Verified conflict news from dozens of credible sources. No speculation, no spin. Just the facts across 7 theaters of operation.
It's Tuesday, March 24. Yesterday, Day 24 of Operation Epic Fury. President Trump stunned markets by postponing his 48-hour ultimatum on Iran's power grid for five days, citing "productive conversations" that Tehran categorically denied. IDF jets launched what correspondents described as "unprecedented" waves of strikes across Tehran and at least 11 other Iranian cities, killing at least nine people. Hezbollah hit a record 85 attack waves on March 22, the highest single-day total since fighting began. Brent crude plunged approximately 11% on diplomatic hopes before rebounding. In Ukraine, the Institute for the Study of War confirmed Russia's Spring-Summer 2026 offensive is accelerating, with 152 combat engagements recorded and Ukraine executing two landmark deep strikes, hitting Russia's largest Baltic oil terminal at Primorsk (over 1,087 km from the border) and a refinery in Ufa (approximately 1,400 km away). At least 7 Ukrainian civilians were killed. A Colombian Air Force C-130H crashed in Putumayo, killing 66 military personnel and injuring 57 in the deadliest military aviation disaster in the country's recent history. The Intercept revealed Pentagon plans for expanded lethal operations across nearly 20 Latin American nations under "Operation Total Extermination." In Sub-Saharan Africa, coordinated IED attacks killed at least nine people across Nigeria's Kwara-Niger corridor, Ethiopia's Fano insurgency surged across Amhara region, and Mali confirmed the release of over 100 suspected jihadists in exchange for JNIM halting fuel convoy attacks. In the Asia-Pacific, Kim Jong Un declared North Korea's nuclear status "irreversible" and branded South Korea the "most hostile state." Japan executed its most sweeping naval reorganization since 1954 while denying any commitment to deploy assets to the Strait of Hormuz. In South and Central Asia, Pakistani frontier forces killed 16 TTP militants during an infiltration attempt as the Eid ceasefire expired, and PM Modi disclosed that 60% of India's LPG imports transit the Strait of Hormuz. In the cyber domain, Handala resurrected its web presence within hours of an FBI domain seizure, CISA ordered agencies to patch three DarkSword iOS exploit chain vulnerabilities, and Russia's internet shutdowns reached 63-plus regions.
Day 24 of Operation Epic Fury. The most consequential development was President Trump's sudden decision to delay strikes on Iran's power plants and energy infrastructure by five days. In an all-caps Truth Social post Monday morning, hours before his Saturday evening deadline expired, Trump wrote that the US and Iran had engaged in "very good and productive conversations" over the past two days. Speaking before boarding Air Force One, he said envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner had held talks Sunday evening that yielded 15 "points of agreement," adding that the Strait of Hormuz could be "open very soon," according to NPR and Al Jazeera. Iran categorically denied everything. Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei declared there was no dialogue between Tehran and Washington. Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf called Trump's claims "fake news" designed to manipulate markets. Behind the denials, back-channel mediation through Turkey, Egypt, and Pakistan was intensifying, with Axios reporting separate conversations between all three countries, Witkoff, and Iranian FM Abbas Araghchi.
Contradicting any diplomatic mood, the IDF announced a "wide-scale wave of strikes" on infrastructure targets in Tehran, then launched a second round hours later. Al Jazeera's Tehran correspondent described the explosions as "unprecedented in size and volume." Cities struck included Tehran, Khorramabad, Yazd, Tabriz, Bandar Abbas, Bushehr, Bandar Lengeh, Qeshm Island, Isfahan, Karaj, Ahvaz, and Urmia. Confirmed daily casualties included one child killed in Khorramabad, six killed in Tabriz, one killed in Bandar Abbas, and a professor eliminated in Tehran, assessed as linked to missile research. CENTCOM announced it had targeted a turbine engine production site in Qom province. Admiral Brad Cooper, in his first interview since the war began, said the campaign was "ahead or on plan" and described Iran as "operating in a sign of desperation." Iran's Health Ministry placed the cumulative death toll above 1,500 with 18,551 injured.
March 22 saw 85 Hezbollah attack waves against Israel, the highest single-day total since fighting began March 2, comprising 67 rocket and missile waves and 18 UAV waves. On March 23, a Hezbollah rocket struck Kiryat Shmona, seriously wounding a man in his 50s and lightly injuring several others. A 60-year-old woman died in Ashkelon running for shelter. Israel continued its bridge destruction campaign to isolate southern Lebanon, striking the al-Dalafi bridge and re-striking the al-Qaqaiya and al-Qasmiya bridges over the Litani River. The IDF struck an IRGC Quds Force operative in Beirut's Hazmieh neighborhood. UNIFIL headquarters in Naqoura was hit by a projectile. Cumulative Lebanese casualties since March 2 exceeded 1,029 killed and over 2,800 wounded.
In Gaza, an Israeli drone strike on a police vehicle in Nuseirat killed three Palestinian officers, with 10 others wounded. Ceasefire mediators presented Hamas with a gradual weapons handover proposal in Cairo, with Hamas expressing willingness to surrender heavy weapons but insisting on keeping light arms. In the West Bank, settler rampages entered a third day, with a school stormed in Huwara and at least 10 Palestinians injured. The IDF diverted an infantry battalion from Lebanon to the West Bank. In Sudan, drone strikes hit Lagawa in West Kordofan, killing at least 15 people. The RSF recaptured the strategic town of Bara in North Kordofan. Drone strikes also hit El Fasher, killing at least 10 civilians. In Iraq, Kata'ib Hezbollah extended its pause on US Embassy attacks for five days, mirroring Trump's timeline. The US Embassy in Baghdad issued an emergency alert telling citizens to leave immediately. Oil prices swung violently, with Brent crude plunging as much as 14% before settling at $99.94, below $100 for the first time since March 11.
Sources
Al Jazeera, NPR, Axios, CBS News, The Levant Files, Alma Research Center, JNS, Daily Wire, CNBC, CNN, NBC News, BNN Bloomberg, Times of Israel, Human Rights Watch, BNO News, Jerusalem Post, Kurdistan24, Darfur24, Democracy Now, The Aviationist, The National
Day 1,489 of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The Institute for the Study of War confirmed Russia's Spring-Summer 2026 offensive is accelerating, with 152 combat engagements recorded on March 23, including 27 assault actions in the Pokrovsk direction alone, the war's hottest axis. Preliminary estimates attributed 44 Russian troops killed and 22 wounded in the Pokrovsk sector. The Kostiantynivka direction saw 16 Russian assaults, the Huliaipole (Zaporizhzhia) direction recorded 16 assaults, and the Oleksandrivka direction saw 10 assaults in an area of active Ukrainian counteroffensive. Russian forces used 51 airstrikes dropping 160 guided aerial bombs, 5,567 kamikaze drones, and 2,708 shelling attacks. Zaporizhzhia Oblast overall endured 821 Russian attacks on 40 settlements.
Ukraine executed two landmark deep strikes. The Transneft-Port Primorsk oil terminal in Leningrad Oblast, Russia's largest Baltic Sea oil export hub handling approximately 60 million tonnes annually, was struck by Ukrainian drones traveling over 1,087 km from the border, setting at least four tanks ablaze, according to Radio Free Europe. Port operations at both Primorsk and nearby Ust-Luga were suspended. The second strike hit the Bashneft-Ufaneftekhim refinery in Ufa, Bashkortostan, approximately 1,400 km from the border. Ukrainian forces also struck multiple Russian air defense targets, including a Tor SAM system, a Tunguska system, a Nebo-U radar station, and released footage showing destruction of Buk-M3 and S-400 systems in Bryansk Oblast.
Russia launched 251 strike UAVs overnight, with Ukrainian air defenses neutralizing 234 (93.2%). At least 7 Ukrainian civilians were killed and 19 injured across multiple regions. Zaporizhzhia Oblast suffered the highest toll with 3 killed and 3 injured. Dnipropetrovsk Oblast saw 2 killed and 4 injured, with Kryvyi Rih struck twice. Donetsk Oblast recorded 1 killed and 4 injured. Kherson Oblast reported 1 killed and 2 injured. President Zelensky warned of an imminent large-scale Russian strike, which materialized overnight March 23-24 with 392 drones and 34 missiles. In the Kursk direction, Defense Forces repelled 13 Russian assaults while Ukrainian forces continued operations in Russia's Belgorod region, the surprise incursion pushed 3 to 4 km deep. In broader European security, the Iran-linked Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamia group claimed attacks on Jewish institutions across Belgium, the Netherlands, and the UK, including the torching of four Jewish charity ambulances outside a London synagogue. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte stated that the US continues to support Ukraine with intelligence and weapons through Europe. Armenian FM Mirzoyan called for release of all detainees to strengthen the Armenia-Azerbaijan peace process.
Sources
Ukrainian General Staff, ISW, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Ukrinform, Kyiv Independent, TASS, France Ministry of Armed Forces, Times of Israel, Iran International, BNO News, GOV.UK, Naval News, The Diplomat
A Colombian Air Force C-130H Hercules transport plane crashed shortly after takeoff from Caucayá Airport in Puerto Leguízamo, Putumayo department, killing at least 66 people and injuring 57 in the deadliest military aviation incident in Colombia's recent history, according to NPR and Al Jazeera. The dead included 58 soldiers, 6 Air Force crew, and 2 police officers, with 4 personnel still missing. The aircraft carried 128 people total and went down approximately 1.5 kilometers from the runway. Ammunition onboard detonated, engulfing the wreckage in flames. Defense Minister Pedro Sánchez pointed to possible mechanical failure rather than an attack. The C-130H had been donated by the US Air Force in 2020. The troops were being transported for operations in Putumayo, one of Colombia's most conflict-affected departments hosting FARC dissident groups, ELN guerrillas, and narcotrafficking operations.
The Intercept published a major investigation revealing that acting Assistant Secretary of Defense Joseph Humire had disclosed plans for expanded lethal operations across nearly 20 nations under the name Operation Total Extermination. The program was described as an expansion of the Americas Counter Cartel Coalition formed at President Trump's March 7 Shield of the Americas summit. SOUTHCOM's Operation Southern Spear's cumulative toll reached approximately 159 killed in 46 strikes on 47 vessels since September 2025. Separately, Ecuador was in its eighth day of intensive US-backed curfew operations, with cumulative results showing 982 persons detained, 51 firearms seized, and gang leader Wiwi captured in Guayaquil, according to Prensa Latina.
Cuba was in active recovery from its third nationwide grid collapse in March, with much of the island still experiencing intermittent service. The cascading blackouts reflect a catastrophic energy crisis driven by the loss of Venezuelan oil following the US military intervention that removed Maduro in January 2026, with zero fuel deliveries for three consecutive months. In Venezuela, hundreds marched in Caracas demanding an end to starvation-level wages equivalent to approximately $0.28 per month. Former US Congressman David Rivera went on trial in Miami for illegal lobbying on behalf of the Maduro government. Haiti experienced a 4.2-magnitude earthquake while police-gang clashes continued in Port-au-Prince, with at least 6 civilians killed in surrounding days. In Mexico, the security environment remained volatile one month after the killing of CJNG leader El Mencho. Brazil's Federal Police launched simultaneous anti-trafficking operations across 15 states. Three nations maintained active security emergencies: El Salvador approaching its fourth anniversary of continuous state of exception, Guatemala under its third consecutive State of Prevention, and Trinidad and Tobago under a nationwide State of Emergency.
Sources
NPR, Al Jazeera, CNN, CBS News, The Intercept, Prensa Latina, SOUTHCOM, France 24, U.S. News, HaitiLibre, The Haitian Times, Stars and Stripes, Buenos Aires Times, Mexico News Daily, UPI
Two IED attacks along the Kwara-Niger State border killed at least nine people on March 23, marking a tactical shift by suspected Boko Haram/Lakurawa militants expanding southward. A commercial vehicle detonated an IED near Woro, Kaiama LGA, killing the driver. Army specialists discovered and defused a second IED nearby, indicating systematic emplacement. In a parallel assault, suspects detonated explosives under a strategic bridge along Luma Road in Borgu LGA, Niger State, destroying the structure and severing the Luma-Babana-Agwara transportation corridor. A vehicle carrying eight passengers on the Nuku-Woro road struck a roadside IED, killing all eight, according to PM News Nigeria and Channels Television. The attacks were explicitly foretold: the Joint Security Watch for Kwara South had publicly warned of "potential security threats targeting Kwara on March 23" just 24 hours earlier.
In eastern DRC, FARDC and allied Wazalendo fighters repelled an M23 counterattack at Kazinga village in Masisi territory, North Kivu. The FARDC has dramatically escalated drone warfare in 2026, with ACLED documenting over 60 strikes since January. The Washington Accords process showed no tangible battlefield effects, with an April 15 compliance assessment deadline approaching. Ethiopia's Fano insurgency's "Operation Wubante" was in full swing across Amhara region, with fighting documented across at least 26 woreda administrations in eight zonal administrations. On March 22, Fano forces reportedly killed Brigadier General Gaddissa Diro in Dega Damot woreda. The New Humanitarian warned the region faces the risk of a "regional mega-war," citing the convergence of multiple conflict fronts.
Mali confirmed the release of more than 100 suspected jihadists in exchange for JNIM halting attacks on fuel convoys to Bamako, one of the most significant tactical concessions by any Sahelian junta to jihadist forces, according to AFP. Guinea announced the dismantling of a JNIM recruitment network near the Malian border, with 11 arrests. The US Embassy in Mauritania issued a security alert citing elevated terrorism risk. Chad expanded emergency relocation of Sudanese refugees from all border transit towns as the army deployed along the 1,300-kilometer frontier with Sudan, following President Deby's March 18 retaliation order after a cross-border drone strike killed 17 Chadian civilians. In South Sudan, SPLA-IO warned civilians against returning to Akobo County, contradicting government claims of control. Over 268,000 people were displaced across Jonglei, Lakes, Upper Nile, and Central Equatoria states. Kenya's multi-agency anti-banditry operation remained active across four northern counties. South Africa's Operation Prosper, deploying 2,200 SANDF soldiers across five provinces, was active on March 23.
Sources
The Telegraph Nigeria, PM News Nigeria, Channels Television, Daily Post Nigeria, Sahara Reporters, Critical Threats, ACLED, Security Council Report, Amhara Association of America, Addis Standard, The New Humanitarian, Reuters, Sudan Tribune, Africanews, Sudans Post, OCHA, Capital FM, SAnews, Daily Maverick
The dominant Korean Peninsula event on March 23 was KCNA's full account of Kim Jong Un's major policy address at the 15th Supreme People's Assembly. Kim was unanimously reappointed as President of the State Affairs Commission, declared North Korea's nuclear status "irreversible," and formally branded South Korea the "most hostile state," warning that any sovereignty infringement would be met "mercilessly without hesitation or restraint," according to Reuters and The Korea Herald. The SPA adopted constitutional amendments, passed a new five-year economic plan, and approved a 2026 budget with defense spending at 15.8% of total expenditure. South Korea's budget minister nominee testified about the planned 25 trillion won supplementary budget to address the Middle East crisis.
Japan's Maritime Self-Defense Force formally disbanded its 63-year-old "Fleet Escort Force," replacing it with a new "Fleet Surface Force," the most sweeping JMSDF reorganization since 1954, according to Naval News. The restructuring enables aircraft carrier formation operations as JS Izumo and JS Kaga complete F-35B conversion. Chief Cabinet Secretary Kihara emphatically denied any commitment to deploy naval assets to the Strait of Hormuz, directly contradicting US Ambassador Waltz who stated Japan's prime minister had "committed portions of her navy," according to Nippon.com. The approaching March 31 deployment of Japan's upgraded Type-12 surface-to-ship missiles (range extended to approximately 1,000 km) at Camp Kengun remained on track. Taiwan's MND reported zero PLA aircraft for another 24-hour cycle as President Lai Ching-te marked the 30th anniversary of Taiwan's first presidential election.
Myanmar's National Defence and Security Council announced that Senior General Min Aung Hlaing had undergone emergency spinal surgery on March 20, one week before the scheduled March 30 presidential selection process. Resistance forces raided a junta checkpoint in Magway Region, seizing a vehicle, equipment, and extorted funds. The MNDAA-TNLA fracture within the Three Brotherhood Alliance remained the most consequential Myanmar development, with ACLED attributing the split to Beijing's tacit support for the MNDAA to secure the Lashio-Muse trade route. Vietnam formally protested China's massive Antelope Reef reclamation in the Paracels, with CSIS analysis revealing the reclaimed area measures approximately 1,490 acres. At Scarborough Shoal, the China Coast Guard broadcast "clearing operations," with a PCG patrol documenting 6 CCG vessels, 20 militia ships, and 1 PLA Navy warship. Asian markets crashed on Middle East crisis fears, with South Korea's Kospi plunging 6.5% and the Strait of Hormuz shipping collapse reaching 95%.
Sources
Reuters, ABC News, The Korea Herald, KCNA, Naval News, The Diplomat, Nippon.com, UPI, Taiwan News, Tribune India, One News Myanmar, MoeMaKa, ACLED, Foreign Policy, Radio Free Asia, SCMP, PhilStar, CNBC, GMA News
Day 24 of Operation Epic Fury, final day of the Eid ceasefire. Pakistani frontier forces killed 16 TTP militants during an infiltration attempt at Ghulam Khan in North Waziristan overnight, seizing weapons, ammunition, and explosives, according to ISPR. The five-day Eid ceasefire between Pakistan and Afghanistan, brokered by Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Turkey, was set to expire at midnight with both sides signaling it would not be extended. The ceasefire had been repeatedly violated, with the Taliban accusing Pakistan of firing 72 rockets into Kunar province during the truce period. FM Ishaq Dar stated on Pakistan Day: "Pakistan remains firmly committed to eradicate the menace of terrorism." The traditional March 23 military parade was cancelled for the first time in years. The Global Terrorism Index 2026 ranked Pakistan as the world's most terrorism-affected country, recording 1,139 deaths in 2025.
Pakistan positioned itself as the central intermediary between Washington and Tehran. Field Marshal Asim Munir spoke directly with President Trump on March 22, while PM Sharif held parallel talks with Iranian President Pezeshkian on March 23. Pakistan proposed Islamabad as the venue for face-to-face negotiations. In India, PM Narendra Modi delivered a landmark Lok Sabha address disclosing that 60% of India's LPG imports transit the Strait of Hormuz. Two Indian LPG tankers successfully navigated the Strait under Iranian guidance, with Iranian authorities verifying ship identities before granting passage. Indian markets crashed with the Sensex falling 1,836 points. A civilian IAF staffer was arrested at Chabua Air Force Station for espionage on behalf of Pakistan. The aftermath of the ULFA(I) RPG attack on an Assam Police camp continued with the DGP visiting Tinsukia.
No major kinetic operations occurred inside Afghanistan on March 23, though Pakistan's Operation Ghazab lil-Haq was expected to resume immediately upon ceasefire expiration. The Iran war added a western dimension to Afghanistan's crisis, with approximately 2,000 Afghans crossing back from Iran daily. Sri Lanka absorbed its third fuel price hike in a month, with diesel at Rs 382 and petrol at Rs 398, approaching levels that triggered the 2022 economic collapse. Bangladesh remained under energy rationing with universities closed and power cuts doubled to 5 hours daily. Nepal's incoming PM Balen Shah prepared for swearing-in. Central Asian trade corridors continued collapsing, with Turkmenistan hardest hit by Iran's food export ban. Tajikistan dispatched 3,610 tonnes of humanitarian aid to Iran via a 110-truck convoy.
Sources
Geo News, AFP, Arab News, Khaama Press, Express Tribune, Republic World, NBC News, Gulf News, Axios, Business Standard, India Shipping News, Naval News, GoodReturns, Tribune India, Northeast Now, The Diplomat, UN News, RFE/RL, Eurasianet
Day 24 of Operation Epic Fury. Iran's Handala hacking group reconstituted its web presence on a new .ps domain within hours of the FBI seizing four of its domains on March 19 to 20, according to Reuters and the Foundation for Defense of Democracies. Stryker Corporation filed an updated 8-K with the SEC confirming the March 11 wiper attack was contained, with a Unit 42 assurance letter stating all indicators of compromise had been identified. Krebs on Security published a significant report revealing TeamPCP's CanisterWorm wiper malware specifically targeting Iranian systems through exposed Docker APIs and Kubernetes clusters. If the malware detects an Iranian timezone or Farsi locale, it deploys a destructive DaemonSet called "kamikaze" that wipes all data. Iran's internet blackout continued past the 550-hour mark, with connectivity at roughly 1% of normal. Al-Qaeda's Cyber Jihad Movement announced its entrance into the war on March 4, tapping into Iran's IRGC-backed hacktivist apparatus, according to GNET Research.
Three separate reports documented the accelerating collapse of Russia's domestic internet. Moscow residents could no longer use cashless payment for public toilets due to mobile internet disruptions, according to UNITED24 Media. At least 63 regions were affected, with Ulyanovsk and annexed Crimea under indefinite shutdowns. Russian authorities in nearly a dozen regions used pretexts including tree inspection and snow removal to block demonstrations against internet censorship, according to AP. A joint FBI/CISA advisory warned that Russian intelligence services were conducting a global phishing campaign targeting Signal, WhatsApp, and other messaging applications, with thousands of accounts compromised including current and former US government officials.
CISA ordered federal agencies to patch three iOS vulnerabilities exploited by the DarkSword exploit kit, a full JavaScript-based exploit chain targeting iOS 18.4 through 18.7, with a remediation deadline of April 3. Oracle issued only its second-ever out-of-band Security Alert for a critical Identity Manager RCE flaw (CVSS 9.8). The Trivy supply chain compromise continued affecting over 10,000 CI/CD workflows. The Independent published a major investigation documenting unprecedented GPS warfare in the Strait of Hormuz, with over 1,650 vessels experiencing interference since February 28. Intelligence experts assessed that Iran procured China's BeiDou satellite navigation system, giving Iranian forces a navigation advantage while denying GPS to adversaries. The US Space Force warned that China's satellite constellation has grown approximately 700% since 2015, now operating over 1,300 satellites. Artemis 2 sat on Launch Complex 39B awaiting its April 1 launch window. An AI verification paradox emerged when Grok labeled authentic Netanyahu proof-of-life video as AI-generated, with BBC Verify stating this conflict may have broken the record for the highest number of AI-generated deepfakes in any war.
Sources
NPR, CBS News, Reuters, Insurance Journal, Krebs on Security, BleepingComputer, The Hacker News, GNET Research, Meduza, UNITED24 Media, AP, The Record, Help Net Security, The Register, The Cyber Express, HIPAA Journal, The Independent, Windward, Satellite Today, SpaceNews, Breaking Defense, Erkan's Field Diary, Foundation for Defense of Democracies