Israeli operations inside Iran intensified with sustained strikes targeting Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)  Basij positions across Tehran, alongside a high-impact targeted killing campaign against senior leadership. Overnight precision strikes killed Iran’s National Security Secretary Ali Larijani, his son, and Basij deputy commander Qassem Qoreishi, while a separate strike eliminated Basij commander Gholamreza Soleimani. These operations reflected a shift toward decapitation strategy aimed at disrupting Iran’s political-military command structure.

Iranian and Hizballah attacks on Israel continued in multiple waves throughout the day, combining ballistic missiles, drones, and rocket fire from both Iran and its proxy from Lebanon. Beginning shortly after midnight, Hizballah launched rockets toward northern Israel, followed by successive Iranian ballistic missile salvos, triggering nationwide alerts across northern, central, and southern regions including Tel Aviv and the Sea of Galilee area. Most projectiles were intercepted, though at least one impact in central Israel caused minor infrastructure damage, and several individuals sustained minor injuries or anxiety-related conditions while seeking shelter. Additional threats included a drone launched from Iran intercepted over northern Israel and a drone infiltration attempt from Gaza intercepted near Nahal Oz. Hizballah rocket fire resumed in the afternoon targeting the Western Galilee, including Nahariya and Shlomi. Overall damage remained limited, with no fatalities reported and impacts largely confined to open areas or minor infrastructure.

Iranian pressure on Gulf States persisted, most notably in Kuwait where multiple explosions were reported north of Kuwait City during the afternoon following air defense interceptions of incoming missiles and drones targeting U.S. and coalition-linked sites. The IRGC reportedly also targeted a major US air base in Qatar.

The activity reflected continued sustained attack waves rather than a single strike, with debris from interceptions posing secondary risks to populated areas.

Across the wider region, the sustained threat environment prompted extended aviation disruptions, with British Airways, Air France, and Lufthansa maintaining or expanding flight suspensions to key hubs including Tel Aviv, Dubai, Riyadh, Amman, Bahrain, and Doha, reflecting ongoing airspace risk tied to Iranian and proxy aerial operations.

During the afternoon hours, a 22 year old woman, Beyonce Cairncross, was kidnapped outside a medical center in the Gelvandale area of Gqeberha after she and a friend left a gym near the Famhealth Medipark. Four armed men driving a Volkswagen Polo approached them, and while the friend managed to escape, Cairncross was forced into the vehicle before the suspects fled the scene. Later that night the kidnappers contacted her family demanding ransom in exchange for her release prompting authorities to move the case to the Hawks for investigation. The victim’s father is reportedly a business owner in the city’s northern areas. The case quickly gained widespread attention on social media, with users sharing the victim’s photograph and information online in an effort to help locate her. (timeslive.co.za, 12 March 2026)

A 20 year old cattle rancher was kidnapped during the early morning hours by armed men in the rural village of El Tandil, in the municipality of Tumaco, Nariño, while working on his family’s farm. The kidnappers, members of the Coordinadora Nacional Ejército Bolivariano (CNEB), Structure Iván Ríos, a residual organized armed group of FARC dissidents, contacted his family demanding a ransom of 200 million Colombian pesos in exchange for his release. On 10 March, the victim managed to escape from his captors and fled into the surrounding jungle, where he walked for several hours before encountering troops from Jungle Battalion No. 53 of the Colombian Army on patrol. The soldiers evacuated the victim to a safe location where he underwent a medical assessment and was debriefed before being reunited with his family. Authorities confirmed that no ransom was paid and stated that military operations would continue in the region to combat kidnapping and extortion by illegal armed groups operating in the Pacific region of Nariño. (eltiempo.com, 11 March 2026 & noticiasrcn.com, 12 March 2026)

Shortly before 1:00 am local time, at least three rockets were fired from south of the Litani River in southern Lebanon into northern Israel. One of the rockets was intercepted by the Iron Dome air defense system, while the others fell in open areas, causing no casualties or damage. Shortly afterward, two drones were launched and intercepted over the town of Shlomi in the Western Galil region, damaging two houses. Hizballah later claimed responsibility for the attack “as revenge for the pure blood of the Muslim leader,” referring to the killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Israel, which views the Lebanese government as responsible for any attack carried out from its territory, is likely to retaliate harshly against the group in an attempt to deter it from opening another front.

At about 1:58 am local time, a gunman opened fire near Buford’s Backyard Beer Garden on West Sixth Street in downtown Austin, Texas. The area is popular with nightlife patrons and university students. The shooter, who reportedly wore clothing bearing the words 'Property of Allah' and an Iranian flag emblem, was later identified by law enforcement sources as 53-year-old Ndiaga Diagne, a naturalized U.S. citizen originally from Senegal. He drove a large SUV around the area before stopping and firing into crowds with a handgun from his vehicle, then continued to fire with a rifle after exiting the vehicle. Responding officers engaged the suspect and fatally shot him at the scene. Two people were killed in the attack and 14 were wounded, three of them critically. The Federal Bureau of Investigation has joined the investigation, with officials stating they found indicators on the suspect and in his vehicle suggesting a potential link to terrorism, though authorities cautioned that it is too early to determine the motive and that the investigation is ongoing.