Iran Tensions: Syria Attacks, UK Deployment & US Marine Build-up
An explosion rocked the Jewish Quarter of Jerusalem’s Old City on Wednesday, March 20th, following missile launches from Iran, according to reports from Zazoom.it. The blast occurred approximately 350 meters from the Al-Aqsa Mosque.
The incident follows a reported agreement between former U.S. President Donald Trump and Iran, in which Iran allegedly agreed to forego the development of nuclear weapons, as stated by Trump, though this claim was immediately denied by Tehran, according to Il Sole 24 Ore. The reported agreement, consisting of 15 points, has not been independently verified.
Simultaneous with the reported attack on Jerusalem, civilian casualties were reported in Tehran and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IEA) is reportedly working to release new oil reserves, Il Sole 24 Ore reported. Celebrations for Passover have been cancelled in Jerusalem.
The escalating tensions come as Iran launched missiles and drones against military bases in Syria from territory within Iraq, according to the Syrian government, which stated that Iraqi authorities have launched an operation to identify those responsible. An attack with drones was also reported at the U.S. Base of al-Kharab al-Jir in northern Syria, as reported by Il Sole 24 Ore.
In a show of force, the British destroyer HMS Dragon has arrived in the Eastern Mediterranean and is integrating with defenses around Cyprus, according to the UK Ministry of Defence, as reported by Il Sole 24 Ore. The deployment follows a recent drone attack, reportedly of Iranian manufacture, on a British airbase in Cyprus.
The Wall Street Journal reported that approximately 2,200 U.S. Marines are expected to arrive in the Middle East by Friday, the same date set by President Trump as a deadline for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. The Marines, from the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, will fall under the command of CENTCOM. Another Marine unit, the 11th MEU, is scheduled to arrive in the region in the coming weeks.
The flying distance between Tehran and Jerusalem is approximately 968 miles (1559 kilometers), while the driving distance is 2079 kilometers (1292 miles), according to distancecalculator.net and geodatos.net.