War Against Iran: The U.S. Has Begun Active Preparations For A Ground Operation
17- 21.03.2026, 9:40
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(Updated) Chronicles the events of the 22nd day of the conflict.
Israel and the US are continuing Operation Roaring Lion in the Middle East against Iran.
The website Charter97.org is streaming the 22nd day of the war online.
21:56 US President Donald Trump's team has begun discussions on what peace talks with Iran might look like. This was reported by Axios, citing two sources.
The discussions include the US president's special envoy Steve Whitkoff and Trump's son-in-law David Kushner. A U.S. official speaking to reporters suggested Iran would agree to the talks.
19:34 Twenty-two nations have expressed their willingness to contribute to safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz. A joint statement was released by the UAE Foreign Ministry's press office on Saturday, March 21.
The document was signed by the countries of Europe, Japan, Canada, South Korea, New Zealand, Australia, Bahrain and the UAE. "We condemn in the strongest possible terms Iran's recent attacks on unarmed merchant ships in the Persian Gulf, attacks on civilian infrastructure, including oil and gas facilities, and the de facto closure of the Strait of Hormuz by Iranian forces," the statement said.
19:13 The US is discussing the option of seizing Iranian ports and stationing troops on small Gulf islands to secure the Strait of Hormuz. This was reported by NBC News, citing sources.
The TV channel's interlocutors also spoke about other options of operations being considered in the US. Among them are operations to seize highly enriched uranium from the republic and the seizure of Iranian oil facilities. According to NBC's sources, none of the options that Washington is seriously considering involves large-scale troop deployments.
The major ports of Iran in the Strait of Hormuz region include Bandar Abbas, Bandar Mahshehr and the island terminal of Khark.
18:23 Ukrainian specialists have successfully shot down several Iranian drones in a Persian Gulf country, BBC Ukraine reported, citing sources.
At the same time, the direct sale and purchase of Ukrainian drones are still blocked at the level of the state leadership, the sources added.
BBC Ukraine's manufacturers told BBC Ukraine they have received dozens of commercial offers from the Persian Gulf and Middle East countries, as well as from intermediaries.
18:07 The US has launched the longest-range artillery strike on Iran with precision-guided missiles in the history of the US military. This was announced by the head of the Central Command of the Armed Forces of the United States (CENTCOM), Admiral Brad Cooper.
"Just two days ago, the U.S. Army launched the longest-range field artillery strike in the history of Army combat operations using high-precision missiles. This strike destroyed the Iranian military infrastructure, demonstrating the unprecedented range and destructive power of the US military," he said.
17:21 US and Israeli intelligence agencies, namely the CIA and Mossad, are trying to unravel the "mystery" of new Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei's prolonged absence from public appearances. This is reported by Axios with reference to intelligence and US officials.
And the US and Israel have intelligence data indicating that Mojtaba Khamenei is alive - for example, there is evidence of attempts by Iranian officials to organize personal meetings with him, although unsuccessfully for security reasons, the portal writes.
According to him, the question of the "mystery" of the absence of the Iranian leader has been raised several times at special briefings of representatives of intelligence services for US President Donald Trump. His national security team is still trying to figure out who is really in control in Tehran, a U.S. official told Axios.
15:18 The Israeli Air Force has expanded its geographical operations, striking Iranian military boats in the Caspian Sea and Bender-Enzeli port, where Iran's Northern Fleet headquarters is located.
13:16 Iran will allow Japanese ships through the Strait of Hormuz.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has said the country is ready to allow Japan-linked ships to pass through the Strait of Hormuz. The statement came after consultations between the countries' officials, Bloomberg reported, citing Araghchi's interview with Japan's Kyodo News.
12:07 Iran has launched two ballistic missiles at the U.S.-British Diego Garcia military base in the Indian Ocean. The Diego Garcia base is located about 4,000 kilometers from Iran. One of the missiles missed its target and the other was shot down by a U.S. interceptor warship.
11:16 Sources linked to the Iranian opposition say Mojtaba Khamenei was seriously wounded, lost a leg and probably suffered brain damage. Iranian authorities have remained silent and only released written statements without clear confirmation of his condition.
10:31 The U.S. is "very close" to achieving its goals in Iran.
"We are very close to achieving our goals as we consider winding down our massive military effort in the Middle East against the terrorist regime of Iran," US President Donald Trump wrote on his Truth Social network.
10:07 The US Treasury Department has issued a short-term license that allows the sale of Iranian oil already loaded onto tankers at sea. The announcement was made by U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.
Bessent said the issue is about 140 million barrels of Iranian oil that are "stuck at sea." Washington hopes it will help quickly increase supply on the world market and ease pressure on energy prices amid a war with Iran and problems with shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.
9:51 The Pentagon has released new footage of U.S. air strikes on targets in Iran.
The publication quotes U.S. Central Command Commander Brad Cooper as saying, "Iran's capabilities are declining...".
08:32 The U.S. Department of War has begun active preparations for the deployment of U.S. ground troops to Iran. This was reported by CBS, citing multiple sources. The U.S. military has held meetings on the detention of Iranian soldiers and paramilitary fighters, including determining where the captives will be sent. The Army Rapid Reaction Force and U.S. Marine Corps expeditionary units are involved in the planning. Three warships and about 2,200 Marines from the expeditionary unit left California earlier this week, according to U.S. officials. It is the second such unit sent to the region since the war began.
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