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Iran Update Morning Special Report, March 11, 2026
The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) and the Critical Threats Project (CTP) at the American Enterprise Institute are publishing two updates daily to provide analysis on the war with Iran. The morning update will focus on US and Israeli strikes on Iran and Iran and the Axis of Resistance’s response to the strikes. The evening update will be more comprehensive, covering events over the past 24-hour period and refining items discussed in the morning update.
Key Takeaways
Iran has deployed fewer than 10 naval mines in the Strait of Hormuz. Iran’s reticence to deploy the naval mines en masse indicates that while Iran is willing and capable of mining the strait, it remains hesitant to do so due to the far-reaching political and economic costs Iran would incur in doing so.
Iran is continuing to target commercial vessels in the Persian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz as part of its effort to disrupt maritime traffic and threaten freedom of navigation. Iranian media published images on March 11 that show a likely Iranian unmanned surface vessel (USV) impact along the waterline of the Thai-flagged MAYUREE NAREE cargo ship.
The US and Israeli combined force has continued to target Iranian internal security and military targets. ISW-CTP has observed strikes in 10 provinces since March 10 at 3:00 PM ET.
Iran continued to attack the Gulf States and Israel. The Saudi Defense Ministry stated on March 10 that it intercepted 13 Iranian drones targeting multiple locations, including the Shaybah oil field.
Hezbollah has claimed 13 attacks targeting IDF positions and forces in northern Israel and southern Lebanon since ISW-CTP’s last data cutoff at 3:00 PM ET on March 10. Israeli media reported that Hezbollah has reportedly fired more than 850 rockets at Israel since March 2.
Toplines
Iran has deployed fewer than 10 naval mines in the Strait of Hormuz. Iran’s reticence to deploy the naval mines en masse indicates that while Iran is willing and capable of mining the strait, it remains hesitant to do so due to the far-reaching political and economic costs Iran would incur in doing so. Unspecified US officials told the on March 10 that Iran placed naval mines in the Strait in recent days, but has deployed fewer than 10 mines so far.[1] A 2025 US Congressional Report said that Iran has 5,000-6,000 naval mines in service. CENTCOM said on March 10 that it destroyed 16 Iranian minelayers near the Strait of Hormuz. A mass deployment of mines would cause major disruptions for all shipping, not just non-Iranian shipping. Iran would incur political costs with China and severely damage the Iraqi economy if it deployed large numbers of mines. The Iraqi economy is heavily reliant on oil exports. Iran uses the Iraqi economy for sanctions evasion, and the collapse of Iraq’s economy would have significant negative effects for Iran.
Iran is continuing to target commercial vessels in the Persian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz as part of its effort to disrupt maritime traffic and threaten freedom of navigation. Iranian media published images on March 11 that show a likely Iranian unmanned surface vessel (USV) impact along the waterline of the Thai-flagged MAYUREE NAREE cargo ship in the Strait of Hormuz.[2] The USV appears to have struck the ship’s rudder and propeller area, likely to immobilize the vessel, and the strike caused a fire onboard.[3] The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) reported that an unknown projectile struck the MAYUREE NAREE, which caused most of the crew to evacuate the vessel, apart from a skeleton crew.[4] The UKMTO reported two other likely Iranian attacks on commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz on March 11.[5] A likely Iranian drone struck a separate, unspecified cargo ship on March 11 in the strait. The strike damaged the ship but did not cause casualties.[6] A likely Iranian drone also struck an unspecified bulk carrier off the coast of Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE), on March 11 damaged the ship but did not cause casualties.[7]
The combined force continues to degrade the Iranian Navy as part of an effort to limit Iran’s ability to threaten merchant shipping. CENTCOM released footage of additional strikes on Iranian naval vessels and said it sank over 60 Iranian ships on March 11.[8] CENTCOM commander Admiral Brad Cooper said on March 11 that CENTCOM destroyed all four IRGC Navy Soleimani Class Warships.[9] CENTCOM previously struck the IRGC Navy’s Soleimani Class IRIS Shahid Sayyad Shirazi on March 3.[10]
The US and Israeli combined force has continued to target Iranian internal security and military targets. ISW-CTP has observed strikes in 10 provinces since March 10 at 3:00 PM ET.[11] The combined force struck police stations in East Azerbaijan, Tehran, and Kurdistan provinces, as well as a Basij center in Tehran and the Imam Reza Basij headquarters in Esfahan.[12] The combined force has repeatedly struck Basij infrastructure, including in Tehran.[13] The Basij is a paramilitary force that is responsible for civil defense and social control. The combined force also struck the 7th Artesh Air Force Fighter Base, which the combined force last struck on March 6.[14] Anti-regime media footage posted on X showed destruction to an unspecified Iranian radar in Badar Abbas, Hormozgan Province.[15] The radar is on top of a tower that could be an air traffic control tower.
The combined force struck a Bank Sepah building on March 11.[16] Strikes on Bank Sepah, depending on the severity of damage and the services the strike impacts, could create challenges for Iran as it attempts to pay military personnel. Bank Sepah said that the strike destroyed the building and disrupted in-person and online services.[17] Bank Sepah is responsible for paying IRGC and Artesh personnel and is sanctioned by the United States.[18] The Khatam ol Anbiya Central headquarters spokesperson stated on March 11 that civilians should not be within one kilometer of Iranian banks.[19] Anti-regime media reported on March 11 that the combined force also disrupted services at the regime-affiliated Bank Melli for at least the past two days.[20]
The combined force struck an unspecified air defense site in Masjed Soleiman, Khuzestan Province.[21] There are numerous Iranian military facilities in Masjed Soleiman, including the 2nd Artesh Ground Forces Aviation Base and an IRGC Aerospace Force missile base.[22]
Anti-regime media reported that the combined force struck the Abadan refinery in Khuzestan Province.[23] The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) struck two oil refineries and two oil storage facilities on March 7.[24] Disruptions to Iran’s energy sector will likely worsen the country’s ongoing energy crisis and lead to more widespread and frequent electricity shortages and outages. Iranians have reported daily blackouts due to the energy crisis since February 2025.[25]
US CENTCOM Commander Admiral Brad Cooper said on March 10 that the United States has struck more than 5,500 targets in Iran.[26] Cooper added that the combined force has air superiority over “vast swathes of Iran.”
Iranian Retaliation
Iran continued to attack the Gulf States and Israel. The Saudi Defense Ministry stated on March 10 that it intercepted 13 Iranian drones targeting multiple locations, including the Shaybah oil field.[27] The Saudi Defense Ministry added that it intercepted six ballistic missiles targeting the Prince Sultan Air Base in al Kharj.[28] The Qatari Defense Ministry announced on March 10 that it intercepted a missile, which an OSINT account on X claimed was flying over Doha.[29] The Kuwait Armed Forces stated on March 10 that it intercepted four drones and several others fell “outside the threat area.”[30] Iran also launched at least four missile barrages at Israel since ISW-CTP’s last data cutoff.[31] Israeli media reported on March 10 that Iran is firing fewer missiles per day each day since the war started on February 28, citing IDF assessments.[32] The Israeli media report added that Iran has launched about 300 ballistic missiles at Israel, and about half of them carried cluster bomb warheads.[33]
Lebanon
Hezbollah has claimed 13 attacks targeting IDF positions and forces in northern Israel and southern Lebanon since ISW-CTP’s last data cutoff at 3:00 PM ET on March 10.[34] Israeli media reported that Hezbollah has reportedly fired more than 850 rockets at Israel since March 2.[35] Hezbollah claimed that it conducted several rocket and artillery strikes targeting IDF forces and positions along both sides of the Israel-Lebanon border.[36] Nearly all of Hezbollah’s claimed attacks on March 10 and March 11 targeted IDF positions or forces in southern Lebanon, except for one rocket attack on IDF positions in Metula, Northern Israel.[37] The IDF did not report any Hezbollah rocket attacks in northern Israel since ISW-CTP’s last data cutoff, but Israeli media reported that Hezbollah conducted at least one drone attack targeting northern Israel on March 10.[38]
The IDF has reportedly continued to advance into southern Lebanon since ISW-CTP’s last data cutoff on March 10. A Hezbollah-aligned source claimed on March 10 that IDF units continued to advance into the Kanouq neighborhood in Aitaroun, Bint Jbeil District, under IDF artillery and small arms cover.[39] The IDF reportedly began advancing toward Aitaroun earlier on March 9.[40]
The IDF has continued to conduct airstrikes targeting Hezbollah across Lebanon to degrade Hezbollah’s ability to launch attacks targeting Israeli forces and positions in northern Israel and southern Lebanon. The IDF said it struck a Hezbollah headquarters and weapon storage sites in Dahiyeh, southern Beirut, on March 11.[41] The IDF also released evacuation orders to residents of the Haret Hreik and Burj al Barajneh neighborhoods of south Beirut on March 11, 30 minutes prior to its attack.[42] Both neighborhoods are part of the Dahiyeh area. The IDF has continuously struck Dahiyeh since March 2 and has destroyed approximately 30 multi-story buildings in the neighborhood, according to an Israeli military correspondent.[43] The United Nations estimated on March 9 that fighting in Lebanon has internally displaced over 700,000 people.[44]
Endnotes
[1] https://caspianpost.com/iran/us-congress-iran-has-thousands-of-naval-mines
[2] https://t.me/Nournews_ir/337131
[3] https://t.me/Nournews_ir/337131
[4] https://x.com/UK_MTO/status/2031776880106618894/photo/1
[5] https://x.com/UK_MTO/status/2031647016489492825
[6] https://x.com/UK_MTO/status/2031647016489492825
[7] https://x.com/UK_MTO/status/2031632623252975907
[8] https://x.com/CENTCOM/status/2031456940090372370 ; https://x.com/CENTCOM/status/2031489675760640370 ; https://x.com/CENTCOM/status/2031700131687379148
[9] https://x.com/CENTCOM/status/2031700131687379148
[10] https://x.com/CENTCOM/status/2029222307676238030
[11] https://x.com/IranIntl/status/2031457521693495621 ; https://t.me/IranintlTV/325286 ; https://x.com/zarGEOINT/status/2031464645177881017 ; https://x.com/IranIntl/status/2031654670934909216 ; https://x.com/IranIntl/status/2031463730806997485 ; https://x.com/IranIntl/status/2031523109543498187 ; https://x.com/IranIntl/status/2031555541856612691 ; https://x.com/IranIntl/status/2031555541856612691 ; https://x.com/EndlessWint_r/status/2031680282764468517 ; https://x.com/WillUnderhill23/status/2031707195641831438
[12] https://t.me/IranintlTV/325286 ; https://x.com/zarGEOINT/status/2031464645177881017 ; https://x.com/WillUnderhill23/status/2031707195641831438 ; https://x.com/IranIntl/status/2031482563164807555 ; https://x.com/IranIntl/status/2031654670934909216
[13] https://www.criticalthreats.org/analysis/iran-update-morning-special-report-march-7-2026
[14] https://x.com/IranIntl/status/2031457521693495621 ; https://x.com/hey_itsmyturn/status/2029951465263947785?s=20
[15] https://x.com/IranIntl/status/2031688956991971734
[16] https://t.me/Nournews_ir/337035
[17] https://x.com/IranIntl/status/2031701096666669137
[18] https://sanctionssearch.ofac.treas.gov/Details.aspx?id=25580 ; https://x.com/no_itsmyturn/status/2031732408995733554
[19] https://t.me/farsna/418409
[20] https://x.com/IranIntl/status/2031701096666669137
[21] https://x.com/IranIntl/status/2031555541856612691
[22] https://x.com/TheIntelLab/status/1350461480123199488 ; https://www.scramble.nl/planning/orbats/iran/islamic-republic-of-iran-army-aviation#OIAI253
[23] https://x.com/IranIntl/status/2031666790544130202
[24] https://understandingwar.org/research/middle-east/iran-update-evening-special-report-march-7-2026/
[25] https://www.iranintl.com/video/ott_586b2876b2344be4abe52d8ed24d380c
[26] https://x.com/CENTCOM/status/2031700131687379148
[27] https://x.com/modgovksa/status/2031567487142375792?s=20 ; https://x.com/modgovksa/status/2031567082442084388?s=20 ; https://x.com/modgovksa/status/2031553711311565130?s=20 ; https://x.com/modgovksa/status/2031523613103296941?s=20
[28] https://x.com/modgovksa/status/2031509263143539138?s=20
[29] https://x.com/Osint613/status/2031451195521302957 ; https://x.com/MOD_Qatar/status/2031443048157028515?s=20
[30] https://x.com/IranIntl/status/2031586827216302586
[31] https://x.com/idfonline/status/2031483618619494464 ;
https://x.com/idfonline/status/2031503033926869053 ;
https://x.com/idfonline/status/2031559129488150966 ; https://x.com/idfonline/status/2031697425044230565
[32] https://www.timesofisrael dot com/iran-has-fired-some-300-missiles-at-israel-about-half-with-cluster-bomb-warheads-idf/
[33] https://www.timesofisrael dot com/iran-has-fired-some-300-missiles-at-israel-about-half-with-cluster-bomb-warheads-idf/
[34] Data upon request.
[35] https://www.mako dot co.il/news-military/2026_q1/Article-6e1af373e2adc91026.htm
[36]Data upon request.
[37] https://t.me/mmirleb/10721; https://t.me/alichoeib1970/15682
[38] https://www.timesofisrael dot com/liveblog_entry/sirens-in-north-warn-of-suspected-drone-infiltration-from-lebanon/
[39] https://t.me/alichoeib1970/15686
[40] https://understandingwar.org/research/middle-east/iran-update-morning-special-report-march-10-2026/ ; https://t.me/alichoeib1970/15649 ; https://t.me/alichoeib1970/15649 ;
[41] https://x.com/idfonline/status/2031627315759780263
[42] https://x.com/AvichayAdraee/status/2031619689109921828
[43] https://x.com/manniefabian/status/2031621287185965159
[44] https://news.un.org/en/story/2026/03/1167098
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