March, 2026

• 30 March

  Zolghadr at the Top of Iranian Security

  

  His appointment as SNSC secretary shows that the regime is relying on a veteran hardliner to manage crisis and preserve control. On March 24, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian announced the appointment of Gen. Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr as secretary of the Supreme National Security Council (SNSC), succeeding the influential Ali Larijani, …

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• 30 March

  With the Iran War, Hamas Tilts Toward the Brotherhood

  

  The monthlong conflict and developments in Gaza have weakened the terrorist group’s connection to Tehran, offering Washington an opportunity to achieve its goals by working through Qatar and Turkey as well as Egypt. The Iran war has both exposed and widened a longstanding division between Hamas officials aligned with Iran …

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• 30 March

  Israel’s Forever Wars

  

  The country’s strategy is no longer focused on deterrence and diplomacy, it’s about dominance and degradation. In launching war against Iran, Israel has made unmistakably clear that it is operating according to a strategic logic very different from the one that has long guided its statecraft. The United States may …

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• 30 March

  The Gulf Monarchies Are Caught Between Iran’s Desperation and the U.S.’s Recklessness

  

  Only collective security can protect fragile economic models. Amid the open-ended war that the United States and Israel kicked off this weekend, each of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states has been targeted—and in some cases hit—by Iranian drone and missile strikes. The strikes sparked fires near luxury hotels in …

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• 30 March

  The Gulf Conflict and the South Caucasus

  

  In an interview, Sergei Melkonian discusses Armenia’s and Azerbaijan’s careful balancing act among the United States, Israel, and Iran. Armenak Tokmajyan: How have Armenia and Azerbaijan responded so far to the U.S.–Israeli war on Iran, given their need to maintain good working relations with their large neighbor while avoiding antagonizing …

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• 30 March

  What Is Israel’s Plan in Lebanon?

  

  At heart, to impose unconditional surrender on Hezbollah and uproot the party among its coreligionists. Israel is repeating parts of the military playbook it used against Hezbollah in 2024, but its strategy is different this time. It was evident, even before Hezbollah fired a handful of rockets toward Haifa in …

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• 30 March

  Bombing Campaigns Do Not Bring About Democracy. Nor Does Regime Change Without a Plan.

  

  As the war on Iran continues to engulf the Middle East, the scope and goals of the United States and Israel in the operation remain murky. President Donald Trump has oscillated between claiming he is not after regime change to later seeming to adopt the Israeli position that regime change …

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• 30 March

  The Board of Peace and Funding for Gaza Reconstruction: On Whose Account?

  

  Stakeholders must demand major restructuring of the Board of Peace and robust oversight and transparency before engaging with it. Until then, rights-respecting existing platforms and mechanisms for multilateral peacemaking should be supported. With world attention focused on the war spreading from Iran to the Middle East and beyond, multilateralism and …

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• 30 March

  Israel’s Forever Wars

  

  The country’s strategy is no longer focused on deterrence and diplomacy, it’s about dominance and degradation. In launching war against Iran, Israel has made unmistakably clear that it is operating according to a strategic logic very different from the one that has long guided its statecraft. The United States may …

  Read More »
• 30 March

  Iran Would Target Red Sea Shipping in Event of US Invasion: Local Media

  

  Iran would target shipping in the Red Sea, a crucial conduit for global oil and other goods leading to the Suez Canal, if the United States launches a ground invasion, an unnamed military official told local media Wednesday. “If the enemy attempts a ground operation on Iranian islands or anywhere …

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