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OPERATION EPIC FURY/ROARING LION IN IRAN, DAY 18

JOE KENT RESIGNS, ISRAEL INVADES SOUTH LEBANON 

Following our previous reporting (link), the operation by US and Israeli forces on Iran on Tuesday went into its eighteenth day. In a latest turn of events, Joe Kent, Director of Counter Terrorism, resigned today claiming that Trump was duped by Israel into starting the war with Iran (link). In his letter of resignation he writes that "Iran posed no imminent threat to our nation, and it is clear that we started this war due to pressure from Israel and its powerful American lobby". In a reaction Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt wrote in an X message that "there are many false claims in his letter but let me address one specifically: that Iran posed no imminent threat to our nation. 



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Leavitt wrote: "As President Trump has clearly and explicitly stated, he had strong and compelling evidence that Iran was going to attack the United States first. This evidence was compiled from many sources and factors. President Trump would never make the decision to deploy military assets against a foreign adversary in a vacuum" (link).

The President himself refused to acknowledge Kent's role as a serious official or having appointed him, calling him just a nice guy he didn't know that well (link).



March 17, 2026 The White House: President Trump Participates in a Bilateral Meeting with the Irish Taoiseach.

Yesterday in a press briefing (link), unrelated to the war, President Trump made clear he doesn't take lightly, NATO countries' inaction when he's made an appeal for help.

It confirms for him that the US is there for them, but they do not support the US when needed (link). Germany has been quite outspoken and categoric about its stance (link). 

Trump just posted a message on Truth Social reiterating his feelings.



Greek PM Kyriakos Mitsotakis today appeared on Bloomberg, saying that European leaders are focused on dealing with an eventual energy shock (link).

He also confirmed that Greece does not consider sending another vessel into the Middle East (link) besides the frigate Hydra that is patrolling the other flashpoint, east of the Arabian peninsula in the Red Sea, in the line of fire from the Houthies. 

Greece is also helping out in kind. According to the website Defence Point (link), Greece stationed a quarter of the Patriot PAC-2 stockpiles in Qatar and the UAE to reinforce their quickly depleting stockpiles.

An IRGC colonel was reportedly killed in an airstrike in Asadabad, Hamadan province, hitting a training center where, according to Iranian opposition media, senior IRGC officials had gathered.

Update: Also confirmed dead are Ali Lasanjani, Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council and a former Speaker of parliament, as well as Gholamreza Soleimanias, head of the Basij.

Iran is allowing vessels to transit the Strait selectively. In the last few days at least four vessels transited outbound. There appears to be a verification process in place. Two Greek and one Indian, as well as a Pakistani tanker have passed the Strait.

So far the Saudi pipeline across Saudi Arabia hasn't been attacked. The Iranian proxies in Yemen called the Houthies ruling a Strait in the Red Sea, are also keeping quiet. Although Tehran has attacked the Gulf port of Fujairah in the UAE. 

President Trump said in an interview on Saturday with NBC News that he’s not ready to make a deal to end the war with Iran despite the country’s willingness to do so "because the terms aren’t good enough yet", but declined to say what those terms would be, while adding that he is working with other countries on a plan to secure the Strait of Hormuz.

The media continues to misinform the public with fake news. While the NATO partners are absent per usual, other countries have responded positively to the plan to secure the Strait. Here's one list. Here's the French reaction with Macron per usual flipflopping around (link). Intelschizo has the latest update.  


The UK has finally arrived on the scene. UK fighter jets are carrying out air-defense operations over Qatar, Cyprus, the UAE, and Bahrain.

In the south of Lebanon quite disturbing developments have been recorded. Israel has announced the official beginning of its ground invasion of Lebanon.

The aim is to depopulate the entire area south of the Litani river, or ten percent of Lebanese territory and home to some 300,000 - 400,000 people spread over more than 150 villages and towns.

This invasion is significantly larger in terms of manpower and organization than the 2006 Lebanon War. Shaiel Ben-Ephraim has the details. He writes there is no exit strategy. Ostensibly Israel is going after Hezbollah, but the last time Israel did an operation into Lebanon, they stayed for 25 years and Hezbollah survived.

Hezbollah members hide in mixed and Christian areas, where people in neighborhoods, like the Armenian enclave of Bourj Hammond, are sitting ducks.


Macron floated a peace proposal a few days ago. The parties went in for talks with the result that the talks fell apart. Israel scoffed at Macron's offer, calling it unserious.

According to multiple sources in each of the countries involved, the offer placed on the table yesterday in Paris largely regurgitates terms agreed upon in the ceasefire agreement of November 2024. Read the article (link).



Day 1 - Feb. 28, Day 2 - March 1, Day 3 - March 2, Day 4, - March 3, Day 5 - March 4, Day 6 - March 5, Day 7 - March 6, Days 8/9 - March 8, Day 10 - March 9, Day 11 March 10, Day 12 - March 11, Day 13 - March 12, Day 14 - March 13, Day 18 - March 17


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