Before the start of Operation Epic Fury, Gen. Dan Caine, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told President Donald J. Trump several times that an American attack could prompt Iran to close the Strait of Hormuz, stating that U.S. officials had long believed Iran would deploy mines, drones and missiles to close the world’s most vital shipping lane in the case of a full-scale war with the United States.

President Trump acknowledged the risk, moving forward with his decision to launch wide-spread strikes against Iran alongside Israel, telling his team that he believed Tehran would likely capitulate before closing the Strait of Hormuz - and even if Iran tried, the situation could be quickly handled by the U.S. Navy, according to people with knowledge of the discussions who spoke to the Wall Street Journal.

Smoke can be seen rising from the U.S. Embassy Compound in Baghdad, Iraq, following a possible direct impact on the roof of the building by an Iranian one-way attack drone.

Video footage shows a small fire burning on the roof of the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, following a successful drone strike on the compound by Iranian-backed Iraqi paramilitary groups or Iran.

Iraqi security sources tell the Associated Press that a “missile” struck a helipad earlier at the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, causing a small fire, with other outlets reporting that the strike was the result of a drone or rocket impact, likely fired by Iranian-backed militant groups in Iraq.

U.S. President Donald J. Trump has announced "many countries...will be sending war ships" to aid U.S. Navy efforts to keep the Strait of Hormuz open, claiming that 100% of Iran's military capability has been destroyed. France and the United Kingdom have announced naval deployments to the region, but none have acknowledged a mission to support the opening of the Strait of Hormuz.

An E-2D “Hawkeye” Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) Aircraft with the “Bear Aces” of Airborne Command & Control Squadron 124 (VAW-124), alongside several F/A-18E/F Super Hornets with Carrier Air Wing Eight (CVW-8), take off from the deck of the USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78) in the Northern Red Sea in support of Operation Epic Fury.

The Israel Defense Force has announced that two senior intelligence officers with Iran’s “Khatam al-Anbiya” Emergency Command, Abdollah Jalali-Nasab and Amir Shariat, were eliminated Friday in a strike on Tehran.

According to a report from Breaking Defense, the U.S. Navy has officially delayed the decommissioning of the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN-68) until at least March of 2027 in order to maintain a fleet size of 11 active carriers. Its replacement will be the USS John F. Kennedy (CVN-79), which is scheduled to be delivered to the Navy in mid-2027.

The French Government has drafted a proposal to fully end the ongoing conflict between Hezbollah and Israel in Lebanon, which would require the Lebanese Government to take the unprecedented step of recognizing Israel, with the proposal currently being reviewed by Israel and the United States, three sources familiar with the details told Axios.

U.S. President Donald J. Trump has made his second post of the day on the Strait of Hormuz, with him stating, “The United States of America has beaten and completely decimated Iran, both Militarily, Economically, and in every other way, but the Countries of the World that receive Oil through the Hormuz Strait must take care of that passage, and we will help — A LOT!” Trump goes on to say that restoring shipping to the strait “should have always been a team effort,” which he states will be coordinated by the United States.

For the first time since March 14, 2019, the American flag was raised at the U.S. Embassy in Caracas, Venezuela.

Additional footage of strikes against Iran have been published by U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), with some of the targets including radar sites, air defenses, as well as ballistic missile and drone launch sites operated by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

The USS John Finn (DDG-113), a Flight llA Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer, fires a total of 13 BGM-109 Tomahawk Land Attack Cruise Missiles (TLAM) at Iranian targets in support of Operation Epic Fury, March 10, 2026.

F/A-18E Super Hornets and F-35C Lightning lls assigned to Carrier Air Wing Nine (CVW-9), carry out daytime and nighttime flight operations against Iran onboard the USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72), from its position in the Arabian Sea, in support of Operation Epic Fury, March 12, 2026.

Following reports that 2,500-5,000 Marines have been ordered to the Middle East and that the Trump Administration is considering a possible operation to seize Iran’s Kharg Island in the Northern Persian Gulf, chances that U.S. forces enter Iran have skyrocketed on Polymarket, with traders now predicting there is a near 70% chance that American troops will enter Iran by the end of 2026.

Satellite imagery from earlier today, March 14, captured the America-class amphibious assault ship USS Tripoli (LHA-7) and her 2,500 embarked Marines with the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit (31st MEU), quickly steaming towards the Middle East, having already entered the South China Sea.

This follows reports Friday that the Tripoli Amphibious Ready Group, which consists of the Tripoli and the San Antonio-class amphibious transport docks USS New Orleans (LPD-18) and USS San Diego (LPD-22), along with Marines from the 31st MEU and roughly 20 F-35B Lightning lls, had been ordered to the Middle East near Iran.

U.S. President Donald J. Trump said in an interview Saturday with NBC News that he’s not ready to make a deal to end the war with Iran despite the country’s willingness to do so “because the terms aren’t good enough yet,” but declined to say what those terms would be, while adding that he is working with other countries on a plan to secure the Strait of Hormuz.