(LIVE BLOG) OPERATION EPIC FURY/ROARING LION IN IRAN, DAY 20 - UPDATE: NETANYAHU PRESSER

NATO COUNTRIES OFFER HELP WITH HORMUZ, TRUMP: IT'S TOO LATE NOW

Following our previous reporting (link), the operation by US and Israeli forces on Iran on Thursday went into its twentieth day. Yesterday the Director of the Counterterrorism Center, Joe Kent resigned. He talked about his motivation in an episode of Tucker Carlson's podcast. You can read and see the whole thing here. It touches on the Iran war, because Kent opposes it for various reasons. The basic problem is that the US and Israel have different motives and objectives for the war, as well as different ethics in conducting it. We ought to know by now that Muslims have different ethics from Christians and post Christian Humanists, but so do Jews (link). Watch Netanyahu, who knows nothing about the teachings of Jesus Christ, answering questions from the media. 

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Exactly this last point was made clear yesterday when Israel bombed a major Iranian oil field, resulting in Iran retaliating against eight other countries in a single night. Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Turkey and the UAE issued a joint statement calling on Iran to immediately halt its attacks after holding a meeting in Riyadh (link) (link).

🚨🚨🚨 ISRAEL JUST MADE THE SINGLE MOST DANGEROUS MILITARY DECISION OF THE ENTIRE WAR. AND NOBODY UNDERSTANDS WHAT THEY JUST TRIGGERED. 🚨🚨🚨

Israel and the U.S. struck South Pars — the LARGEST gas field on the planet. But here's what they either didn't know or didn't care… pic.twitter.com/Zvxda0eY19

— LimitLess (@NoAlphaLimits) March 18, 2026

🚨HOLY FCK!! WORLD WAR 3?

The Arab countries have officially threatened to join the United States and Israel in the war against Iran. 👀 pic.twitter.com/TnYrKKYHVb

— JackTheRippler ©️ (@RippleXrpie) March 19, 2026

Iran also hit Qatari LNG infrastructure that primarily affects European energy reserves (link). These are the same European NATO partners that hitherto refused to send ships to patrol the Strait of Hormuz. Konrad has an inkling that this is exactly what Trump is exposing (link), which gives him the opening he needs to bow out of the Ukraine war.

In a bilateral with the PM of Japan on Thursday, Trump reiterated that he needed NATO help "during the war, not after the war". So the joint statement by UK, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands and Japan on the Strait of Hormuz comes a little too late. Strategic thinkers in Europe are in short supply. 

🚨 JUST IN: President Trump says he told Benjamin Netyanyahu to STOP bombing Iran's oil and gas facilities

"We are independent, but we get along great. It's coordinated, but on occasion, he will do something, and if I don't like it... we are NOT doing that anymore." pic.twitter.com/yYqOCAlxcE

— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) March 19, 2026

Kent may have got what he asked for, as President Trump in a furious message distanced himself from the Israeli attack on the Pars South oil field. Trump states he knew nothing about this attack. At the same time he threatened to "massively blow up the entirety of the South Pars Gas Field" if Iran hits Qatar's LNG again.

It was a very bad night for Saudi Arabia. The Greek Patriot missile defense system stationed in Saudi Arabia successfully intercepted two barrages of Iranian ballistic missiles aimed at the a refinery, a joint venture between Saudi Arabia's Aramco and US-based Exxon Mobil.

The Greek Patriot system is located near the refinery, in the port of Yanbu on the Red Sea, and was deployed originally to protect the region from Houthi attacks. 

Also plagued by sanitary problems the US aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford sailed for the naval base in Souda Bay, Crete, for repairs following a fire on board the vessel last week (link).

Turkey has expressed strong displeasure over a recent NOTAM (Notice to Airmen) requested by the US Armed Forces and issued by the Republic of Cyprus, flagging the northeast Nicosia FIR for potential military operations. In an official statement, the Turkish Ministry of Defense declared the Cypriot NOTAM invalid (link).

This stuff is getting dangerous. A serious aviation incident was narrowly avoided over Paphos, Cyprus on Wednesday afternoon, after two military aircraft, one Turkish and one French, had a near collision during operations in the region (link).

These Turkish flights in Cyprus airspace are completely illegal. They are not submitting flight plans to the only competent and internationally legal Authority for Cyprus airspace, the Republic of Cyprus. 

Turkey’s ruling AKP party went as far as calling on European Union countries not to deploy any more frigates to Cyprus, warning that such moves could increase instability in the EastMed. AKP party spokesman Omer Celik criticized in media comments the cooperation between the Republic of Cyprus and Israel (link).

In more Cyprus news, President Nikos Christodoulides has described the UK’s sovereign base areas on the island as a colonial remnant, calling for their future to be discussed once tensions in the Middle East subside (link). The UK was absent during recent Hezbollah attacks on the bases, leaving Cyprus to bear the brunt alone.

March 18, 2026 WGOWS: Has the Strait of Hormuz Chokepoint Become a Checkpoint for Iranian Shipping?

Shipping is a complicated business. Konrad is explaining why the framing is all wrong. The President cannot lose control of the strait. He can choose not to exercise it. Those are different things (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, Day 20 - March 19

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