Daily Brief: Afternoon — March 18, 2026

Daily Brief — Afternoon: US-Israel Joint Operation Escalates, Targeting Iranian Nuclear Facilities // US Intelligence Confirms Iran Not Rebuilding Nuclear Program Before War, Exposing Pretext for Conflict // US and Israel Escalate Attacks on Iranian Energy, Blaming Tehran for Oil Spikes // US Intelligence Chief Navigates Trump's Iran Narrative Amid Escalating Mideast Tensions // US-Israeli War Games Threaten Lebanon, Israel Boasts Capacity for 100,000 Troops in Lebanon // Strait of Hormuz: A Trickle, Not a Flow, as Joint US-Israeli Aggression Cuts Off Global Trade // US Aid Worker Resigns, Citing Israeli Pressure for Iran War