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Iran Update Special Report, March 24, 2026

Iran has reportedly mined the Strait of Hormuz with about a dozen Maham 3 and Maham 7 limpet mines.[1] US officials told CBS News that Iran has laid at least a dozen Maham 3 and Maham 7 mines, but a separate US official told CBS that Iran has laid fewer than a dozen mines in the strait.[2] The Maham 3 is a high-explosive “moored, buoyant, anti-shipping” naval mine with a maximum depth of 100 meters, according to the Collective Awareness to Unexploded Ordnance (CAT-UXO) organization.[3] The Maham 3 is equipped with magnetic and acoustic sensors, which it uses to target vessels.[4] The Maham 3 can determine a ship’s presence from around three meters in all directions, according to CAT-UXO.[5] The Maham 7 is a high-explosive “bottom influence” mine that sits on the seafloor and is equipped with magnetic and acoustic sensors that it uses to target medium-sized ships, landing crafts, and small submarines.[6] The Maham 7 is lightweight and can be deployed by surface vessels as well as via parachute from aircraft or helicopters.[7] The number of mines that Iran has reportedly laid is relatively consistent with a March 10 Wall Street Journal report that Iran had laid fewer than ten mines.[8] Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Caine said on March 19 that US Central Command (CENTCOM) has destroyed 44 Iranian minelaying vessels.[9]

Iran is reportedly requiring some vessels to pay a fee to transit the Strait of Hormuz. Maritime intelligence company Lloyd’s List reported on March 23 that over 20 vessels have taken a “Tehran-approved route” to transit the Strait of Hormuz through Iranian territorial waters since the war began.[10] A senior reporter at Lloyd’s List reported that vessels that transit through the approved route pass by Larak Island, where the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) verifies vessel details and, in some cases, requires vessels to pay a fee.[11] Lloyd’s List reported that at least two vessels, including a Chinese state-owned feeder tanker, have paid Iran a fee in exchange for safe passage through the strait, with one fee reported to have been around $2 million USD.[12]

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian appointed former IRGC Deputy Commander and Expediency Discernment Council Secretary Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr as the Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) secretary on March 24, replacing Ali Larijani.[13] Pezeshkian reportedly appointed Zolghadr with Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei’s approval.[14] Zolghadr is a hardline figure with deep connections to Iran’s military and judicial apparatuses. Zolghadr commanded the IRGC Ramadan Headquarters during the Iran-Iraq War.[15] Zolghadr served as the IRGC coordination deputy between 1989 and 1997 and IRGC deputy commander between 1997 and 2005.[16] Zolghadr was heavily critical of former reformist President Mohammad Khatami and was one of the primary architects of former hardline President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s election in 2005.[17] Zolghadr served as the security deputy in the Interior Ministry during Ahmadinejad’s term and later served as the Armed Forces General Staff deputy for Basij affairs, playing a large role in suppressing the 2009 Green Movement.[18] The UN sanctioned Zolghadr in 2007 for his involvement in developing Iran’s nuclear and missile programs.[19] Ali Larijani’s brother, Sadegh Amoli Larijani, appointed Zolghadr as Expediency Discernment Council secretary in 2021.[20]

Iran is attempting to conduct cyberattacks targeting Israel, the United States, and the Gulf states as part of its asymmetric strategy to try to degrade the combined force’s willingness to continue their war effort.[78] Israel National Cyber Directorate Chief Yossi Karadi said on March 24 that dozens of Iranian hacker groups have attempted to conduct both kinetic and cyber-attacks targeting Israeli utilities and businesses, as well as Gulf states’ infrastructure.[79] Karadi said that a hacker group broadcast false messages on Israel Railways’ monitors in a few locations on March 11.[80] Karadi also noted that Iran has increasingly coordinated cyberattacks with Hezbollah.[81] An Iranian-linked hacker group previously conducted a cyber-attack targeting a US healthcare company on March 11, likely to try to impose political pressure on the US administration.[82] The US Justice Department seized domains linked to the Iranian Intelligence and Security Ministry involved in recent cyberattacks or hacking attempts on March 19.[83]

Iran may be increasing its rate of drone attacks targeting Bahrain to compensate for its apparent pause in attacks targeting Qatar. Iranian drone attacks against Bahrain have increased in recent days. Iran fired 36 and 19 drones targeting Bahrain on March 23 and 24, respectively, compared to two drones on both March 21 and 22 (see graphs below).[88] The timing of this increase suggests that Iran may be redirecting drone fire away from Qatar and toward Bahrain.

Iran continued to target Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on March 24. Unspecified sources told Israeli media on March 22 that Iranian strikes against Bahrain, Kuwait, and the UAE will “continue as usual” even though Iran is reportedly avoiding attacking Qatar and Saudi Arabia.[89] Two unspecified sources told Israeli media on March 22 that Iran has decided to limit its attacks on Saudi Arabia due to concerns that continued strikes could trigger a direct Saudi military response.[90] The volume of Iranian drones targeting Saudi Arabia has fluctuated in recent days. Iran launched 47 drones at Saudi Arabia on March 23 but only launched one drone at Saudi Arabia on March 24 (see graph below). Iran also conducted the following attacks against Bahrain, Kuwait, and the UAE on March 24:

Bahrain: Iran launched 19 drones and six missiles targeting Bahrain on March 24.[91] The Emirati Defense Ministry reported that an Emirati army contractor was killed in an Iranian ballistic missile attack on Bahrain.[92] The attack also injured five other Emirati soldiers.[93]
Kuwait: Iran launched a slightly higher volume of missiles and drones targeting Kuwait on March 24 than it has in the past three days (see graph below). Iran fired 13 drones and 17 missiles targeting Kuwait.[94]
UAE: Iran launched 17 drones and five ballistic missiles targeting the UAE on March 24.[95] These volumes of drones and missiles are consistent with Iranian fire volumes over the past week targeting the UAE (see graph below).[96]

The Lebanese government has continued to act against Hezbollah and Iran. The Lebanese Foreign Ministry withdrew on March 24 accreditation from Iranian Ambassador to Lebanon Mohammad Reza Sheibani, declaring him persona non grata and demanding that he leave Lebanon.[153] Hezbollah condemned the Lebanese Foreign Ministry’s decision, stating that “it constitutes a coup against [Hezbollah].”[154] Hezbollah added that the decision ”opens the doors to internal division, deepens the national rift, and plunges the country into a highly dangerous path of dependency, weakness, and vulnerability.”[155] Lebanese authorities also reportedly arrested eight Hezbollah operatives transporting 21 rockets to southern Lebanon on March 24.[156] The Lebanese government’s actions are notable because no previous Lebanese government has taken such direct steps against Hezbollah or the IRGC.

US President Donald Trump told reporters on March 24 that the United States is negotiating with Iran.[178] Trump said that Iran would “like to make a deal.”[179] Unspecified sources told Axios on March 24 that the United States and regional partners, including Egypt, Turkey, and Pakistan, have discussed holding high-level peace talks with Iran on March 26 but are waiting for Iran’s response.[180] Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on March 24 that Pakistan would be willing to host the US-Iran talks.[181] An unspecified Iranian source told CNN on March 24 that the United States reached out to Iran via various intermediaries.[182] The source claimed that there have not been “full-on negotiations” between the United States and Iran.[183] Three senior sources in Tehran separately told Reuters on March 24 that Iran is hardening its position in any potential talks with the United States.[184] Iran would demand guarantees against future military action, compensation for wartime losses, formal control of the Strait of Hormuz, and no limits on its ballistic missile program, according to the sources.[185] Trump previously extended his deadline for Iran to reach a deal with the United States to March 27.[186]

mor + maps: https://understandingwar.org/research/middle-east/iran-update-special-report-march-24-2026/

Iran Update Special Report, March 25, 2026

The United States presented a 15-point proposal to Iran via Pakistan on March 24.[1] Pakistani Army Commander Asim Munir, who has reportedly served as the “key interlocutor” between the United States and Iran, delivered the proposal to Iran.[2] Munir also contacted Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and offered to host talks between the United States and Iran.[3] The 15-point proposal reportedly includes provisions requiring Iran to dismantle its nuclear program, end uranium enrichment, hand over its enriched uranium stockpile, grant full International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) access to Iranian nuclear facilities, limit its missile capabilities, cease support for the Axis of Resistance, and ensure freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz.[4] Three unspecified sources familiar with the details of the proposal told Israeli media on March 24 that US Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are trying to establish a month-long ceasefire during which the United States and Iran would negotiate the 15-point proposal.[5] Iran separately proposed five conditions for a ceasefire, including the complete cessation of US and Israeli attacks, establishment of a mechanism to prevent renewed conflict, compensation for wartime damages, an end to attacks on the Axis of Resistance, and international recognition of Iran's authority over the Strait of Hormuz.[6] Unspecified Iranian officials told Iranian media that no direct negotiations are currently taking place between the United States and Iran and that Iran will set the timing and conditions for ending the war.[7] An Axios correspondent reported on March 25 that the Trump administration has not yet received a formal Iranian response to the US proposal for negotiations, citing an unspecified US official.[8] The White House threatened on March 25 to conduct further military action against Iran if the regime does not agree to a deal to end the conflict.[9]

A longtime observer of drone operations suggested on March 25 that drone footage posted by the Islamic Resistance in Iraq on March 24 is consistent with a fiber-optic first-person view (FPV) drone.[10] ISW-CTP is unable to authenticate the Islamic Resistance in Iraq's video, however. The Islamic Resistance in Iraq, which is a coalition of Iranian-backed Iraqi militias, claimed that it attacked the former US Victory Base at Baghdad International Airport and posted drone footage of the attack.[11] The United States transferred control of the Victory Base to the Iraqi federal government in 2011, but Iranian-backed Iraqi militias have continuously claimed attacks targeting the base since the start of the war.[12] The drone footage shows that the Islamic Resistance in Iraq targeted a helicopter and a US radar system.[13] ISW-CTP has not observed any evidence to support the Islamic Resistance in Iraq's claim that it attacked the Victory Base around March 24. Iraqi media reported two separate drone attacks targeting Baghdad International Airport on March 22 but did not provide enough information for ISW-CTP to assess whether the video that the Islamic Resistance in Iraq posted on March 24 was from one of those attacks.[14] Likely Iranian-backed Iraqi militia front group Saraya Awliya al Dam posted footage on March 17 that open-source intelligence (OSINT) analysts also assessed to be from a fiber-optic FPV reconnaissance drone flying inside the parameter of the US Embassy in Baghdad.[15] ISW-CTP assessed on March 17 that the group's decision to advertise its possession of such a weapon represented a threat aimed at the United States.[16]

If the Islamic Resistance in Iraq's video is authentic, Iran's ability to manufacture and operate fiber-optic FPV drones and transfer this technology to its regional proxies and partners would pose a significant challenge to US interests in the Middle East. Fiber-optic FPV drones are immune to jamming and can be used for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance, or outfitted with strike capabilities to conduct precise targeting.[17] The drones have small ranges and generally carry small payloads but can impose financial costs when used to target expensive assets.[18] Russia and Ukraine have extensively used FPV drones in their war.[19] Russia has given drone components to Iran, and Iran reportedly possesses FPV drones, but it had been unclear until this point that Iran had begun to transfer this technology to its partners in Iraq.[20]

Iran sent a letter to International Maritime Organization member states on March 22 stating that “non-hostile” ships can pass through the Strait of Hormuz if they coordinate with Iran, according to the Financial Times.[21] Ships associated with the United States, Israel, or other “participants in the aggression” are not eligible for safe passage. This report is consistent with reports that at least 26 vessels have taken an Iranian-approved route through the Strait of Hormuz as of March 25.[22] Iran has reportedly required some of these vessels to pay a fee to transit the strait. Maritime intelligence firm Lloyd's List, citing three sources with direct knowledge of the new system, reported that vessel operators are required to contact intermediaries with connections to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) before transiting through the strait.[23] Lloyd's List reported that 92 percent of the current traffic in the strait is comprised of Iranian (67 percent), Greek (15 percent), and Chinese (10 percent) vessels.[24]

The Wall Street Journal confirmed on March 24 that Israeli strikes on a major Caspian Sea port in northern Iran last week targeted Russian support for Iran in the ongoing war, according to unspecified people familiar with the matter.[25] This report is consistent with ISW-CTP’s previous reporting that the IDF struck a Caspian Sea port that Iran uses to trade both military and non-military goods with Russia.[26] The IDF targeted “dozens” of vessels, a command center, and a shipyard at Bandar Anzali Port, Gilan Province, on March 18.[27] The Israeli strike on the port followed reports that Russia has provided Iran with satellite imagery and Shahed drones since the war began.[28] Israeli media reported on March 19 that the Israeli strikes in Bandar Anzali “shut down” a critical supply line between Iran and Russia for both basic goods, such as wheat imports, and military equipment.[29] TheWall Street Journal added on March 24 that Russia uses the Caspian Sea to receive Iranian Shahed drones as well as artillery shells and other ammunition to resupply its troops on the front lines with Ukraine.[30] More than 300,000 artillery shells and a million rounds of ammunition were shipped from Iran to Russia in 2023 via the Caspian Sea, according to unspecified documents seen by the Wall Street Journal.

ISW-CTP has recorded an uptick in combined force strikes targeting Iranian defense industrial sites since its last data cutoff. This uptick comes amid a report that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered the IDF to destroy as much of Iran's arms industry as possible over the next 48 hours.[42] The New York Times reported on March 25 that Netanyahu ordered the IDF to maximize its destruction of Iran's arms industry over the next 48 hours, citing two senior Israeli officials.[43] The IDF reported that it struck two facilities in Tehran where Iran manufactured naval cruise missiles.[44] One strike targeted a building in the Shiyan neighborhood in eastern Tehran, while the other targeted the Shahid Motahari Applied Scientific Education Center in Imam Khomeini Town, northeastern Tehran.[45] The IDF said on March 25 that it also struck an air and naval weapons production site near Vandar, Ghazvin Province.[46] The IDF separately said on March 25 that it struck the Underwater Military Equipment Research and Development Center in northern Esfahan City, which is responsible for designing and developing submarines and support systems.[47] The IDF said that the facility is the only site in Iran responsible for developing submarines and auxiliary systems.[48] The submarine facility is located next to the Defense Industries Organization-affiliated Malek Ashtar University of Technology in Shahin Shahr, Esfahan Province, which the combined force struck on March 24.[49] These IDF strikes are consistent with the combined force's effort to degrade Iran's ability to threaten shipping in the Persian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz.

The combined force has continued to target IRGC commanders. IRGC-affiliated media reported on March 23 that the combined force killed IRGC 1st Naval District Commander Mosayeb Bakhtiari.[62] The combined force reportedly killed Bakhtiari in a strike in Bandar Abbas, Hormozgan Province.[63] The combined force has repeatedly struck Iranian naval facilities at the Bandar Abbas Port, which houses the IRGC Navy 1st Naval District and IRGC Navy Headquarters.[64] Iranian media also announced the death of the IRGC Ground Forces 41st Sarallah Division Commander Amir Mohammadi.[65] The combined force reportedly targeted the 41st Sarallah Division headquarters in Kerman City, Kerman Province, on March 20.[66] IRGC-affiliated media also confirmed on March 16 that IRGC commander Javad Bagheri was killed in combined force strikes.[67] Bagheri is the brother of former Armed Forces General Staff Chief Major General Mohammad Bagheri, whom Israel killed during the 12-Day War.[68]

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) confirmed that the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant did not sustain damage after a projectile landed on the facility's premises. Iran notified the IAEA that an unspecified projectile landed in the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant facility's premises on March 24.[69] Iran previously notified the IAEA of a “projectile incident” near the plant on March 17 that also caused no damage.[70] The Institute for Science and International Security identified an impact crater about 350 meters from the power plant's reactor in March 18 satellite imagery.[71] Rosatom reportedly evacuated 163 Russian technicians from the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant on March 24.[72] Rosatom Director General Alexei Likhachev said that 300 Russian technicians currently remain at the power plant.[73] Likhachev stated that more Russian technicians will evacuate the plant in the future.[74] No technicians were injured in the March 17 and 24 incidents.

Iran continued to target Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on March 25. Two unspecified sources told Israeli media on March 22 that Iran had decided to limit its attacks on Saudi Arabia due to concerns that continued strikes could trigger a direct Saudi military response.[84] The rate of Iranian attacks on Saudi Arabia has fluctuated since then, however. Iran launched 7 drones at Saudi Arabia on March 22, 47 drones on March 23, 32 drones on March 24, and 6 drones on March 25.[85] Iran separately fired nine drones and 20 ballistic missiles targeting Kuwait on March 25.[86] One of the Iranian drones struck a fuel tank at the Kuwait International Airport in Kuwait City.[87] Iran launched thirty drones targeting Bahrain on March 25.[88] ISW-CTP previously noted that Iran may be increasing drone attacks against Bahrain to compensate for an apparent pause in drone attacks against Qatar. Iran also launched nine drones targeting the UAE on March 25.[89]

https://understandingwar.org/research/middle-east/iran-update-special-report-march-25-2026/