The war between Israel, the US and Iran has been ongoing since February 28. Babel has compiled the main events that happened in the region on the morning of March 19.
The US is considering sending additional troops to the region, unidentified drones were spotted over the area where the US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio live, and Iran struck a large Qatari gas facility.
Additional US troops
Reuters, citing a US official and three other sources, writes that the White House is considering the possibility of deploying thousands of additional US troops. The US military is preparing for possible next steps in the war against Iran.
That includes ensuring the safe passage of oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz. The sources say that mission will be carried out primarily by the US Air Force and Navy. But securing the strait could also mean deploying US troops to Iran’s coast, four sources, including two US officials, said.
Three US officials and three other sources said the White House was also discussing sending ground troops to Iranʼs Kharg Island in the Strait of Hormuz, through which 90 percent of Iranʼs oil exports pass. One of the officials said such an operation would be very risky. Iran could attack the island with missiles and drones.
The United States struck military targets on the island on March 13, and US President Donald Trump has also threatened to attack its oil infrastructure. However, given its vital role in Iranʼs economy, control of the island is likely to be seen as a better option than its destruction, military experts say.
According to one of the sources, Trump administration officials have also discussed the possibility of sending US troops to "ensure the security of Iranʼs highly enriched uranium stockpiles".
Drones in Washington
The Washington Post, citing three sources, reports that the US has detected unidentified drones over the Fort Leslie McNair military base in Washington, home to Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. Two of the sources said it was unclear where the drones came from.
The military is keeping a closer eye on potential threats due to heightened alert levels as the United States and Israel launch strikes on Iran, a senior White House official said. The official said several drones were spotted over the base overnight in the past 10 days, prompting heightened security and meetings at the White House to discuss response measures.
The incident prompted officials to consider reassigning Rubio and Hegseth, two sources said. A White House source said the undersecretary and secretary of state did not move.
Fort McNair is home to the National Defense University and some of the Pentagonʼs top military officials. The base traditionally has not housed political leaders, but an increasing number of Trump officials are moving there for security reasons.
Iran attacked a large gas field in Qatar
On the morning of March 19, Iran attacked the industrial city of Ras Laffan, Qatarʼs main energy hub. This was reported by Qatarʼs Al Jazeera. The attack came after Israel struck the South Pars gas field in Iran the day before. Iran also attacked facilities in Saudi Arabia, but its armed forces said they had intercepted all the missiles.
Donald Trump said that Israel was outraged by what was happening in the Middle East and brutally attacked South Pars without warning the United States. He added that Israel would not attack these facilities again. However, if Iran decides to attack any country, the United States will destroy the entire field without Israeli help.
However, Israeli journalist Axios Barak Ravid, citing sources among American and Israeli officials, writes that Trump knew about Israelʼs strike in advance and gave it the green light.
- On the morning of February 28, the United States and Israel launched attacks on Iran. These attacks killed Iranʼs Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and almost the entire military leadership of the country — about 40 key high-ranking officials. A new ayatollah was elected on March 8, and he was Mojtaba Khamenei (the son of the deceased Ali Khamenei).
- Iran, in response to the US and Israeli attacks, has begun shelling US bases in Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait and the UAE and firing missiles at Israel. Some Iranian drones and missiles have hit infrastructure and residential areas in Arab countries.
- The conflict has brought tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow sea corridor between Iran and Oman that connects the Persian Gulf to the Indian Ocean, to a near standstill. About a fifth of the world’s oil exports pass through it — tens of millions of barrels a day. Oil, gas, and precious metals have skyrocketed in price.
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