TYB
Progress Cargo Craft Launches to Resupply Station Crew
March 22, 2026 8:43AM
The unpiloted Roscosmos Progress 94 spacecraft is safely in orbit and headed to the International Space Station following its launch at 7:59 a.m. EDT (4:59 p.m. Baikonur time) on a Soyuz rocket from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.
Following launch, one of the Progress spacecraft’s two KURS automated rendezvous antennas did not deploy as planned.
All other systems are operating as designed, and Progress will continue toward its planned docking at 9:34 a.m. Tuesday, March 24, to the space-facing port of the station’s Poisk module.
Roscosmos will continue troubleshooting the antenna issue. If the antenna cannot be deployed, Roscosmos cosmonaut Sergey Kud-Sverchkov will manually pilot the spacecraft for rendezvous and docking using the TORU (Telerobotically Operated Rendezvous System), which is a control panel located in the Zvezda Service Module that can be used as a backup to the KURS automated system.
NASA’s live rendezvous and docking coverage will begin at 8:45 a.m. on NASA+, Amazon Prime, and the agency’s YouTube channel. Learn how to watch NASA content through a variety of online platforms, including social media.
The spacecraft is delivering about three tons of food, fuel, and supplies to the orbiting laboratory.
https://www.nasa.gov/blogs/spacestation/2026/03/22/progress-cargo-craft-launches-to-resupply-station-crew/
https://x.com/NASA/status/2035698511996486121
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O1OaCfLTPnw
Never-before-seen photos of Neil Armstrong’s near-fatal NASA mission surface 60 years later
Mar 21, 2026 | 7:02 PM
Never-before-seen photos of late astronaut Neil Armstrong’s return to Earth after one of NASA’s closest calls 60 years ago are now available to the public.
The photos of Armstrong, who died in 2012, and fellow astronaut David Scott after their unplanned splashdown near Japan after their ill-fated Gemini 8 mission in 1966 have been donated to the Armstrong Air & Space Museum in Wapakoneta, Ohio, by the widow of photographer Ron McQueeney.
Armstrong and Scott were forced to end the mission early when both spacecraft started to tumble uncontrollably after the astronauts completed the first successful docking in space.
They separated from the other spacecraft but continued to tumble at one revolution a second until Armstrong decided to deploy the thrusters to stop the spinning, which burned some of the fuel they would have needed to complete the mission.
The astronauts risked losing consciousness during the spinning.
The men splashed down off Okinawa, Japan, about 10 hours after their launch on March 16, 1966, and were brought to Naha Air Base.
McQueeney, an Army veteran, was called in to document the astronauts after the splashdown, an event few media outlets attended because it was unexpected.
“Sometimes, an incredible event can actually be documented by some of the most ordinary means,” Dante Centuori, executive director of the museum, told The Associated Press.
The photos show the men on the deck of a U.S. Navy ship that brought them to the base in Japan and waving to U.S. service members once they got to the base.
Another photo shows the Gemini 8 spacecraft being lifted after the splashdown.
“The obvious thing that sticks out to me is that they are very happy to be alive,” historian Robert Poole of the University of Lancashire told the AP.
He added that Armstrong’s composure under pressure was one of the key factors that led to him being chosen for the Apollo 11 moon landing three years later.
Centuori said their smiles also show their ability to stay calm in a stressful situation.
More than 50 years since the last moon mission, NASA is preparing to launch Artemis II, which will send four astronauts around the moon next month.
“Seeing people launch to space frequently can suggest that it’s easy, but it’s very hard,” Emily Margolis, a curator at the National Air and Space Museum added. “And it requires a lot of resources and attention.”
https://www.wfmd.com/2026/03/21/never-before-seen-photos-of-neil-armstrongs-near-fatal-nasa-mission-surface-60-years-later/
Ed Campion passed away peacefully on Thursday 3/19 after a long illness
March 21, 2026
This was posted on Ed Campion’s Facebook page: “Dear Ed’s Facebook friends, Ed passed away peacefully on Thursday 3/19 after a long illness.
His family is deeply saddened by the loss but happy he is at peace, and reunited with his parents and his forever canine companion Vosch.
A full obituary will follow; arrangements are being handled by Nunn & McGrath Funeral Home in Utica, NY. Sincerely, The Campion Family”.
I knew Ed forever since he was News Chief at NASA Goddard since 2001 -so he was probably one of the very first PAO folks to have to deal with “that NASAWatch guy”.
He was always a pro even when I was not exactly doing so. We were close in age and liked to joke about the ‘retirement’. Oh yes, he sort of liked that whole baseball thing. ⚾ Ad Astra Ed.
https://nasawatch.com/personnel-news/ed-campion/
https://www.space.com/entertainment/space-movies-shows/we-chat-to-legendary-space-shuttle-commander-eileen-collins-about-her-new-documentary-spacewoman-interview
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YnhqHdxNsgk
We chat to legendary space shuttle commander Eileen Collins about her new documentary, 'Spacewoman' (interview)
March 22, 2026
With NASA’s Artemis 2 rocket and spacecraft rolling back out to the launch pad for an upcoming moon mission launch, and March being Women's History Month, now is the ideal time to go see "Spacewoman."
This brand new feature-length documentary showcases the inspirational accomplishments of pioneering astronaut Col. Eileen M. Collins, who rose to become the first woman space shuttle pilot and commander.
Directed by British filmmaker Hannah Berryman and based on Collins's 2021 memoir, "Through the Glass Ceiling to the Stars" (Arcade), "Spacewoman" follows the remarkable trajectory of a true American hero from humble small-town beginnings.
"Spacewoman" arrives in theaters on March 20, 2026 for a limited run and serves as a poignant portrait of a person who bucked the odds to become a living legend.
We had the chance to sit down with Collins and Berryman to talk about the documentary, and the incredible woman whose story it tells.
Collins retired from the Air Force in 2005 and from NASA's astronaut corps in 2006, having tallied over 6,751 hours piloting thirty different aircraft types and logging 872 hours in space.
"I had read Eileen's book and I really loved the story," Berryman tells Space. "There were certain things that stood out for me apart from obviously her being the first pilot and commander of the shuttle as a woman, which was amazing."
While her achievements speak for themselves, it was Collin's struggle to get there that really inspired Berryman to make this movie.
"If it had felt like a straightforward path from a certain kind of background, straight in doing it all, it would have felt less interesting to me as a story", explains Berryman.
"But because Eileen didn't have the easiest of backgrounds, I thought that was interesting. Also, when she was commanding the first mission right after the Columbia disaster, I felt like there was a way we co
Collins is a naturally shy individual despite her bold achievements in human spaceflight, setting the stage for more women entering NASA’s astronaut program who followed in her footsteps.
"I don't like to promote myself and Hannah knows that," Collins admits. "I've always just wanted to be a pilot, be an astronaut, do a great job, go explore. I like to go places and read books and do new things."
"When I retired in 2007, I decided to just work on boards and advisory groups and I wanted to raise my kids. I had no intention on writing a book. Now this documentary would not have happened without it." explains Collins.
"But then the pandemic hit in 2020 and I had nothing to do other than sit around and Skype meetings. Over the years I’d been approached by my co-author Jonathan Ward and I finally called him in April of 2020 and said, 'Okay, let's write the book.'
Even after having published her book, Collins was reluctant to step further into the spotlight when approached.
"The month after it was published I was contacted by producer Keith Haviland, he's from London. He did 'The Last Man on the Moon' on Gene Cernan and several others on space and aviation," Collins recalls.
"And I told him, 'No, I didn't want my life up there on the big screen.' A couple months went by and I changed my mind, knowing this was going to be a big deal. There was going to be a lot of work and I had to decide how much of my personal life do I want to put out there."
She first met director Hannah Berryman in her home town of Elmira, New York on the front porch of her father's old house. Once she’d made the commitment to the project, she was in.
"I don't make a decision and do something half-way. I think we had a great team," Collins recalls. "Everybody got along and we just worked fabulous together."
1/2
One of her first milestones seen in the documentary came aboard Discovery in 1995 on STS-63 when she assumed piloting duties under Commander Jim Weatherbee to make history. It might have been an anxiety-inducing moment, but Collins was totally cool under pressure.
"I'm a test pilot so that's what I do. NASA actually interviewed me in 1989 as a mission specialist," she notes. "NASA was like, 'We're going to hire you as a pilot because that's what you are.' I've been flying since I was 20 years old. To me, I was just doing my job."
The New York native was also the Atlantis pilot on 1997's STS-84 when her crew docked with the Russian Space Station MIR.
In 1999, Collins became the first woman commander of a U.S. spacecraft with Columbia's STS-93 mission that deployed the Chandra X-Ray Observatory.
Her last flight was 2005's STS-114 as commander of Discovery, the critical "Return to Flight" mission following the catastrophic loss of Columbia in 2003.
"It's all about staying focused on what you’re doing and not thinking about who's watching me" explains Collins. "Both of my shuttle landings were at night.
I will say it's a lot harder to land at night. I'd much rather do a day landing. You have to have very good depth perception and you have to be very well trained.”
Distilling down all the distinguished dates in Collins's time with NASA required Berryman to focus in on composing the material to present it for maximum emotional resonance with audiences.
"One of the challenges with any sort of story like this is you need to be slightly on the edge of their seats, even though they can see Eileen in front of them and know that she's okay," Berryman adds.
"You want to be in those missions in the moment of it, feeling like you've still got that jeopardy like any film. And also the balancing act between the family story and the mission stories.
If you do a film about someone who's done some great things and you just did that, that's not interesting. We want to know about real people."
Berryman reminds us that we're all a mixture of things, and we're never going to be good at everything at every point, and that makes everything in end even more impressive.
"It was really important to keep that human fallibility that they’re all just a family going through this. Then when you feel the resolution you really care.
I was pleased when we had cinema screenings in the UK in the autumn because people seemed to be very moved and thought Eileen was amazing.
You're more amazing as a real person than if you're some cypher of wonderfulness. If you've had challenges in life like the rest of us that makes it even more moving and impressive."
Encapsulating one's lifetime and career in under two hours might seem like a daunting task for the creative team, and also for Collins, as she strolled down memory lane during the production.
"Spacewoman" employs a variety of intimate scenes curated from archival mission footage, TV shows and news appearances, and an old VHS camcorder.
"My husband Pat and I gave Hannah and her team all of our many VHS tapes that we had converted to DVDs and we had all the NASA stuff," says Collins.
"On the family side, probably one of the happiest times of my life was raising my kids. It was fun to look back at the videos. I just watched the film again on Friday night.
We showed it in March Air Force base out in Riverside , California. They wanted me to come in person and we got a standing ovation.
"My daughter, Bridget, has a huge part in the film and people came up to me afterwards and said, 'Your daughter is amazing and she really made the film.' It's funny, for some reason we don't ever pull those video out and show them.
I like to tell people that I had the two best jobs in the world. I was a parent and I was an astronaut. There's a joke I used to tell that the best training to be a shuttle commander is to be a parent. Because you have to know how to say no."
"Spacewoman" launches on its theatrical engagement on March 20, 2026.
2/2
Rare star spotted in its original galaxy could answer a key question about the ingredients of life: Space photo of the week
March 22, 2026
This gorgeous snap, taken by the Dark Energy Camera (DECam) mounted atop the Víctor M. Blanco 4-meter (13 feet) Telescope in Chile, shows a glistening field of stars inside the dwarf galaxy Pictor II, which is more than 10 billion years old.
But it isn't just a pretty picture. Nestled inside this image is the star PicII-503, a stellar furnace so ancient that it's classed as a Population II, or second-generation, star, making it among the oldest stars in the universe.
Population II stars formed when the cosmos was young and stars had yet to fuse heavier elements into existence, meaning they are composed primarily of hydrogen and helium. This means that PicII-503 has roughly only 1-40,000th of the iron contained within our much younger sun.
But what the star lacks in iron it makes up for in carbon. Like many Pop II stars, PicII-503 is unusually rich in the stuff, having a carbon-to-iron ratio that's more than 1,500 times the ratio in the sun, researchers said in a statement.
Astronomers have proposed many theories why this may be the case but because many Pop II stars are spotted after they've migrated away from their birthplaces, these suggestions have been hard to verify.
But PicII-503 is still located within its primordial dwarf galaxy, so astronomers acted as "stellar archeologists," using the star’s composition to test their theories.
The star’s carbon-rich makeup lends credence to an idea that, during the violent supernova explosion at the end of a star’s life, lightweight carbon in the star’s outer shell is flung farther away than other elements.
That could also explain why carbon ends up everywhere in the universe, making it an extremely suitable element to act as the key building block for life.
https://www.livescience.com/space/rare-star-spotted-in-its-original-galaxy-could-answer-a-key-question-about-the-ingredients-of-life-space-photo-of-the-week
extra Space sights
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UABwL_8Ipko (Sen 4K: From Remote Islands to Megacities: Stunning 4K Earth Views | This Week in Orbit)
Elon Musk unveils $20 billion ‘TeraFab’ chip project to make chips, memory, and package processors all under one roof — targets a terawatt of annual compute
Mar 22 2026 - 7:46 am PT
Tesla and SpaceX CEO, Elon Musk, announced Saturday night that his TeraFab semiconductor project will be built on the Tesla campus in eastern Travis County, Austin, Texas, as a joint venture between the two companies.
In a livestream broadcast via X, Musk stated that the facility exists because the global chip industry cannot expand quickly enough to meet his projected demand across AI, robotics, and space computing.
"That rate is much less than we'd like," Musk said from the defunct Seaholm Power Plant in downtown Austin. "We either build the TeraFab, or we don't have the chips, and we need the chips, so we build the TeraFab." The project reportedly carries a $20 billion price tag.
The Austin fab will house equipment for logic, memory, packaging, testing, and lithography mask production in a single building.
Musk claimed that capability does not exist at any other facility in the world, and that having everything under one roof enables a rapid iteration loop: make a chip, test it, revise the mask, and repeat without shipping wafers between sites.
The facility is expected to produce two types of chips. One will be optimized for edge inference, primarily for Tesla's vehicles and Optimus humanoid robots.
The other will be a higher-power chip hardened for the space environment, which Musk says will run hotter than “terrestrial” designs to minimize radiator mass on satellites.
Musk compared the project to the current global output of global AI compute, which he estimated at roughly 20 gigawatts per year. That figure, he said, represents about 2% of his companies’ eventual needs.
On the terrestrial side, he projected 100 to 200 gigawatts per year of chip output; the remainder, up to a terawatt, would go to space-based AI compute aboard solar-powered satellites that SpaceX has already petitioned the FCC to launch.
“That's why I think it's probably a hundred to two hundred gigawatts a year of terrestrial chips, and probably on the order of a terawatt of chips in space," noted Musk. "Just because of power constraints on the ground.”
Musk said Tesla, SpaceX, and xAI — which SpaceX acquired in February — will continue buying chips from existing suppliers, including TSMC, Samsung, and Micron, adding that he would like them “to expand as quickly as they can.”
He gave no timeline for when the TeraFab would begin producing chips or reach its target output, and while he has previously referenced 2nm as the target process node, he didn’t repeat that figure in the broadcast.
https://www.tomshardware.com/tech-industry/elon-musk-formally-launches-20-billion-terafab-chip-project
https://x.com/SpaceX/status/2035519125284380672
https://x.com/Tesla/status/2035535642676044066
https://x.com/elonmusk/status/2035506574182199757
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HcxEGykMZc4
Live coverage: SpaceX to launch 29 Starlink satellites on Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral
March 22, 2026
SpaceX is preparing to launch a mid-morning Falcon 9 rocket on Sunday. The flight from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station will be its 37th launch of the year.
The Starlink 10-62 mission features 29 of SpaceX’s Starlink V2 Mini Optimized satellites, which will be deployed into low Earth orbit about an hour after liftoff.
Launch is anticipated at 10:47 a.m. EDT (1447 UTC) from Space Launch Complex 40. The Falcon 9 rocket will fly on a northeasterly trajectory upon leaving the pad.
Spaceflight Now will have live coverage beginning about an hour prior to liftoff.
The 45th Weather Squadron forecast a greater than 95 percent chance for favorable weather at liftoff with no specific meteorological concerns.
SpaceX will launch the mission using the Falcon 9 first stage booster with the tail number 1078. This will be its 27th flight after launching missions, like NASA’s Crew-6, USSF-124, and 21 batches of Starlink satellites.
Nearly 8.5 minutes after liftoff, B1078 will target a landing on the drone ship, ‘A Shortfall of Gravitas,’ positioned in the Atlantic Ocean.
If successful, this will be the 148th landing on this vessel and the 590th booster recovery for SpaceX to date.
https://spaceflightnow.com/2026/03/22/live-coverage-spacex-to-launch-29-starlink-satellites-on-falcon-9-rocket-from-cape-canaveral-12/
https://www.spacex.com/launches/crew12
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5APuwErW3IU
Kremlin denies it said ‘f**k you’ to France
Updated 22 Mar, 2026 15:35
The art of diplomacy is relaying messages to your interlocutors in a polite manner, spokesman Dmitry Peskov has explained
The Russian government does not resort to obscene language in contacts with other countries, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said.
The Financial Times reported last week that French President Emmanuel Macron’s advisers, Emmanuel Bonne and Bertrand Buchwalter, had secretly visited Moscow in February for a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin’s aide, Yuri Ushakov.
According to an unnamed European diplomat who spoke to the outlet, Macron’s representatives asked for the EU to be included in peace talks between Russia, the US, and Ukraine, but the meeting ended with Ushakov telling the visitors: “Sorry, actually, no we don’t [have to], f**k you’.”
Asked to comment by Russian journalist Pavel Zarubin on Sunday, Peskov replied: “No, none of us ever uses foul language to refer to anyone.”
You know, there is a wise saying by one wise diplomat. What is diplomacy? It’s the ability to tell someone to go to hell in such a manner that they would actually intend to go there,” he said.
Peskov was likely referring to a quote attributed to former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill: “Diplomacy is the art of telling people to go to hell in such a way that they ask for directions.”
Last week, Peskov confirmed to FT that the visit by the French advisers did take place but said that they “didn’t bring any positive signals.”
“Unfortunately, the Europeans are spending all their efforts on convincing the Ukrainians to continue the war. We are convinced the Europeans are making a mistake from the perspective of their own future,” he stated.
Russia is prevailing on the battlefield in the Ukraine conflict, but “as President Putin said, we are open to a diplomatic settlement,” the spokesman added.
Delegations from Moscow, Washington, and Kiev have held three rounds of talks since the start of the year, with the latest taking place in Geneva in mid-February.
A fourth meeting had been planned for early March but had to be canceled due to the US-Israeli attack on Iran. Peskov clarified on Thursday that the pause in negotiations is temporary and they will resume at some point.
https://www.rt.com/news/635834-kremlin-peskov-eu-france/
Satellite images show major fire at Saratov oil storage site after drone strike
March 22, 2026, 06:23 AM
A major fire broke out at an oil storage site after a drone strike on the Saratov oil refinery, according to satellite images from March 21 obtained by NV.
The images show a large blaze engulfing storage tanks located about 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) from the Saratov oil refinery.
Reports of an attack on the refinery and its infrastructure first emerged overnight on March 21, when explosions were heard in the city and local authorities declared a drone threat.
Ukraine’s General Staff later confirmed the strike. It said preliminary information showed damage to a secondary oil processing unit and an RVS-10000 vertical storage tank.
Similar Ukrainian drone strikes have previously hit the Saratov refinery, but the oil storage site struck on March 21 had not previously been reported damaged.
According to the satellite images, smoke from the fire stretched more than 5 kilometers (3 miles) from the impact site.
Ukraine’s Defense Forces said they had struck the Saratov oil refinery in Russia on March 21. The General Staff said the attack damaged a secondary oil refining unit and the vertical RVS-10000 tank.
Drones also targeted the Russian city of Tolyatti overnight on March 21, where the Togliattikauchuk and KuibyshevAzot chemical plants are located.
Russia’s Defense Ministry claimed it intercepted 283 drones overnight and later said another 54 had been shot down on Saturday morning and during the day.
https://english.nv.ua/russian-war/satellite-images-show-major-fire-at-saratov-oil-storage-site-after-drone-strike-50593882.html
other Russia and Ukraine
https://mezha.net/eng/bukvy/russian_forces_launched-30/
https://newsukraine.rbc.ua/news/ukraine-intercepted-and-downed-rare-russian-1774194800.html
https://www.ukrinform.net/rubric-ato/4104268-russian-drones-attack-agricultural-enterprise-in-chernihiv-region-overnight.html
https://www.pravda.com.ua/eng/news/2026/03/22/8026656/
https://unn.ua/en/news/russian-drone-attacked-a-hospital-in-velykyi-burluk-kharkiv-region
https://united24media.com/latest-news/daily-update-russia-loses-940-soldiers-30-artillery-systems-and-1885-drones-in-one-day-17121
https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/iran-news/2026-03-22/live-updates-890731
other Israel
https://vinnews.com/2026/03/22/idf-strikes-iranian-weapons-sites-headquarters-in-tehran-overnight-airstrikes/
https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/iran-may-have-used-space-launch-vehicle-to-extend-range-of-missiles-fired-at-diego-garcia/
https://newsable.asianetnews.com/world/over-80-injured-in-missile-strike-on-arad-idf-blames-iran-attack-articleshow-z70swph
https://www.jns.org/news/israel-news/israel-strikes-iranian-missile-nuclear-sites
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/defense-news/article-890817
https://worldisraelnews.com/idf-reserve-soldier-sold-info-on-iron-dome-system-to-iran/
https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/idf-warns-it-will-bomb-another-bridge-on-litani-citing-hezbollah-terror-activities/
https://www.ynetnews.com/article/skg69opcwx
https://www.wionews.com/videos/israel-iran-war-idf-chief-says-icbm-launched-towards-us-base-in-diego-garcia-1774187082212
https://breakingthenews.net/Article/IDF-kills-senior-Hezbollah-commander/65923759
Live Updates: One killed, 15 wounded across Israel, Turkey discusses steps to end war with Iran, US, EU, Egypt
March 22, 2026
Netanyahu repeats warning to Europe on Iranian missiles, UK claims 'no evidence'
Some 200 wounded in direct hits on southern Israeli cities on Saturday
IDF strikes Lebanon
March 22, 5:36 PM
Lebanon's President Aoun says strikes on Litani bridge are 'prelude to ground invasion'
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun called the IDF's strikes against the Litani River's bridge a "dangerous escalation and a flagrant violation of Lebanon's sovereignty," and added that these attacks "are considered a prelude to a ground invasion that Lebanon has long warned against."
"Targeting the Litani River bridges, the vital artery for civilian movement, amounts to an attempt to sever geographical connectivity between the area south of the Litani and the rest of Lebanese territories, obstructing the delivery of humanitarian aid," he added.
According to Aoun, the attack "falls within suspicious schemes to establish a buffer zone," as he also warned of "the reality of occupation, and pursue Israeli expansion within Lebanese territories."
"In the face of this escalation, Lebanon calls on the international community, particularly the United Nations and Security Council members, to shoulder their responsibilities and take immediate measures to deter Israel from carrying out this attack," he concluded in a statement shared by Lebanon's presidency.
March 22, 5:29 PM
Ex-IDF air defense chief shares how Iran doubled its ballistic missile range overnight
For years, both Israel and the US have warned that Iranian satellite tests could turn out to have dual-use elements, leading to intercontinental ballistic missiles, both conventional and nuclear.
Iran's launch of a ballistic missile for a distance of around 4,000 kilometers, shattering the 2,000 kilometer range which much of the world hoped it would stay under, likely came from using a ballistic missile using a two stage satellite-like launch process, former IDF air defense chief Brig. Gen. Ran Kochav told The Jerusalem Post on Sunday.
Kochav said that the launch had "doubled the demonstrated capability overnight" of what Iran could do when it targeted the joint UK-US base at Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean.
Echoing IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir's statement Saturday night that the additional distance probably stemmed from a launch vehicle that used multiple stages, Kochav noted that Iran has been working for years on such two-stage launch technologies to try to get satellites into space.
March 22, 5:00 PM
Saudi Arabia expelling Iran's military attaché brings Riyadh-Tehran normalization into question
The decision, announced by the Saudi foreign ministry, follows a similar move by Qatar, which also declared the security and military attaché in Iran’s embassy as persona non grata on Wednesday.
Riyadh’s decision to expel Iranian officials from the country, after hundreds of attacks were launched by the Islamic regime on Saudi soil, brings into question the future of the Beijing-brokered 2023 normalization agreement, a regional expert told The Jerusalem Post on Sunday.
Saudi Arabia expelled Iran’s military attache, his assistant, and three embassy staff members on Sunday, 24 hours after they were declared persona non grata over the Islamic regime’s continued attacks on the country.
The decision, announced by the Saudi foreign ministry, follows a similar move by Qatar, which also declared the security and military attaché in Iran’s embassy as persona non grata on Wednesday.
1/2
March 22, 4:42 PM
IDF strikes several targets in Tehran, including intelligence headquarters
The IDF targeted sites used by security forces that work under the umbrella of the Iranian regime, including weapons production and storage sites.
The Israel Air Force completed its latest round of strikes on Iranian regime infrastructure in the Tehran area on Sunday, according to an IDF statement.
The IDF targeted sites used by security forces that work under the umbrella of the Iranian regime, including weapons production and storage sites.
March 22, 4:41 PM
Iran says it will 'fully close Strait of Hormuz' if Iran's power plants are damaged
In a response to Trump's statements, the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, which is the central headquarters of the Iranian armed forces, said that it will fully close the Strait of Hormuz if "America's threats regarding Iran's power plants are implemented."
Iran also warned that it would start targeting "all power plants, energy infrastructure, and information technology," while any company in the region with American shareholders would also become a target.
Finally, Iran threatened to attack the power plants of any country in the region hosting American military bases.
"Everything is ready for a great … ?
March 22, 4:40 PM
Ali Larijani, Henry Kissinger’s reported 2015 meeting resurfaces, sparking interest - analysis
The renewed interest comes days after Larijani was killed in an Israeli strike in Tehran on March 17.
Ali Larijani, one of Iran’s most prominent political figures, is being newly remembered for an alleged 2015 meeting with former US secretary of state Henry Kissinger in New York, after excerpts from Vali Nasr’s 2025 book resurfaced online this week.
According to the account, the two men discussed whether Iran could move from revolutionary ideology toward state pragmatism, with the conversation turning to Immanuel Kant’s theory of “perpetual peace.”
The renewed interest comes days after Larijani was killed in an Israeli strike in Tehran on March 17, an event confirmed by The Jerusalem Post, which described him as one of the most senior remaining figures in Iran’s leadership.
His death has been widely viewed as a major blow to the regime during a period of deep confrontation between Israel, Iran, and the United States.
March 22, 3:43 PM
Shrapnel fall reported in central Israel, no wounded
The shrapnel caused damage to local property and infrastructure, but there were no injuries or fatalities, according to Magen David Adom.
Shrapnel fell in central Israel on Sunday afternoon following an Iranian missile launch, which triggered sirens throughout central and northern Israel.
The shrapnel caused damage to property and infrastructure in Holon and Bat Yam, but there were no injuries or fatalities, according to Magen David Adom.
March 22, 3:40 PM
Israel Railways restores Jerusalem Yitzhak Navon-Herzliya line after shrapnel fall
Israel Railways restored the Jerusalem Yitzhak Navon-Herzliya line to normal traffic after it was damaged by shrapnel falling in the Savidor Central Station on Wednesday, the company announced on Sunday.
The line, including the night trains, was restored to full operational status, the company said in a statement.
March 22, 3:18 PM
Turkey discusses steps to end war with Iran, US, EU, Egypt in calls
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan discussed steps to end the war between Iran, the United States, and Israel with counterparts from Iran and Egypt, as well as US officials and the European Union, a Turkish diplomatic source said on Sunday.
The source said Fidan had held separate calls with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty, European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, and US officials, without elaborating further.
2/2
EXCLUSIVE: Fake Iran war missile strikes and drone attacks 'surging on social media'
07:47, 22 Mar 2026
Technology Secretary Liz Kendall has said she is “deeply concerned” about false information spreading online about the Iran war.
The Cabinet minister admitted the Government needs to look at what more it can do “during crisis moments”.
It comes amid a surge in distorted and manipulated content on social media, from fabricated missile strikes to simulated drone attacks.
Ms Kendall told The Mirror : “I'm deeply concerned about misinformation and disinformation being spread online. It's something that I know MPs on all sides of the house are concerned about too.
“It's a real issue of concern and we need to look very closely at what more we can do, particularly during crisis moments to make sure that people are getting the correct information and not seeing that misinformation spread online.”
The Mirror understands cross-government work is going on behind the scenes to tackle the issue.
Timothy Graham, a digital media expert at the Queensland University of Technology, branded the scale of misinformation online in relation to the Iran war "truly alarming".
He told The Mirror: "What we're seeing is really a full spectrum of synthetic and manipulated content, and that breadth is itself part of the story.
“At one end you have AI-generated video - fabricated missile strikes, fake aerial footage of explosions, simulated drone attack sequences - that look increasingly indistinguishable from real conflict footage.
"At the other end you have more low-tech but equally effective manipulation: repurposed footage from other conflicts presented as current, fabricated screenshots of official statements, and synthetic satellite imagery used to make false territorial claims.
What ties all of this together is that it is emotionally charged, shareable, and designed to move fast."
Mr Graham took aim at Elon Musk’s X, which he said is structured to reward emotionally charged and shareable content.
He said: “Posts depicting fake missile strikes that reach eight million views in hours are not an anomaly or a glitch in the system. They are the system working precisely as designed.
He said X's community notes system takes 15 to 24 hours to flag issues despite viral misinformation typically peaking within about four hours.
He also criticised the platform's revenue sharing programme, which means there is a "structural monetary reward for high-engagement content”.
Earlier this month, X - formerly Twitter - said it would ban users from making money on the platform if they repeatedly post AI war videos without appropriate labelling.
Mark Frankel, head of public affairs at Full Fact, said distorted content is widespread in relation to conflicts but echoed that the scale has been “enormous” in relation to the Iran war. He told The Mirror:
“As we have entered into a space where we're effectively living in the age of AI, we should expect to see a massive uptick in synthetic content online… I think the likelihood is you're going to see a lot more false and manipulated stuff before you get to the reliable stuff.
So I think that's genuinely a problem.”
The increased accessibility of AI, compared to the start of the Ukraine war, is among factors blamed by experts.
Mr Frankel said some users spread false content for profit but other material is driven by foreign bot farms who want to take political advantage of the situation can also be involved.
"It might be you've got a bot farm with a particular bent to provoke a sense that one side is on top or the other side is on top," he said. "So it could, for example, be inspired by Russians or Iranians who are looking for an advantage in the fight."
Chi Onwurah, the chair of the Commons’ Science, Innovation and Technology committee, said social media firms must not be left to “mark their own homework”.
"One of the core problems is that social media companies effectively mark their own homework,” the Labour MP told The Mirror.
“Their internal data is secret and self-select data they provide to the government. Without independent access to proper data, we can't know how much misleading content is circulating, how much stems from foreign interference and whether moderation systems are working as claimed.
Unless the government has this basic information, how can it hope to regulate these platforms effectively?”
She urged the Government to introduce legislation to regulate AI platforms and create duties requiring platforms to conduct risk assessments and report on legal but harmful content.
“These steps are crucial to create a safer online world for everyone,” she added.
https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/politics/fake-iran-war-missile-strikes-36894860
https://www.iranintl.com/en/liveblog/202603192844
other Iran
https://wanaen.com/drone-strikes-by-iran-target-israel-aerospace-industries-u-s-prince-sultan-air-base/
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20260322_12/
https://www.axios.com/2026/03/22/trump-iran-48-hour-ultimatum-strait-of-hormuz
Tehran warns of plunging region into darkness after Trump’s Hormuz deadline
March 22, 2026
Summary
-
Iran has launched missile and drone attacks on Israel and across the region, hitting residential areas in Dimona and Arad. About 180 people were wounded in the ballistic missile strike.
-
Israeli and US attacks are expanding across multiple Iranian cities, with witnesses reporting explosions and air activity from Tehran to Bushehr, Yazd and Chabahar, as the campaign is expected to ramp up further.
-
President Donald Trump gave Iran a 48-hour deadline to fully reopen the Strait of Hormuz, warning the United States would “obliterate” Iranian power plants if Tehran fails to comply.
-
Iran has threatened to target US-linked energy sites and largely restricted traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, prompting warnings from the United States, calls for reopening the waterway, and discussions among allies about securing shipping routes.
-
Saudi Arabia has expelled Iranian diplomats and warned of further action, the UAE says it is intercepting attacks, and G7 and other countries have condemned Iran while pledging to protect energy flows and maritime security.
43 minutes ago
Israel envoy says Iran war must continue until regime weakens, people rise
Israel’s ambassador to the United States Yechiel Leiter said the war with Iran must continue until the country’s leadership is weakened to the point it has “no power” and the Iranian people can rise up and topple it.
“The campaign will end … when there is not an entity in Tehran that’s going to threaten the region,” Leiter said in an interview with CNN.
He said the goal was to degrade the leadership’s power to the point it has “no power,” adding that such an outcome could enable Iranians to rise up.
“I think that we need boots on the ground but they’ve got to be Iranian boots, and I think they’re coming,” he said.
Leiter said a popular uprising was likely, adding that “it’s going to take place because the Iranian people have had enough.”
1 hour ago
Arab states warn US strikes on Iran power plants risk reprisals - WSJ
Arab states astride the Persian Gulf have warned the US administration that targeting Iran’s power plants would trigger reprisals that could endanger their energy and water facilities and the global economy, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing officials familiar with the matter.
Officials from several Arab states said they were angered by a lack of influence with the US administration despite heavy investments of time and money, the report said.
1 hour ago
Iran vows retaliation if its energy infrastructure is targeted
Iran’s deputy foreign minister Kazem Gharibabadi said threats to target the country’s power plants and vital infrastructure violate international law and would be met with a proportional response.
“Any attack on Iran’s vital infrastructure will be met with a proportional countermeasure,” Gharibabadi said in a post on X Sunday.
“An open threat to target power plants and vital infrastructure … is directed at civilian objects,” he added.
He said such actions would amount to war crimes and warned that responsibility for any further escalation would lie with those initiating it.
1 hour ago
CENTCOM denies Iran shot down US F-15
US Central Command dismissed claims that Iran had shot down a US F-15 fighter jet, saying no American aircraft have been downed by Iranian forces.
“Rumors claim the Iranian regime recently shot down a U.S. F-15 over Iran,” CENTCOM said. “No U.S. fighter aircraft have been shot down by Iran.”
1/2
1 hour ago
Iran targets assets of 15 Iranian expats over alleged espionage
Iran’s intelligence ministry said it has submitted documents related to 15 Iranians living abroad to the judiciary for review of asset confiscation on charges of alleged espionage and cooperation with hostile countries.
The ministry said it had provided the documents to judicial authorities for further action, without giving additional details.
1 hour ago
VOICES FROM IRAN
Explosions, low-flying jets heard across multiple Iran regions
Explosions were heard across central, southern and western parts of Iran on Sunday morning, while low-flying fighter jets were reported in multiple areas, eyewitnesses told Iran International.
Witnesses said blasts were heard in cities including Arak and Isfahan in central Iran, Ahvaz in the southwest, and Bandar Abbas and Bushehr along the southern coast, as well as Parsian, Karaj, Konarak, Mohammadshahr and Yazd.
Residents in Ilam, Qeshm, Malekshahi and Hamadan said fighter jets were flying at low altitude.
1 hour ago
Exiled prince Pahlavi urges US, Israel to spare Iran civilian infrastructure
Iran’s exiled prince Reza Pahlavi called on US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to continue targeting Iran’s leadership while avoiding civilian infrastructure, after Trump threatened to target Iran’s energy facilities.
“Iran’s civilian infrastructure belongs to the Iranian people and to the future of a free Iran. The Islamic Republic’s infrastructure is the machinery of repression and terror used to keep that future from becoming reality,” Pahlavi said in a post on X Sunday.
“I ask President Trump and Prime Minister Netanyahu to continue targeting the regime and its apparatus of repression, while sparing the civilian infrastructure Iranians will need to rebuild our country,” he added.
2 hours ago
US has funds for Iran war but seeks supplemental support, Bessent says
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Sunday the government has sufficient funds to finance the war against Iran but is seeking additional congressional funding to ensure future military readiness.
“We have plenty of money to fund this war. This is supplemental. President Trump has built up the military, as he did in his first term, as he is now doing in his second term, and he wants to make sure that the military is well supplied going forward,” Bessent said in an interview with NBC News.
Bessent ruled out any tax increases to fund the war.
2 hours ago
Pezeshkian says Hormuz open to all except those who violate Iran
Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian said the Strait of Hormuz remains open to all except those who violate the country's territory.
“The Strait of Hormuz is open to all except those who violate our soil … threats and terror only strengthen our unity,” Pezeshkian said in a post on X on Sunday.
“We firmly confront delirious threats on the battlefield,” he added.
2 hours ago
Waltz says Trump will not let Iran threaten global energy supplies - Fox News
US Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz said US President Donald Trump will not allow Tehran to threaten global energy supplies.
“The president is not messing around … he stands, unlike his predecessors, by his red lines, and he's not going to allow this genocidal regime to hold the world's energy supplies or economies hostage,” Waltz said in an interview with Fox News.
2/2
Accusations against Sudanese Army for targeting medical facility using advanced drone technology
21st March, 2026
More than 60 civilians were killed in an aerial attack by the Sudanese army on a medical facility in Darfur.
According to the Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, at least 13 children were among those killed in the strike on al-Daein Teaching Hospital, located in the East Darfur state capital, al-Daein.
Speaking on Saturday, Tedros said the casualties also included multiple patients, two female nurses, and one male doctor. He added that 89 other individuals were injured in the attack, including eight healthcare workers.
The strike, which occurred on Friday night, caused extensive damage to the hospital’s paediatric, maternity, and emergency departments, effectively rendering the facility nonfunctional and disrupting access to critical medical services for residents of the city.
“As a result of this tragedy, the total number of fatalities linked to attacks on health facilities during Sudan’s war has now surpassed 2,000,” Tedros said.
He noted that throughout the nearly three-year conflict between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), the WHO has confirmed 2,036 deaths resulting from 213 attacks on healthcare facilities.
A Sudanese civil society organisation, Emergency Lawyers, also reported that the hospital was struck by an army drone.
The reported use of drones in the attack has further raised concerns about an escalation in military tactics in the Sudanese conflict.
Some reports suggest the strike may have involved a Turkish-made “Karneji” drone, a system believed to be capable of conducting precision strikes.
Analysts warn that deploying such weapons in densely populated civilian areas increases the risk of mass casualties and infrastructure destruction.
Targeting medical facilities is widely regarded as a violation of international humanitarian law, which grants special protection to hospitals and healthcare personnel during armed conflicts.
The war between Sudan’s army and the RSF erupted in mid-April 2023, triggering one of the world’s fastest-growing humanitarian crises.
Tens of thousands of people have been killed, more than 12 million displaced, and over 33 million are currently in need of humanitarian assistance.
While the RSF maintains control over much of the Darfur region in western Sudan, the national army holds territory across the east, central, and northern parts of the country.
https://pmnewsnigeria.com/2026/03/21/accusations-against-sudanese-army-for-targeting-medical-facility-using-advanced-drone-technology/
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cr715xynkvvo
Foreign Tourists Detained After Flying Drones Near Norway’s Ramsund Naval Base and other INTL drone news
Mar 22, 2026 18:11
A foreign tourist group was detained in northern Norway after flying drones near Ramsund, one of the country’s main naval bases, according to NRK on March 21.
Police were alerted on Saturday after several drones were spotted inside a restricted zone near the naval facility.
The case centers on suspected violations of Norway’s drone restrictions around sensitive military infrastructure, an issue that has drawn heightened scrutiny as security concerns rise across the country’s north.
The reported breach comes as Norway faces growing pressure to protect military sites and other critical infrastructure in the Arctic.
Norwegian security services warned in February that they expect Russia to step up spying in 2026, including surveillance of military targets and the mapping of infrastructure by civilian vessels.
Norwegian authorities have not publicly detailed the full background of the tourists, but the incident fits a broader pattern that officials have described as increasingly serious.
“We expect Russian intelligence services to increase their activity in Norway in 2026, with a continued focus on military targets and allied exercises, Norway’s support for Ukraine, and operations in the High North and the Arctic region,” the Norwegian security services stated in their annual threat assessment.
Before this year, Norwegian military officials also warned that operatives posing as tourists and fishermen had been used for information-gathering near the Russian border.
The case also aligns with broader allied efforts to guard sensitive infrastructure against covert probing and sabotage.
Recently, NATO has intensified patrols in the Baltic Sea under Operation Baltic Sentry, treating the protection of undersea cables and pipelines as an active mission rather than a routine exercise.
The effort follows a string of suspicious incidents in which commercial vessels appeared to drag anchors across the seabed, raising fears of covert sabotage against critical European infrastructure.
Officials stopped short of directly accusing Moscow, but German naval officers reported increased activity by Russia’s shadow fleet, often moving through the Baltic with Russian naval units nearby.
https://united24media.com/latest-news/foreign-tourists-detained-after-flying-drones-near-norways-ramsund-naval-base-17132
other drones
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kochi/2-us-nationals-booked-for-operating-drones-in-high-security-zone/articleshow/129724614.cms
https://www.hindustantimes.com/cities/chandigarh-news/punjab-cross-border-smuggling-module-busted-3-held-with-24-kg-heroin-multi-copter-drone-101774183048891.html
https://timeskuwait.com/kuwait-arrests-six-for-unauthorized-drone-use-amid-security-alert/
https://nltimes.nl/2026/03/22/netherlands-first-nato-deploy-drones-across-combat-units
they cloned Tyrone
also a theme in the Godzilla reboots
a titan brawl in a ghost city sounds like fun
Anna Paulina Luna offers update on Trump's UFO files release
March 22, 2026
The US Representative has provided a few words hinting at what might be going on behind the scenes.
Back in February, President Donald Trump made the unexpected decision to order federal agencies to begin releasing the government's files on aliens and the UFO phenomena.
Since then, we've been keeping an eye out for any sign that this might actually be happening.
Now, according to US Representative Anna Paulina Luna, who currently chairs the Task Force on the Declassification of Federal Secrets, not only is it likely that the release will go ahead, but there may even be some video footage included that defies explanation.
"I think they're very serious about doing it," she told Jillian Michaels on Keeping it Real.
"As soon as we get the official on-paper declassification order, I want to do a press conference with all the information that we are told and shown."
That said, she also noted that the release is unlikely to include absolutely everything on UFOs.
"I think you're going to get a lot of cool stuff, but I don't think that there's going to be ever the full admission," she said. "The Federal government telling you what to believe."
"They'll release it, but they're not going to tell you what to make of it."
A few days ago we reported that the US government had seemingly registered two new domain names - alien.gov and aliens.gov - presumably to host a website pertaining to the released files.
As for precisely when we can expect to see the files - that currently remains unclear.
https://www.unexplained-mysteries.com/news/396166/anna-paulina-luna-offers-update-on-trumps-ufo-files-release
Anna Paulina Luna
@realannapaulina
I will be recommending to the Chairman of DOGE @timburchett that we completely DISBAND & DEFUND AARO
10:21 PM · Mar 21, 2026
https://x.com/realannapaulina/status/2035587730483089596
https://x.com/planethunter56/status/2035597386140340712
https://x.com/JonStewartIL/status/2035631415967019029
https://x.com/tupacabra/status/2028953383563088379
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ds5DHxrvKlE (UFO TV: Sensational interview! MP Luna with Bill Maher ● UAPdate 21/3/26)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IRdaFED5kOU (Rep. Luna OOZES optimism in mainstream media tour discussing UFO Files' release - Psicoactivo #925)
Area 51: The Alien Interview - Special Edition (1997)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TvamS6X5l2I
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WM0AtxRN-l0 (The Alien Interview Tape Might be REAL! - Jon Stewart | DEBRIEFED ep. 69)
Random UFO news from X
UFO mania
@maniaUFO
Alleged leaked NASA video showing the Black Knight satellite.🧐🤔
The "Black Knight satellite" is an ancient, extraterrestrial spacecraft that has been in a polar orbit around Earth for approximately 13,000 years.
5:20 AM · Mar 22, 2026
https://x.com/maniaUFO/status/2035693044737917084
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xoC4FnxROko
https://x.com/JohnELTenney/status/2035700294525276508
https://x.com/UAPWatchers/status/2034987440755065314
https://drdrew.com/2026/walter-kirn-ufo-disclosure-influencer-nudging-the-dr-jay-bhattacharya-movie-that-hollywood-wants-to-shut-down-w-chef-adalberto-diaz-dr-suelyn-hall-ask-dr-drew/
was he wearing his Nikes for hail bopp day?
The Mystery Drones are back!
Mar 21, 2026
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Bx5J84ad6g full
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7LV4Nbi6aeQ trimmed
https://x.com/RedPandaKoala
extra drone invasion
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yo3bxv4VE8I (ChaosMoogle: UFO CRASH LAND, SHOOT DRONES, and MORE!)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XTrRsKqE27M (UAP Studies Podcast: UAP Orbs In British Columbia Canada)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lyi02MQiesE (Melanie King: I Tracked Them… NO PLANES, NO FLIGHTS — So WHAT Are These ‘Orbs’?)
Probably got a replicator in there and a med bed, and dude is just hanging out, monitoring the earthlings
“President says he’s going to put it out,” Burchett on UFO disclosure. “He hasn’t lied to me yet”
Mar 21, 2026
Rep. Tim Burchett (R-TN) — Co-chair, Congressional UAP Caucus
LISTEN: Laslo & Burchett
Ask a Pol asks:
What’s up with aliens.gov?
Key Burchett:
“I hope it’s going to happen. I hope they don’t get to him and make him pull back. That’s what’s happened in the past,” Rep. Tim Burchett exclusively tells Ask a Pol UAP.
“That’s what’s happened with every report that they’ve had. They said they’re going to bring it out and then they don’t. I hope—I talked to the president about it. I hope we get an answer.”
Caught our ear:
“President says he’s going to put it out,” Burchett tells us. “He hasn’t lied to me yet.”
https://www.askapoluaps.com/p/burchett-believes-trump
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IiOSPxNzzus
https://x.com/AskaPol_UAPs/status/2035435446411640885
https://x.com/MattLaslo
extra disclosure dejour
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s6JNWPJ2inw (Shaking My Head Productions: 322 Reasons To Open Your Eyes To All Their Lies)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wD6-p2mqc1o (Ross Coulthart Q&A: Gen. McCasland, Robert Bigelow’s silence and what is alien.gov? | Reality Check)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fCRE6pP8ADs (Where in the World is General William McCasland? A MUFON Presents Special with guests UAP Crossfire!)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nM8bwa8tbZU (WoodwardTV: Strange UFO technology revealed)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2aYlAQWO-Xg (Conspiracy-R-Us: Found In Tartary)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=utvZY-73VDk (My Lunch Break: Old World Bell & Towers)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9NxOaA80Xuo (Dr Karla Turner 🎤 Murdered For Exposing Alien Greys UFO Alien Abductee 👽 CIA Aliens Agenda)
https://xufos.com/hudson-valley-1982-1986.php