NOTE: Nobody reads this blog. But . . .
Links to TWELVE-plus reports, commentaries, analyses, interviews and summaries (twenty or so): from the Cradle, Middle East Eye, National Public Radio, Reuters, the Associated Press, Consortium News, and Politico others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials as highlighted. (Scroll down for IRAN 3-21-26 and BAHRAIN, WEST BANK and LEBANON.) — MCM
* Among the news organizations with frequent war updates, photos and occasionally maps are Al Jazeera, the Associated Press, Middle East Eye, the Cradle, and Middle East Monitor: HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE. AP and El País reports in Spanish are HERE and HERE. *
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NEWER Iran threatens to close Strait of Hormuz and hit power plants after Trump’s 48-hour ultimatum, by Alon Bernstein, Sam Metz and Samy Magdy | AP ARAD, Israel — Iran and the allied Lebanese militant group Hezbollah stepped up attacks on Israel today as the United States and Iran threatened to target critical infrastructure in the war in the Middle East. Iran said the Strait of Hormuz would be “completely closed” immediately if the U.S. follows up on President Donald Trump ‘s new threat to attack its power plants. READ MORE . . . Click HERE for same AP report in Spanish, and HERE for others.
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Eight Iraqi resistance attacks hit U.S. Victoria base near Baghdad airport. From the Cradle. Iraqi resistance factions targeted the U.S. Victoria Base near Baghdad airport in at least eight separate rocket and drone strikes, just days after video footage showed the site engulfed in flames as a result of non-stop attacks. Click HERE for report and HERE for others from the Cradle.
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Iran outlines conditions to end war, demands complete U.S. withdrawal from region. From Middle East Eye. An Iranian official outlined a set of conditions for ending the war, including guarantees against future conflict, the closure of U.S. military bases in the region and full reparations from the United States and Israel, according to a report by Al-Mayadeen. READ MORE . . . Click HERE for March 21 report from the Cradle.
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Trump threatens to ‘obliterate’ Iran’s power plants as Iran strikes 2 Israeli cities. From NPR. After warning of retaliatory attacks on U.S. and Israeli infrastructure, Iran on Saturday night launched missiles at two southern Israeli cities close to the country’s main nuclear research center. The Israel Defense Forces said about 180 people had been injured, some severely. READ MORE . . . Click HERE and HERE for reports from Reuters and Middle East Eye.
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U.S. and Iran trade threats of expanding war after strikes near sites tied to nuclear programs, by Sam Metz and Samy Magdy | AP CAIRO — Iran and its ally, the Lebanese militant Hezbollah group, stepped up pressure on Israel today, with intense attacks on the country’s north and south. Top Israeli leaders traveled to the Negev Desert, home to the country’s main nuclear research center and the site where Iran’s barrages struck two towns on Saturday. READ MORE . . . Click HERE for same AP report in Spanish, and HERE for others.
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FROM MARCH 21 and TODAY As the war in Iran expands, can diplomacy help end it? Reported by Adrian Ma, Tinbete Ermyas, Michael Levitt and Eric McDaniel | NPR After weeks of escalation, can diplomacy end the conflict between Iran, the U.S.and Israel? Ma poses that question to former Iranian diplomat Hossein Mousavian. Click HERE to listen and, later, read. Click HERE and HERE for all seven or eight Iran war-related reports on NPR’s “All Things Considered” on Saturday and “Weekend Edition Sunday.”
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Gulf war: India is in a Catch-22 situation, by M.K. Bhadrakumar | Indian Punchline The salience of the two readouts of the phone call on Saturday by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian is that the bilateral relationship between the two ‘civilisation states’ has become fraught lately. The divergence of opinion is all too apparent. READ MORE . . .
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FROM MARCH 21 The World This Week – w/Ray McGovern. Joe Lauria of Consortium News and author and CN columnist Patrick Lawrence talk with ex-CIA analyst Ray McGovern about the late Robert Mueller and his role as FBI director in “Russiagate”; and the Iran war and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard’s and recently resigned National Counterterrorism Center director Joe Kent’s recent statements about it. Click HERE for video.
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FROM MARCH 20 U.S. pauses sanctions on some of Iran’s oil as gas prices surge, by Aaron Pellish | Politico Sanctions on some Iranian oil will be temporarily lifted to allow the sale of shipments already in transit, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced Friday. The partial pause on sanctions is intended to help ease what the administration sees as . . . READ MORE . . . Click HERE for March 19 report from Reuters.
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