Iran-Israel war highlights: Israel says attacks on Iran to ramp up as Trump mulls ‘winding down' military operations

President Donald Trump connected Saturday said the U.S. volition “obliterate” Iranian powerfulness plants if it doesn’t afloat unfastened the Strait of Hormuz wrong 48 hours.

Mr. Trump issued the ultimatum successful a societal media station full helium spent the play successful Florida.

He said he’s giving Iran precisely 48 hours to unfastened the captious waterway oregon look a caller circular of attacks. He said the US would destruct “various POWER PLANTS, STARTING WITH THE BIGGEST ONE FIRST!” Mr. Trump faces expanding unit to unafraid the strait arsenic lipid prices soar.

-AP

Iran struck 2 communities adjacent Israel’s main atomic probe centre precocious Saturday, leaving buildings shattered and astatine slightest 7 radical earnestly injured, hours aft Tehran’s main atomic enrichment tract was deed arsenic the warfare spun into a unsafe caller absorption astatine the commencement of its 4th week.

It was the archetypal clip Israel’s atomic probe centre has been targeted successful the fighting. Israel’s subject said it was not capable to intercept missiles that deed the confederate cities of Dimona and Arad, the largest adjacent the centre successful Israel’s sparsely populated Negev desert.

“This is simply a precise hard evening,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, adding that much exigency resources were being sent to the scene. 

-AP

Iranian rocket strikes connected 2 confederate Israeli towns wounded much than 100 radical connected Saturday, medics said, aft Israeli aerial defence systems failed to intercept the projectiles.

The 2 nonstop hits tore unfastened the fronts of residential buildings and carved craters into the ground.

First responders said 75 radical were injured successful the municipality of Arad, 10 of them seriously, hours aft 33 were wounded successful adjacent Dimona.

Iranian authorities TV said the rocket onslaught connected Dimona, which houses a atomic facility, was a “response” to an earlier onslaught connected its ain atomic tract astatine Natanz.

-AFP

Dozens of radical person been injured successful Israel aft Iranian rocket strikes targeted 2 areas adjacent the country’s main atomic probe centre.

The Israeli subject said its defences were not capable to intercept the missiles that deed the confederate cities of Dimona and Arad. Several radical were successful superior condition.

-AP

Saudi Arabia ‌has ordered Iran’s subject ⁠attache and 4 different ‌embassy unit ‌to ‌leave ⁠the kingdom ⁠within 24 hours aft ‌declaring them persona non grata, the ‌Saudi Foreign Ministry said ⁠on Saturday successful ‌a statement, citing what it described ‌as continued Iranian attacks ⁠against Saudi territory. 

-Reuters

Iran was “unsuccessful” successful targeting the associated U.K.-U.S. Indian Ocean subject basal astatine Diego Garcia, a U.K. authoritative root told AFP connected Saturday, arsenic Israel’s service main said Tehran fired an “intercontinental ballistic missile” astatine the base.

Diego Garcia, which is astir 2,500 miles (4,000 kilometres) from Iranian territory, is 1 of 2 bases the U.K. has allowed the United States to usage for “defensive operations” successful its warfare against Iran.

On Friday, the U.K. authorities said it would let Washington to usage its bases successful Diego Garcia and Fairford successful southwest England to people Iranian “missile sites and capabilities being utilized to onslaught ships successful the Strait of Hormuz”.

The U.K. authoritative root confirmed that Iran’s “unsuccessful targeting of Diego Garcia” took spot earlier Friday’s announcement.

The root did not corroborate further details astir the attack. 

-AFP

The Foreign Ministers of the Group of ‌Seven countries said connected Saturday ⁠they stood acceptable to instrumentality indispensable measures to ‌support planetary vigor supplies ‌and reaffirmed the value ‌of ⁠safeguarding maritime ⁠routes, including successful the Strait of Hormuz.

“We ... explicit enactment to our ‌partners successful the portion successful the look of the unjustifiable ‌attacks by the Islamic Republic of Iran and its ⁠proxies,” the Ministers of Canada, ‌France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States, arsenic good arsenic the ‌top EU diplomat, said successful a statement.

“We condemn successful ⁠the strongest presumption ⁠the regime’s reckless attacks against civilians ‌and civilian infrastructure, including vigor infrastructure,” they said. 

-Reuters

Iranian authorities TV said a rocket onslaught connected the Israeli municipality of Dimona, location to a atomic facility, was a “response” to an earlier onslaught connected its ain atomic tract astatine Natanz.

Iran’s atomic vigor organisation had said earlier successful the time that the “Natanz enrichment analyzable was targeted this morning”, though determination was “no leakage of radioactive materials reported”, according to a connection carried by section media.

The rocket onslaught successful Dimona wounded astatine slightest 39 people, according to Israeli exigency services. 

-AFP

The United Arab Emirates said connected Saturday it faced aerial attacks from Iran aft the Islamic republic warned its neighbour against allowing attacks from its territory connected disputed islands adjacent the strategical Strait of Hormuz.

“UAE aerial defences are presently responding to incoming rocket and drone threats from Iran,” the defence ministry said successful a connection explaining “the sounds heard are the effect of the Air Defence Systems intercepting missiles and drones”.

The Tasnim quality bureau reported the Iranian military’s operational bid had warned the UAE “if immoderate further aggression originates from its territory against the Iranian islands of Abu Musa and Greater Tunb successful the Persian Gulf, Iran... volition taxable Ras Al Khaimah successful the UAE to dense strikes”. 

-AFP

Iran targeted a associated U.K.-U.S. basal successful the Indian Ocean, and Iran’s main atomic enrichment tract was struck again, arsenic the warfare successful the Middle East entered its 4th week.

Iran’s onslaught connected the Diego Garcia aerial basal — astir 2,500 miles (4,000 kilometres) distant — suggested Tehran has missiles that tin spell farther than it had antecedently acknowledged, oregon that it had utilized its abstraction programme for an improvised launch. 

Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said attacks would “increase significantly” adjacent week. He spoke soon aft fragments from an Iranian rocket slammed into an bare kindergarten adjacent Tel Aviv.

The warfare shows nary motion of abating arsenic its effects are felt acold beyond the Middle East, raising nutrient and substance prices. 

-AP

Britain volition not beryllium utilizing its bases successful Cyprus for immoderate ‌offensive enactment successful the Iran crisis, the Cypriot ⁠government spokesperson said connected Saturday (March 21, 2026), citing a telephone telephone betwixt British ‌Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Cypriot President Nikos ‌Christodoulides.

“The British Prime Minister ‌reiterated ... ⁠that the information of ⁠the Republic of Cyprus is cardinal to the United Kingdom and, to that end, ‌a determination has been taken to heighten the means contributing to the preventive ‌measures already successful place,” the spokesperson said successful a written statement.

“Finally, the ⁠Prime Minister reiterated that the British Bases successful Cyprus volition ‌not beryllium utilized for immoderate violative subject operations.”

An Iranian-type Shahed drone caused flimsy harm erstwhile it deed facilities astatine Britain’s Akrotiri airbase ‌in confederate Cyprus connected March 2, with 2 others aboriginal intercepted. There person ⁠been nary further known information incidents.

Reuters

Bangladesh is pushing to unafraid loans of astir $2 cardinal from multilateral agencies for tackling vigor information concerns amid soaring planetary substance prices driven by the West Asia war.

The authorities has already taken respective measures to curb substance consumption, including halting accumulation astatine astir fertiliser factories.

The authorities has present adopted a three-pronged attack to guarantee sustainable vigor supply, the premier minister’s concern and readying advisor Rashed Al Titumir said connected Saturday (March 21, 2026).

A Patriot ‌air defence strategy was progressive successful the interception of an Iranian drone implicit ⁠a residential country of Bahrain connected March 9, Bahrain’s authorities said connected Saturday (March 21, 2026), an incidental that ‌the U.S. subject had characterised arsenic a nonstop Iranian drone strike.

At the ‌time, Bahrain said 32 civilians had ‌been ⁠injured, including children who required aesculapian ⁠treatment, and the U.S. subject said an Iranian drone had struck a residential neighbourhood.

On Saturday (March 21, 2026), a authorities spokesperson said the kingdom ‌had been subjected to aggregate Iranian drone attacks that day, and that the interception implicit the Sitra territory had prevented a drone ‌strike and saved lives.

“During this incident, the Patriot aerial defence strategy intercepted an Iranian drone aerially,” they ⁠said.

Reuters

Tehran is consenting to assistance Japanese ships transit the Strait of Hormuz, a strategical chokepoint for planetary lipid supplies, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told Kyodo News successful an interrogation published connected Saturday (March 21, 2026).

In a telephone interrogation with Kyodo News connected Friday (March 20, 2026), Mr. Araghchi denied the transition was closed, insisting alternatively that countries attacking Iran look restrictions, portion others were being offered assistance.

“We person not closed this strait. From our perspective, the strait is open,” Mr. Araghchi said according to a Farsi transcript of the interrogation posted connected his Telegram channel.

“It is lone closed to ships belonging to our enemies -- countries that onslaught us. For different countries, (their) vessels tin walk done the strait.”

He added that Iran was prepared to guarantee harmless transition for Japan. “They lone request to interaction america truthful we tin sermon however this transit tin instrumentality place,” Mr. Araghchi added.

AFP

The United Arab Emirates has ordered the closure of an Iranian state-linked infirmary successful Dubai, 3 employees astatine the installation told AFP, arsenic ties betwixt the 2 neighbours deteriorate amid Tehran’s aerial run against Gulf states.

Since the United States and Israel began striking Iran connected February 28, Tehran has launched waves of missiles and drones astatine Gulf states, with much than 2,000 attacks connected the UAE alone.

The strikes person strained ties betwixt the countries, prompting Abu Dhabi to callback its ambassador to Iran and adjacent its diplomatic mission.

Iran-linked entities, including schools, person been unopen contempt longstanding economical and assemblage links.

The Iranian hospital, which employs much than 700 people, is tally by the Iranian Red Crescent Society. It is 1 of the oldest healthcare facilities successful the UAE.

AFP

The Iranian Embassy successful India connected Saturday evening (March 21, 2026) provided details of the speech betwixt Iran’s President President Masoud Pezeshkian and Prime Minister Narendra Modi connected the West Asia conflict.

“Dr. President, outlining the dimensions of the aggression, unlawful attacks, and crimes committed by the U. S and the Zionist regime, emphasized that Iran did not initiate the war. He stated that the aggressor, without immoderate justification, logic, oregon ineligible basis, launched subject attacks against Iran during ongoing atomic negotiations, resulting successful the martyrdom of the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution, elder subject commanders, and a fig of defenceless civilians, including guiltless schoolchildren, arsenic good arsenic targeting nationalist infrastructure,” the Embassy said successful a station connected X.

Referring to India’s rotating presidency of BRICS, Mr. Pezeshkian besides called for the radical to play an autarkic relation successful halting aggressions against Iran and successful safeguarding determination and planetary bid and stability.

“President besides projected the constitution of a determination information model composed of countries of West Asia, aimed astatine ensuring bid and stableness successful the portion done determination practice without overseas interference,” the Embassy added.

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar connected Saturday (March 21, 2026) said helium spoke to Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi connected the latest developments successful the escalating West Asia struggle and the “implications for the larger region”.

Mr. Jaishankar besides conveyed Id and Nowruz greetings, helium said successful a station connected X.

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The UAE has assured India that the information of Indians surviving successful the Gulf state is its “priority”, stressing that they are protected and treated similar family, particularly amid the ongoing struggle successful West Asia which has seen the emirate facing attacks from Iran.

UAE Ambassador to India Abdulnasser Alshaali besides hailed India’s determination to co-sponsor a UN solution that condemned Iran’s attacks against Gulf countries, saying it was a connection of rule from a state that the UAE considers a strategical spouse and friend, astatine a infinitesimal erstwhile it mattered most.

The UAE volition retrieve that India was among those “who stood with america first”, helium said.

The ongoing warfare successful West Asia is simply a substance of interest not lone for India, but for the full satellite and it indispensable beryllium resolved done dialog and diplomacy, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said connected Saturday (March 21, 2026).

India has intelligibly stated its position, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said that warfare volition not bring a solution, helium said portion speaking astatine an lawsuit successful Uttarakhand’s Haldwani.

“The changeless attacks successful West Asia are a substance of interest not lone for India but for the full world,” helium said, adding: “If a solution is to beryllium found, it volition travel done dialog and diplomacy.” “When the satellite is facing conflict, nary state tin stay unaffected. India whitethorn besides beryllium affected, but to date, our premier minister, done his quality and contented has kept India from falling into a hard situation,” Singh said successful Hindi.

PTI

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said connected Saturday (March 21, 2026) they had targeted an Israeli F-16 combatant pitchy implicit the country’s centre.

“An F-16 hostile force combatant pitchy belonging to the Zionist authorities was struck astatine 3:45 americium successful cardinal Iran,” the Guards said connected their Sepah News website.

The Israeli subject earlier said a surface-to-air rocket had been launched astatine an Israeli craft during “an operational activity” successful Iran, without specifying the benignant of jet. It added that “no harm was caused to the aircraft”.

It was not instantly wide if the Iranian and Israeli statements referred to the aforesaid incident.

AFP

Air India CEO Campbell Wilson warned hose employees of a imaginable question request compression owed to the rising outgo of aviation turbine substance and urged for “tighter-than-ever” power connected each non-essential spending.

He besides cautioned that, depending connected however the concern evolves, the hose whitethorn person to trim capacity,

More than 20 countries connected Saturday (March 21, 2026) said they would lend to efforts ensuring harmless transition successful the Strait of Hormuz, condemning Iran’s closure of the captious waterway.

“We condemn successful the strongest presumption caller attacks by Iran connected unarmed commercialized vessels successful the Gulf, attacks connected civilian infrastructure including lipid and state installations, and the de facto closure of the Strait of Hormuz by Iranian forces,” said the 22 countries, mostly European but besides including the UAE and Bahrain.

“We explicit our readiness to lend to due efforts to guarantee harmless transition done the Strait. We invited the committedness of nations who are engaging successful preparatory planning,” they said successful a associated statement.

AFP

The U.S. subject said connected Saturday (March 21, 2026) that Iran’s quality to endanger the Strait of Hormuz has been “degraded” by the bombing this week of an underground installation wherever it stored cruise missiles and different weaponry. Admiral Brad Cooper, commandant of U.S. Central Command said successful video connection posted connected X, said implicit 8,000 Iranian subject targets and implicit 130 vessels person been struck since the commencement of ‘Operation Epic Fury’. 

He urged troops successful West Asia to beryllium “relentlessly lethal” arsenic they person the “momentum”.

The Russian ‌Foreign Ministry condemned an onslaught ⁠on Iran’s Natanz enrichment installation ‌that occurred connected ‌Saturday (March 21, 2026).

“This ‌is ⁠a ⁠blatant usurpation of planetary law,” the ministry’s ‌spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said successful ‌a statement. 

Reuters

The Israeli subject connected Saturday (March 21, 2026) said that it was “unaware” of immoderate onslaught connected Iran’s Natanz atomic facility. The statement, reported by Reuters, comes soon aft Iran said its Natanz atomic installation was deed successful an airstrike. However, determination has been nary radiation leakage.

Reuters

Iranian state ‌supplies to Iraq person resumed ⁠at a complaint ‌of 5 ‌million ‌cubic ⁠metres ⁠per day, the Iraqi energy ministry ‌said connected Saturday (March 21, 2026), according ‌to the authorities quality agency.

Flows had ⁠been halted ‌after Israel attacked Iran’s main ‌gas field, South Pars, connected Wednesday (March 18, 2026).

AFP

Britain has condemned “Iran’s reckless attacks” aft its subject fired missiles astatine the U.K.-U.S. aerial basal connected the land of Diego Garcia successful the Indian Ocean.

U.K. officials person not fixed details of the attempted strike, which was unsuccessful. It’s unclear however adjacent the missiles came to the base, which is astir 2,500 miles (4,000 kilometres) from Iran.

The Ministry of Defence said connected Saturday (March 21, 2026) that Iran’s “lashing retired crossed the portion and holding hostage the Strait of Hormuz, are a menace to British interests and British allies.” Britain has not participated successful U.S.-Israeli attacks connected Iran, but has allowed American bombers to usage U.K. bases to onslaught Iran’s rocket sites.

AP

Iran was “unsuccessful” successful targeting the associated U.K.-U.S. Indian Ocean subject basal astatine Diego Garcia, a U.K. authoritative root confirmed to AFP on Saturday (March 21, 2026), aft the Wall Street Journal reported Tehran fired 2 ballistic missiles astatine it.

The root said the “unsuccessful targeting of Diego Garcia” took spot earlier the UK authorities announced connected Friday (March 20, 2026) that it would let the United States to usage immoderate of its bases to people Iranian sites being utilized to onslaught ships successful the Strait of Hormuz.

AFP

The authorities connection connected Saturday (March 21, 2026) besides said that astir 90 flights are expected to run from the UAE today. 

Flights are besides continuing from Saudi Arabia and Oman, portion Qatar is operating 8–10 non-scheduled flights with partial reopening of its airspace.

The authorities said that astir 3.3 lakh passengers person returned to India from West Asia since the commencement of the struggle connected February 28.

In abstracted incidents, six Indian nationals person mislaid their lives and 1 remains missing.

The authorities connected Saturday (March 21, 2026) confirmed that a full of 22 Indian-flagged vessels with 611 Indian seafarers stay stranded successful the occidental Persian Gulf portion (west of the Strait of Hormuz) astatine the moment. Over 534 Indian sailors person been safely repatriated truthful far, including 21 successful the past 24 hours, the connection said. In abstracted incidents, six Indian nationals person mislaid their lives and 1 remains missing.

Saptaparno Ghosh

Amid the escalating West Asia situation, the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas (MoPNG) connected Saturday (March 21, 2026) said it has allowed for a further 20% allocation of commercialized LPG to States and UTs. This would present instrumentality the cumulative allocation of commercialized LPG to 50%, inclusive of the 10% allocation announced earlier based connected spurring modulation and enlargement of piped earthy gas. The further 20% would beryllium fixed connected precedence to sectors specified arsenic hotels, nutrient processing/dairy, subsidised canteens/outlets tally by State governments oregon section bodies, the connection said.

Saptaparno Ghosh

In his telephonic speech with the Iranian President, Prime Minister Narendra Modi reiterated the value of safeguarding state of navigation and ensuring that shipping lanes stay unfastened and secure.

This was the 2nd telephonic speech betwixt Prime Minister Modi and the Iranian President since the contiguous struggle started connected February 28.

On March 12, President Pezeshkian briefed Prime Minister Modi connected the existent concern successful Iran and shared his position connected caller developments successful the region.

PTI

Tune into the latest occurrence of In Focus wherever Mehdi Razmahang - Assistant Professor with the Parliamentary Research Center of Iran - helps america recognize the struggle astatine the level of the people, the situation, the mood, and the reasoning wrong Iran – arsenic it endures daily, and unrelenting, attacks connected civilians, civilian infrastructure, and governmental assassinations. 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi connected Saturday (March 21, 2026) spoke to Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian implicit the telephone and condemned attacks connected captious infrastructure successful West Asia. Extending Id and Nowruz greetings, the premier curate besides appreciated Iran’s continued enactment to the information and information of Indian nationals successful the country.

The UN atomic watchdog connected Saturday (March 21, 2026) said it was looking into a study by Iran that the Natanz atomic tract was attacked successful the warfare with the United States and Israel.

International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) caput Rafael Grossi repeated a “call for subject restraint to debar immoderate hazard of a atomic accident”, the bureau posted connected X.

“The IAEA has been informed by Iran that the Natanz atomic tract was attacked today. No summation successful off-site radiation levels reported,” it added. -- AFP

Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz warned that the United States and Israel would intensify their strikes connected Iran successful the coming week starting Sunday (March 22, 2026).

“This week, the strength of the strikes to beryllium carried retired by the IDF and the U.S. subject against the Iranian panic authorities and the infrastructure connected which it relies volition emergence significantly,” Mr Katz said successful a connection issued by the Defence Ministry connected Saturday (March 21, 2026). -- AFP

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer volition adjacent week ‌convene an exigency gathering of elder ministers ⁠and Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey to sermon plans ‌to assistance households with the ‌soaring outgo of ‌living ⁠caused by the warfare ⁠in Iran, the Times reported connected Saturday (March 21, 2026).

A spokesperson for Mr. Starmer’s ‌office and 1 for the Bank of England declined to remark connected ‌the report. Mr. Starmer is nether unit to assistance U.K. consumers ⁠after the U.S.-Israeli warfare connected Iran drove up ‌petrol, vigor and owe costs.

On Monday, helium promised to enactment “working people” with cost-of-living pressures worsened by the ‌conflict. As a commencement the authorities said it volition supply a 53-million-pound ($70 million) ⁠package to assistance the ⁠most susceptible households header with the ‌rising outgo of heating oil. -- Reuters

An Iraqi serviceman was killed connected Saturday (March 21, 2026) successful a drone onslaught targeting an Iraqi quality services gathering successful a residential Baghdad neighbourhood, the bureau said.

“An serviceman was martyred,” Iraqi quality said successful a connection condemning “a violent onslaught carried retired by rogue elements”. A information authoritative and an Iraqi exigency services root reported that different serviceman was injured. -- AFP

The Congress connected Saturday (March 21, 2026) said the Modi government’s nonaccomplishment to condemn the US-Israel aerial battle connected Iran and “force a brutal authorities change” determination reflected the “moral cowardice” and “political betrayal” of India’s civilisational values.

The United States and Israel struck Iran’s Natanz atomic installation connected Saturday (March 21, 2026), the Islamic republic’s atomic vigor organisation said.

“Following the transgression attacks by the United States and the usurping Zionist authorities against our country, the... Natanz enrichment analyzable was targeted this morning,” the organisation said successful a connection carried by the Tasnim quality agency.

It added that determination was “no leakage of radioactive materials reported” successful the country successful cardinal Iran

Natanz, Iran’s main enrichment site, was deed successful the archetypal week of the warfare and respective buildings appeared damaged, according to outer images. The United Nations’ atomic watchdog said that “no radiological consequence” was expected from that earlier strike.

The atomic facility, located astir 220 kilometers southeast of Tehran, had been targeted by Israeli airstrikes successful the 12-day warfare betwixt Iran and Israel successful June 2025, and by the United States. -- Agencies

Former External Affairs Minister and Congress Foreign Affairs Department President Salman Khurshid connected Saturday (March 21) expressed interest implicit the ongoing West Asia conflict, saying that the prolonged quality of the warfare suggests it has go evenly matched and could person far-reaching planetary consequences.

“So, it’s precise important for america to recognize the consequences of the attacks connected the entire. The U.S. and Iran indispensable beryllium reasoning astir it, and different countries successful the satellite are besides reasoning astir it.

- ANI

An upscale Baghdad neighbourhood came nether drone onslaught Saturday (March 21) morning, a information authoritative told AFP, with 1 drone targeting an Iraqi information work building.

The drone “carried retired the onslaught connected a communications building”, the authoritative said, adding that the gathering houses an Iraqi information bureau that works with U.S. advisors successful Iraq, portion of an planetary anti-jihadist coalition.

Another drone, filming the operation, crashed into a backstage members’ sports nine fashionable with Iraqi elite and overseas diplomats, according to the aforesaid source.

-AFP

Thousands of Muslims held Eid al-Fitr prayers successful Iran connected Saturday (March 21) to people the extremity of the Ramadan accelerated against the backdrop of the West Asia war, authorities tv footage showed.

Iran, a majority-Shia nation, marked the extremity of the Islamic beatified period of Ramadan a time aft astir different Muslim countries, which are chiefly Sunni.

At dawn, a assemblage of worshippers gathered astatine cardinal Tehran’s Imam Khomeini expansive mosque, named aft the laminitis of the Islamic Republic.

- AFP

Bangladesh is pushing to unafraid loans of astir $2 cardinal from multilateral agencies for tackling vigor information concerns amid soaring planetary substance prices driven by the Mideast war.

The authorities has already taken respective measures to curb substance consumption, including halting accumulation astatine astir fertiliser factories.

The authorities has present adopted a three-pronged attack to guarantee sustainable vigor supply, the Prime Minister’s Finance and Planning Advisor Rashed Al Titumir said Saturday (March 21).

- AFP

Russian President Vladimir Putin ⁠congratulated ‌Iranian ‌leaders ‌on ⁠Nowruz ⁠and said Moscow remained ‌a loyal person ‌and reliable spouse ⁠to ‌Tehran, the Kremlin ‌said connected Saturday (March 21). 

- Reuters

Iran’s subject warned the United Arab Emirates connected Saturday (March 21) against allowing attacks from its territory connected 2 disputed islands successful the Gulf, adjacent the strategical Strait of Hormuz.

“We pass the United Arab Emirates if immoderate further aggression originates from its territory against the Iranian islands of Abu Musa and Greater Tunb successful the Persian Gulf, Iran’s almighty equipped forces volition taxable Ras Al Khaimah successful the UAE to dense strikes,” the military’s operational bid Khatam Al-Anbiya said successful a connection carried by Tasnim quality agency.

-AFP

Indian refiners program to resume buying ‌Iranian lipid portion refiners elsewhere successful Asia are examining specified a determination aft Washington temporarily removed sanctions to alleviate an vigor crunch caused by the U.S.-Israeli ⁠war connected Iran, traders said connected Saturday (March 21).

Three Indian refining sources said they volition bargain Iranian lipid and are awaiting authorities directions and clarity from Washington connected details specified arsenic outgo terms

- Reuters

The European Commission has urged EU states ‌to little natural-gas retention targets ⁠and commencement refilling reserves gradually to curb ‌demand, aft the warfare ‌in Iran disrupted ‌key ⁠suppliers and ⁠triggered a surge successful vigor prices, the Financial Times ‌reported connected Saturday (March 21).

EU Energy Commissioner Dan Jorgensen instructed ‌member states to little the filling people for ⁠their state retention facilities to 80% of ‌capacity, 10% points beneath the EU’s authoritative targets, “as aboriginal arsenic imaginable ‌in the filling play to supply certainty and reassurance ⁠to marketplace participants”, the ⁠newspaper said, citing a ‌letter.

- Reuters

At slightest 27 radical arrested during the protests look decease sentences. War has not stopped Iran’s crackdown connected dissent. Rights groups accidental theocracy has forced confessions from protesters.

A 19-year-old prima wrestler and 2 different young men were hanged successful Iran this week, raising alarm among rights groups that a question of executions whitethorn beryllium underway arsenic authorities facing relentless attacks from the U.S. and Israel question to squelch nationalist dissent.

The 3 men are the archetypal to beryllium executed from among the tens of thousands who were arrested during a January crackdown connected nationwide protests. Rights groups accidental much than 100 others could look decease sentences.

Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Ministry condemned connected Saturday (March 21) Israel’s strikes connected Syrian service camps arsenic “aggression”, joining different Arab nations and Turkiye successful calling connected the planetary assemblage to intervene.

Israel’s subject said connected Friday (March 21) it had struck confederate Syria successful effect to what it called attacks against the Druze assemblage successful Sweida province.

Israel had bombed Syria during a deadly bout of sectarian unit past year, saying it was acting to support the number group.

An Israeli onslaught connected a wellness centre successful confederate Lebanon instantly killed 12 aesculapian workers, earnestly wounded one, and near 4 missing nether the rubble for hours.

The March 13 onslaught successful the colony of Burj Qalaouiyah, 1 of the deadliest strikes successful Lebanon since the latest Israel-Hezbollah warfare began connected March 2, targeted a centre tally by Hezbollah’s wellness arm, the Islamic Health Society, which has truthful acold mislaid 24 members implicit the past 2 weeks

- AP

Iran precocious fired 2 ballistic missiles toward the associated U.S.-U.K. subject basal astatine Diego Garcia successful the Indian Ocean, The Wall Street Journal reported Friday (March 20), citing U.S. officials.

Neither rocket deed the target, which is astir 2,500 miles (4,000 Kilometre) from Iranian territory, but the motorboat suggests that Tehran has missiles with longer ranges than antecedently thought, the study said.

- AFP

Iran ‌is acceptable to fto Japanese-related vessels walk done the Strait of Hormuz, ⁠a captious artery for planetary lipid supplies, Kyodo quality reported, citing Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.

Tehran has ‌started talks with Tokyo astir perchance opening the strait, Mr. Araghchi told ‌the Japanese quality bureau successful a ‌phone interrogation ⁠on Friday (March 20, 2026).

- Reuters

Iran precocious fired 2 ballistic missiles toward the associated U.S.-U.K. subject basal astatine Diego Garcia successful the Indian Ocean, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing U.S. officials.

Neither rocket deed the target, which is astir 4,000 km from Iranian territory, but the motorboat suggests that Tehran has missiles with longer ranges than antecedently thought, the study said.

One of the missiles failed successful flight, and the different was targeted by an interceptor fired from a US warship, though it was not wide if the rocket was hit, The Journal reported.

-AFP

Iran threatened to people recreational and tourer sites worldwide and insisted it was inactive gathering missiles. 

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The Israeli ‌military said aboriginal connected Saturday it ⁠was striking Hezbollah targets successful Beirut, aft issuing ‌an evacuation informing for ‌seven neighborhoods ‌in ⁠the confederate suburbs of ⁠the Lebanese capital.

There were nary contiguous reports of casualties.

Israel ‌has been stepping up airstrikes against Lebanon successful the ‌third week of its warfare with Iran-backed Hezbollah.

The ⁠Hezbollah-Israel struggle has go the deadliest spillover ‌of the U.S.-Israeli warfare connected Iran since the Lebanese militant radical fired astatine ‌Israel successful enactment of Tehran connected March 2, with much ⁠than 1,000 radical killed ⁠in Lebanon and implicit ‌1 cardinal displaced. 

-Reuters

The Trump medication connected Friday issued a 30-day ‌sanctions waiver for the acquisition of Iranian lipid astatine ⁠sea to easiness vigor proviso pressures since the commencement of the U.S.-Israeli ‌war connected Iran, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said.

President Donald Trump said Friday (March 20, 2026) that the United States was considering “winding down” subject operations against Iran but was not seeking a ceasefire with the Islamic republic.

Iran’s caller ultimate leader Mojtaba Khamenei meantime claimed successful a connection to people the archetypal time of the Persian New Year to person delivered a “dizzying blow” to enemies successful the three-week-old West Asia war.

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