Previous
Iran Update Special Report, March 29, 2026
The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) and The Critical Threats Project (CTP) at the American Enterprise Institute are publishing daily updates to provide analysis on the war with Iran. The updates focus on US and Israeli strikes on Iran and Iran and the Axis of Resistance’s response to the strikes. The updates cover events from the past 24-hour period.
NOTE: ISW-CTP will no longer publish morning updates covering the war with Iran. ISW-CTP will instead publish threads on its social media channels in the morning that cover the latest developments in the war and include relevant maps.
Key Takeaways
The Washington Post reported on March 29 that the combined force has struck four key Iranian ballistic missile production facilities and 29 missile launch bases since the start of the war. ISW-CTP has similarly recorded strikes on over 20 missile bases during the war.
Senior Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) officials continue to dismiss Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian’s concerns about Iran’s economic conditions amid Iran’s war with the United States and Israel. Anti-regime media reported on March 28 that there is a deepening rift between Pezeshkian and IRGC Commander Brigadier General Ahmad Vahidi over the regime’s actions during the war and the war’s mounting economic and social costs, citing unspecified informed sources.
The Iranian regime appears to be appealing to nationalist sentiments to recruit members of the Iranian population to help the regime maintain internal security. The Wall Street Journal reported on March 29 that Iran has launched a recruitment campaign called “Janfada,” or “Sacrificing Life,” to recruit volunteers to fight US forces in the event of a US ground operation in Iran, citing a text message sent to Iranian mobile users.
Russia continues to help Iran conduct attacks across the Middle East. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that Russia is providing Iran with satellite imagery of US military assets in the region. Zelensky said that Russia took satellite imagery of the US-UK base in Diego Garcia on March 24 as well as the Incirlik Airbase in Turkey, Al Udeid Airbase in Qatar, and the Shaybah oil and gas field in Saudi Arabia on March 26. Russian efforts to take images of these sites indicate that Russia is helping Iran attack not only US assets but also Turkish and British assets. Iran has attacked all of these sites since the war began.
Toplines
The Washington Post reported on March 29 that the combined force has struck four key Iranian ballistic missile production facilities and 29 missile launch bases since the start of the war.[1] ISW-CTP has similarly recorded strikes on over 20 missile bases during the war.[2] The Washington Post assessed that combined force airstrikes have caused “severe damage” to the Khojir, Shahroud, Parchin, and Hakimiyeh missile production facilities.[3] Four experts told the Washington Post that the damage to these facilities has “most likely halted Iran’s ability to produce short-range and medium-range ballistic missiles until [the] facilities can be rebuilt.”[4] The combined force has inflicted the following specific damage to the Khojir, Shahroud, Parchin, and Hakimiyeh sites:
Khojir Military Complex (Tehran Province): TheWashington Post, citing satellite imagery from March 24, reported that the combined force has destroyed at least 88 structures at the Khojir Military Complex.[5] ISW-CTP observed reports of strikes on the Khojir Military Complex on March 3.[6] The Khojir complex is a research, development, and manufacturing facility for solid- and liquid-fuel missiles. An analyst at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies assessed on March 6 that the combined force had struck mixing and casting buildings at the Khojir complex.[7] The IDF also confirmed on March 29 that it struck a facility at Khojir that produced unspecified “critical components” for the “assembly and operationalization” of missiles.[8] The IDF noted that the facility was only one of two facilities in Iran that produced such components.[9]
Shahroud Military Complex (Semnan Province): The Washington Post, citing satellite imagery, reported that the combined force has damaged or destroyed at least 28 structures at the Shahroud Military Complex.[10] The combined force has struck the Shahroud Military Complex multiple times during the war.[11] An analyst at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies identified on March 7 that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) had damaged a mixing building, casting building, and “warhead production line” at the facility.[12] The IDF struck buildings at the Shahroud Military Facility during the June 2025 Israel-Iran War that had previously housed planetary mixers.[13] Planetary mixers are essential for producing ballistic missile solid fuel. The IDF previously destroyed 12 Iranian planetary mixers, likely including mixers at Shahroud, during its October 2024 strikes on Iran.[14] Satellite imagery published by the Associated Press in September 2025 showed that Iran had started repairing damaged mixer buildings at Shahroud.[15] An Israeli analyst separately published satellite imagery on March 19 that shows that the combined force struck a launch pad at the Shahroud Military Complex between March 11 and 19.[16]
Parchin Military Complex (Tehran Province): The Washington Post, citing satellite imagery from March 12, reported that the combined force has struck 12 structures at the Parchin Military Complex.[17] ISW-CTP has observed numerous reports of strikes on the Parchin Military Complex, including on March 3, March 7, March 12, March 26, and March 28.[18] The Institute for Science and International Security assessed on March 6 that combined force airstrikes caused “significant damage” to solid rocket propellant motor production facilities at Parchin.[19] The combined force also struck the Taleghan 2 site at Parchin on March 12.[20] The Iranian regime previously used the Taleghan 2 facility to test explosives that are needed to detonate a nuclear device before the regime suspended its nuclear weapons program in 2003.[21]
Hakimiyeh Military Complex (Tehran Province): The Washington Post, citing satellite imagery from March 14, reported that the combined force has struck 19 structures at the Hakimiyeh Military Complex.[22] The Washington Post noted that the Hakimiyeh Military Complex contains facilities that produce liquid propellant and missile launchers.[23] The IDF issued an evacuation warning for the Hakimiyeh Industrial Zone in northwestern Tehran on March 3.[24]
The Washington Post also reported that the combined force has struck at least 29 missile launch bases thus far.[25] The Washington Post highlighted damage to the following two bases:
Khorgu Missile Base (Hormozgan Province): The Washington Post, citing satellite imagery from March 9, reported that the combined force has destroyed 15 facilities and struck two tunnel entrances at the Khorgu Missile Base.[26] The Washington Post assessed that the combined force has struck this base at least twice during the war. Two OSINT accounts previously published satellite imagery from March 18 that showed damage to multiple munition bunkers and multiple support buildings at the Khorgu Missile Base.[27]
Imam Ali Missile Base (Lorestan Province): An imagery analyst at the security intelligence firm Janes told the Washington Post that the combined force has struck nine aboveground structures and at least two tunnel entrances at the Imam Ali Missile Base.[28] The combined force has struck the Imam Ali Missile Base several times during the war, including with bunker buster munitions.[29] The Imam Ali Missile Base is home to the IRGC Aerospace Force al Hadid 7th Missile Brigade and al Tawhid 23rd Missile Brigade.[30] The base reportedly stores Shahab-3 ballistic missiles, which have a range of between 800 and 1,300 kilometers.[31] OSINT accounts circulated footage on March 27 of a funeral for an IRGC Aerospace Force commander who reportedly died in combined force airstrikes targeting the Imam Ali Missile Base.[32]
Senior Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) officials continue to dismiss Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian’s concerns about Iran’s economic conditions amid Iran’s war with the United States and Israel. Anti-regime media reported on March 28 that there is a deepening rift between Pezeshkian and IRGC Commander Brigadier General Ahmad Vahidi over the regime’s actions during the war and the war’s mounting economic and social costs, citing unspecified informed sources.[33] Pezeshkian reportedly warned that the IRGC’s attacks on regional countries are exacerbating economic damage, cautioning that Iran’s economy could collapse within three to four weeks if Iran does not reach a ceasefire with the United States and Israel.[34] This report is consistent with a March 16 report that Pezeshkian voiced concerns over the war’s impact on the Iranian economy, but that an IRGC official dismissed Pezeshkian’s concerns.[35] Pezeshkian has also reportedly demanded “the restoration of executive and managerial authorities” to the government, but Vahidi has rejected this demand, according to the March 28 anti-regime media report.[36] The regime’s poor management of the economy, which includes rampant corruption and IRGC control over broad swaths of the economy, has long hurt the Iranian economy and recently triggered the December 2025-January 2026 anti-regime protests.[37] The current conflict will likely further deteriorate Iran’s economic conditions.[38] The combined force conducted airstrikes on several Iranian steel factories on March 27 and 28, which an Israeli military correspondent assessed are “expected to cause major damage” to the Iranian economy.[39] The conflict and regime-imposed internet shutdown have also had negative consequences for the private sector.[40] A restaurant owner in Tehran told a BBC Persian reporter on March 28 that “many businesses are completely shut down now.”[41] The restaurant owner added that they think they can only keep their business open “for one month maximum.”[42] The regime continues to promote the concept of a “resistance economy” without implementing tangible reforms in an attempt to reassure the Iranian population.[43] The regime’s emphasis on the “resistance economy” is disconnected from the reality that the Iranian population faces, however.
The Iranian regime appears to be appealing to nationalist sentiments to recruit members of the Iranian population to help the regime maintain internal security.[44] The Wall Street Journal reported on March 29 that Iran has launched a recruitment campaign called “Janfada,” or “Sacrificing Life,” to recruit volunteers to fight US forces in the event of a US ground operation in Iran, citing a text message sent to Iranian mobile users.[45] The name of this campaign suggests that the regime seeks to appeal to nationalist sentiments by calling on Iranians to sacrifice their lives for Iran. The name of the campaign notably echoes a popular Iranian protest slogan, although it is unclear whether the regime intentionally mirrored the language of this slogan.[46] The Wall Street Journal report separately noted that security forces set up checkpoints in Esfahan City and surrounding towns on March 28.[47]
Russia continues to help Iran conduct attacks across the Middle East. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that Russia is providing Iran with satellite imagery of US military assets in the region.[48] Zelensky told NBC News that Russian satellites captured images of Prince Sultan Airbase near Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on March 20, 23, and 25.[49] Iran struck the base on March 27, injuring several US service members and damaging aircraft.[50] Zelensky’s statement follows reports that Russia has supplied Iran with satellite imagery and Shahed drones since the war began.[51] Zelensky also said that Russia took satellite imagery of the US-UK base in Diego Garcia on March 24 as well as the Incirlik Airbase in Turkey, Al Udeid Airbase in Qatar, and the Shaybah oil and gas field in Saudi Arabia on March 26.[52] Russian efforts to take images of these sites indicate that Russia is helping Iran attack not only US assets but also Turkish and British assets. Iran has attacked all of these sites since the war began.[53]
Iran continues to coerce vessels to comply with its new rules for transiting the Strait of Hormuz. Pakistani Foreign Affairs Minister Ishaq Dar stated on March 28 that Iran agreed to allow 20 additional Pakistani ships to pass through the strait.[54] He stated that two ships will transit the strait each day. Iran has allowed some Pakistani oil tankers and other vessels to pass safely through an Iranian-approved route around Larak Island.[55] Iran has required some vessels to pay a transit fee.[56] An OSINT analyst assessed on March 28 that IRGC Navy fast attack craft are patrolling the area between Larak Island and Qeshm Island in the Persian Gulf and are likely serving as “toll collectors.”[57]
US and Israeli Air Campaign
The combined force continued to strike Iranian defense industrial sites. The IDF stated on March 29 that it struck several missile and drone production sites in Tehran.[58] The IDF struck an Iranian Defense Ministry missile engine production site, a drone engine production site, and an air defense system storage and production site.[59] An IDF spokesperson stated on March 29 that the IDF is “days away” from striking all of the IDF’s “top priority” defense industrial targets in Iran.[60]
The combined force struck a bulldozer attempting to clear debris at a missile base in Dezful, Khuzestan Province, on March 28.[61] The combined force previously struck the Dezful Missile Base on March 2.[62] Iran is using heavy equipment to try to clear rubble from tunnel entrances that have collapsed due to combined force airstrikes.[63] The combined force has targeted tunnel entrances at underground missile facilities to prevent Iranian forces from being able to access missile launchers in these facilities. CNN analyzed 107 Iranian tunnel entrances on March 21 and found that the combined force had struck 77 percent of the tunnel entrances.[64]
The combined force continued to strike Iranian internal security sites. OSINT accounts reported on March 29 that the combined force struck the IRGC Ground Forces 18th Al Ghadir Independent Brigade base in Yazd City, Yazd Province.[65] The Al Ghadir Brigade operates under the Seyyed ol Shohada Operational Base, which oversees IRGC Ground Forces units in Yazd, Esfahan, and Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari provinces.[66] The combined force struck the Seyyed ol Shohada Operational Base on March 8.[67]
Anti-regime media reported on March 29 that the combined force struck the “Amir ol Momenin headquarters” in Esfahan City, Esfahan Province.[68] This report may be referring to the Amir ol Momenin University of Military Sciences and Technologies, which the IRGC founded in 2006.[69]
The combined force struck a building that housed Qatari media outlet Al Araby’s office in Tehran on March 29.[70] It is unclear what the intended target of the strike was. Al Araby stated that the building houses administrative offices.[71]
Several neighborhoods in Karaj, Alborz Province, and Tehran City experienced power outages on March 29.[72] Anti-regime media, citing Iranian media, reported that strikes targeted a power transmission network at the Parchin Military Complex east of Tehran, causing power outages in districts 4, 7, 11, 13, and 14 in eastern Tehran City.[73] OSINT accounts posted footage of airstrikes near Parchin.[74] The combined force has repeatedly struck the Parchin Military Complex since the war began (see topline section). There are also reports of power outages in Karaj, Alborz Province.[75] An OSINT account reported that airstrikes targeted an IRGC base in the Azimiyeh neighborhood in Karaj that is located near a power distribution post.[76]
The combined force has continued to kill senior Iranian officials. Anti-regime media, citing Iranian media, reported that airstrikes killed the head of research at the Organization of Defensive Innovation and Research (SPND), Ali Fuladvand, in Borujerd, Lorestan Province, on March 28.[77] The SPND played a leading role in Iran’s nuclear weapons research program before 2003.[78] The US State Department sanctioned Fuladvand in October 2025 for directing SPND efforts to acquire dual-use technologies that could be used for nuclear weapons development.[79] The IDF reportedly targeted Fuladvand in an airstrike during the 12-Day War in June 2025, but Fuladvand survived the attack, according to anti-regime media.[80]
Iranian Response
Iran has launched seven missile barrages at Israel since ISW-CTP‘s last data cutoff.[81] Many of these attacks were concentrated around Beersheba in southern Israel. Israeli media reported over 20 missile impacts around Beersheba.[82] Several Israeli military bases are located near Beersheba.[83] An Iranian ballistic missile struck an open area dozens of meters from homes in Beersheba, injuring 11 people.[84] Either another Iranian missile or debris from an intercepted missile struck Israeli-Chinese agrochemicals firm ADAMA’s Makhteshim plant in Ne’ot Hovav Industrial town, which is about 13 kilometers from Beersheba, causing a fire that destroyed one building at the plant.[85] Israeli authorities warned people not to enter an 800-meter radius around the plant because the plant houses chemical and industrial facilities.[86] IRGC Aerospace Commander Majid Mousavi stated on March 29 that Iran attacked the chemical plant, among other industrial targets, in retaliation for combined force attacks targeting Iranian industrial sites.[87] An OSINT account separately posted footage of smoke rising near the Turner Stadium in Beersheba following an Iranian missile attack on March 29.[88] A BBC Persian journalist geolocated footage of an explosion in front of a bicycle shop on the Menakhem Begin Highway in Tel Aviv on March 29.[89] It remains unclear whether a missile or debris from a missile interception caused the explosion. Israeli Army Radio separately reported that a cluster munition damaged a home in Savyon in central Israel on March 28.[90]
Iran has responded to combined force airstrikes against Iranian steel factories by targeting aluminum facilities in the Gulf.[91] Iranian drone and missile strikes targeted Emirates Global Aluminum in the UAE and the Alba Aluminum Factory (ALBA) in Bahrain, which are both critical nodes for the regional and global aluminum supply.[92] The Emirates Global Aluminum CEO stated that this company’s facility sustained significant damage.[93] ALBA confirmed that two people were lightly injured and that damage assessments are underway following the attack on its facility.[94] Iran’s targeting of industrial facilities in the Gulf is part of Iran’s ongoing effort to try to impose economic costs on the Gulf states to coerce them to pressure the United States and Israel to halt their campaign against Iran.
Iran continues to conduct drone and missile attacks against the Gulf states. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) intercepted 16 ballistic missiles and 42 drones on March 29.[95]Kuwait’s Ministry of Defense reported that it detected 14 missiles and 12 drones in the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of munitions launched at Kuwait during the war to 307 ballistic missiles, 2 cruise missiles, and 616 drones. Iranian strikes injured 10 Kuwaiti military personnel. The strikes also caused material damage to warehouses belonging to a private logistics company.[96] The Saudi Defense Ministry reported that it intercepted and destroyed 10 drones on March 29.[97] Bahrain has not reported any Iranian drone or missile attacks since ISW-CTP’s last data cutoff at 2:00 PM ET on March 28.
The Qatari Defense Ministry announced on March 29 that it intercepted an unspecified number of Iranian drones.[98] This marks the second Iranian attack on Qatar since US President Donald Trump warned on Truth Social on March 18 that the United States would “massively blow up the entirety” of the South Pars Gas Field if Iran attacked Qatar again.[99] Trump’s warning came after Iran struck Qatar’s Ras Laffan Industrial City and damaged Qatari liquefied natural gas facilities on March 18.[100]The IRGC warned on March 29 that it may target US- and Israeli‑linked universities in the Middle East.[101] This warning follows combined force airstrikes on Iranian universities and research facilities that have ties to Iran’s missile and nuclear programs.[102]
Israeli Campaign Against Hezbollah and Hezbollah Response
Hezbollah claimed that it conducted 57 attacks targeting Israeli forces and positions in northern Israel and southern Lebanon, as well as northern Israeli communities, between 2:00 PM ET on March 28 and 2:00 PM ET on March 29.[103] The majority of Hezbollah’s claimed attacks targeted IDF soldiers, vehicles, and positions in southern Lebanon.[104] Hezbollah claimed that it ambushed IDF forces using two improvised explosive devices, drones, and “light and medium weapons” in the Ghadmatha area near Ainata, Bint Jbeil District.[105] Hezbollah claimed that it directly engaged and launched anti-tank guided missiles and drones at IDF forces advancing near the towns of al Biyyadah and Chama, both in the Tyre District.[106] Hezbollah also continued to launch rockets and drones targeting Israeli communities in northern Israel, including Hanita, Shtula, and Nahariya, which all received Red Alert warnings around the time of the Hezbollah attacks.[107]
The IDF has continued to strike Hezbollah sites throughout Lebanon. The IDF struck a Hezbollah weapons storage facility, a rocket launch site, and other unspecified military buildings in Beirut, the Bekaa Valley, and other areas of Lebanon overnight on March 28 and 29.[108] The IDF issued evacuation warnings for multiple neighborhoods in Beirut’s southern suburbs, which are a Hezbollah stronghold.[109] The IDF has repeatedly struck Hezbollah targets in Beirut’s southern suburbs since the start of the conflict.[110]
The IDF continued to conduct ground operations in southern Lebanon on March 29. The IDF reported on March 29 that 146th Reserve Division forces are continuing to advance into southern Lebanon to expand the “security zone” along the Israel-Lebanon border.[111] A geospatial intelligence analyst reported on March 24 that the 146th Division is advancing deeper into Naqoura, southwestern Lebanon.[112] The 146th Division has destroyed over 200 Hezbollah targets.[113] The 146th Division has also killed Hezbollah operatives and seized Hezbollah weapons stockpiles in southern Lebanon.[114] The IDF separately said that the 84th (Givati) Brigade (162nd Armored Division) killed a Hezbollah operative who tried to plant an improvised explosive device and fire mortar rounds at 84th Brigade soldiers. The 84th Brigade also seized a weapons cache that contained ATGMs, grenades, and explosives following the unit’s engagement with the Hezbollah operative.[115] The IDF Alpinist Unit, which operates under the 810th Mountain Infantry Brigade (210th Territorial Division), conducted a reconnaissance and intelligence gathering mission to identify Hezbollah infrastructure along the Israel-Lebanon border between the Syrian-controlled section of Mount Hermon and Mount Dov in southern Lebanon.[116]
The IDF announced on March 29 that a Hezbollah rocket attack killed one IDF soldier and “moderately” injured three other soldiers in southern Lebanon between March 28 and 29.[117] The IDF reported that the killed IDF soldier was a member of the 890th Battalion, 35th Paratroopers Brigade (98th Paratrooper Division (Res.)).[118] The 98th Division is the most recent division to deploy to southern Lebanon.[119] The IDF has deployed six divisions to southern Lebanon as part of its effort to create a “security zone.”[120]
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu tasked the IDF with expanding the Israeli “security zone” in southern Lebanon on March 29. Israeli operations in Lebanon could last for “at least several months and possibly years,” according to Israeli media.[121] Netanyahu met with Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz, IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir, and IDF Northern Command commanders at the IDF Northern Command on March 29.[122] Netanyahu announced that he instructed the IDF to expand the “security zone” in Lebanon to eliminate the threat of Hezbollah cross-border incursions and prevent Hezbollah from targeting northern Israeli communities with anti-tank guided missiles.[123] Netanyahu said that he discussed plans with IDF commanders to remove Hezbollah’s “residual ability to launch rockets” at Israel, adding that the plans will “fundamentally change this situation in the north.”[124] An Israeli security official told Israeli media on March 29 that the IDF will continue to operate in Lebanon “for at least several months and possibly years.”[125] Israeli defense officials also told Israeli media that the IDF does not plan to withdraw from Lebanese territory even if Lebanon and Israel reach a ceasefire agreement.[126]
Iranian Ambassador to Lebanon Mohammad Reza Sheibani has reportedly refused to leave Lebanon, despite the Lebanese government’s March 24 decision to withdraw Sheibani’s accreditation and demand that Sheibani leave Lebanon. An unspecified diplomatic source told AFP on March 29 that Sheibani has refused to leave Lebanon, reportedly due to Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri and Hezbollah’s insistence that Sheibani stay in Lebanon.[127] The Lebanese Foreign Ministry withdrew Sheibani’s accreditation and declared him persona non grata on March 24.[128] The Lebanese government had given Sheibani until March 29 to leave Lebanon.[129]Syrian authorities seized and closed three Hezbollah smuggling tunnels near Hawsh al Sayyid Ali, Homs Province, on March 28 and 29, according to Syrian sources.[130] A Syrian source reported that Syrian Army units discovered and closed a Hezbollah-linked smuggling tunnel between the Syria-Lebanon border near Hawsh al Sayyid Ali, Homs Province, on March 28.[131] Syrian media reported on March 29 that Syrian Army units discovered two additional Hezbollah smuggling tunnels in the same area.[132] Hezbollah has historically operated smuggling routes into Lebanon using Hawsh al Sayyid Ali as a central hub.[133]
Other Axis of Resistance Response
Unspecified actors conducted a drone attack targeting the US Embassy in Baghdad on March 29. Two unspecified security officials told Saudi media that unspecified actors launched two drones targeting the US Embassy in Baghdad.[134] The sources said that US air defenses shot down both drones.[135] The US Embassy has not been attacked since March 17.[136] Iranian-backed Iraqi militia Kataib Hezbollah, which previously launched attacks against the US Embassy in Baghdad, announced on March 27 that the group would extend its temporary and conditional suspension of attacks on the US Embassy in Baghdad for an additional five days.[137]
Likely Iranian-backed Iraqi militias conducted multiple one-way drone attacks targeting Baghdad International Airport on March 28 and 29.[138] Two Iraqi security sources told Iraqi media on March 28 that two drones attempted to approach the diplomatic support quarters at Baghdad International Airport on March 28 and that another drone targeted the airport on March 29.[139] Air defenses shot down all three drones.[140] The drones caused no damage or casualties.[141] Iranian-backed Iraqi militias have repeatedly claimed attacks targeting the former US Victory Base located near the airport since the start of the war.[142]
Unspecified actors conducted a drone attack targeting the Baiji Oil Refinery in Salah al Din Province, Iraq, on March 28.[143] A security source told Iraqi media on March 28 that unspecified actors launched a drone that exploded near the Baiji Oil Refinery in Salah al Din Province.[144] The attack did not cause any casualties.[145] The Baiji Oil Refinery is one of Iraq‘s largest oil refineries.[146]
Iranian-backed Iraqi militias and militia front groups continue to claim attacks against US targets in Iraq and the Middle East. The Islamic Resistance in Iraq, which is a coalition of Iranian-backed Iraqi militias, claimed on March 28 that it conducted 41 drone and rocket attacks against “enemy” bases in Iraq and the region.[147] Likely front group Jaysh al Ghadab separately claimed on March 28 that it conducted an unspecified “air attack” targeting “enemy” sites in northern Iraq and Bahrain with “appropriate weapons.”[148] Likely front group Saraya Awliya al Dam published footage on March 29 claiming to show the group launching multiple drones targeting unspecified US targets in the region.[149]
The US-Israeli combined force continued to strike Iranian-backed Iraqi militia targets to prevent Iranian-backed militia attacks against US interests and Israel. A security source told Iraqi media that three likely combined force strikes targeted two 14th Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) bases in Ninewa Province.[150] The strikes reportedly caused “limited material damage” and no casualties.[151] The 14th PMF Brigade is controlled by Kataib Sayyid al Shuhada.[152] Another security source reported that the combined force struck a PMF checkpoint in Tuz Khurmatu District, Salah al Din Province.[153]
Syrian Deputy Defense Minister Sipan Hamo announced on March 28 that drones launched from Iraqi territory targeted the Qasrak Military Base in Hasakah Province.[154] Hamo reported that an unspecified actor launched four drones targeting the base but that the base’s air defense systems shot down the drones and that there were no casualties.[155] The United States had begun withdrawing forces from the Qasrak Base in late February 2026.[156] The US withdrawal process was expected to take about one month, according to a Syrian military source in late February 2026.[157] The United States later reinforced the position with at least one air defense system on March 11, according to a Syrian source.[158] Syrian and Iraqi sources reported on March 23 that Iraqi militias launched rockets from Rabia, Ninewa Province, targeting the former US Rumaylan Landing Zone Base in Hasakah Province, Syria.[159]
ISW-CTP has not observed any Houthi attacks since its last data cutoff. The lack of attacks is notable because the Houthis conducted a ballistic missile attack and a drone and cruise missile attack targeting southern Israel on March 28.[160] These attacks marked the Houthis’ first involvement in the war. ISW-CTP previously assessed that the Houthis may be pursuing a relatively cautious approach designed to avoid an immediate escalation with the United States and Israel.[161]
Other Activity
Lorem
Endnotes
Previous