Middle East • Page 53 of 445 • The Defense Post

Mar- 2026 -

4 March

A SAMP/T air defense system is seen firing off a ballistic missile from the back of the military truck. Smoke and bright white-red fire can be seen jutting out of the missile as it flies straight upward. The background is a clear blue sky.

Gulf States Request SAMP/T Air Defense, Anti-Drone Systems From Italy

Several Gulf countries entangled in the armed conflict between the US and Israel against Iran have sought air defense and anti-drone systems from Italy.

4 March

Ethan M. Encarnacion

Elbit Brings 3D ‘Video Game’ Vision to Black Hawk Fleet

Black Hawk pilots are gaining enhanced situational awareness as Elbit equips the fleet with its new Helmet Display and Tracking System.

4 March

US President Donald Trump and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz hold a bilateral meeting in the Oval Office at the White House on March 3, 2026 in Washington, DC.

Staff Writer With AFP

Trump Says US Navy Could Escort Tankers, Iran Aimed to Strike First

President Donald Trump said the US Navy was ready to escort oil tankers through a crucial Gulf shipping route, as he justified his war on Iran by saying he believed Tehran was about to strike first.

4 March

A rafale fighter jet takes off from the French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle.

Staff Writer With AFP

France Deploys Aircraft Carrier to Mediterranean Over Iran War

France is sending its flagship aircraft carrier to the Mediterranean in response to the widening conflict in the Middle East, President Emmanuel Macron announced.

4 March

Members of Aurat March Lahore and the Progressive Students Collective (PSC) stage a protest demonstration outside the US Consulate at Shimla Pahari in Lahore, Pakistan, on March 3, 2026.

Staff Writer With AFP

Turkey Says Iran’s Indiscriminate Bombings Is ‘Wrong Strategy’

Iran's indiscriminate retaliatory attacks on targets across the Gulf states are the "wrong strategy," Turkey's top diplomat said.

4 March

Iranian youths walk past a state building covered with a giant anti-US billboard depicting a symbolic image of the destroyed USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72) aircraft carrier in downtown Tehran, Iran, on January 28, 2026.

Staff Writer With AFP

US ‘Totally Stupid’ to Attack Iran During Talks: UN Ambassador

The US made a "totally stupid decision" to attack Iran while in negotiations, and betrayed Gulf nations by trashing their diplomatic efforts, Tehran's UN ambassador said.

4 March

Ukraine's Humvee-based air defense system armed with R-73 missiles

Staff Writer With AFP

Ukraine Offers Gulf States Air Defense Swap

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky offered US allies in the Middle East a swap of some of their air defense missiles in exchange for Kyiv's vaunted drone interceptors, to better protect them from Iranian drone attacks.

4 March

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte delivering a speech.

Staff Writer With AFP

NATO Chief Says ‘Widespread Support’ for US Iran Campaign

NATO chief Mark Rutte said Tuesday there was broad backing among US European allies for President Donald Trump's military campaign against Iran.

3 March

A national flag is photographed on the ruins of a police station that is struck during US-Israeli attacks in Tehran, Iran, on March 3, 2026.

Staff Writer With AFP

UN Urges All Sides in Middle East War to ‘Come to Their Senses’

The UN on Tuesday urged all parties to "come to their senses" and end the war in the Middle East, with fear and panic spreading across the region and beyond.

3 March

Hunter 2-S loitering munition displayed at IDEX 2023

Rojoef Manuel

South Korea, UAE Ink $35B Industrial Defense Deal

South Korea and the UAE have signed a defense industry cooperation memorandum of understanding valued at more than $35 billion, part of a broader $65-billion bilateral cooperation package.

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