Sputnik

🇺🇸 🇮🇷 US faces massive daily losses in Iran war The ongoing war between the US and Iran is costing the US a fortune The US is spending some $1 billion a day on air and naval operations, with the total cost estimated at $24.4 billion since February 28

🇰🇵🪖 Kim Jong-un oversees coordinated offensive drill of KPA units — reports North Korean leader Kim Jong-un oversaw a coordinated offensive tactical drill of infantry and tank units at a training base in Pyongyang on March 19, according to KCNA. The exercise involved tanks, drones and missile systems, with units practicing coordinated strikes and assaults under simulated combat conditions. 💬 Kim said the new-type main battle tank is “very superior” and “unequalled in the world in its striking power and mobility,” praising its advanced self-defense capabilities. ✅ KCNA reported the tank successfully intercepted 100% of incoming anti-tank missiles and drones, demonstrating the effectiveness of its active protection system.

🚨 Attacks on Gulf gas hubs risk global energy crisis Israeli strikes on the Iranian South Pars oil fields have escalated the war, sending gas and oil prices soaring. Gas sites hit and in danger 🔸 South Pars is part of a giant gas field that Iran shares with Qatar under the Persian Gulf, with about 51 trillion cubic meters of natural gas 🔸 Iran hit back by targeting US gas interests in the Gulf region ▫️ Habshan, a major regional gas hub in Abu Dhabi, was closed after missile debris hit it ▫️ Ras Laffan, Qatar’s biggest gas hub which was closed in early March, has been damaged ▫️ The Pearl Gas-to-Liquids (GTL) Facility run by Shell in Qatar has also been hit 🔸 The attacks wiped out about 17% of Qatar's liquified natural gas (LNG) export capacity — and repairs could take three to five years, QatarEnergy told Reuters 🔸 The US warned that any new Iranian attacks on Qatari LNG facilities would prompt the US military to destroy the South Pars gas field Markets react 🔸 European gas futures surged 35% on March 19. The benchmark Dutch TTF gas price jumped past €70 ($80) per MWh, its highest since December 2022 but below the $300-plus peak of summer 2022 🔸 Analysts warn the developments could keep prices high, with short supply and rising demand for alternative LNG sources — hurting Europe and Asia 🔸 Worse still, Brent crude oil futures neared $117 per barrel, and WTI crude rose to $96.97 per barrel 🔸 The South Korean Industry Ministry is mulling Russian oil and naphtha imports, Reuters reports 🔸 Ship-tracking data from Kpler and LSEG show Asia will receive more than 3 million tons (614,500 barrels) of Russian fuel oil this month 🔸 Russian companies will redirect some LNG supplies from Europe to the Asia-Pacific market, Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak told reporters in early March 🔸 “The world understands the necessity of including Russian energy in a diversified energy portfolio for every country,” Russian special presidential envoy Kirill Dmitriev tweeted on March 19

🇰🇵 🪖North Korean Armed Forces ready for any situation - Kim Jong-un Kim Jong-un attended the parade that was held in Pyongyang to mark the 9th Congress of the Workers' Party of North Korea

📹 US military releases before-and-after images of Iranian 'missile site' US Central Command (CENTCOM) published footage it says shows the “Karaj surface-to-surface missile plant” before and after US strikes. The images, dated March 1 and March 11, were presented as depicting the site prior to and following the aggression. On February 28, during the first day of US-Israeli aggression, a US strike hit a school in Minab, killing over 160 schoolgirls.

🚢⚔️🇮🇷 US accelerates deployment of Marines, sailors to Middle East — reports The United States is speeding up the deployment of additional military forces to the Middle East, including thousands of Marines and sailors, NBC News reported, citing people familiar with the decision. 📍 According to NBC News, the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit — comprising at least 2,200 Marines — is expected to deploy from San Diego earlier than scheduled in the coming days. The unit is set to deploy aboard the USS Boxer, an amphibious assault ship, and is likely to be accompanied by one or two additional vessels, meaning several thousand US sailors could also be sent to the region, the report said.

❌ Why would US ground assault on Kharg Island be a strategic fiasco? A US landing on Kharg Island would make it a prime target for Iran’s Khalij-e Fars supersonic anti-ship missiles and swarms of Ababil and Shahed drones, Andrey Chuprygin, senior lecturer at the Faculty of World Economy and International Affairs, tells Sputnik. “This is a guaranteed strategic disaster for the Pentagon that could deal a lasting blow to US military prestige,” he says.

📹 US military releases before-and-after images of Iranian 'missile site' US Central Command (CENTCOM) published footage it says shows the “Karaj surface-to-surface missile plant” before and after US strikes. The images, dated March 1 and March 11, were presented as depicting the site prior to and following the aggression. On February 28, during the first day of US-Israeli aggression, a US strike hit a school in Minab, killing over 160 schoolgirls.