Rapid Alerts

MIDDLE EAST — U.S. forces extracted a weapons systems officer from inside Iran on April 5 after the crew member evaded capture for approximately two days following the shootdown of an F-15E Strike Eagle on April 3, according to Air and Space Forces Magazine. President Trump announced the rescue on Truth Social, calling it “one of the most daring Search and Rescue Operations in U.S. History” and stating the crew member was “now SAFE and SOUND.”

The rescue operation involved dozens of aircraft, with U.S. Air Force fighters striking Iranian forces during the extraction, according to the same reporting. No Americans were killed in the operation, according to Trump.

IRAN — An F-15E Strike Eagle assigned to the 494th Fighter Squadron, Royal Air Force (RAF) Lakenheath, was shot down over Khuzestan Province, approximately 290 miles (467 km) south of Tehran, on Friday, marking the first U.S. aircraft loss since Operation Epic Fury began on February 28. Both crew members ejected; one was recovered alive by U.S. forces. A search for the second crew member is ongoing.

The White House stated President Trump was briefed on the incident. U.S. Central Command notified the House Armed Services Committee. CENTCOM had not issued a formal press release at publication time.

MIDDLE EAST — Two deadlines now bracket the next phase of Operation Epic Fury. President Trump’s self-imposed April 6 pause on Iranian power grid strikes expires in three days. 

The 60-day War Powers Resolution statutory clock, with no congressional authorization granted, expires around April 28–29, 2026.

BAGHDAD — The U.S. Embassy in Baghdad issued a security alert on April 2 stating that Iran-aligned Iraqi militia groups may intend to carry out attacks in central Baghdad within the next 24-48 hours.

Iraqi airspace is closed and commercial flights are not operating out of Iraq. The Embassy directed all U.S. citizens in Iraq to leave immediately via available overland routes to Jordan, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, or Türkiye.

MIDDLE EAST — The Pentagon is assembling plans for weeks of ground operations in Iran, including raids on Kharg Island and coastal sites near the Strait of Hormuz. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed the Pentagon was providing the president “maximum optionality.”

Major General Brandon Tegtmeier and the 82nd Airborne Division’s full headquarters staff have been ordered to the region to establish forward command and control for potential joint forcible-entry missions.

MIDDLE EAST — Iran formally rejected the United States’ 15-point ceasefire proposal on March 25 and issued five counterdemands, including a claim of sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz. The rejection came as a Pentagon spokesperson confirmed elements of the 82nd Airborne Division, approximately 2,000 paratroopers, are deploying to the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) area of responsibility.

Pakistan’s Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar confirmed on March 26 that Pakistan is serving as the primary intermediary between Washington and Tehran, conveying messages between the parties. Dar noted that “the US has presented 15 points which Iran is currently reviewing,” with Turkey and Egypt providing supporting roles.

MIDDLE EAST — Iran’s selective enforcement blockade of the Strait of Hormuz has reduced transit traffic by more than 95 percent, trapping more than 130 container ships inside the Persian Gulf and stranding approximately 40,000 sailors, according to vessel tracking data compiled by maritime intelligence firms.

The International Energy Agency (IEA) assessed the disruption as the largest supply disruption in the history of the global oil market, with Persian Gulf production flows collapsing from roughly 20 million barrels per day to a fraction of prewar volume.

MIDDLE EAST — President Donald Trump threatened on March 22 to “hit and obliterate” Iran’s power plants, starting with the largest, if the Strait of Hormuz is not fully reopened within 48 hours. Iran’s military responded that the strait would be “completely closed” if the United States carries out the threat, setting up a direct collision over the waterway through which approximately 20% of global oil transits.

The ultimatum followed two days of nuclear-adjacent escalation on both sides. On March 21, U.S.-Israeli forces struck Iran’s Natanz uranium enrichment facility for the second time since Operation Epic Fury began.

MIDDLE EAST — Iranian air defenses struck a U.S. F-35A Lightning II stealth fighter during a combat mission over Iran on March 19, forcing the aircraft to make an emergency landing at a U.S. air base in the region.

The incident marks the first confirmed damage to a fifth-generation stealth aircraft by Iranian fire since Operation Epic Fury began on February 28. Separately, the Israeli Air Force struck Iranian naval infrastructure in the Caspian Sea, opening a new geographic front in the conflict, while Iran retaliated against Qatar's Ras Laffan liquefied natural gas (LNG) complex after Israeli jets hit Iran's South Pars gas field.

PERSIAN GULF / RED SEA / IRAN — At least 18 vessels have been struck in 17 separate attacks by Iranian weapons across the Persian Gulf, Strait of Hormuz, Gulf of Oman, and Iraqi territorial waters since Operation Epic Fury began on 28 February. On 18 March, CENTCOM struck hardened Iranian anti-ship cruise missile installations along the Strait of Hormuz coastline using multiple 5,000-pound deep penetrator munitions, targeting the coastal infrastructure that enables Iran’s de facto maritime blockade.

Commercial transit remains at approximately 97 percent below its pre-conflict baseline, with only 21 tankers transiting since the conflict began versus a pre-war average of more than 100 daily crossings, according to Windward maritime tracking data. Approximately 22 vessels carrying crude, LPG, and LNG remain anchored in the strait awaiting safe passage confirmation. No credible ceasefire mechanism exists; both sides have publicly rejected diplomatic efforts.

MIDDLE EAST / PERSIAN GULF — U.S. Central Command executed a large-scale precision strike against more than 90 Iranian military targets on Kharg Island overnight on March 13 to 14, destroying naval mine storage facilities, missile storage bunkers, and multiple additional military sites. CENTCOM confirmed that oil infrastructure on the island was preserved.

Kharg Island processes approximately 90% of Iran's crude oil exports. President Trump characterized the operation as "one of the most powerful bombing raids in the history of the Middle East" and warned he would "immediately reconsider" restraint on the oil infrastructure if Iran interferes with Strait of Hormuz shipping.

MIDDLE EAST / EUROPE. NATO air and missile defense systems intercepted a third Iranian ballistic missile in Turkish airspace on March 13, with debris falling in Hatay province. Hours later, an Israeli airstrike struck near central Tehran's Ferdowsi Square during a Quds Day rally attended by thousands, killing at least one person. Iran's president laid out three ceasefire conditions while Israel's defense minister stated the war would continue "without any time limit."

Threat Assessment

MIDDLE EAST - U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) Commander Admiral Brad Cooper announced on March 11 that U.S. forces have struck more than 5,500 targets inside Iran and destroyed over 60 Iranian naval vessels since Operation Epic Fury began on February 28.  Cooper confirmed the elimination of all four Soleimani-class guided missile catamarans, stating: “That’s an entire class of Iranian ships now out of the fight.”

The update came on a day of significant escalation across multiple fronts. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) launched what Iranian state media Tasnim described as the heaviest wave of attacks since the war began, striking targets in Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

MIDDLE EAST / INDIAN OCEAN - Iran has begun laying mines in the Strait of Hormuz, the world’s most critical oil transit choke-point carrying approximately 20% of global crude supply, according to U.S. intelligence reporting.  The U.S. military responded by destroying 16 Iranian mine-laying vessels near the strait on March 10, according to CENTCOM.

​ The mine-laying campaign comes as Iranian retaliatory strikes have forced the shutdown of major energy infrastructure across the Gulf: Bahrain’s Bapco Sitra refinery (405,000 barrels per day) declared force majeure on March 9 after a drone attack, the UAE’s Ruwais refinery (922,000 bpd) was shut on March 10 following a drone-caused fire, and Saudi Arabia’s Ras Tanura refinery (550,000 bpd) and Qatar’s LNG production facilities were halted earlier in the conflict.

MIDDLE EAST / EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN - North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) air and missile defense forces intercepted a ballistic missile launched from Iran after it entered Turkish airspace on March 9, the second such incident in five days.

Debris from the intercepted munition fell on uninhabited land in Gaziantep province, according to Turkey’s Ministry of National Defense. No casualties or infrastructure damage were reported.

MIDDLE EAST - U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) issued a safety warning to civilians in Iran on March 8, naming the cities of Dezful, Esfahan, and Shiraz as locations where Iranian forces are using populated areas to launch drones and ballistic missiles.

The warning, issued in English and Farsi, urged Iranian civilians to stay at home.

MIDDLE EAST / EUROPE - Overnight Iranian drone strikes hit civilian infrastructure in Kuwait on March 8, targeting a social security headquarters and airport fuel storage. Separately, an explosion damaged the U.S. Embassy consular entrance in Oslo, Norway, where Norwegian media report a 13-year-old was apprehended; police stated they are not connecting the incident to the Iran conflict.

These incidents follow a day of escalation on March 7 in which Israel struck Tehran oil depots for the first time, Iran retaliated against the Bazan oil refinery in Haifa, and Gulf state air defenses intercepted over 130 Iranian projectiles despite Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian’s pledge to halt strikes on neighboring countries.

PERSIAN GULF / GULF OF OMAN / ARABIAN SEA: Hundreds of vessels remain stranded on both sides of the Strait of Hormuz for a seventh consecutive day as of March 7, with at least 200 tankers, LNG carriers, and cargo ships anchored off Saudi Arabia, Iraq, and Qatar.

A UAE salvage tug was struck by two missiles on March 6 while heading to assist a disabled container ship, with all 8 crew feared dead.

MIDDLE EAST - U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) Commander Admiral Brad Cooper announced on March 5 that American forces struck the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) drone carrier IRIS Shahid Bagheri.  The 42,000-ton converted container vessel is now on fire, according to Cooper. “U.S. forces aren’t holding back on the mission to sink the entire Iranian Navy,”

Cooper stated during a press conference at CENTCOM headquarters. “Today, an Iranian drone carrier, roughly the size of a WWII aircraft carrier, was struck and is now on fire.”

MIDDLE EAST - The IAEA released updated satellite imagery on March 4 confirming no damage to facilities containing nuclear material in Iran and no radiological release risk. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) struck what they say was a covert Minzadehei nuclear weapons development compound, claiming to have removed a key component of Iran's nuclear capability.

Near the Isfahan nuclear site, the IAEA identified damage at two buildings. No additional impact occurred at Natanz beyond previously reported entrance damage, and no impact at other nuclear sites including the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant.

ALERT LEVEL: HIGH

INDIAN OCEAN - A U.S. Navy fast attack submarine sank the Iranian frigate IRIS Dena approximately 40 nautical miles south of Galle, Sri Lanka, on March 4, using a single Mark 48 (Mk-48) heavyweight torpedo, according to the Department of War.

ALERT LEVEL: HIGH

MIDDLE EAST / EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN - NATO air and missile defense units intercepted an Iranian ballistic missile heading toward Turkish airspace on Wednesday, according to Turkey’s Ministry of National Defense.​

LEBANON - The U.S. Embassy in Beirut, Lebanon will be closed until further notice, according to the Embassy.

The UAE Ministry of Defence (MoD) announced that UAE air defence systems intercepted 11 ballistic missiles and 123 drones today, while one missile landed within the country’s territory without causing any human casualties. 

"The Ministry stated that since the beginning of what it described as the blatant Iranian aggression, a total of 186 ballistic missiles have been detected as launched towards the UAE. Of these, 172 missiles were destroyed, 13 fell into the sea, and one missile landed on the country’s territory. MoD added that 812 Iranian drones were detected, of which 755 were intercepted, while 57 fell within the country. It also reported that eight cruise missiles were detected and destroyed. These attacks resulted in some collateral damage, three fatalities of Pakistani, Nepalese and Bangladeshi nationals, and 68 minor injuries among Emirati, Egyptian, Ethiopian, Filipino, Pakistani, Iranian, Indian, Bangladeshi, Sri Lankan, Azerbaijani, Yemeni, Ugandan, Eritrean, Lebanese and Afghan nationals. The Ministry confirmed that sounds heard in various areas across the country were the result of interceptions carried out by air defence systems against ballistic missiles, as well as fighter jets targeting drones and cruise missiles. These operations led to minor to moderate material damage to a number of civilian facilities. The Ministry strongly condemned the military targeting, describing it as blatant aggression and a grave violation of national sovereignty and international law. It affirmed that the UAE reserves its full right to respond to this escalation and to take all necessary measures to protect its territory, citizens and residents, in a manner that safeguards its sovereignty, security and stability, and protects its national interests and capabilities. The Ministry of Defence reiterated its full readiness to address any threats and that it is taking all necessary measures to firmly counter any attempts to undermine the country’s security and stability. It stressed that the safety of citizens, residents and visitors remains a top priority that will not be compromised. The Ministry urged the public to obtain information from official sources in the country and to refrain from circulating rumours or inaccurate information."

MIDDLE EAST - Operation Epic Fury has escalated into a multi-front regional war. Israel is conducting independent strikes on Tehran. Qatar’s air force shot down two Iranian Su-24 attack aircraft and intercepted missiles and drones. Blanket air raid sirens are sounding across all of Israel as Iranian ballistic missiles reach Israeli territory.

​Six U.S. service members are now confirmed killed in action. Iran’s entire Gulf of Oman naval presence has been destroyed. The State Department has ordered U.S. citizens to “Depart Now” from 14 countries.

KUWAIT - Three U.S. F-15E Strike Eagles were downed by Kuwaiti air defenses in a friendly fire incident during Operation Epic Fury on March 1. All six aircrew ejected safely and were recovered in stable condition. 

The jets were engaged at 11:03 p.m. ET while supporting strikes against Iranian aircraft, ballistic missiles, and drones. Ejection occurred for all six crew members, with Kuwaiti authorities initiating immediate search and rescue procedures.

MIDDLE EAST - U.S. Central Command initiated Operation Epic Fury on February 28 to target Iranian ballistic missile capabilities, according to U.S. Central Command.  The efforts included strikes on missile facilities, naval assets, and proxy networks, with over 1,000 targets engaged in the initial 24 hours. Three U.S. service members were killed and five seriously wounded as of March 1, with minor injuries among others.

Claims By Iranian State-run Media Regarding Strikes, Damage To Gandhi Hospital and Girl’s School

MIDDLE EAST - Iran conducted missile and drone strikes on civilian locations across Gulf states on March 2, including airports in Dubai, Kuwait, and Erbil, along with hotels and residential areas, according to U.S. Central Command. The strikes resulted in at least 88 injuries - 58 in the UAE and more than 30 in Kuwait - and at least four killed, all foreign nationals, with additional injuries reported in Bahrain and Qatar. Bahrain confirmed a maritime facility near Mina Salman was attacked, with the fire contained.

A statement by U.S. President Donald Trump said that U.S. forces sank an Iranian Jamaran-class corvette in the Gulf of Oman and destroyed nine naval ships in total.

MIDDLE EAST - On February 28, the United States and Israel conducted joint airstrikes on Iranian targets, killing Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei. The Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Pakistan confirmed his death.

Iranian state media also acknowledged the death, declaring 40 days of national mourning and seven public holidays. The strikes targeted nuclear facilities, military sites, and leadership compounds, with US officials framing the operation as dismantling Iran’s nuclear program.

MIDDLE EAST - US and Israeli forces conducted airstrikes on Iranian targets February 28, including leadership compounds in Tehran and military facilities across multiple cities. Israeli officials stated Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed, with his body recovered, while Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi denied the claim.

Iran responded with missile launches toward Israel and US bases in the Gulf region. Explosions occurred in Tehran near government structures, with satellite imagery from Planet Labs showing damage to associated buildings.

Israel Defense Forces: "To those in or near military industries and

military infrastructure throughout Iran: You are located near weapons

MIDDLE EAST - The Israeli Defense Forces announced a broad and joint operation with the U.S. Army to deliver a deep strike against Iran. The operation, code-named Roar of the Lion, began by attacking dozens of military targets.

It came as part of a coordinated assault to remove threats to Israel for a long period. The announcement was made by Avichay Adraee, the IDF Arabic Spokesperson.

​Israel Defense Forces (IDF): "Missiles were sounded in several areas

across the country following the identification of missiles launched

MIDDLE EAST - Israel launched preemptive strikes on Iran on February 28, with explosions reported in Tehran and other cities. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz stated the action removed threats to Israel. A nationwide state of emergency was declared in Israel, closing airspace and directing citizens to shelters in anticipation of Iranian retaliation. Sirens sounded across the country as officials warned of imminent missile and drone attacks.

The operation follows the failure of U.S.-Iran nuclear negotiations in Geneva on February 26. U.S. officials presented demands for dismantling facilities and halting proxy support, which Iran rejected while seeking sanctions relief.