Russia is providing Iran with satellite imagery and assistance in modernizing its drone technology, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal cited by Amar Desh Online on March 18, 2026. The cooperation aims to help Iran target U.S. forces stationed in the Middle East and sustain its military confrontation against the United States and Israel. Moscow is reportedly supplying equipment to upgrade Iran’s Shahed drones, improving communication, navigation, and strike precision.

The report states that Russia has begun directly supplying satellite images to Iran, offering intelligence on the positions of U.S. troops and regional allies. A senior European intelligence official confirmed the information, noting that the collaboration deepened in the early days of the conflict. Analysts compared Russia’s support for Iran to the intelligence assistance the U.S. and European allies provide to Ukraine.

According to the report, Iran has recently used this support to successfully strike U.S. radar systems in Jordan, Bahrain, Kuwait, and Oman. The Kremlin did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the matter.

Iranian military spokesperson Amir Akraminia has claimed that the country is deploying weapons never before used in combat amid its ongoing conflict with the United States and Israel. Speaking to an Iranian television channel on Wednesday, he warned that the use of these weapons would increase in the coming days and that their impact would soon be felt globally.

Akraminia stated that while these armaments had existed in Iran’s arsenal, they had not been deployed on the battlefield until now. Reports from residents in the United Arab Emirates and Israel described louder and more powerful explosions during recent missile interceptions, which appeared to support the claim. According to the Israeli military, Iran is now using cluster warheads in its ballistic missiles at a higher rate than before.

The statements come as regional tensions continue to escalate, with Iran also reportedly ordering the evacuation of five energy facilities in the Gulf region.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stated that the killing of Ali Larijani, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, by Israeli forces will not destabilize the country’s leadership. He made the remarks in an interview with Al Jazeera, broadcast after Tehran confirmed Larijani’s death early Wednesday.

Araghchi emphasized that the United States and Israel have yet to understand that Iran’s government does not depend on any single individual. He described the Islamic Republic as having a strong political structure supported by well-established political, economic, and social institutions. According to him, the presence or absence of any particular person does not affect this framework.

He added that while individuals may be influential and play their respective roles, Iran’s political system remains robust and resilient, underscoring the continuity of governance despite the loss of key figures.

Iran has warned that it may open new fronts in the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandab Strait, escalating tensions across the Middle East. The Iranian armed forces described the presence of the U.S. aircraft carrier USS Gerald Ford in the Red Sea as a direct threat. Colonel Ebrahim Zolfaghari stated that any supply or support facilities linked to the carrier could become future targets. Meanwhile, missile attacks on oil fields and airports in the Gulf region have reportedly intensified.

Amid the growing tension, residents in Dubai and Doha have been urged to leave the area for safety. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claimed responsibility for strikes on the Al Dhafra base in the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain’s Sheikh Isa air base, and the Juffair naval base. Former U.S. President Donald Trump called for global cooperation to secure navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, while Tehran warned the international community against actions that could further escalate the conflict.

The situation underscores the risk of a wider regional confrontation if diplomatic efforts fail to contain the hostilities.

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz has claimed that Iran’s intelligence minister, Ismail Khatib, was killed in an overnight Israeli strike. According to Katz’s statement on Wednesday, Israeli forces carried out the operation that allegedly resulted in Khatib’s death. The report was cited by Al Jazeera. As of now, Iranian authorities have not issued any official comment or confirmation regarding the claim.

The attack reportedly took place in Tehran just one day after the killing of senior Iranian security official Ali Larijani. Israel had previously claimed responsibility for similar strikes that targeted and killed several top Iranian security officials. The latest incident is expected to further escalate the ongoing conflict between Israel and Iran in the Middle East.

Observers suggest that the situation could heighten regional tensions, though no official response from Iran has yet clarified the country’s next steps.

Iran has executed a man accused of spying for Israel, according to the country’s state media on Wednesday. The individual, identified as Kourosh Kayvani, was reportedly arrested in June 2025 during a 12-day war between Iran and Israel. He was charged with transmitting information and images of sensitive Iranian facilities to the Israeli intelligence agency Mossad.

The Tasnim news agency, affiliated with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), reported that Kayvani was first identified in Sweden in 2023 by Israeli security services after he clicked on an online group tour advertisement. The report added that a Mossad officer recruited him, and he later received two years of training in six European countries and Tel Aviv before being sent to Iran for a special mission.

The execution underscores Iran’s continued crackdown on alleged espionage activities amid heightened regional tensions following the 2025 conflict with Israel.

Iran launched a cluster warhead missile attack on Tel Aviv in retaliation for the killing of its security chief, Ali Larijani, according to Iranian state television on Wednesday. The strike on the densely populated Israeli city killed at least two people, raising Israel’s death toll in the ongoing conflict to at least 14. Israel has accused Iran of repeatedly using cluster munitions, which disperse multiple explosives over wide areas and are difficult to intercept.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) reported that a missile also struck near Iran’s Bushehr nuclear power plant on Tuesday evening, though no damage or casualties were recorded. IAEA chief Rafael Grossi urged all parties involved in the conflict to exercise maximum restraint to avoid nuclear risks.

Israel and the United States have said their attacks on Iran, launched more than two weeks ago, aimed to halt Tehran’s nuclear weapons program. Iran confirmed that Larijani was killed in a recent Israeli strike, following the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Iran’s National Security Council added that Larijani’s son and deputy, Alireza Bayat, were also killed in the same attack.

The funeral of Ali Larijani, head of Iran’s National Security Council, and Gholamreza Soleimani, commander of the Basij paramilitary force under the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), is being held on Wednesday. Both officials were killed in an Israeli airstrike on Monday, according to Iranian and Israeli sources.

The IRGC confirmed the death of Soleimani, while Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz stated that Larijani was killed in the same attack on Tuesday night. The incident marks a significant escalation in tensions between Israel and Iran, following a series of cross-border hostilities.

Iranian media reported that the deaths of the two senior figures have drawn national attention, though Iranian officials have indicated that the killings will not destabilize the country’s political system.

Israel carried out an overnight attack in Tehran targeting Iran’s intelligence minister, Esmail Khatib, according to an Israeli official cited by international media. The strike came just one day after the killing of Ali Larijani, a senior Iranian security official. The Israeli source stated that it remains unclear whether Khatib was killed in the assault.

The report, based on information from CNN and Al Jazeera, indicates a rapid escalation in tensions between Iran and Israel following consecutive high-level attacks. The incident underscores the volatile security environment in Tehran and the broader regional strain between the two countries.

No confirmation has yet been provided by Iranian authorities, and the full extent of the damage or casualties remains uncertain.

Iran carried out fresh attacks across several Gulf countries on Tuesday night, following its pledge to avenge the killing of national security chief Ali Larijani. The strikes reportedly included missile attacks that killed two people in Tel Aviv, Israel. Explosions were also reported near the US Embassy area in Baghdad early Wednesday morning.

According to reports, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar all claimed to have intercepted incoming attacks. In response, the United States announced that it had launched strikes on Iranian missile positions along the Strait of Hormuz, using bunker-busting bombs. The developments mark a sharp escalation in regional hostilities involving Iran, Israel, and the United States.

The situation underscores rising tensions across the Middle East, with multiple countries now directly engaged in defensive and retaliatory actions following Larijani’s assassination.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stated that the assassination of National Security Council chief Ali Larijani will not destabilize Iran’s governing system. In an interview with Al Jazeera, Araghchi said the United States and Israel have failed to understand that Iran’s government does not depend on any single individual.

He emphasized that the Islamic Republic of Iran has a strong political structure supported by established political, economic, and social institutions. According to Araghchi, the presence or absence of one person does not affect this framework, as each official plays their own role within a robust system.

Referring to the assassination of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Araghchi said that despite that major national loss, the system continued functioning and immediately appointed a successor. He added that the same process would occur if any other official, including the foreign minister, were to be killed.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has warned that the ongoing war in the Middle East could have global repercussions. In a post on social media platform X, he said the ripple effects of the conflict were only beginning and would impact everyone regardless of wealth, religion, or nationality. Araghchi urged Western governments to build stronger resistance against the war.

His post included a copy of the resignation letter of Joe Kent, director of the U.S. National Counterterrorism Center. In the letter, Kent stated that he could not support the ongoing war against Iran, arguing that Iran posed no imminent threat to the United States and that the conflict was driven by pressure from Israel and its U.S. lobby. Araghchi added that an increasing number of European and American officials were calling the war against Iran unjust and encouraged others to follow their example.

The warning comes amid escalating tensions in the region, with reports of casualties following Iranian attacks on Israel and diplomatic efforts among Muslim nations to address the crisis.

Iran’s Deputy Chief of the Supreme National Security Council, Alireza Bayat, has been killed. According to Iranian state media, Bayat was with the country’s security chief, Ali Larijani, when Israel carried out an attack that also claimed Larijani’s life. The incident occurred on Tuesday night, as confirmed earlier by the security council, which reported that Larijani, his son, and an aide were killed in the Israeli strike.

Tasnim News Agency described Bayat as a skilled but publicity-shy administrator. Before joining the Supreme National Security Council, he served as the head of Iran’s Hajj and Pilgrimage Organization and previously worked in several national security institutions.

The report did not provide further details about the location or circumstances of the attack, nor did it mention any official Iranian response to the incident.

Iran’s military has announced plans to take revenge for the killing of National Security Council chief Ali Larijani in an Israeli airstrike. Army chief Amir Hatami warned that Iran’s response would be “final and regrettable,” describing the planned retaliation as both decisive and sorrowful.

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) confirmed the death of Basij commander Gholamreza Soleimani in the same context. The report noted that this assassination marks the highest-level killing since the joint U.S.-Israeli attack on February 28 that killed former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. The developments signal a sharp escalation in the ongoing conflict between Iran and Israel.

According to the report, Iran’s leadership views the attack as a direct assault on its national security structure, and the military’s vow of retribution underscores the growing regional tension following recent high-profile assassinations.

Eighteen days after attacks by the United States and Israel on Iran, Tehran has launched retaliatory strikes on American installations across several Middle Eastern countries. In this context, Ali Larijani, head and secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, issued an open six-point letter on Monday addressed to Muslim-majority nations. In the letter, he called on the Muslim world to stand with Iran in its war against the US and Israel, describing America as an unreliable partner and Israel as an enemy of Muslims.

Larijani’s letter, written in Arabic, was characterized as part rebuke, part theological argument, and part strategic appeal. He accused Washington and Tel Aviv of orchestrating a deceptive aggression aimed at dividing Iran, which he said led to the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei, civilians, and military commanders. He criticized Muslim governments for failing to support Iran and urged them to reflect on the future of the Islamic world, emphasizing unity and collective security.

Larijani reaffirmed that Iran would continue its resistance against what he termed the “great and small devils,” referring to the United States and Israel.