B-2 bombers used against Houthis, but impact limited - CNN

The commander of Iran's Joint Air Defense Headquarters warned of overwhelming retaliation if the country is attacked.

"The Air Defense Force of the Army stands firm and resilient like a mountain in the face of threats and will undoubtedly deliver a crushing response to any act of aggression," Alireza Sabahifard said while touring the country's southeastern military sector on the shores of the Persian Gulf.

Also present in the tour was commander of Revolutionary Guards Aerospace Force Amir Ali Hajizadeh.

"Today, the Air Defense Force of the Army is at its peak readiness, and the enemies are certainly aware of this, which has prevented them from daring to commit any transgressions," he added.

"Unity and solidarity among the armed forces has brought peace of mind provide to the leader of the revolution and our people, while instilling fear and apprehension in the hearts of the enemies."

“Iran is not giving up,” Dr. Eric Mandel, founder of the Middle East Political Information Network (MEPIN) told Eye for Iran. “Iran's proxies—they may be down—Hezbollah, Hamas, the Houthis—but they’re not stopping.”

As the US positions aircraft in the Indian Ocean capable of striking Iran’s nuclear facilities, some Iranian officials have warned it will be forced to develop a nuclear weapon.

Iran has stepped up its production of fissile material in recent years, and the UN nuclear watchdog says it could accumulate enough enriched uranium for a nuclear weapon in less than a week.

Ali Larijani, a senior adviser to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, delivered this message on Monday. “If the US or Israel bomb Iran under the nuclear pretext, Iran will be compelled to move toward producing an atomic bomb,” he said.

Mandel, who regularly briefs members of Congress and national security officials, argued that supporting the Iranian people must become a central pillar of US foreign policy.

“America needs to start saying, we are pro-Iranian, pro-Iranian people, and that it becomes American policy that we want, without boots on the ground, regime change.”

In Congress, the bipartisan bill the Maximum Support Act aims at bolstering dissidents within Iran.

Developed with input from the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD) and the National Union for Democracy in Iran (NUFDI), the draft legislation envisions funding opposition groups in Iran.

“I'm ashamed as an American who talks about American national security interests that we were not in 2022 standing strong with the protests,” said Mandel.

In that year the nationwide protest movement dubbed Woman, Life, Freedom was sparked by the death in morality police custody of Mahsa Jina Amini, a young woman.

'Window of opportunity'

“There is a closing window of opportunity to strike Iran, which is particularly vulnerable because of the successful Israeli attacks against their defensive anti-missile array," Mandel said, who also advocates a US strike on vital Iranian economic infrastructure.

"There is also a decreasing window of opportunity for negotiations even if
the Iranians believe there is a credible military threat."

A potential ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine could allow Moscow to deliver advanced weapons systems to Iran. That includes the S-400 air defense system—an upgrade from the S-300 system Israel disabled in an Oct. 26 strike in response to Iran’s October 2 missile barrage on Israel.

Putting the Iranian S-300s out of action opens the door to Israeli or American strikes, possibly on a larger scale. But Iran could rebuild with Russian help.

“Those missile defenses will not be down for much longer,” said Mandel, “not only for S-400s and even more evolved system, but for the SU-35 jets that the Russians have promised. And again, the Russians owe the Iranians because they've been very helpful to them during their Ukraine war.”

Moscow has publicly tried to dissuade Trump from bombing Iran’s nuclear facilities, warning of “catastrophic consequences.”

"Trump said it repeatedly, we cannot allow Iran to have a nuclear weapon. And he's further said that there are two means to achieve that goal, and he's open to either means. He prefers a deal like Libya cut with the United States in 2003," US Senator Tom Cotton said in an interview posted on his X page.

"His main objective, which is, of course, mine and the objective of every sensible American and someone who wants peace and stability in the world, is that we cannot let crazed Ayatollahs in Iran have nuclear weapon," the Arkansas Republican added.

Former US Vice President Mike Pence says his former boss President Donald Trump is prepared to attack Iran if necessary should Tehran fail to come to the negotiating table on a new nuclear agreement.

“The American people can be confident, and people in that region – including our enemies – should know that President Donald Trump will take such action as is necessary, to protect our most cherished ally,” Pence said in an interview on the US-based television program The Rosenberg Report on Friday.

“The United States and Israel, and the free world – will never tolerate Iran obtaining a usable nuclear weapon. The president's willingness to signal a willingness to dialogue with the president of Iran I think in no way should ever diminish the clarity of America's purpose in this regard,” he added.

A European intelligence source said the Boeing 747 with registration EP-FAB operated by Fars Air Qeshm, an airline owned by the powerful military organization, departed Tehran and landed in Port Sudan under flight number W5998 on March 17.

A second source with knowledge of the activities of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) confirmed the shipment contained military equipment, including various types of drones.

The source added that the cargo was delivered to the Sudanese army.

A transnational paramilitary force, the IRGC spearheads Tehran's influence in the Middle East, including training and arming affiliates including Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis and Iraqi militias.

Iran previously used this same aircraft—bearing the same registration number—to fly a similar shipment from Bandar Abbas to Sudan in June/July 2024.

In recent months, multiple open-source investigations have pointed to an increased Iranian military role in Sudan. Satellite imagery published by BBC World Service showed Iranian drones stationed at a military site near Khartoum.

The BBC reported that Tehran had sent Ababil-3 and Mohajer-6 drones, models known for reconnaissance and strike capabilities. Iran has also supplied these drones to armed groups in Iraq, Venezuela, and Russia.

Images have emerged on social media that appear to show Iran-made anian-oduced eh-2 anti-armor missile Saeqeh-2 army positions.

The Sudanese military has been engaged in a two-year-long war against the Rapid Support Forces, a paramilitary group.

Iran’s ties with Sudan have fluctuated in recent years. In 2016 following the storming of Saudi diplomatic sites in Iran by protesters, Sudan severed diplomatic relations with Tehran along with other Saudi allies including the United Arab Emirates.

However, the two countries resumed ties in late 2023, amid the war between Israel and Hamas. In December, Sudan’s foreign minister visited Tehran, and the two governments announced the re-establishment of formal relations.

In February, Sudanese Foreign Minister Ali Youssef returned to Iran for further talks.

Last year, the Wall Street Journal reported that Iran had proposed an agreement to Sudan offering a warship in exchange for a permanent base. According to the report, the Sudanese government rejected the offer.

Even so, arms deliveries from Tehran appear to have continued. Bloomberg reported in December that Iran is backing the Sudanese army forces with weapons and drones as Tehran and its ally, Moscow, seek military bases in the Red Sea.

The report said Iran has delivered arms to Sudanese army forces and provided them with dozens of drones, helping tip the conflict against militia opponents but also giving Tehran a foothold in the region.