EconoTicker

The Israeli military said Hassan Mohammad Bashir, described as a senior commander in Hezbollah’s anti-tank missile unit, was killed in an Israeli Air Force strike on Wednesday in the Hajir area of southern Lebanon. The IDF said Bashir had overseen and advanced hundreds of anti-tank missile attacks against Israeli troops and civilians over the past two years.

According to the Israeli statement, Bashir had also recently been working with Hezbollah anti-tank forces based north of the Litani River and was involved in training additional operatives. The announcement comes as Israel says it is expanding military pressure on Hezbollah along the Lebanese front.

Source: Israeli military / Times of Israel.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Thursday that, in his view, Russia is mainly focused on its war in Ukraine rather than on helping the Islamic Republic. Rubio made the remark as he departed Washington for France, where he is set to meet fellow foreign ministers from the Group of Seven.

The upcoming G7 talks are expected to center on the wars in Ukraine and Iran, with allies also seeking greater clarity on Washington’s broader strategy in both conflicts.

Source: Reuters; U.S. Department of State.

The White House refused to disclose details of its proposal to end the war and warned that the United States could intensify its strikes if Iran does not accept the reality of its military position. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said President Donald Trump would ensure Iran is hit “harder than ever” if Tehran fails to recognize that it has been militarily defeated. At the same time, Israeli officials signaled deep skepticism that Iran would accept the proposed terms and voiced concern that U.S. negotiators could make concessions in pursuit of a deal. Reuters also reported that Israel wants any agreement to preserve its option for pre-emptive strikes.

The message underlines how fragile the diplomatic track remains. Even as Washington pushes a ceasefire framework, the gap between U.S. diplomacy and Israeli security demands appears wide, raising the risk that any proposed settlement could face resistance before it is implemented.

Source: Reuters.

Russia’s cooperation with Iran is reportedly deepening, but not without limits. According to the information provided, Moscow has declined Iranian requests for the advanced S-400 air defense system in order to avoid direct escalation with Washington, even as it continues preparing shipments of drones, medicine, and food to support Tehran.

The same report suggests the current phase of these drone and humanitarian deliveries is expected to be fully processed by the end of March. If confirmed, the move would indicate that Russia is trying to strengthen Iran’s resilience without crossing what it sees as a more dangerous red line in its confrontation with the United States.

Source: Financial Times

The Financial Times reported, citing Western intelligence, that Russia is nearing completion of phased deliveries to Iran involving drones, medicine, and food, aimed at strengthening Tehran’s war-fighting capacity and internal stability. The report said the discussions began secretly after recent strikes on Tehran by Israel and the United States.

The Kremlin did not confirm the reported transfers. Dmitry Peskov was quoted as saying, “There are a lot of fakes going around right now. One thing is true — we are continuing our dialogue with the Iranian leadership.” That leaves the reported shipments contested, even as the FT says Western intelligence believes the plan is moving ahead.

Source: Financial Times.

Israel’s Channel 12 says the Trump team has outlined 14 of 15 reported conditions in a proposed framework for a one-month ceasefire with Iran, during which both sides would negotiate a broader agreement. According to the report, the mechanism was designed by senior Trump aides Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff, and would resemble earlier Trump-backed ceasefire arrangements in Gaza and Lebanon.

The reported U.S. demands include a full rollback of Iran’s nuclear capabilities, a permanent pledge not to seek nuclear weapons, zero uranium enrichment on Iranian soil, transfer of Iran’s roughly 450-kilogram stockpile of 60% enriched uranium to the IAEA, dismantling of the Natanz, Isfahan, and Fordow facilities, and full IAEA access and monitoring. The plan also reportedly calls on Tehran to stop backing regional proxy forces, keep the Strait of Hormuz open, and later accept limits on the range and number of its missiles. Reuters separately reported that the U.S. proposal delivered to Iran included demands to give up its highly enriched uranium stockpile, halt enrichment, limit its missile program, and cut support to regional allies.

In return, the reported package would offer full lifting of international sanctions, U.S. help for Iran’s civilian nuclear program including electricity generation at Bushehr, and removal of the snapback sanctions mechanism. Still, the diplomatic path remains uncertain: Reuters reported that Tehran is reviewing a U.S. proposal but says it is not interested in direct negotiations, while the Kremlin said it had no information from Iran about the reported 15-point plan.

Source: Channel 12 report cited by Iran International; Reuters.

Kuwait said it had thwarted a terrorist plot after dismantling a network and arresting six suspects, according to statements attributed to the Interior Ministry and reporting based on the ministry’s briefing. Authorities also said they had identified 14 additional suspects outside the country.

According to the reported breakdown, the arrested group included five Kuwaiti citizens and one person whose citizenship had been revoked. In contrast, the fugitives abroad included five Kuwaitis, five people with revoked citizenship, two Iranians, and two Lebanese nationals. Kuwaiti authorities said the case involved links to Hezbollah, and media reports said the suspects were accused of espionage, terrorist activity, and preparations tied to assassination operations.

The case adds to growing Gulf security pressure over alleged Iran- and Hezbollah-linked networks as regional tensions remain elevated.

Source: Kuwait Ministry of Interior; QNA; The National.

An adviser to the Iraqi prime minister told Al Arabiya that Baghdad will not allow Iraqi territory to be used for attacks on allied countries, reinforcing Iraq’s effort to keep its land and airspace from becoming a launchpad for wider regional escalation. This position is consistent with earlier public statements from Iraqi officials that the country will not allow its territory to be used against neighboring states, including Iran.

The remarks underline Iraq’s attempt to balance regional relationships while containing spillover from the war. They also suggest Baghdad is trying to present itself as a state focused on sovereignty, de-escalation, and preventing the conflict from drawing in additional partners and allies.

Source: Al Arabiya; statements from Iraqi officials carried by Anadolu and other regional reporting.

U.S. President Donald Trump reportedly rejected a proposal from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu last week to jointly call on Iranians to take to the streets and topple the government. According to Channel 12, cited by The Times of Israel, Netanyahu argued in a phone call that the Iranian system was in chaos and that the moment was ripe to intensify pressure by encouraging a public uprising, but Trump turned down the idea.

The report points to a possible gap between Washington and Tel Aviv over how far to push the political dimension of the war, even as both sides remain aligned militarily against Iran.

Source: Channel 12, cited by The Times of Israel.

At the UN Human Rights Council’s urgent debate in Geneva on March 25, China used the session to press for respect for the sovereignty, security, and territorial integrity of the Gulf Arab states and Jordan, as the regional fallout from the Iran war came under renewed scrutiny. The emergency debate itself was convened over Iran’s recent attacks on Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE.

Beijing’s broader official position has been that the U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran lacked UN Security Council authorization and violated international law, and that those attacks helped trigger the wider regional spillover now drawing in neighboring states. Chinese officials have also said that while the conflict began with attacks on Iran, the sovereignty of non-belligerent regional states must still be fully respected.

The Chinese stance reflects a dual message: criticism of the military campaign against Iran, alongside a warning against any attacks on Gulf countries and Jordan as the conflict expands.

Source: OHCHR; China’s Permanent Mission to the UN; China Foreign Ministry.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Moscow has received no information from Iranian officials about a reported 15-point U.S. proposal for a ceasefire or de-escalation framework, adding that Russia therefore cannot assess the credibility of those media reports. The remark came after Reuters reported that Washington had sent Tehran a detailed proposal, while Iranian officials were also publicly denying that any such negotiation was underway.

Source: Reuters.

Israeli Defense Minister Yisrael Katz said Israel has approved a new list of targets for strikes in Iran and Lebanon in coordination with IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir, indicating a fresh expansion of the military campaign.

Katz also said the Israeli Air Force has dropped more than 15,000 bombs on Iran since the war began, a figure he said is about four times the volume used in the 12-day war in June 2025. He added that Israel has now entered a new phase in the Iran war.

Source: The Times of Israel; The Jerusalem Post.