Middle East • Page 52 of 445 • The Defense Post

Mar- 2026 -

5 March

Soldiers from the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) listen to a briefing in preparation for a search and extraction exchange during the 13th annual U.S.-China Disaster Management Exchange at Camp Rilea Armed Forces Training Center, November 17, 2017, in Warrenton, Ore. U.S. Army Pacific hosts the annual exchange with the PLA to foster mutual trust and understanding while sharing lessons learned to increase disaster response capabilities in the Pacific region. (Photo by Sgt. 1st Class April Davis, Oregon Military Department Public Affairs)

China Adviser Warns AI Gap With US After Khamenei Killing in Iran Strikes

A Chinese political scientist and adviser to Beijing said the operation in Iran showed how deeply AI is now embedded in US combat power and noted why China needs to move faster.

5 March

Iranian people walk through the area under a portrait of Iran's Late Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, outside a police facility that is completely destroyed during a US-Israeli military campaign in Tehran, Iran, on March 4, 2026.

Giulia Bernacchi

US Weighs Arming Kurdish Fighters Against Iran as Conflict Escalates: Report

US officials are reportedly considering support for Kurdish armed groups as part of efforts to increase pressure on Iran.

5 March

Christine Casimiro

US Army’s Precision Strike Missile Used in Combat for First Time: CENTCOM

The US Army’s Precision Strike Missile has made its combat debut during the US-Israeli offensive against Iran, according to CENTCOM.

5 March

A Shiite Muslim woman holds an Iranian flag as she shouts anti-US and anti-Israel slogans during a protest against the killing of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on the outskirts of Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, on March 4, 2026.

Staff Writer With AFP

Israel, Iran Launch Fresh Attacks as War Spreads

Israel pounded Lebanon early Thursday and said it intercepted missiles from Iran as a widening war launched by the US and Israel also brought fresh turmoil to Iraq.

5 March

US President Donald Trump speaks to members of the US military and the Japanese Self-Defense Force

Staff Writer With AFP

Trump Rates Iran War as ‘15 Out of 10′

President Donald Trump rated the US performance in the war with Iran as a 15 on a scale of 10, saying the Islamic republic's leaders were rapidly being killed, and vowing to push on.

5 March

A Shiite Muslim woman holds a portrait of the late leader of the Lebanese group Hezbollah, Hassan Nasrallah, during a protest against the killing of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in Shadipora, Sumbal area of Bandipora District, north of Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, on March 3, 2026.

Staff Writer With AFP

Hezbollah Says Will Confront Israel-US ‘Aggression,’ Will Not Surrender

Hezbollah will confront "Israeli-American aggression" and will not surrender despite the "imbalance in capabilities," the head of the Iran-backed Lebanese group Naim Qassem said.

5 March

Plumes of smoke rise following reported explosions in Tehran on March 1, 2026, after Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was killed a day earlier in a large US and Israeli attack, prompting a new wave of retaliatory missile strikes from Iran.

Staff Writer With AFP

Israel Initially Planned to Strike Iran in Mid-2026: Minister

Israel had initially planned to strike Iran in mid-2026, but developments inside the Islamic republic and shifting regional dynamics brought the timetable forward to February, Defense Minister Israel Katz said.

5 March

Protesters drape themselves in Iranian flags as 350,000 Canadians take part in a protest against the Islamic Republic of Iran in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, on February 14, 2026.

Staff Writer With AFP

At Least 87 Dead After US Sinks Iranian Warship

A US submarine sank an Iranian warship off the coast of Sri Lanka on Wednesday, killing at least 87 sailors and leaving dozens missing, officials said.

4 March