WASHINGTON — Vice President JD Vance on Friday held the inaugural meeting of a new anti-fraud task force he’s leading as the Trump administration seeks to show it’s cracking down on potential misuse of social programs.
Vance, speaking Friday before the task force held a closed-door meeting, said that the federal government for decades had not taken the issue of fraud seriously and that it needed to be tackled with “a whole-government approach.”
“This is not just the theft of the American people’s money,” Vance said. “It is also the theft of critical services that the American people rely on.”
President Trump, a Republican, has made a crackdown on fraud part of his chief domestic focus as voters have said they’re concerned about affordability ahead of November’s midterm elections. That effort comes after allegations of fraud involving day-care centers run by Somali residents in Minneapolis prompted a massive immigration crackdown in the Midwestern city, resulting in widespread protests.
Vance cited some of the Minnesota allegations on Friday. Last month, he held a news conference to announce a temporary halt of some Medicaid funding until the state took actions that federal officials said would address their concerns.
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, a Democrat who faced Vance as a vice presidential candidate in 2024, has called it a “campaign of retribution” and said the Trump administration was “weaponizing the entirety of the federal government to punish blue states like Minnesota.”
The task force is also the most visible assignment to date that Trump has given to Vance, who is seen as a potential 2028 presidential candidate.
Vance and the task force, which includes about half the president’s Cabinet, the leader of a new Justice Department division focused on prosecuting fraud and Federal Trade Commission Chair Andrew Ferguson, are set to meet regularly to look at rooting out potential fraud and waste in federal benefit programs.
Ferguson, who is vice chair of the task force, cast the issue of fraud as a dire crisis facing the country and said it “shreds the social trust on which these programs and our entire nation depend.”
“This fraud crisis is thus existential,” he said. “If we fail to address it, the fabric of our nation will swiftly unravel.”
Joining the task force was Colin McDonald, a top aide to the Justice Department’s second in command. He was recently confirmed as the assistant attorney general overseeing the new division at the department focused on prosecuting fraud.
The Justice Department has long prosecuted fraud nationally through its Criminal Division, but the Trump administration says the new division is needed to crack down on rampant fraud.
Omar Oswaldo Torres, the leader of the Los Mayos faction of the Sinaloa criminal network, was detained in the raid.
Published On 19 Mar 202619 Mar 2026
Mexican authorities have revealed that 11 people were killed during a raid that resulted in the capture of Omar Oswaldo Torres, the leader of a faction of the Sinaloa Cartel.
In a social media post on Thursday, the Mexican Navy said the raid took place in Culiacan, part of the state of Sinaloa in northern Mexico.
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It alleged that its personnel were attacked at the site of the raid and returned fire, killing 11 “assailants”. Their identities have yet to be released to the public.
“High-powered weapons and tactical equipment were seized at the scene,” the navy said in a statement.
The navy added that a woman identified as Torres’s daughter was also present during the operation, but she was released to her family due to a lack of connection to criminal activities.
Torres, known by the nickname “El Patas”, is the leader of the Los Mayos faction of the Sinaloa Cartel.
In recent years, Los Mayos have been in a fight with another faction, Los Chapitos. Each side is named for a different Sinaloa Cartel leader: Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman and Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada, both of whom have been arrested and imprisoned in the United States.
Thursday’s raid comes as governments across Latin America seek to deliver US President Donald Trump tangible results in the fight against crime and drug trafficking.
Just this week, the Mexican government participated in a law enforcement operation with Ecuador and Colombia to arrest Angel Esteban Aguilar, the leader of the Los Lobos crime group.
A separate Mexican military operation in the state of Jalisco last month led to the death of Nemesio Oseguera, also known as “El Mencho”, the leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel.
Criminal groups responded with a burst of violence, including the erection of roadblocks and attacks on security force outposts across Mexico.
Critics have questioned the efficacy of the more militarised methods Trump has pressured Latin American leaders to use against cartel leaders.
Capturing or killing cartel leaders is sometimes referred to as a “decapitation strategy”, and the method is designed to weaken the structure of criminal networks.
But experts warn that the “decapitation strategy” risks increasing violence over the long term, as new conflicts emerge to fill the leadership vacuum.
Many also point out that such militarised approaches fail to address the root causes of crime, among them corruption and poverty.
Still, Trump has labelled groups like the Sinaloa Cartel “foreign terrorist organisations”, and has indicated he would consider taking military action on Mexican soil against such groups, despite concerns that such actions would violate Mexican sovereignty.
“We have to eradicate them,” Trump said of the cartels. “We have to knock the hell out of them because they’re getting worse. They’re taking over their country. The cartels are running Mexico. We can’t have that.”
Mexican officials, meanwhile, have called on the US to stem the flow of illicit weapons into Mexico, to little avail.
Last year, the Supreme Court struck down a lawsuit from the Mexican government accusing US gun manufacturers of negligence, given that their products end up arming criminal networks in the Latin American country.
Weekly insights and analysis on the latest developments in military technology, strategy, and foreign policy.
The energy war in the Middle East heated up on Wednesday with an Israeli attack on the South Pars gas field Iran shares with Qatar. The strike, which exacerbates the diminishing of oil exports already experienced during the war, was reportedly carried out in coordination with the United States.
“The Israeli Air Force struck a natural gas processing facility in southwestern Iran,” Axios reported, citing two senior Israeli officials. The attack “was coordinated with and approved by the Trump administration,” the outlet noted, adding that a U.S. defense official confirmed that.
Iran’s semi-official Tasnim News Agency reported that several facilities in the South Pars gas field near Bushehr were targeted. According to the report, emergency teams were on the scene and trying to extinguish the fire. The extent of the damage is not yet known.
Things are taking a darker turn.
Israeli airstrikes have hit Iran’s massive South Pars gas field, along with key infrastructure, including the Asaluyeh petrochemical complex.
In response, Tehran has issued an urgent warning, calling for the evacuation of petrochemical sites… pic.twitter.com/KGEjEIgKtl
There are suggestions that the attack on South Pars could interfere with Iran’s refinery capabilities for a long time to come.
I think these are Sulfur Recovery Units (CRUs) in the 6th refinery of the Iranian South Pars onshore fields. The targets are selected to be limited but effective enough to stop to the entire process of the refinery for a long time. https://t.co/XvYj5vC3L9
Qatari officials decried the attack, calling it “a dangerous & irresponsible step amid the current military escalation in the region.”
The Israeli targeting of facilities linked to Iran’s South Pars field, an extension of Qatar’s North Field, is a dangerous & irresponsible step amid the current military escalation in the region.
Targeting energy infrastructure constitutes a threat to global energy security, as…
— د. ماجد محمد الأنصاري Dr. Majed Al Ansari (@majedalansari) March 18, 2026
In the wake of the attack on South Pars, “Iran issued an evacuation warning for several oil facilities across Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Qatar, saying they would be targeted by strikes ‘in the coming hours,’” Reuters reported, citing Iranian media.
“The warning was directed at Saudi Arabia’s Samref Refinery and Jubail Petrochemical Complex, the United Arab Emirates’ Al Hosn Gas Field, and Qatar’s Mesaieed Petrochemical Complex, Mesaieed Holding Company and Ras Laffan Refinery,” the outlet added.
“These centers have become direct and legitimate targets and will be targeted in the coming hours. Therefore, all citizens, residents, and employees are requested to immediately leave these areas and move to a safe distance without any delay,” the warning said.
Tehran Warns of Retaliation After Attacks on Key Oil and Gas Infrastructure
Iranian officials say U.S. and Israeli strikes damaged parts of the South Pars field one of the world’s largest gas reserves while the IRGC reportedly ordered personnel in regional petrochemical sites to… pic.twitter.com/e4dSYQcEDQ
This event marks a new and dangerous escalation after the U.S. said it would not attack Iran’s energy infrastructure, notes Bismarck Analysis senior analyst Marko Jukic.
Until yesterday, we were assured the U.S. was leaving Iran’s energy infrastructure untouched to prevent escalation or more global energy shocks. Iran pledged to wipe out the Gulf’s energy if its own was attacked.
Now that Israel has crossed the line into hitting Iranian energy infrastructure, Kharg Island could be added to the target list. The facility handles 90% of Iran’s oil exports. The U.S. already attacked the island’s military facilities on March 14, but spared hitting any energy-related targets. That could change and doing so would likely leave Iran with a years-long rebuilding process, crippling the government’s economic lifeline.
U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday hinted that America end its role protecting the Strait after Epic Fury ends. Meanwhile, Gulf nations are watching events unfold and have expressed fears that they will be left to defend the Strait on their own.
“I wonder what would happen if we ‘finished off’ what’s left of the Iranian Terror State, and let the Countries that use it, we don’t, be responsible for the so called ‘Straight?’” Trump postulated on his Truth Social site. “That would get some of our non-responsive ‘Allies’ in gear, and fast!!!”
Trump: “I wonder what would happen if we ‘finished off’ what’s left of the Iranian Terror State, and let the Countries that use it, we don’t, be responsible for the so called ‘Straight?’ That would get some of our non-responsive ‘Allies’ in gear, and fast!!! President DJT” pic.twitter.com/pwbF1lYELS
As we previously reported, the U.K., Germany, Luxembourg, Japan and Australia rejected Trump’s demand while other countries were on the fence. In a post on X, Axios reported that the U.K. has drafted a plan for a Strait of Hormuz coalition and shared it with the U.S. and several other countries.
After the allies pushed back, Trump on Tuesday said he no longer wanted their help.
BREAKING: Trump now says he doesn’t need any help for Iran & Strait of Hormuz:
The United States has been informed by most NATO “Allies” that they don’t want to get involved in our military operation against Iran, despite agreeing that Iran must not have a nuclear weapon.
Before Trump’s latest statement on the Strait, a key waterway through which 35% of global crude oil and 20% of global liquefied natural gas used to flow, Gulf Arab nations stated their desire that Iran be “neutered, if not dismantled, when the conflict ends—so the ordeal is never repeated,” The Wall Street Journal reported.
Iran’s decision to interrupt Strait traffic “represents an attack on the entire world rather than just the Gulf states, and will hit low-income nations especially hard,” Sultan al-Jaber, the U.A.E. minister of industry and advanced technology, told the newspaper.
“By taking Hormuz hostage, Iran is committing global economic warfare,” he said. “This is a global economic issue. It is not a regional problem. The disruption is going to increase inflation, it will slow economies, it will affect everyday lives. Families will end up paying more for food.”
Leaving Iran in control of the Strait of Hormuz after the U.S. ends Epic Fury would be a disaster for the Gulf states, said Muhanad Seloom, a professor at the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies in Qatar.
“The Iranian regime has crossed every red line,” he told the Journal. “Now it is in everyone’s interest, and this includes the Gulf countries, to have the U.S. finish the job. Imagine if the war stops now, and Iran declares victory saying that the U.S. has been defeated? Iran would hold the whole region hostage, and every time Iran would be under pressure, it would hit the Gulf countries—because that taboo has been broken, and hitting them worked.”
Leaving Iran in control of the Strait of Hormuz once the guns fall silent would be a disaster for the Gulf states, said Muhanad Seloom, a professor at the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies in Qatar. “The Iranian regime has crossed every red line,” he said. “Now it is in… https://t.co/aFlAql6vcL
A maritime industry official confirmed to us that the Egyptian-owned, Maltese-flagged container ship SAFEEN PRESTIGE was struck again overnight and is burning following an initial attack in the Strait on March 4. The last previous attack on shipping in the region took place on March 11, according to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) office. UKMTO has received 20 reports of incidents affecting vessels operating in and around the Arabian Gulf, Strait of Hormuz, and Gulf of Oman since Epic Fury began on Feb. 28. That includes 15 reported attacks and five reports of suspicious activities.
BREAKING: Although we can’t say for sure, it appears that the Egyptian-owned, Maltese-flagged container ship SAFEEN PRESTIGE (9593517) may have been struck again overnight as she is suddenly burning following the initial strike on 2026-03-04 in the Strait of Hormuz. pic.twitter.com/jwCYmRYhUe
— TankerTrackers.com, Inc. (@TankerTrackers) March 18, 2026
Though Iran has closed the Strait of Hormuz, some oil tankers are making a safe transit, The Associated Press reported.
About 90 ships, including oil tankers, have crossed the Strait since Epic Fury was launched and Iran “is still exporting millions of barrels of oil at a time when the waterway has been effectively closed,” the wire service reported, citing maritime and trade data platforms.
“Many of the vessels that passed through the strait were so-called ‘dark’ transits evading Western government sanctions and oversight that likely have ties to Iran, maritime data firm Lloyd’s List Intelligence said,” AP noted. “More recently, vessels with ties to India and Pakistan have also successfully crossed the strait as governments stepped up negotiations.”
89 ships got through Hormuz March 1st-15th. “More than one-fifth of the 89 vessels were believed to be Iran-affiliated, while Chinese and Greece affiliated ships are among the rest, it said.” https://t.co/c7DzauV8ya
The effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz following Iranian strikes and fears of Houthi attacks in the Red Sea “have prompted shipping lines to suspend bookings and reroute goods,” Financial Times reported.
There was a bit of positive news when it comes to Iranian attacks on Gulf energy infrastructure. Saudi Arabia’s biggest oil refinery “restarted operations after an attack forced its closure earlier this month,” Bloomberg News reported, citing a person familiar with the matter.
“State oil giant Saudi Aramco, which operates the 550,000-barrel-a-day Ras Tanura plant, shuttered production on March 2 as a precaution after a drone strike in the area,” the outlet added.
Saudi Arabia’s biggest oil refinery has restarted operations after being halted due to a drone attack earlier this month https://t.co/5955jHVM5q
The growing energy war is taking a hit on the global economy, with reduced exports adding to existing problems with limited global spare capacity, the Kpler global trade intelligence firm explained.
“The implications for oil markets are profound,” it stated.
Global oil markets under pressure: Inside the US–Iran supply shock
Day 19 of the US–Iran conflict and the impact on global energy markets is intensifying. From mounting disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz to significant supply shut-ins, we are witnessing one of the largest… pic.twitter.com/blH7pjA46r
In just one example of the war’s impact, Brent Crude, a leading indicator for the oil industry, was trading at nearly $110 per barrel as of Wednesday morning Eastern Standard Time, according to OilPrice.com. While the price has fluctuated wildly, dipping to about $95 per barrel on March 12, it still represents a major increase since the start of Epic Fury. All this has a cascading effect on trucking and shipping, meaning the costs of food and goods are rising as well.
UPDATES
Our coverage has ended for the day. Stay tuned for more.
UPDATE: 5:15 PM EST –
Oil prices shot over $110 per barrel as the energy war in the Middle East heats up.
The publication also reported that Trump doesn’t want any more attacks on Iranian energy infrastructure, saying it got the message. However, the president is not ruling out future attacks, depending on Iran’s actions in the Strait.
Trump knew of South Pars attack and approved of it. But now he’s against strikes on Iranian energy sites, believing Tehran received the message that it must reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
Trump open to future attacks on Iranian energy facilities depending on Iran’s SoH actions. pic.twitter.com/rHfOgtQf6d
Iran’s Masoud Pezeshkian is reportedly resigning over the IRGC freezing him out of all decision making and even access to the new Supreme Leader.
BREAKING 🔴
Channel 14 reports Pezeshkian is weighing resignation. He told aides: “The IRGC blocks me from all military and strategic decisions and won’t even let me speak to the Supreme Leader. I feel useless.” pic.twitter.com/ZmYKYGPxKO
Explosions from either missiles or interceptors were reported in the Saudi capital of Riyadh as the first meeting of Gulf foreign ministers convened since Epic Fury was launched, CNN reported.
“We witnessed the interceptors taking off and we could hear the explosions of the intercepts or the missiles coming down. It’s unusual Iran would make the targeting here when this first high level, face to face meeting is happening.”@NicRobertsonCNN reports from Riyadh pic.twitter.com/xDxGQDANGR
The bodies of five Iranians were found in a house hit by a U.S. airstrike in the Jadriyah section of Baghdad, according to local media. One of the Iranians reportedly supervised attacks on U.S. interests.
In Baghdad, 5 Iranian bodies found at a destroyed house at the site of yesterday’s airstrike on the Jadriyah area. 1 of the Iranians was the adviser to Iranian aligned Iraqi militias. His role was not just advising; he supervised attacks on US interests. https://t.co/lBGGp4RxmX
More footage emerged of Iranian cluster munitions attacking Israel.
UPDATE: 4:32 PM EST –
In addition to the attack on the Qatari refinery, Iran is also striking a liquified natural gas (LNG) refinery in Bahrain, according to the official Iranian FARS News Agency.
IRGC-affiliated Fars News Agency claims that a missile attack is ongoing against the LNG refinery in Bahrain
The FBI announced that it found “possible energetic material” in a suspicious package found outside the MacDill Air Force Base visitor center on March 16. That discovery, as we previously noted, caused the main gate of the base and the visitor center to be shut for several hours. Since then, security at the base was raised to Force Protection Condition Charlie, the second-highest level possible. On Wednesday, the base was on lockdown for several hours after “a threat was made,” according to the base.
MacDill, it should be noted, is the home of CENTCOM, which is running the war in Iran, as well as U.S. Special Operations Command, many other mission partners and two Air Force refueling wings that have been instrumental in supporting Epic Fury.
This is an #FBI Tampa investigative update to the suspicious package found on March 16 outside MacDill AFB Visitor Center: Field screening was conducted on the contents of the package and identified possible energetic materials. Final lab analysis is not yet complete. The… pic.twitter.com/IcMO4fvlME
A top Russian official today honored Larijani’s role in boosting Iran-Russia relations.
Meanwhile, the country’s new Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, took to X to offer his condolences.
With deep sorrow, I received the grievous news of the martyrdom of Dr. Ali Larijani, Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council and the Leader’s Representative in that Council, along with the martyrdom of his worthy son and several of his colleagues.
— Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei (@MKhamenei_ir) March 18, 2026
The Islamic Resistance in Iraq, a group of Iranian proxies who have battled U.S. forces there for years, released a new video claiming to show a swarm of Murad-5 drones hitting American installations in that country.
Islamic Resistance in Iraq releases coordinated strike footage showing a swarm deployment of Murad-5 drones targeting U.S. installations, with mapped objectives including the Victoria base near Baghdad Airport and additional airbase infrastructure pic.twitter.com/U3qfnCfMcL
Kuwaiti police reportedly uncovered a second Hezbollah cell in the country planning terror attacks.
Kuwait’s Police uncovered a second Hezbollah cell planning terror attacks against vital facilities in the country. The Kuwaiti Interior Ministry said it apprehended 10 citizens belonging to Hezbollah, who sought to spy on its behalf to provide them with coordinates of critical… https://t.co/WgnBK4nbNFpic.twitter.com/Gq5gp4kvet
— Ariel Oseran أريئل أوسيران (@ariel_oseran) March 18, 2026
UPDATE: 3:17 PM EST –
ABC News was given rare access to one of Israel’s Arrow anti-ballistic missile defense batteries. You can read more about Arrow in our deep dive into Israel’s vaunted integrated air defense system here.
A proposal from the UN’s shipping agency on Wednesday calls for a safe maritime corridor to free some 20,000 seafarers stranded in the Gulf by the war, Reuters noted.
“The proposal submitted by Bahrain, Japan, Panama, Singapore and the United Arab Emirates and backed on Wednesday by the United States called for ‘a framework such as a safe maritime corridor,’” the outlet added.
It was submitted at a meeting of the UN’s International Maritime Organization (IMO) governing council in London.
“The purpose of this framework would be to facilitate the safe evacuation of merchant ships,” it said. “This measure aims to protect the lives of seafarers.”
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian “strongly” condemned the attack on South Pars.
I strongly condemn attacking Iran’s energy infrastructure. Such aggressive acts will yield nothing for the Zionist–American enemy & their supporters. This will complicate the situation & could have uncontrollable consequences, the scope of which could engulf the entire world. https://t.co/FGtTZZjA6Y
The South Pars attack was designed as a warning to Iran to open the Strait of Hormuz, the Times of Israel reported.
“Israel assisted operationally in order to send an American message,” a senior Israeli official tells Channel 12. “Either…Hormuz will be opened and the mines will be removed…or the entire [natural gas] facility will be destroyed, as will other[s]”https://t.co/hc6DtgfGDj
CENTCOM released more video of its attacks on Iranian targets.
Israel attacked Iranian missile boats in the Caspian Sea, Axios reporter Barak Ravid reported on X. It should be noted that the Caspian Sea is also an important shipping route between Iran and Russia.
🚨Israel conducted strikes against Iranian navy missile boats in the Caspian sea, Israeli official says. More than five vessels were targeted
Trump arrived at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware this afternoon for the dignified transfer of six airmen killed in the March 12 crash of a KC-135 Stratotanker aerial refueling jet in Iraq.
This is the second time the president attended this solemn ceremony. He was there for the dignified transfer of six U.S. service members who were killed by a drone strike at a command center in Kuwait.
FOX: We should point out that at the request of the families, the dignified transfer is going to remain private. There will not be any cameras. pic.twitter.com/y0ivcJuPp6
QatarEnergy confirmed that its Ras Laffan Industrial City was struck by Iranian missiles. As we noted earlier in this story, Iran threatened to hit energy infrastructure in the region after its South Pars gas field was attacked by Israel.
QatarEnergy Statement on Missile Attacks on Ras Laffan Industrial City
QatarEnergy confirms that Ras Laffan Industrial City this evening has been the subject of missile attacks.
Emergency response teams were deployed immediately to contain the resulting fires, as extensive…
The Qatari Foreign Affairs Ministry condemned the attack.
بيان | دولة قطر تدين وتستنكر الاستهداف الإيراني الغاشم لمدينة رأس لفان الصناعية
الدوحة | 18 مارس 2026
تعرب دولة قطر عن إدانتها واستنكارها الشديدين للاستهداف الإيراني الغاشم الذي استهدف مدينة رأس لفان الصناعية، وتسبب في حرائق نتجت عنها أضرار جسيمة في المنشأة، وتعدّ هذا الاعتداء… pic.twitter.com/IFFccWEsFt
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) confirmed that a structure 350 meters from Iran’s Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant reactor was hit and destroyed. There was no damage to the reactor or injuries to personnel.
Following information from Iran of a projectile incident on Tuesday evening, the IAEA can confirm that a structure 350 metres from the Bushehr NPP reactor was hit and destroyed.
“Although there was no damage to the reactor itself nor injuries to staff, any attack at or near… pic.twitter.com/HtNXQntEgU
— IAEA – International Atomic Energy Agency ⚛️ (@iaeaorg) March 18, 2026
However, the IAEA does not know the status of the new Iranian enrichment facility in Isfahan that is in an underground nuclear complex, agency chief Rafael Grossi said on Wednesday.
“Grossi said because the inspectors had to cancel their visit, the agency does not know ‘whether it is simply an empty hall’ or hosts concrete pads awaiting the installation of centrifuges – the machines that enriched uranium for power plants and nuclear weapons – or whether…
The U.K. Defense Ministry offered its latest war update.
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia was hit by Iranian missiles.
Researcher Tal Inbar shared dramatic video of an Iranian Khrramshahr missile with about 80 bomblets exploding near his home in Israel.
More images and videos are emerging of damage caused by Iranian attacks to U.S. facilities in the region.
A hangar on the apron area used by the U.S. Air Force at Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia was hit.
The U.S. Navy Fifth Fleet headquarters in Bahrain appears to have been heavily damaged.
New images show heavy damage inside NSA Bahrain, headquarters of the U.S. Navy’s 5th Fleet, after weeks of pummeling by Iranian drone and missile attacks. pic.twitter.com/NUevp2lfvp
can be heard as it strafes Iranian-backed militias in Kirkuk, Iraq.
During her testimony to the Senate, Gabbard reminded that the U.S. intelligence community last year warned that Iran had the capacity to shut down the Strait.
Wyden to Gabbard: “Last year, your agencies testified that ‘Iran’s large conventional forces are capable of inflicting substantial damage to an attacker, executing region strikes and disrupting shipping, particularly energy supplies through the Strait of Hormuz.’ In other words,… pic.twitter.com/mjHZvpt3Ce
At the same hearing, CIA Director John Ratcliffe testified that Iran has been a constant threat and “posed an immediate threat at this time.”
In prepared written remarks for the U.S. Senate Intelligence Committee hearing into the war, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard wrote that as “a result of Operation Midnight Hammer, Iran’s nuclear enrichment program was obliterated. There has been no efforts since then to try to rebuild their enrichment capability.”
She added that “the entrances to the underground facilities that were bombed have been buried and shuttered with cement. We continue to monitor for any early indicators on what position the current or any new leadership in Iran will take with regard to authorizing a nuclear weapons program.”
‼️ Tulsi Gabbard: Even if the regime remains intact, the IC is that internal tensions are likely Tom increase as #Iran’s economy worsens .. If a hostile regime survives, it will likely seek to begin a years long effort to rebuild its military, missiles and UAVs. pic.twitter.com/SdgCmh3GX7
“Overnight (Wednesday), the Israeli Air Force, acting on IDF intelligence, eliminated the Iranian terrorist regime Minister of Intelligence, Esmaeil Khatib, in a targeted strike in Tehran,” the IDF stated.
Khatib had been appointed Minister of Intelligence by Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in 2021, the IDF explained. In his role, Khatib oversaw the Iranian Ministry of Intelligence, the regime’s primary intelligence organization.
There was no immediate response from Iran and The War Zone cannot independently verify this claim.
🔴ELIMINATED: Esmaeil Khatib, the Iranian terrorist regime Minister of Intelligence, in a targeted strike in Tehran.
Khatib played a significant role during the recent protests throughout Iran, including the arrest & killing of protestors and led terrorist activities against… pic.twitter.com/654lpYCZ1c
The killing of two top Iranian leaders in an Israeli airstrike on Tuesday. won’t affect the regime, say officials in Tehran who confirmed the deaths and vowed revenge.
“Iran’s response to the assassination of the secretary of the supreme national security council will be decisive and regrettable,” Iranian Army commander Amir Hatami said after Tehran confirmed Larjani’s death.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told Al Jazeera that the Islamic Republic is built to withstand shocks and no single figure can destabilise the system.
Iran’s FM Abbas Araghchi is pushing back after the killings of top officials Ali Larijani and Basij commander Gholamreza Soleimani, saying the Islamic Republic is built to withstand shocks and no single figure can destabilise the system.
Israel said it will ramp up attacks on Iranian leaders.
“We have authorized the IDF to eliminate any Iranian official once a “targeting circle” has been closed on them, without the need for additional approval,” said Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz.
Israeli Defense Minister Katz:
Significant surprises are expected today across all fronts that will escalate the war to a new level.
We have authorized the IDF to eliminate any Iranian official once a “targeting circle” has been closed on them, without the need for additional… pic.twitter.com/MqyrTsHskS
Bloomberg News posited that Iran “is running on autopilot” in the wake of attacks on its leadership.
Larijani’s funeral drew huge crowds in Tehran.
Iran’s Basij paramilitary forces, whose leader was recently assassinated by Israel as we noted above, continues to hide under bridges, according to a video submitted to Iran International, the London-based, Persian language media outlet.
A Basij checkpoint on the Karaj-Tehran highway was operating under a bridge in western Tehran over fears of Israeli strikes, a citizen said in a video sent to Iran International. pic.twitter.com/J2TWO5d4Xd
— Iran International English (@IranIntl_En) March 18, 2026
Israel also said it killed a Hamas commander in Gaza.
The IDF says it killed a Hamas commander in the Gaza Strip yesterday who advanced the terror group’s “precision missile project.”
The strike killed Yahya Abu Labda, a commander in Hamas’s supply and logistics department.
— Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) March 18, 2026
With future Iranian threats in mind, NATO is deploying a second Patriot missile-defense system to Turkey’s Incirlik Air Base to bolster the alliance’s air defenses.
“In addition to the measures taken at the national level to ensure the security of our airspace and citizens, another Patriot system assigned by the Allied Air Command in Ramstein/Germany to the existing Spain Patriot system stationed in Adana is being deployed in Adana,” Turkey’s Defense Ministry announced. Adana is the home of Incirlik.
Since March 4, NATO air-defense systems in the eastern Mediterranean have intercepted three missiles launched from Iran toward Turkish airspace,Bloomberg News noted. “The attacks were likely designed to test the alliance’s capacity to respond,” people familiar with the matter told Bloomberg earlier.
“NATO can confirm that it has deployed another Patriot air defence system to Türkiye. It joins two others, including one Spain has deployed there for over a decade,” a NATO official told us. “While we cannot provide additional details about the deployment for operational security purposes, the system provides additional capability to further strengthen NATO’s defensive posture against any potential threat, as Iran continues its indiscriminate attacks across the region.”
Hava sahamızın ve vatandaşlarımızın güvenliğini sağlamak amacıyla millî düzeyde alınan tedbirlerin yanı sıra Adana’da konuşlu mevcut İspanya Patriot sistemine ilave olarak Ramstein/Almanya’daki Müttefik Hava Komutanlığı tarafından görevlendirilen bir Patriot sistemi daha Adana’da… pic.twitter.com/FmO8NuK0ti
— T.C. Millî Savunma Bakanlığı (@tcsavunma) March 18, 2026
CENTCOM released its latest update on Epic Fury. The command said that so far, it has struck more than 7,800 targets, flown more than 8,000 combat sorties and destroyed or damaged more than 120 Iranian ships.
CENTCOM
CENTCOM released video showing targeting pod footage of a U.S. combat aircraft dropping bombs on the entrance of an Iranian missile base tunnel.
Targeting pod footage of an American fighter dropping a stack of bombs into the entrance of an Iranian missile base tunnel last Friday night. pic.twitter.com/c4MKweiRD1
The U.S. Navy’s America class amphibious assault ship USS Tripoli and San Antonio class amphibious warfare ship USS New Orleans were most recently spotted off the coast of Malaysia near Port Klang, according to open source investigator MT Anderson.
The ships were “pushing NW through the Strait of Malacca completely unescorted,” he noted.
As we previously reported, the Tripoli was ordered by the Pentagon to head toward the Middle East. The vessel is the centerpiece of an Amphibious Ready Group (ARG) that typically includes an assault ship, two transport docks, and a support vessel that carries an embarked Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) of at least 2,200 Marines.
THE NAKED SPRINT: Tripoli ARG Transits Malacca Unescorted
OSINT Update (MAR 17): The USS Tripoli (LHA-7) and USS New Orleans are currently off the coast of Malaysia near Port Klang, pushing NW through the Strait of Malacca completely unescorted.
Though the deployment of the Tripoli has sparked speculation that the U.S. could invade Iran’s Kharg Island or attempt to recover enriched uranium from Pickaxe Mountain, officials in Jerusalem are downplaying such possibilities.
“Despite numerous reports in recent days about a potential imminent and multi-sided US invasion of parts of Iran, including plans to retrieve 60% enriched uranium, The Jerusalem Post understands that these reports are exaggerated,” the publication reported. “It is still possible that the US could use ground forces in some fashion. But the images of a large-scale invasion and specifically the idea of an extended mission in Isfahan to retrieve the 60% enriched uranium, which is part of Iran’s nuclear program, do not appear to be in the cards, the Post has learned.”
EXCLUSIVE: Reports of large US invasion to seize Iran’s 60% enriched uranium buried under rubble at Isfahan which could be potentially used for nuclear weapons likely overblown: https://t.co/319qC42nn0
An Iranian strike “impacted an area at the Al Minhad Air Base in the United Arab Emirates, where the Australian Defense Force (ADF) has a long‑standing presence,” Australia’s Defense Ministry announced on X. “No ADF personnel were injured in the incident, and all ADF personnel deployed to the Middle East are safe and accounted for. The strike resulted in minor damage to an accommodation block and medical facility in the Australian section of the base.”
Statement on strikes on Al Minhad Air Base
On the morning of 18 March 2026 (AEDT), an Iranian strike impacted an area at the Al Minhad Air Base in the United Arab Emirates, where the Australian Defence Force (ADF) has a long‑standing presence.
Qatar’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Majed Al Ansari says Iranian attacks have targeted residential areas and Hamad International Airport, contradicting Tehran’s denial that is has been attacking civilian sites.
Bahrain has said an Iranian drone attack caused material damage to a water desalination plant in the country, marking the first time a Gulf nation has reported targeting any such facility during the eight days of the war between Iran and the US and Israel.
The attack on Sunday comes a day after Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said a freshwater desalination plant on Qeshm Island in southern Iran was attacked by the United States.
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“Water supply in 30 villages has been impacted. Attacking Iran’s infrastructure is a dangerous move with grave consequences. The US set this precedent, not Iran,” he said on X on Saturday.
While Tehran has not yet commented on the Bahrain attack, it has raised questions about the vulnerability of the Gulf countries, which depend on desalination plants for the majority of their water supply.
How important are water desalination plants to the Gulf region? Can water security in the Gulf be guaranteed amid a widening of military targets to include energy and other civilian sites?
What are desalination plants?
A desalination plant primarily converts seawater into water suitable for drinking purposes as well as for irrigation and industrial use.
The process of desalination involves removing salt, algae and other pollutants from seawater using a thermal process or membrane-based technologies.
According to the US Department of Energy, desalination systems “heat water so that it evaporates into steam, leaving behind impurities, and then condenses back into a liquid for human use”.
Meanwhile, membrane-based desalination involves “a class of technologies in which saline water passes through a semipermeable material that allows water through but holds back dissolved solids like salts”.
Reverse osmosis is the most popular membrane technology. Most countries in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) use reverse osmosis since it is an energy-efficient technique.
Why are desalination plants important to the Gulf?
Water is scarce in the Gulf region due to the arid climate and irregular rainfall. Countries in the Gulf also have very limited natural freshwater resources. Groundwater, together with desalinated water, accounts for about 90 percent of the region’s main water resources, according to a 2020 report by the Gulf Research Center.
But in recent years, as groundwater has also begun to deteriorate as a result of climate change, Gulf countries have begun relying heavily on energy-intensive seawater desalination to meet their water needs.
More than 400 desalination plants are located on the Arabian Gulf shores stretching from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to Kuwait, providing water to one of the most water-scarce regions in the world.
According to a 2023 research paper published by the Arab Center Washington DC, GCC member states account for about 60 percent of global water desalination capacity, producing almost 40 percent of the total desalinated water in the world.
About 42 percent of the UAE’s drinking water comes from desalination plants, while that figure is 90 percent in Kuwait, 86 percent in Oman, and 70 percent in Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia also produces more desalinated water than any other country.
Desalination has also played a crucial role in enabling economic development in the region, according to Naser Alsayed, an environmental researcher specialising in the Gulf states.
He noted that after the discovery of oil in the late 1930s, Gulf states had very limited natural freshwater resources and could not meet the demands created by population growth and expanding economic activity.
“Desalination plants were therefore introduced,” he told Al Jazeera, adding that the importance of desalinated water in supporting the Gulf’s development is often overlooked.
“As a result, targeting or disrupting desalination facilities would place much of the region’s economic stability and growth at significant risk,” he said.
“Secondly, desalination is the main source of freshwater for most GCC states, especially smaller and highly water-scarce countries such as Bahrain, Kuwait and Qatar. Because this water is primarily used for human consumption, desalination carries a strong humanitarian dimension and is essential for sustaining daily life in the region, making any disruption to these facilities particularly significant for the population,” he added.
Iran also uses desalination plants, which have been installed in coastal areas such as Qeshm Island in the Gulf. But Iran also has many rivers and dams and is not as heavily reliant on desalination plants as other countries in the Gulf region.
If a desalination plant is attacked, what is the impact?
The Gulf’s heavy reliance on desalination plants has made it vulnerable during times of conflict.
During the 1990-1991 Gulf War, Iraqi forces intentionally destroyed most of Kuwait’s desalination capacity, and the damage to its water supply was severe.
Raha Hakimdavar, a hydrologist, told Al Jazeera that in the long-term, attacking these plants can also impact domestic food production, which mostly uses groundwater.
“However, the pressures from competing needs can divert this water away from domestic production. This can be especially challenging because the region is also highly food import dependent and is facing potential food security challenges due to the compromising of the Strait of Hormuz,” said Hakimdavar, who is a Senior Advisor to the Deans at Georgetown University in Qatar and the Earth Commons.
A 2010 CIA report (PDF) also warned that while “national dependence on desalinated water varies substantially among Persian Gulf countries, disruption of desalination facilities in most of the Arab countries could have more consequences than the loss of any industry or commodity.”
According to Alsayed, the impact of a plant being attacked in the region, however, depends on the local scenario.
“For Saudi Arabia, which is the least dependent on desalination and has significant geographic space, facilities on the Red Sea provide resilience. The UAE has 45 days of water storage aligned with its 2036 water security strategy, so contingency plans are in place to manage potential disruptions,” he said.
“The effects are likely to be felt more acutely in smaller states that are highly dependent on desalination like Qatar, Bahrain, and Kuwait, which have minimal strategic reservoirs,” he noted.
“The most significant impact, in my view, is psychological,” Alsayed said. “Water is essential to human life, and the perception of risk can cause fear and panic, which is particularly challenging in the current environment in the region and where authorities are working to maintain calm.”
How can water security be guaranteed?
As attacks on Gulf countries continue, with energy and civilian infrastructure being targeted, Alsayed highlighted that it is important for GCC countries to view water security as a regional issue rather than an independent concern for each member state.
“The countries need to coordinate more closely and work together. The GCC has a strong platform to prepare for water challenges, but has not fully utilised it,” he said.
Alsayed noted that the GCC Unified Water Strategy 2035 called for all member states to have a national integrated energy and water plan by 2020, but this has not yet been achieved.
“Whether through unified desalination grids, shared regional strategic water reserves, or diversifying water resource goals, this is the way to usher a new era to strengthen Gulf water security,” he said.
Hakimdavar, the hydrologist, said there is no replacement for desalination in the GCC in the near-term.
But she added that the GCC countries can rely on strategic water storage reservoirs – many countries maintain large water reserves that can supply cities for several days or longer.
“Countries can also diversify water supply systems, and also invest in smaller, more distributed desalination plants powered by renewable energy to reduce reliance on a few very large facilities,” she added.
