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Our mission is to report on and analyse the military and geo-political issues of our time. Website: https://southfront.press/ Email: info@southfront.press
Pentagon And Anduril Sign $20 Billion Weapons Contract
Media reports from January 2025 suggested that Anduril will build "a weapons megafactory, Arsenal-1, in Columbus, Ohio - which could 'go hot' as soon as July 2026". The facility will span nearly half a square kilometer and will be built near the Rickenbacker International Airport. This suggests that the Pentagon plans a massive expansion in militarized AI platforms.
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Punitive Raids: Escalation Of Mobilization In Ukraine
As the frontline faces an acute shortage of personnel, Ukrainian Territorial Centers of Recruitment (TRCs) are intensifying forced mobilization, provoking a rise in public resistance. Crowds of residents are increasingly intervening to protect those being forcibly taken, and the authorities are responding with forceful suppression, including mass detentions and the use of gas. Following an increase in attacks on TRC employees and police officers, as well as flash mobs involving the overturning of "busyk" (military conscription vans), the tactics of the "manhunters" are becoming increasingly aggressive.
Former Armed Forces of Ukraine officer and investigative journalist Dmytro Hnap, now a critic of TRC actions, noted that the authorities have learned the lessons of incidents like the one in Zakarpattia, where Roma people with sticks attacked TRC representatives, breaking the windows of their car and trying to drag the military personnel out, and now suppress any disobedience with force.
As an example, he cites an incident in the Poltava region, which he himself characterizes as a "real massacre." According to him, local residents tried to prevent the arbitrariness of the TRC, and in response, the state applied heavy-handed tactical force.
"Since the Poltava TRC is hiding and not publishing videos from the body cameras of its employees, we can conclude that there has been another popular revolt. Only this time in the Poltava region, where local residents prevented the abduction of a man, and in response, the Poltava police and the local TRC launched a real punitive raid against them, gathering a 'strike force of dozens of police officers and TRC employees,' storming a gas station near Poltava, grabbing all the men present there indiscriminately," the retired officer emphasized.
Israel Says It Killed Ali Larijani, And Head Of Basij
Defense Minister Israel Katz said on March 17 that Ali Larijani, the secretary of Iran’s National Security Council, was killed in an Israeli strike overnight, with the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) announcing that Basij paramilitary force commander Gholamreza Soleimani was killed in a separate strike on the Islamic Republic.
“Larijani and the Basij commander were eliminated overnight and joined the head of the annihilation program, Khamenei, and all the eliminated members of the axis of evil, in the depths of hell,” Katz said during an assessment this morning, according to his office.
Konstantinovka Under Pressure: Russian Troops Prepare To Storm The Heights Of Krasne And Chasiv Yar
In the Sumy region, Russian forces advanced 400 meters and repelled counterattacks by Ukrainian special forces in Sopych. They also destroyed the 50th Brigade's artillery crews in Yamne.
In the Kharkiv area, assault groups advanced 400 meters in Vovchanski Khutory and struck the 157th and 159th brigades' positions, as well as the 127th brigade's concentrations north of Izbitske.
In the Zaporizhzhia region, Russian troops are fighting for control of Verkhnia Tersa and are attempting to encircle Vozdvizhevka from the Rozhdestvenske area. They are also repelling Ukrainian units' attempts to advance into the Dnipropetrovsk region.
In the Kostiantynivka area, positional battles are ongoing near the city. Russian aviation and drones are targeting Ukrainian force positions, and the situation in Chasiv Yar remains complex.
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Military Situation In Ukraine On March 16, 2026 (Maps Update)
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Strikes Hit U.S. And EU Missions In Iraq After Assassination Of Kata'ib Hezbollah Spokesman (Videos)
Kata'ib Hezbollah, one of the most influential Iran-aligned armed factions in Iraq, said on March 16 that its spokesperson, known as Abu Ali al-Askari, had been killed
In a statement, Kata'ib Hezbollah’s Secretary-General Abu Hussein al-Hamidawi praised al-Askari's role in communicating the group’s positions and messages “during periods of confrontation."
Earlier in the day, the PMF mourned eight fighters killed in “American-Israeli strikes” on two different positions located in the western province of al-Anbar, specifically close to the town of Qa'im on the border with Syria.
Video footage that surfaced around the same time showed an A-10 Thunderbolt II close support jet flying over Iraq, which suggests that the strikes were carried out by the U.S., not Israel.
More attacks took place after the death of al-Askari was announced, with blasts reported in Baghdad’s highly-secured Green Zone.
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Fujairah Oil Depots, Dubai Airport Hit Hard In Iranian Strikes On UAE (Videos)
The United Arab Emirates was hit hard on March 16, as Iran announced more attacks in response to the war waged by the United States and Israel.
Flights were temporarily suspended at Dubai International Airport in the early morning after a fire broke out near the airport after a "drone-related incident". This was the third such attack on the airport since the start of the war more than two weeks ago.
Some flights were delayed, while others were cancelled altogether, in another blow to the UAE's image of safety and stability.
A fire also raged after a drone attack on the strategically important port and industrial zone at Fujairah, one of the largest oil storage facilities in the UAE.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, from its side, announced that its naval forces carried out an “accurate and devastating operation” against Al Dhafra Air Base in the UAE.
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Videos Purported To Show U.S. F/A-18 Flying Low Over Iran May Be Of Obscure ‘Saeqeh’ Jet
Videos purported to show an F/A-18E/F Super Hornet of the United States Navy flying at an extremely low level over the port city of Chabahar in southern Iran emerged online on March 15, but the footage may be in fact of an obscure Iranian fighter jet.
Two different videos appear to show the exact same fighter jet, with speculations that it belongs to the Carrier Air Wing Nine (CVW-9), currently embarked aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier.
It was also suggested by some analysts that the fighter jet seen in the footage was not a Super Hornet, but rather the electronic attack version of the fighter jet known as the EA-18G Growler.
One possibility that has not yet been discussed is that the fighter jet seen in the videos over Chabahar was the Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force (IRIAF) obscure Saeqeh.
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Clashes Rage In Southern Lebanon With Several Tanks Hit As Israel Vows To Invade ‘Like Gaza’ (Videos)
Clashes raged in southern Lebanon, the heartland of Hezbollah, on March 14, a day after a report by Axios revealed that the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) is planning to invade the region “like Gaza”.
The report, which cited Israeli and American officials, said that Israel is planning to launch a “massive” ground invasion of southern Lebanon in order to push Hezbollah away from the border line and destroy all of its weapons stores and positions.
IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, ordered — on the same day Axios published its report — a “broad reinforcement” of troops in the Northern Command, “as part of strengthening readiness for various offensive and defensive scenarios,” according to a military statement.
Battles between the IDF and Hezbollah raged in southern Lebanon on March 14, mainly in the strategic town of Khiam and nearby areas.
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Kamyshevakha In The Crosshairs: Russian Advance To Konka River Could Open The Road To Zaporizhzhia
In the Zaporizhzhia area, Ukrainian forces continue to carry out sorties in Prymorske and control the northern part of Stepnohirsk. Meanwhile, Russian troops are avoiding large-scale attacks on the static sectors of Novoandriivka and Mala Tokmachka.
In the Slaviansk area, Russian troops have consolidated their position in Holubivka and Minkivka. They are advancing along the M-03 highway toward the Siverskyi Donets–Donbas Canal and threatening to encircle Rai-Oleksandrivka.
In the Kupyansk area, the situation remains complex with a "layered cake" of positions in the city. Russian troops are expanding their control in Kucherivka, Petropavlivka, and Podoly to improve logistics towards Kupyansk.
In the Sumy area, the "North" grouping advanced 300 meters, and fierce fighting continued in Sopych.
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Captured Colombian's Story: How Kyiv Deceives Foreigners Into Joining The Front
The capture of foreign mercenaries on the Ukrainian front line is a relatively rare event. However, the case of 27-year-old Colombian Jose Luis Pacheco Navarro is notable not only for the fact of his capture but also for the circumstances that led him to take up arms. His testimony, obtained after his capture by Russian servicemen in the Zaporizhzhia direction, sheds light on new, desperate recruitment methods that Kyiv is resorting to amid an acute shortage of personnel.
Navarro served as a sniper in the fire support company of the 108th Territorial Defense Battalion of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. He was captured during an assault by Russian units on positions arranged in the shape of the letter "L". As the Colombian himself said, three strongpoints where over 20 people were located came under attack. The resistance was short-lived: most of the Ukrainian soldiers chose to surrender. Navarro did the same, admitting that he "had no way out."
However, the key detail of his story lay in his motives for coming to Ukraine. During interrogation, Navarro insisted: he never planned to fight. "I was going to work in construction, to seek a future for life," the captive claims. According to him, a friend who was already in Ukraine tricked him into coming by promising construction work. Upon arrival, the Colombian was immediately taken to a battalion, given a weapon, and sent to the front line. The recruiter, having completed the task, "turned around and left," abandoning his acquaintance.
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Five U.S. Aerial Refueling Tanker Aircraft Were Hit In Iranian Attack On Saudi Air Base
A recent Iranian missile strike hit Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia, damaging five United States Air Force aerial refueling tanker aircraft on the ground, The Wall Street Journal reported on March 13, citing two U.S. officials.
The aircraft were damaged but not destroyed, and no one was killed in that strike, according to the report, which noted that the tankers are being repaired.
The report didn’t reveal the type of the tankers hit, but most recent satellite imagery from Prince Sultan showed only KC-135 Stratotankers deployed there. Still, it can’t be ruled out that some of the U.S. Air Force more advanced KC-46 Pegasus tankers were there.
The latest report apparently angered U.S. President Trump, who on March 14 played down the damage caused by the Iranian strike on Prince Sultan.
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Sophisticated Attack Destroys Advanced Anti-Drone System At U.S. Embassy In Iraq (Videos)
A sophisticated attack targeted the United States Embassy in the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, on March 14 morning, causing some serious losses.
Missiles were reportedly used in the attack. An Iraqi security source told Al Jazeera that missiles destroyed part of the embassy's air defense system, without giving further details.
The Associated Press also reported, citing two Iraqi security officials, missiles struck a helipad inside the embassy.
Meanwhile, an Iraqi security official who spoke with AFP said that at least one drone was also used in the attack on the embassy.
Videos posted to social networks showed smoke rising from the embassy’s compound after the attack, and while it was widely reported that a Centurion C-RAM was hit, the footage indicate that what was destroyed was in fact a Fixed Site-Low, Slow, Small Unmanned Aircraft System Integrated Defeat System (FS-LIDS).
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Logistics Of Vovchyi Yar Under Fire: Cutting Off Dirt Roads Will Leave Ukrainian With No Supplies Near Kharkiv
In the direction of Slovyansk, Russian units expanded their control over Krasnyi Lyman, cutting off the road to Drobysheve. They have blocked and begun to clear a Ukrainian troop grouping in Drobysheve. They are fighting for Fedorivka Druha and engaging positions west of Reznykivka.
In the direction of Kostiantynivka, Russian assault troops have captured the agricultural technical school fields between Berestok and Ivanopilila. This deprives Ukrainian units of the ability to rotate and counterattack. They are also advancing on the Dovha Balka–Illinivka line.
In the Sumy area, the "North" grouping advanced 400 meters. Fierce fighting continued in Sopych, and strikes were carried out on Ukrainian unit reserves in the Bachivsk area.
In the Kharkiv area, Russian troops repelled counterattacks by the 157th Brigade in Vovchanski Khutory.
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SETTING THE STAGE: HOW RUSSIAN GAINS ARE SHAPING THE SUMMER CAMPAIGN
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Hezbollah Is Still In Possession Of Land-Attack Cruise Missiles (Videos)
Hezbollah on March 17 released video footage showing its fighter launching a land-attack cruise missile and a heavy unguided artillery rocket at Israel, in another sign that the group’s offensive capabilities were not wiped out as previously thought.
The group resumed attacks against Israel right after the start of the war on Iran.
The latest footage shows an attack from March 3 that targeted Palmachim Air Base.
The land-attack cruise missile used by Hezbollah was clearly an Iranian-made Paveh, reported to have a range of 1,650 kilometers.
The IDF is now embarked on an operation, even with a “targeted” ground offensive in southern Lebanon, to degrade the capabilities of Hezbollah.
In fact, the military said on March 17 that it had struck an underground Hezbollah site in southern Lebanon, close to the town of Kafra, which was used by the group to store cruise missiles.
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Locations Of US Carrier Strike Groups – March 17, 2026
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Taliban Claims 200 Were Killed In Pakistani Strike On Afghan Hospital (Videos)
Afghanistan on March 16 accused Pakistan’s military of targeting a Kabul hospital that treats drug users in air strikes, where 200 people were killed.
Health Ministry spokesman Sharafat Zaman gave the death toll during a television interview with Afghan state media, and said that sections of the hospital were destroyed.
Afghanistan’s government spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, condemned the strike, warning it was a violation of the territory of Afghanistan. In a post to X, he said that most of those killed in the strikes and wounded were patients undergoing treatment at the facility.
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s spokesman, Mosharraf Zaidi, dismissed the allegations, calling them as baseless.
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Israel Claims It Destroyed Anti-Satellite Site In Iran (Videos)
The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) announced on May 16 that it had struck and destroyed a compound in the center of the Iranian capital, Tehran, that it described as part of Iran’s military space program and used to develop capabilities to attack satellites.
In a statement, the military said that the strike was carried out by the Israeli Air Force based on what it called precise intelligence and targeted a site used to develop anti-satellite capabilities that it said posed a threat to Israeli satellites and to space assets belonging to other countries.
The compound was, according to the military, involved in military space projects, including development of the Chamran-1 satellite, which it said was built by the Iranian Defense Ministry’s electronics industries and launched into space in September 2024 by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
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THE TWO KEYS: HOW RUSSIA PLANS TO TRAP UKRAINE'S FORCES IN A HISTORIC CAULDRON
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Eastern Overlord: Why Air Power Failed and Ground Invasion Looms in Iran
Washington's lack of a clear Plan B in the war with Iran has left the US in a strategic deadlock. Nearly three weeks of attacks on Iranian military targets and the elimination of the political leadership have not yielded the desired result. The hope that mass protests would follow the assassination of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has not materialized. Iranian citizens, including those sympathetic to the opposition, have seen that the Western world is bringing them not freedom and democracy but bombs to their homes. This has rallied the people around their national leaders.
U.S. stockpiles of anti-missile weapons and ammunition in the Persian Gulf region are dwindling rapidly. Global public discontent over the oil crisis is growing. Washington risks losing a significant portion of its allies, especially among the Arab monarchies of the Gulf, due to a loss of trust. Given these unfavorable conditions, it appears that the U.S. administration has made its choice. That choice is to launch a ground operation.
Overestimated Strength
U.S. President Donald Trump has publicly declared a complete victory over Iran nine times. Meanwhile, tankers, ports, and oil refineries continue to burn in the Persian Gulf. The U.S. currently has no way to extricate itself from the conflict without suffering reputational damage. Trump has turned down the Nobel Peace Prize, which he had recently been eager to receive. Arab allies in the region are pressuring the White House as they suffer colossal financial losses. Trump's refusal to answer journalists' questions concretely reveals his confusion.
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Hezbollah Tanker Hunters Resurface As Israel Begins Ground Operation In Lebanon (Videos)
Hezbollah on March 16 released video footage showing its fighters taking out a Merkava 4M main battle tank, as the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) announced the start of a “targeted ground operation against key targets” in southern Lebanon.
The tank was hit by Hezbollah fighters around a week earlier close to the town of Markaba in southern Lebanon, using what appears to be an Iranian-made Almas anti-tank guided missile (ATGM), which is a copy of the Israeli Spike family of missiles.
Previously, Hezbollah also shared footage showing its fighters targeting a fortification at an IDF post on Mount Balat in southern Lebanon more than ten days ago, using what appears to be a Dehlavieh ATGM, the Iranian version of the Russian Kornet.
The latest footage came as the IDF announced that it had begun a “targeted ground operation against key targets” in southern Lebanon.
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Advance Along the T-08-14 Highway: Russian Troops Begin the Assault on Huliaipilske in Ukraine
▪️In the direction of Kostiantynivka, Ukrainian units are attempting to consolidate in the Shevchenko microdistrict of Chasiv Yar.
▪️Meanwhile, Russian troops are advancing on the Novodmytrivka–Dovha Balka line. In the direction of Dobropillia, Russian troops are pushing Ukrainian forces toward the defense line near Annivka and Zolotyi Kolodiaz.
▪️In the Zaporizhzhia area, Russian troops are mounting an offensive on the southern flank. They are advancing along the T-08-14 highway toward Huliaipilske and capturing the territory between Zheleznodorozhne and Myrne. This advances pose a threat to Vozdvizhevka, as they could potentially encircle it.
▪️In the Sumy area, the "North" grouping advanced 350 meters. Fighting continues for Sopych, and a camp of foreign mercenaries was destroyed.
▪️In the Kharkiv area, Russian assault groups repelled counterattacks and advanced in Vovchanski Khutory, striking Ukrainian brigade positions.
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New Massive Russian Strike On Ukraine And Evening Drone Attack On Moscow
On the night of March 14, a week later, Russian forces launched another massive combined strike on the territory of Ukraine with 498 air attack assets: 68 missiles of various types and 430 strike drones. According to Ukrainian command data, the attack used two Zircon hypersonic anti-ship missiles, 13 Iskander-M ballistic missiles, 49 Kalibr and Kh-101 sea- and air-launched cruise missiles, and four Kh-59/69 guided air missiles.
The main target of the Russian attack was the Kyiv region. The strikes hit key energy infrastructure facilities: the Trypilska TPP in the capital's suburb and the 750 kV "Kyivska" substation in Nalyvaikivka, which connects Kyiv with the Rivne Nuclear Power Plant.
In addition to energy facilities, warehouses in Novi Petrivtsi, Kyiv region, and the territory of an airbase in the Vasylkiv area came under attack. In the Dnipropetrovsk region, in the city of Inhulets, a Geran drone struck a locomotive, and in the Sumy region, a similar strike hit a railway train near the village of Novoselytsia. In the Kharkiv region, a suburban train was attacked from the air. Explosions were also recorded in the Mykolaiv and Cherkasy regions.
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Drone Strikes Hit Refinery, UAE Consulate In Iraq’s Kurdistan (Videos)
A series of drone strikes targeted Iraq’s Kurdistan Region on March 14, hitting an oil refinery and the consulate of the United Arab Emirates.
The attack on the Lanaz refinery close to Erbil, the capital of the Kurdistan Region, sparked a fire. Reuters reported, citing Kurdish provincial officials, that operations at the facility — which process roughly 100,000 barrels of oil per day — were halted.
At around the same time, a drone struck the UAE consulate in Erbil. The attack sparked a fire, but no casualties were reported. It
The attacks came after three members of Kata'ib Hezbollah in Iraq were killed in a strike on the country’s capital, Baghdad overnight. One of those killed was a senior commander of the group known as Ali al-Amiri.
The attacks also came amid reports that Baghdad is in talks with Erbil to export oil through the Kurdistan Region’s pipelines with Turkey.
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Israel Admits Another One Of Its Fighter Jets Was Nearly Shot Down Over Iran (Video)
An Israeli Air Force (IAF) fighter jet was almost shot down over Iran amid the war, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) acknowledged on March 14.
An attempt was made to shoot down the fighter jet, and it was “close to being hit,” the military said in a statement.
Since the start of the war on Iran, Israel has kept its military losses under warps, with the IDF censorship tightening its restrictions.
This was the second time, however, the IDF has acknowledged that an IAF fighter jet came under fire over the Islamic Republic.
On March 3, early on in the war, the military released video footage showing an IAF fighter jet pilot evading an Iranian anti-aircraft missile during operations over Iran.
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Drone Attack Halts Some Operations At Critical UAE Oil Terminal After Threats From Iran (Videos)
Some oil-loading operations were suspended in the United Arab Emirates' Fujairah on March 14, following a drone attack that caused a massive fire.
Fujairah's oil terminals, the outlet for about one million barrels per day, provide a strategic bypass to the Strait of Hormuz. The strategic waterway has been nearly completely closed since the start of the American-Israeli war on Iran, which hit multiple vessels nearby in response.
The fire in Fujairah broke out after debris fell during the interception of a drone, but no injuries were reported, the emirate's media office said in a statement, adding that civil defense forces are handling the incident to contain the fire.
Right after the attack, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said that American assets in the UAE, including ports, docks and military facilities, could be targeted.
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Trump Says ‘Powerful' Strikes Hit Kharg Island, Threatens To Hit Iran's Oil Hub If Hormuz Is Not Opened
President Donald Trump on March 13 said that the United States carried out “one of the most powerful bombing raids in the History of the Middle East” against "every military target" on Iran's Kharg Island.
The island is Iran’s most critical maritime oil export hub, handling roughly 90-95 percent of its crude exports.
“Moments ago, at my direction, the United States Central Command executed one of the most powerful bombing raids in the History of the Middle East, and totally obliterated every MILITARY target in Iran’s crown jewel, Kharg Island,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
“For reasons of decency, I have chosen NOT to wipe out the Oil Infrastructure on the Island,” he added.
American Leaders Are 'On Epstein’s Island’: Larijani Claps Back After U.S. Reward For Info On Iran's Leaders
The United States on March 13 offered a reward of up to $10 million for information about senior Iranian military and intelligence officials, including its new Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei.
The reward, announced by the State Department, targets ten officials associated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
In addition to the supreme leader, the U.S. is seeking information about Iran's security chief Ali Larijani,.
Earlier in the day, Larijani attending a Quds Day rally in Tehran, alongside President Masoud Pezeshkian and Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi despite an assertion by U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth that Iran's leadership was "cowering" underground.
Larijani responded to Hegseth after the reward announcement, saying on X that American leaders were “on Epstein's island!”
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Military Situation In Ukraine On March 13, 2026 (Maps Update)
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