Day 18 of the War (Evening): Israel Kills Iranian Security Chief Larijani, Trump's Counterterrorism Chief Resigns

Israeli Defense Minister Yisrael Katz announced on Tuesday the killing of Ali Larijani, Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, in an overnight airstrike. Also killed alongside him was Gholamreza Soleimani, commander of the Basij paramilitary forces. Larijani was considered the de facto ruler of Iran following the death of Supreme Leader Khamenei on February 28 — he was responsible for both security and nuclear affairs as well as negotiations with the United States. Prime Minister Netanyahu declared that Israel "eliminated the head of the Revolutionary Guards." Iranian state media has so far neither confirmed nor denied the death. Larijani's last public appearance was at a rally in Tehran on Friday, March 14. Al Jazeera ↗ NBC News ↗

The director of the US National Counterterrorism Center, Joe Kent, resigned on Tuesday in protest against the war in Iran. In a letter to Trump, he wrote: "Iran did not pose an imminent threat to our nation, and it's clear that we entered this war under pressure from Israel and its American lobby." Kent, a veteran with 11 combat deployments and 20 years in special operations forces, compared the situation to the invasion rationale for the Iraq War. "I cannot support sending another generation to fight and die in a war that provides no benefit to the American people," he concluded. This marks the first high-profile resignation from the Trump administration over political disagreement. Trump responded: "I always thought he was weak on security." CNN ↗ NPR ↗

All four living former US presidents denied Trump's claim that he had spoken with one of them and that the person told him: "I wish I had done what you did." Advisers to George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, Barack Obama, and Joe Biden independently confirmed that no such conversation took place. Trump refused to specify who it was — he said only that it wasn't Bush, and declined to comment on Clinton, citing "Trump derangement syndrome." NBC News ↗

An Iranian drone set fire to the Shah oil field in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday — the first time an extraction facility in the United Arab Emirates has been hit since the war began. A fire also broke out in the Fujairah oil industrial zone. Debris from an intercepted missile killed a Pakistani citizen in the Bani Yas district. UAE airspace was temporarily closed. Since February 28, Iran has launched more than 1,800 missiles and drones at the Emirates, making it the most frequent target of Iranian attacks. Al Jazeera ↗ CNBC ↗

In Baghdad, drones and missiles struck the US embassy in the Green Zone — six of seven projectiles were intercepted by air defenses. Four people, including two Iranian advisers, died in the attack in the Jadriya district. Abu Ali al-Askari, commander of the pro-Iranian Kataib Hezbollah militia, was killed. The Majnoon oil field in southern Iraq was also hit. NBC News ↗

In Lebanon, Israel's 91st Division continued ground operations in the southern part of the country, with airstrikes also hitting the suburbs of Beirut, including the Kafaat and Haret Hreik neighborhoods. According to the Lebanese Ministry of Health, the conflict has claimed 886 lives since March 2, including 67 women and 111 children, with 2,141 wounded. More than a million people have been forced to leave their homes. Hezbollah continues to fire about 100 rockets a day at northern Israel. Al Jazeera ↗

Cuba was hit by a nationwide power outage affecting more than 10 million residents. This marks the third major blackout in four months. The country has not received oil for three months — since January, when the US blocked Venezuelan tankers headed to the island. Trump declared about Cuba: "I can do whatever I want with it," and spoke openly about "taking it over." By morning, 31 percent of power supply had been restored in Havana. CNN ↗ NPR ↗

A Pakistani airstrike on a drug rehabilitation clinic in Kabul killed 400 people, Afghanistan's Ministry of Health announced. At the time of the attack, the hospital held approximately 3,000 patients. Taliban spokesman Hamdullah Fitrat confirmed the death toll and called the attack a crime against humanity. Islamabad denied responsibility, claiming it had only struck military and terrorist targets. The UN Security Council adopted a resolution on the incident. NPR ↗ Bloomberg ↗

The UN World Food Programme warned that if the Middle East conflict continues through June, another 45 million people will be at risk of acute hunger — in addition to the current 319 million who are food insecure. Maritime shipping costs have risen 18 percent since the war began. According to UNHCR, 3.2 million people are displaced within Iran, while the country hosted 3.7 million refugees before the war, mostly from Afghanistan, who now face a second displacement. Al Jazeera ↗ Bloomberg ↗