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US sending warships, thousands of Marines to Middle East - WSJ

Mar 20, 2026, 14:43 GMT+0

The Pentagon is sending three warships and thousands of additional Marines to the Middle East, even as US President Donald Trump says he will not deploy troops on the ground in Iran, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing US officials.

The deployment includes roughly 2,200 to 2,500 Marines from the USS Boxer amphibious ready group and the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit, the report said.

It marks a second major deployment in a week, following the dispatch of the USS Tripoli and the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit to the region, according to the report.

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US offers up to $10 million reward for information on IRGC leaders

Mar 20, 2026, 14:27 GMT+0

The US State Department’s Rewards for Justice program said it is offering rewards of up to $10 million for information on several senior figures in Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, urging people to submit tips.

“Five more chances to submit a tip. Send us information on these Iranian terrorist leaders. It could make you eligible for a reward and relocation,” the program said on X.

A poster shared by the program named Ahmad Vahidi, identified as commander of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, Ali Abdollahi, chief of Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, Sa’id Aghajani, a UAV commander in the IRGC aerospace force, Hamidreza Lashgarian, head of the IRGC cyber electronic command, and Majid Khademi, IRGC intelligence office commander.

Trump criticizes NATO, urges action to reopen Strait of Hormuz

Mar 20, 2026, 13:54 GMT+0
Trump criticizes NATO, urges action to reopen Strait of Hormuz
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US President Donald Trump on Friday said NATO allies were failing to support efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

“Without the U.S.A., NATO is a paper tiger,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social.

“They didn’t want to join the fight to stop a nuclear powered Iran … they complain about the high oil prices … but don’t want to help open the Strait of Hormuz,” he added.

Mai Sato urges lifting internet shutdown and release of detainees in Iran

Mar 20, 2026, 13:01 GMT+0

UN Special Rapporteur on Iran Mai Sato called on Iranian authorities to restore internet access and free detainees as Nowruz begins.
“I urge Iranian authorities to lift the internet shutdown and release all those arbitrarily detained — including those held in connection with the nationwide protests — so that families can be whole again,” she wrote on X Friday.



Fresh blasts reported across multiple Iranian cities

Mar 20, 2026, 10:58 GMT+0

New explosions and fighter jet activity were reported across several Iranian cities around midday Friday.

Witness reports showed jet activity over Nurabad Mamasani, while explosions and flashes were seen in Yazd and a blast was heard in Bushehr. Reports also pointed to strikes on an airbase in Bandar Abbas, with four large explosions heard.

In Semnan, locations including a Basij base and an IRGC site were reported hit, while an area near Shahmirzad was also targeted. Separate reports said the Chamran missile site in Bushehr province’s Jam county was bombed around noon.

Israel says it killed IRGC spokesperson in airstrike

Mar 20, 2026, 09:59 GMT+0

The Israeli military said it killed Revolutionary Guards spokesperson Ali Mohammad Naini in an overnight airstrike, following intelligence gathered by its Military Intelligence Directorate.

“Naini disseminated the regime’s terrorist propaganda to its proxies across the Middle East,” the military said, describing him as a central figure in messaging tied to attacks against Israel. Iranian state media had earlier reported his death.