9 MAR 26 SITREP

• Israel expanded military strikes inside Iran by targeting energy installations across the country while coordinating with the United States, and reports indicated that Israeli attacks on oil infrastructure and refineries in Tehran produced large fires and imagery reminiscent of Gulf War oil facility bombardments.
• Iran retaliated by launching strikes at Gulf states hosting United States military installations, including an attack on a government building in Kuwait City, while Iran’s leadership also offered to halt attacks on neighboring Arab Gulf countries if they stopped hosting American strike operations.
• Iran announced that Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s son, Mojtaba Khamenei, would succeed his father as supreme leader, signaling continued control by hardline leadership during the expanding conflict.
• Military planners associated with United States Central Command prepared for a potential campaign lasting at least 100 days and possibly extending into September while oil prices increased by 27 percent within one week and nationwide gasoline prices rose from $2.99 to $3.48 per gallon.

• An explosive device packed with bolts and screws was thrown into a crowd during violent demonstrations outside Gracie Mansion, the official residence of New York City mayor Zohran Mamdani, prompting a federal terrorism investigation.
• Two teenagers from Pennsylvania, identified as Emir Balat and Ibrahim Qayyumi, were taken into federal custody and charged with offenses including attempting to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization, transporting explosive materials across state lines, and unlawful possession of destructive devices.
• Authorities reported that the suspects were inspired by ISIS and that one of the accused stated he wanted to conduct an attack larger than the Boston Marathon bombing and cause greater casualties.
• Law enforcement officials warned that the incident might involve a broader terror network of up to 7 persons of interest, including an alleged bomb maker who remained at large as investigators continued a multi-agency terrorism probe.

• Federal agents conducted raids in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, including a $653,000 residence in Langhorne where 2 individuals were detained and a $2.25 million home in Newtown where 10 agents detained another suspect connected to the investigation.
• Investigators stated that the suspects had recently traveled to locations in the Middle East including Turkey and Saudi Arabia, described as areas connected to radicalization and terror training, before returning to the United States.
• Evidence recovered in the investigation included multiple improvised explosive devices and materials used for bomb construction as authorities examined whether the suspects built additional devices beyond the one used in the New York City attack.
• Vehicle tracking data showed that the suspects crossed the upper level of the George Washington Bridge approximately 1 hour before the device was thrown, raising concerns that the explosives could have detonated on major infrastructure before the group reached Manhattan.