News Roundup and Comment

Stay informed with Crosstalk! Here's your headline roundup for the week: --6 American soldiers were killed when a KC-135 refueling aircraft, supporting operations against Iran, crashed in Western Iraq. --The new Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, published his first written statement yesterday since assuming office on March 8th, vowing to avenge the blood of the martyrs, including his father. --Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, told the Gulf-Arab states to shut down U.S. bases amid the war with Iran. --Iran launched a new wave of drone and missile attacks on Gulf nations yesterday. --Israel intensified its campaign against Iran yesterday striking a nuclear weapons development facility near Tehran. --The U.S. military said on March 12 that it had destroyed more than 30 Iranian mine laying vessels and struck more than 6,000 targets since the campaign against Iran began last month. --Explosive laden Iranian boats appear to have attacked two fuel tankers in Iraqi waters, setting them ablaze and killing one crew member Wednesday. --Israel continued extensive strikes on Lebanon yesterday morning after Hezbollah shot about 200 projectiles at Northern Israel the night before. --Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, who is speaker of Iran's parliament, threatened to make the Persian Gulf run with the blood of invaders if the U.S. military targets regime assets on islands there. --The data center of Iran's state-run bank was hit by a strike in Tehran Wednesday. --President Trump said on March 11th that his administration knows the location of most of Iran's sleeper cells in the U.S.