{"id":8845,"date":"2026-03-17T17:02:30","date_gmt":"2026-03-17T22:02:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.acu.edu\/coatesn\/?p=8845"},"modified":"2026-03-30T05:03:34","modified_gmt":"2026-03-30T10:03:34","slug":"8845","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.acu.edu\/coatesn\/2026\/03\/17\/8845\/","title":{"rendered":""},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201cIsrael Eliminates Ali Larijani, Key Architect Behind Iranian Protest Massacres,\u201d<\/a> FDD, 3-17-26.<\/p>\n

\u201cLarijani\u2019s death is more significant than that of supreme leader,\u201d<\/a> Telegraph, 3-17-26.<\/p>\n

\u201cExclusive:\u00a0 Iran\u2019s New Supreme Leader rejects de-escalation proposals conveyed by intermediaries, Iran official says,\u201d<\/a> Reuters, 3-17-26.\u00a0 Reuters does not attempt to confirm if the new Leader is injured or alive, it just passes through information from the Regime.\u00a0 That is not reporting, that is almost just being a mouthpiece.\u00a0 There is too much at stake to allow others to pretend to be in charge of the country.<\/p>\n

\u201cIsrael targets Iranian intelligence minister overnight | LIVE BLOG,\u201d<\/a> i24, 3-17-26.<\/p>\n

And Nowruz is coming up, a holiday the Regime has always had difficulty snuffing out or transforming to Shia beliefs and government control.\u00a0 \u201c’Celebrate, we are watching from the sky:’ Netanyahu aims to protect Iranians on Persian New Year,\u201d<\/a> i24, 3-17-26.<\/p>\n

\u201c300 IRGC Basij field agents killed in overnight strikes,\u201d<\/a> Iran International, 3-17-26.<\/p>\n

\u201cSon of FBI agent missing in Iran says US strikes are step toward justice,\u201d<\/a> Iran International, 3-17-26.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cWashington later concluded that Levinson likely died in Iranian custody, though his remains were never recovered. In 2020, the US Treasury Department sanctioned Iranian officials Mohammad Baseri and Ahmad Khazai for their roles in his disappearance.\u00a0 Baseri\u2019s name resurfaced this week when Iranian state media confirmed he was killed in the joint US\u2011Israeli airstrikes on Tehran that also hit Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) sites and intelligence facilities. Learning of Baseri\u2019s death, Levinson said, felt [his son] like a long\u2011overdue turning point, matched in significance only by the death of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei on first day of war. \u201cKhamenei had the power to free my dad at any point and chose not to. He knew what was happening and did nothing, so for our family, it\u2019s been an emotional moment \u2014 but not one of grief.\u201d His father, he said, \u201cwas a patriotic American who always wanted to make sure justice was served \u2014 not just in the United States, but around the world.\u201d The recent strikes, he believes, \u201cmay finally hold some of those responsible accountable.\u201d Levinson has spent nearly twenty years seeking answers and helping other families do the same. He was instrumental in advancing the Robert Levinson Hostage Recovery and Hostage\u2011Taking Accountability Act, which strengthened US tools for responding to hostage situations abroad. From those efforts, he\u2019s come to see patterns in how authoritarian states operate \u2014 and how they collapse. \u201cThere are people who know exactly what happened to my dad,\u201d he said. As pressure mounts on the regime, \u201cmaybe some will defect or reveal the truth. \u2026 “There\u2019s still a 25 multimillion\u2011dollar US reward for information about his case.\u201d The strikes, he said, could finally create the conditions where long\u2011hidden information emerges. Although the family continues to grieve, Levinson said they also feel a renewed sense of purpose. \u201cJustice is coming,\u201d he said. \u201cWe\u2019re not going to forget. Those involved still have the chance to do the right thing.\u201d \u2026 \u201cNow, with the regime shaken and the world watching, maybe it\u2019s finally time for justice \u2014 and for freedom for the Iranian people.\u201d\u201d<\/p>\n

I am sorry that Joe Kent lost his wife in Syria.\u00a0 He claims in his resignation letter that the Iraq War was \u201cmanufactured\u201d by Israel, and that the current conflict in Iran (but not the June 2025 fighting?) was also manipulated by Israel.\u00a0 I don\u2019t have enough information from open sources nor over time to give more insight, but I will note that I\u2019m not seeing much commentary or information in the press about Kent\u2019s personal loss and Israel\u2019s actions and how they are tied together.\u00a0 Nor have I ever heard that Israel was responsible for Pres. Bush’s decision in 2003 in Iraq.\u00a0\u00a0See \u201cWhat we know about Joe Kent – the top US counterterrorism official who has resigned over Trump’s Iran war,\u201d<\/a> Sky News, 3-17-26.\u00a0 For example, \u201cThe First Big Administration Defection Over Iran,\u201d<\/a> Atlantic, 3-17-26.\u00a0 I’ve circled back to this post on 3-19 to include the only relevant piece<\/a> I’ve seen so far, and it does not include any information regarding Kent’s claim regarding Israel.<\/p>\n

\u201cGulf States Want the U.S. to Cripple Iran\u2019s Regime Before Ending the War,\u201d<\/a> WSJ, 3-17-26.\u00a0\u00a0In short, they want the head to be cut off the snake.\u00a0 That is a quote that goes back to 2010 when King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia communicated this to the U.S. about Iran.<\/p>\n

Significant in that Mossad assets not the key factor, but everyday people who want the Regime to fall.\u00a0 \u201cIsraeli official says tip from Tehran residents helped enable Larijani strike,\u201d<\/a> Iran International, 3-17-26.<\/p>\n

\u201cIran Launches Missile Attack on Tel Aviv in Retaliation for Latest Killings,\u201d<\/a> NYT, 3-17-26.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cIranian state media confirmed the killings of Ali Larijani, who had served as Iran\u2019s de facto leader.\u201d<\/p>\n

After Iran produced so many drones targeting Ukraine, now Ukraine is helping in the Middle East against Iran.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cUkraine says has deployed 200 air defense experts to Mideast amid Iran war,\u201d<\/a> Iran International, 3-17-26.<\/p>\n

\u201c’Fall of Iranian regime real possibility,’ assessment in Israel and US \u2018strengthening\u2019,\u201d<\/a> i24, 3-17-26.<\/p>\n

\u201cDay 17 of Middle East conflict \u2014 Trump criticizes nations not committing to assist with Hormuz strait crisis,\u201d<\/a> CNN, 3-17-26.<\/p>\n

\u201cGulf States Want the U.S. to Cripple Iran\u2019s Regime Before Ending the War,\u201d<\/a> WSJ, 3-17-26.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u201cIsrael Eliminates Ali Larijani, Key Architect Behind Iranian Protest Massacres,\u201d FDD, 3-17-26. \u201cLarijani\u2019s death is more significant than that of supreme leader,\u201d Telegraph, 3-17-26. \u201cExclusive:\u00a0 Iran\u2019s New Supreme Leader rejects de-escalation proposals conveyed by intermediaries, Iran official says,\u201d Reuters, 3-17-26.\u00a0 Reuters does not attempt to confirm if the new Leader is injured or alive, it … <\/p>\n

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