4 March 2026
Israel US-Iran
Israel and the US have continued their withering air campaign against Iran. At sea, the US Navy scored the first recorded torpedo kill since WW2 after a submarine torpedoed and sank the Iranian Navy frigate IRIS Dena off the coast of Sri Lanka. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Dan Caine said the number of Iranian missiles being launched is down 86% since the start of the conflict, as the US and Israel have destroyed Iranian military capabilities. Drones fired are down 73%.
President Trump claims that US stockpiles of munitions remain high and that Iran is running low on missiles.
Reports indicate that the CIA is working and discussing with Iranian Kurds to mount an insurgency against the Iranian regime. This would take a considerable amount of weapons and training, which would also likely involve the Iraqi Kurdish peshmerga. The aim is that the potential Kurdish uprising would permit a greater civilian uprising amongst the Persian civilian population. Something that will take much more than the four-to-five-week schedule Trump discussed.
West Africa
The 12 countries of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) will create a joint task force to combat jihadist activity within the region. The initial goal is to create a 2,000-person-strong force to fight terrorism and insecurity in the region. Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger are no longer part of ECOWAS and have recently created their own joint task force. According to ECOWAS, the three countries will be invited to cooperate with their task force.
Afghanistan
The Afghan Taliban claim that they have killed dozens of Pakistani soldiers at various border checkpoints along the Kandahar border. Pakistan has not commented on their claim.
Russia
The Russian LNG carrier Arctic Metagaz suffered an explosion in the Mediterranean Sea yesterday. Pictures show that at least one compartment was fully blown open with extensive fire damage visible across much of the hull and deck. The crew was rescued, but Russia claims that it was damaged by a Ukrainian sea drone.
Turkey-Iran
A ballistic missile launched from Iran was shot down as it was heading towards Turkish airspace. This is the first Iranian targeting of Turkey during the current conflict. The Turkish Defense Ministry warned “all parties to refrain from actions that would lead to further escalation of conflict in the region.”
Social media wires
Iranian drone strikes against Iranian Kurdish opposition groups
Footage of the US submarine sinking the IRIS Dena
Featured Photo: “Ghana military parade” – Wikimedia Commons, 2026
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