{"id":8954,"date":"2026-03-29T15:07:19","date_gmt":"2026-03-29T20:07:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.acu.edu\/coatesn\/?p=8954"},"modified":"2026-04-01T17:33:40","modified_gmt":"2026-04-01T22:33:40","slug":"8954","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.acu.edu\/coatesn\/2026\/03\/29\/8954\/","title":{"rendered":""},"content":{"rendered":"

Let’s start with two stories about the Kurds.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cThe Kurdish Ground Force Preparing to Fight in Iran,\u201d<\/a> Atlantic, 3-29-26.<\/p>\n

Did Iran just violate Iraq territory and try to kill the Iraqi Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani?\u00a0 Yes.\u00a0 \u201cTurkey\u2019s Foreign Minister Condemns Drone Attack on President Nechirvan Barzani Residence,\u201d<\/a> Kurdistan24, 3-29-26.<\/p>\n

\u201cMiddle East leaders huddle in Pakistan as Trump weighs ground operations in Iran,\u201d<\/a> CNBC, 3-29-26.<\/p>\n

Sorry A&M and NYU.\u00a0 \u201cIran threatens US campuses in Middle East,\u201d<\/a> Politico, 3-29-26.<\/p>\n

\u201cIran warns U.S. against ground invasion, as Pakistan holds diplomatic talks,\u201d<\/a> NPR, 3-29-26.<\/p>\n

Here’s a story about another Arab state that has been constantly under the gun from the Regime.\u00a0 Actually for years.\u00a0 \u201cArmy Says Iran Targeted Jordan With Missile, 2 Drones in past 24 hours,\u201d<\/a> Petra News, 3-29-26.<\/p>\n

\u201cHow Iran is making a mint from Donald Trump\u2019s war,\u201d<\/a> Economist, 3-29-26.<\/p>\n

See \u201cPhotos show heavily damaged US radar jet at Saudi base,\u201d<\/a> BBC, 3-29-26.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cIran’s IRGC-linked Fars news agency said a Shahed drone had struck the E-3 aircraft.\u201d\u00a0 This strike against the AWACS jet and multiple KC-135 tankers may represent the largest attack by Russia against U.S. planes in years.\u00a0 I say Russia, not just Iran, because Russia is providing the satellite targeting and a green light.<\/p>\n

\u201cPentagon reportedly preparing for weeks of ground operations in Iran,\u201d<\/a> Military Times, 3-29-26.<\/p>\n

\u201cIran Update Special Report, March 29, 2026,\u201d<\/a> ISW, 3-29-26.\u00a0\u00a0Two notes.\u00a0 First, \u201cSenior Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) officials continue to dismiss Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian\u2019s concerns about Iran\u2019s economic conditions amid Iran\u2019s war with the United States and Israel. Anti-regime media reported on March 28 that there is a deepening rift between Pezeshkian and IRGC Commander Brigadier General Ahmad Vahidi over the regime\u2019s actions during the war and the war\u2019s mounting economic and social costs, citing unspecified informed sources.\u201d\u00a0 Second, \u201cThe Iranian regime appears to be appealing to nationalist sentiments to recruit members of the Iranian population to help the regime maintain internal security. The Wall Street Journal reported on March 29 that Iran has launched a recruitment campaign called \u201cJanfada,\u201d or \u201cSacrificing Life,\u201d to recruit volunteers to fight US forces in the event of a US ground operation in Iran, citing a text message sent to Iranian mobile users.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMiddle East realignment: Turkey, Egypt, and Pakistan are reshaping US-Iran relations \u2013 opinion,\u201d<\/a> JPost, 3-29-26.<\/p>\n

This is the type of information that is not typically available on open sources.\u00a0 https:\/\/understandingwar.org\/research\/middle-east\/iran-update-special-report-march-29-2026\/<\/a>\u201cAnalysis: Iran likely transferred highly enriched uranium to Isfahan before the June strikes,\u201d Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, 3-29-26.\u00a0 “Le Monde has analyzed a previously unreported satellite image of the Iranian nuclear site at Isfahan, showing a large truck loaded with containers. \u2026 But the timing of the image, the type of load, and other indirect evidence suggest that Iran may have placed a significant quantity of highly enriched uranium\u2014possibly all of its inventory\u2014at the facility ahead of the June 2025 strikes by Israel and the United States against Iranian nuclear sites.”<\/p>\n

The headline starts with \u201cIran\u201d but should really read \u201cRussia.\u201d\u00a0 See \u201cIran strike on Saudi Arabia\u2019s Sultan Airbase destroys key US Air Force platforms,\u201d<\/a> JPost, 3-29-26.\u00a0\u00a0At Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia.\u00a0 \u201c[D]amaged multiple aircraft and likely completely destroyed an E-3 Sentry aircraft. The attack some 60 miles south of the capital of Riyadh in the early hours of March 27 is said to have involved a coordinated precision barrage of at least one Iranian ballistic missile and several attack drones. According to reports, some 10 to 12 American service members were injured in the attack, with at least two in serious condition. The base, a major operating location for US Air Force platforms during the war, has been attacked several times since the beginning of Operation Epic Fury\/Operation Roaring Lion. Earlier in the week, 14 others were wounded in an attack, and another missile strike on the base on March 1 killed one service member. \u00a0\u2026 \u00a0The loss of an E-3 Sentry AWACS carries strategic consequences far beyond the physical destruction of a single airframe, as it degrades the ability to detect incoming hostile threats and coordinate any retaliatory response. \u00a0\u2026\u00a0 Its radar provides 360-degree surveillance across a 250-mile radius, allowing it to detect aircraft, drones, and missile launches while simultaneously coordinating friendly forces.\u00a0 ..\u00a0 The US Air Force had around 30 E-3 Sentry aircraft, with Boeing having delivered the last one in 1992. But as the platform struggles to maintain readiness, the USAF has cut the fleet almost in half to 16 aircraft. Of those, six were sent to the Middle East ahead of the war. While the platform is nearing the end of its lifetime, it continues to serve as an airborne command post, linking fighters, bombers, and ground commanders into a unified operational picture throughout the region during the war. Operation Epic Fury has involved thousands of US and Israeli sorties across Iran and the wider region. Managing such a vast air campaign requires persistent airborne command and control, and the E-3 Sentry has been central to that effort. Its ability to track threats, direct aircraft, and maintain situational awareness makes it the backbone of coordinated air operations.\u00a0 \u2026\u00a0 Iran is said to be receiving external intelligence support from allies like China and Russia for advanced surveillance capabilities to target key installations across the Gulf. The attack\u2019s accuracy suggests that Iran had access to timely, high-quality intelligence about aircraft positions and operational patterns at Prince Sultan Air Base, which also houses F-15E Strike Eagles, F-35A Lightnings, F-16 Fighting Falcons, and more.\u201d<\/p>\n

This is not a blog about SArabia.\u00a0 But the below story highlights how dangerous SA thinks Iran is.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cIran War Draws Attention to U.S. Troop Presence in Saudi Arabia,\u201d<\/a> NYT, 3-29-26.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Iran war has given Trump his best hand against China \u2014 now he shouldn\u2019t fold,\u201d<\/a> LWJ, 3-29-26.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Let’s start with two stories about the Kurds.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cThe Kurdish Ground Force Preparing to Fight in Iran,\u201d Atlantic, 3-29-26. Did Iran just violate Iraq territory and try to kill the Iraqi Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani?\u00a0 Yes.\u00a0 \u201cTurkey\u2019s Foreign Minister Condemns Drone Attack on President Nechirvan Barzani Residence,\u201d Kurdistan24, 3-29-26. \u201cMiddle East leaders huddle in Pakistan … <\/p>\n

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