Iran says the war has entered a "new phase" and warns it will no longer show restraint if infrastructure is attacked again; Israeli forces strike the port city of Illy.

Thursday, March 19: The military strikes by the United States and Israel against Iran have entered Day 20, with the intensity of the conflict continuing to escalate. Multiple media outlets note that the operations have evolved from "military suppression" into a "high-intensity war of attrition," with growing impact on societal systems and civilian infrastructure.

According to Xinhua News Agency, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced Thursday that the war between Iran, the US, and Israel has entered a “new phase.” According to CCTV, Iranian Foreign Minister Aragchi warned that if domestic infrastructure is attacked again, Iran will show “zero restraint”; Iranian satellite imagery showed US military facilities and equipment in Bahrain, the UAE, and Iraq were damaged.

Meanwhile, according to Xinhua, Israeli Defense Forces spokesperson Efi Devlin stated Wednesday that Israel will continue to “hunt down” all senior Iranian leadership; the Israeli military launched airstrikes Thursday on the Caspian coastal city of Bandar Anzali in Iran, destroying multiple naval ships—the first strike on this region in the current round of conflict, extending the scope further north.

The international community’s alertness is also rising. United Nations Secretary-General Guterres made an urgent call for a ceasefire at the EU summit in Brussels, and the EU has explicitly refused to provide legal support for the relevant military actions. As the conflict enters its 20th day, if effective diplomatic intervention is lacking, the Middle East may slide into long-term, high-intensity confrontation, even triggering a larger regional war.

Iran: The 63rd wave "burns" US-linked oil facilities; 64th wave precisely strikes US Navy Fifth Fleet

According to Xinhua, Iran's IRGC announced on Thursday it had launched the 63rd wave of the “True Commitment-4” operation, “burning” a series of US-linked oil facilities in the Middle East. The statement made clear that the war with the US and Israel has entered a “new phase.”

The IRGC said it had no intention to expand the war to oil facilities or harm friendly neighbors’ economies, but "because the enemy attacked Iran's energy infrastructure," it had to take reciprocal countermeasures. The statement warned: if such attacks happen again, Iran will “continue to strike your and your allies’ energy infrastructure until they are completely destroyed.”

The IRGC then announced it launched the 64th wave of the “True Commitment-4” operation targeting central and northern Israel from Thursday morning.

According to Xinhua citing the IRGC’s social media statement, targets included Israel’s Ben Gurion Airport, Haifa oil refinery, troop assembly areas, fuel supply facilities, and logistics zones, using multiple missile types including “Qadr,” “Emad,” and “Khorramshahr,” and stated the US Navy Fifth Fleet was also precisely struck.

The statement also said the US Navy Fifth Fleet was hit by Iranian missiles and emphasized the operation was ongoing.

On the diplomatic front, Iranian Foreign Minister Aragchi posted forceful language on social media on Thursday.

According to CCTV News, Aragchi stated that Iran’s response to Israel’s attacks on Iranian infrastructure had so far only used "a small fraction" of its strength. If infrastructure is attacked again, Iran will show “zero restraint.” He added that to end the war, compensation for damage to civilian facilities in Iran must be addressed first.

According to Xinhua, Iranian parliamentary speaker Kalibaf posted on social media on the 18th that attacks on Iranian infrastructure are "tantamount to suicide," and Iran has adopted a principle of "an eye for an eye." Iranian President Pezehzizyan strongly condemned attacks on Iranian energy infrastructure the same day, saying they “may lead to uncontrollable consequences, impacting even the global stage.”

On the intelligence front, according to CCTV News, Iran claims to have cracked codes related to Israeli military secure communications. The telecom hardware used by the Israeli military was manufactured by Italy, Germany, Austria, and France, with related expert groups successfully completing the decryption after obtaining information on telecom companies and hardware.

Xinhua mentioned Iranian media citing the intelligence ministry’s statement that Iran recently arrested 97 individuals hired by foreign entities in counter-espionage operations.

Israel’s First Strike on Iran’s Caspian Coastal City Bandar Anzali

According to CCTV, Israeli Defense Forces announced on Thursday, March 19, that it launched airstrikes the night of the 18th on Iran’s northern Caspian coastal city Bandar Anzali—Israel’s first strike on this region in the current conflict. Israel claims the strike destroyed one frigate, four missile boats, several auxiliary vessels and patrol boats, and hit command centers and shipbuilding facilities, with targets both in the port and offshore.

Israel says the missile boats had anti-air and anti-submarine capabilities, potentially threatening Israeli operations over Iran.

On targeted assassinations, according to Xinhua, Israeli Defense Forces spokesperson Efi Devlin said Wednesday the Israeli military would not stop its "series of eliminations" of senior Iranian officials. Defense Minister Katz said he and Netanyahu had authorized the Israeli military to strike "any Iranian senior official" without the need for approval, stating “all Iranians are targets.”

Netanyahu previously posted a video on social media, showing US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee an assassination card, suggesting Israel “wiped out two names” that day—referring to Iranian Supreme National Security Council Secretary Larijani and the commander of the “Mobilize the Poor Organization” militia, Soleimani. Iranian Supreme Leader Mujtaba Khamenei expressed condolences for Larijani, his son, and colleagues killed, saying “the murderers must pay a price as soon as possible.”

According to CCTV News, Israeli Air Force struck a “major natural gas facility” in Bushehr, southern Iran, Wednesday. The attack affected surrounding areas; Qatar and other countries reported oil and gas facilities were damaged in Iran by the strikes that day.

US Claims to Have Hit 7,000 Targets in Iran; Internal Signals Show Disagreement

According to reports, US Defense Secretary Hegses said Thursday, March 19, that since launching military strikes against Iran on February 28, the US’s war goals in Iran “have never changed, always consistent and precisely executed, progressing as planned.”

Reports state Pentagon data says the US has struck 7,000 targets inside Iran so far, hitting over 40 Iranian mine-laying boats and 11 submarines. US Central Command statistics say the number of targets reached 7,800 as of the 18th.

On military spending, Xinhua citing US media stated Wednesday that the US Defense Department has requested White House approval for an over $200 billion allocation for operations against Iran, aimed at “urgently ramping up key weapons production” to restock spent ammunition.

The US has revealed it spent over $11.3 billion in the first 6 days of military operations, with ammunition consumption far outpacing officially disclosed figures. Joint Chiefs Chairman Dan Caine said Apache AH-64 helicopters have carried out continuous strikes against Iran-backed militia groups inside Iraq.

However, US internal signals are not unified. Xinhua citing US media reported Wednesday that US officials say President Trump wants Israel not to keep striking Iran’s energy facilities. Trump himself posted Wednesday that the US had “no knowledge whatsoever” of Israel’s attacks on Iranian oil and gas installations, and Qatar did not participate in any form. But US media Wednesday reported Trump was aware of Israel’s step and voiced support in advance.

According to CCTV News, CIA Director Ratcliffe said Thursday Israel did not compel the US to act regarding strikes on Iran. According to Xinhua, US National Intelligence Director Gabbard said Wednesday that after the US bombed Iran’s nuclear facilities last June, Iran has not tried to rebuild uranium enrichment capability; the regime “remains intact but seriously weakened.”

International Community: Calls for Ceasefire, Refuses Involvement

Concerns about the escalation continue to deepen among the international community.

According to Xinhua, UN Secretary-General Guterres said Thursday, March 19, at the EU summit in Brussels, urging the US and Israel to end the war against Iran immediately, warning that the war is "facing the risk of total loss of control," inflicting huge suffering on civilians and severe shocks to the global economy, especially impacting the most underdeveloped nations. Guterres also said Iran must stop attacking neighboring countries not parties to the conflict, noting that the prolonged closure of the Strait of Hormuz is inflicting great pain on countless innocent people.

The EU’s stance is explicit. According to Xinhua, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Karas said Thursday that Iran’s use of force lacks a basis in international law—not justified by self-defense, nor authorized by the UN Security Council—EU member states “have no interest in getting involved in this war” and do not intend to extend Red Sea convoying to the Strait of Hormuz.

Xinhua reported French President Macron called for an immediate end to strikes on energy and water civilian infrastructure in Middle Eastern countries. Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zakharova stated Russia condemned the attack on Iran’s Bushehr nuclear power plant, according to Xinhua.

In the region, according to Xinhua, the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Pakistan, Qatar, Syria, Turkey, and the UAE held ministerial consultations in Riyadh, calling on Iran to stop attacks immediately.

Saudi Arabia said its capital Riyadh was hit by ballistic missiles Wednesday night, and air defense intercepted and destroyed four. This was the first time since the conflict began that the city issued a wide-ranging air raid alert.

Global Times citing US media says Lebanese PM Nawaf Salam called on Trump in an interview Thursday to immediately cease hostilities and end the Middle Eastern war.

On Wednesday, Qatar Energy Company said its Ras Laffan industrial city caught fire as a result of Iranian missile strikes, causing large-scale damage. Qatar's Foreign Ministry officially declared Iran’s embassy military attaché and related personnel “persona non grata,” demanding they leave within 24 hours.

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