand what’s going on at sea.” “Both sides are doing it for offensive reasons, and both sides are doing it for defensive reasons,” he added. Disinformation Diplomacy: How Malign Actors Are Seeking to Undermine Democracy | UK Foreign Affairs Committee Then Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei prioritised “disinformation, propaganda and psychological warfare operations (PSYOPs) against the regime’s ideological enemies” and instructed the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and state-owned media organisations to conduct FIMI both inside and outside of Iran.[55] [55] United Against Nuclear Iran Israel Continues to Kill Key Iranian Officials as Netanyahu Says Iran Can No Longer Build Missiles, Enrich Uranium | The Algemeiner Kasra Aarabi, director of IRGC research at United Against Nuclear Iran, described Naini’s death as “a significant blow to the regime’s psychological warfare and propaganda operations — an increasingly central pillar of the IRGC’s current war strategy.” UANI Research Director Daniel Roth Comments on the Strait of Hormuz Crisis | NewsX Roth: “It’s ludicrous to suggest that the U.S. military brains didn’t consider that [the Strait of Hormuz closure] was a very, very likely response from the Islamic Republic of Iran. . . . Iran has threatened to [close the strait] multiple times every single decade . . .” China ‘Still Buying 90% of Iranian Oil’ Despite US Sanctions Waiver | Global Trade Review Policy organisation United Against Nuclear Iran, which is chaired by former Florida governor Jeb Bush, noted that the US previously imposed “strict ringfencing” on payments for Iranian oil after the Trump administration withdrew from the Iran nuclear deal in 2018. Funds would have to be deposited into restricted accounts in the buyers’ domestic banking system and were not freely transferable to Iran. United Against Nuclear Iran argued the latest waiver “should be understood as operating within the same framework”. If Mojtaba Khamenei Is Injured, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Is Running Iran | UANI Senior Advisor Saeid Golkar for the Middle East Forum Observer The Revolutionary Guard, established in 1979 as the clerical regime’s bodyguard, has since the 1990s become the most important organization in the Islamic Republic. Ali Khamenei repeatedly treated the Guard as the central pillar of the regime’s survival. The organization strongly pushed for Mojtaba’s elevation and has tightened its grip over wartime decision-making despite major losses in its command structure. Even if Mojtaba is alive, the structure around him is already moving toward direct Guard control. . . . A hidden chain of command dominated by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps is far less likely to compromise, de-escalate, or test a diplomatic opening. The men around Mojtaba are not pragmatists; they are hardliners shaped by intelligence work, internal repression, missile doctrine, and survivalist thinking. They do not see war as a reason for moderation, but as proof that only coercion, ideological discipline, and regional escalation can save the system. Hundreds of Iranian War Demonstrators Rally Near CPAC 2026 to Thank Trump | Fort Worth Star-Telegram In the nearly 50 years the Islamic Republic has been in power, threats of “death to America” and the antagonization of the west have been prominent in Iran, said Hiva Wallace, an adviser at United Against Nuclear Iran, on stage before the rally began. Ukraine Diplomat Urges Strikes on Russian Drone Production over Iran Shipments | Jerusalem Post [PHOTO CAPTION]: Officials from Ukraine, Britain, Poland, and the US pose pose beside a Shahed-136 drone used by Russia amid its attack on Ukraine and believed to be built in Iran, during an event organised by United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI) in the Houses of Parliament in London, Britain, October 14, 2025. MILITARY MATTERS & REGIME CHANGE Israel Says It Has Killed Iran Naval Chief Overseeing Strait of Hormuz Blockade | CNBC Israel’s Defense Forces said Thursday that Iranian naval commander Alireza Tangsiri had been killed in a “precise strike” in the port city of Bandar Abbas, accusing him of being responsible for efforts to close the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz. . . . Alongside Tangsiri, the IDF said it had killed the head of the Navy Intelligence Directorate of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard, Behnam Rezaei. Iran Suspected of Creating Bogus Group to Claim Attacks in Europe | Wall Street Journal Authorities are investigating Iran’s suspected involvement in a string of terrorist attacks in Europe that have targeted Jewish sites in response to the war in the Middle East, security officials say. They suspect Iranian agents recruited individuals online to carry out attacks on Jewish schools, synagogues and companies linked to Israel, and set up a bogus group to claim responsibility for them. . . . Videos of these incidents were posted and amplified on pro-Iranian regime social-media channels and in at least one case an attack was announced in advance, according to investigators and counterterrorism experts. . . . Over the past year, Iran has pre-positioned arms and ammunition for proxy cells in countries including Germany and Austria, as well as along migrant routes in the Balkans, several European and U.S. officials said. U.S. Sends Iran 15-Point Plan to End War | Wall Street Journal The U.S. has sent Iran a 15-point plan to end the war, officials said, which centers largely around previous Trump administration demands of Tehran. The document, sent through intermediaries, calls on Iran to dismantle its three main nuclear sites and end any enrichment on Iranian soil, suspend its ballistic-missile work, curb support for proxies and fully reopen the Strait of Hormuz, according to the officials. In return, Iran would have nuclear-related sanctions lifted, the officials said, and the U.S. would assist—while monitoring—the country’s civilian nuclear program. The plan broadly reflects the U.S. proposal discussed with Iran before the war started Feb. 28, when President Trump accused Tehran of not negotiating in good faith. Iran’s new, harder-line leadership says it now has higher demands of Washington, such as seeking reparations for weeks of attacks. On Tuesday, Trump said he was far more confident of Iran’s willingness to come to an agreement. “They’d like to make a deal,” he told reporters during an Oval Office event. “They’ve agreed they will never have a nuclear weapon.” Russia Sending Drones to Iran, Western Intelligence Says | Financial Times Russia is close to completing a phased shipment of drones, medicine and food to Iran, according to western intelligence reports that detail Moscow’s efforts to keep its embattled partner fighting. . . . Nicole Grajewski, a professor at Sciences Po university in Paris who studies the Russia-Iran relationship, said Tehran could want to reverse engineer the drones to help improve its indigenous systems. . . . Grajewski said: “The Russians dramatically improved the Shaheds, including modifications to the engines, navigation and anti-jamming capabilities. So these systems are already more advanced than the ones Iran was producing domestically.” Pentagon to Order 3,000 82nd Airborne Soldiers to Middle East | Wall Street Journal The Pentagon is planning to deploy a brigade combat team from the Army’s elite 82nd Airborne Division to the Middle East to support operations against Iran, according to two U.S. officials. . . . The 82nd Airborne’s combat brigade serves as the Army’s emergency response force and can be deployed anywhere in the world in under 24 hours. They train to parachute into hostile or contested territory to secure airfields and land. The brigade would be deployed along with the division headquarters, which is responsible for planning and coordination, the officials said. Pentagon Officials Weigh Deployment of Airborne Troops for Iran War | New York Times Senior military officials are weighing a possible deployment of a combat brigade from the Army’s 82nd Airborne Division and some elements of the division’s headquarters staff to support U.S. military operations in Iran, defense officials said. . . . The combat forces would come from the 82nd Airborne’s “Immediate Response Force,” a brigade of about 3,000 soldiers capable of deploying anywhere in the world within 18 hours. These forces could be used to seize Kharg Island, Iran’s main oil export hub. Israel Launches New Strikes on Tehran as Trump Pauses Iran Energy Attacks | Guardian The Israeli military said it had launched a new wave of strikes on Tehran, after Donald Trump signalled a pause in US attacks against energy infrastructure after what he said were productive talks with Iran. The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) said it would continue operations in line with Israeli government directives until told otherwise. . . . The IDF told the Guardian that energy infrastructure would be spared, suggesting Israel may follow Washington in suspending any targeting of Iranian power plants and related sites.
Iran Targeted Diego Garcia Base with Ballistic Missiles | Wall Street Journal Iran fired two intermediate-range ballistic missiles at Diego Garcia, a joint U.S.-U.K. military base in the middle of the Indian Ocean, according to multiple U.S. officials. Neither of the missiles hit the base, but the move marked Iran’s first operational use of IRBMs and a significant attempt to reach far beyond the Middle East and threaten U.S. interests. One of the missiles failed in flight, and a U.S. warship fired an SM-3 interceptor at the other, according to two of the people. It couldn't be determined if an interception was made, according to one of the officials. Iran’s targeting of Diego Garcia, about 2,500 miles from Iran, implies its missiles have a greater range than Tehran has previously acknowledged. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said last month that Iran has deliberately limited the range of its missiles to around 1,250 miles. US Will Hold Off on Power Plant Strikes for 5 Days, Extending Trump Deadline on Strait of Hormuz | Washington Post President Donald Trump has extended his deadline for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, saying the U.S. will hold off on power plant strikes for five days. Trump made the announcement on his Truth Social site Monday, hours ahead of a deadline later in the day. DIPLOMACY Iran Toughens Negotiating Stance amid Mediation Efforts, Sources Say | Reuters Iran’s negotiating posture has hardened sharply since the war began, with the Revolutionary Guards exerting growing influence over decision-making, and it will demand significant concessions from the United States if mediation efforts lead to serious negotiations, three senior sources in Tehran said. In any talks with the U.S., Iran would not only demand an end to the war but concessions that are likely red lines for U.S. President Donald Trump—guarantees against future military action, compensation for wartime losses and formal control of the Strait of Hormuz, the sources said. Iran would also refuse to negotiate any limitations to its ballistic missile programme, they said, an issue that had been a red line for Tehran during the talks that were taking place when the U.S. and Israel launched their attack last month. Trump Says He Had 'Very Good' Talks with Iran, While Tehran Denies They Happened | Agence France-Presse President Donald Trump hailed on Monday, March 23, “very good” talks with an unidentified Iranian official after abruptly shelving plans for fresh attacks, even as Washington's ally Israel vowed to keep up strikes on the Islamic republic. The surprise disclosure—denied by Tehran, which accused Trump of manipulating energy markets—came ahead of a Monday night deadline imposed by Trump for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz shipping lane or see the US “obliterate” its power plants. SANCTIONS & OTHER ECONOMIC NEWS U.S. Lifts Sanctions on Some Iranian Oil to Get More to Market | New York Times The Treasury Department on Friday temporarily lifted sanctions on Iranian oil that is currently at sea, authorizing it to be sold to most countries. The license applies to oil loaded on vessels as of March 20 and extends until April 19. . . . “Iran will have difficulty accessing any revenue generated and the United States will continue to maintain maximum pressure on Iran and its ability to access the international financial system,” [Treasury Secretary Scott] Bessent said. | 
No comments:
Post a Comment