Israel is Working to Isolate the South of The Litani

As the days pass, the resurgence of military operations escalates crescendo, making the total war that the United States and Israel have been waging against the Iranian mullahs' regime since February 28 increasingly serious. And this escalation is evident on more than one level. After the elimination on March 17 of the head of Iran's National Security Council, Ali Larijani (the true strongman of the regime after the assassination of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei) and Gholamreza Soleiman, commander of the Basij (the formidable machine for repressing the population), it was the turn of Intelligence Minister, Ismail Khatib, to be eliminated during an Israeli raid. His death was confirmed on Wednesday, March 18, by official authorities.

In terms of military operations strictly speaking, American aviation has, over the past twenty-four hours, begun intensive bombing, using anti-bunker bombs, of Iranian positions and underground missile and drone depots on the coastline along the Persian Gulf.

More than 200 ballistic missiles are reported to have been destroyed during one of these strikes. This pounding is clearly aimed at paving the way for the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, or at least significantly reducing the Pasdaran's ability to disrupt the free movement of oil tankers through this strategic maritime route. In this regard, a significant Marine unit, equipped with a sophisticated strike force, is expected shortly in the region to reinforce the operational capabilities of the US army, particularly in the Strait of Hormuz area.

At the same time, Israeli aviation bombed the world's largest (Iranian) gas field. In retaliation, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps announced its intention to bomb oil facilities in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar. It didn't take much to cause a new rise in the price of a barrel of oil, which reached the $109 mark late Wednesday afternoon.

In this context, the foreign ministers of the Gulf States and Muslim countries were due to hold an extraordinary conference on Wednesday evening to examine the serious consequences of Iranian aggressions against several Gulf countries.

The south of the Litani isolated from the rest of the country

On the "Lebanese front," the Israeli army announced early Wednesday afternoon its intention to bomb and destroy bridges and crossing points along the Litani River. This operation amounts to isolating the south of the Litani from the rest of the country, which means, in military terms, the establishment of a buffer zone between the Israeli-Lebanese border and the southern region of the country located north of the river.

According to some reports, this Israeli deployment in Lebanese territory could extend as far north as Zahrani. This would allow the Hebrew state to impose its conditions in any negotiation concerning the withdrawal of its troops.

In the capital, Tuesday night to Wednesday was particularly tense. Israeli aviation repeatedly bombed various sectors, notably the neighborhoods of Zokak el-Blat and Bachoura, where a seven-story building completely collapsed due to the aerial attack.

In Zokak el-Blat, the Israeli aerial strike caused the death of Mohammed Cherri, political programs director for Hezbollah's television channel, Al-Manar. Late Wednesday, a heavy atmosphere prevailed in the capital amid apprehension about the extent of the IDF's deployment in the southern part of the country.