The US has said it could “take out” Iran’s Kharg Island oil terminal at will, following reports that Washington had examined plans to target or blockade the vital export hub. Iran’s Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei praised what he described as recent “victories” and called for continued resistance in his Nowruz address.
Israeli security forces have blocked access to the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in Jerusalem – one of Islam’s holiest sites – for Eid al-Fitr prayers on the final Friday of Ramadan, using stun grenades and tear gas against Muslims attempting to reach the area, which has not been closed for a major Islamic holiday since 1967. In later strikes on the city, one person was reportedly injured by missile shrapnel near the compound as fragments fell across Jerusalem, following what Israeli media described as missile launches from Iran.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu threatened to reduce “to dust” Iran’s ability to enrich uranium and build ballistic missiles during a meeting with journalists on Thursday. He claimed that Israel and the US had “decimated” Iran over the past 20 days.
Iran has remained defiant, with Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi vowing “zero restraint if our infrastructure is struck again.”
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said its air defenses had struck a US F-35 stealth fighter jet and released a short video clip purportedly showing the hit. However, the IRGC has also confirmed that its spokesperson, Brigadier General Ali Mohammad Naeini, has been killed in a US-Israeli airstrike.
Also on Thursday, RT correspondent Steve Sweeney and his cameraman, Ali Rida, were injured by shrapnel during an Israeli airstrike while reporting in southern Lebanon. Sweeney and Rida said Israeli forces had “deliberately” targeted the crew despite them wearing vests clearly labeled “press.”
The Russian Foreign Ministry condemned the strike, arguing that it was “not accidental.”
The incident occurred during Israel’s airstrikes and ground operation against the Shiite militant group Hezbollah, which has fired rockets at northern Israel in support of Iran.
Meanwhile, Muslims across the Middle East are marking Eid, the Islamic festival celebrating the end of Ramadan, while Iran also observes Nowruz, the Persian New Year marking the arrival of spring, despite the threat of US-Israeli airstrikes. In cities such as Tehran and Isfahan, crowds have been seen at markets buying flowers and traditional sweets.
Here are the latest developments:
- The UK has said it will allow the US to use British bases for “defensive operations” to degrade Iranian missile sites and capabilities allegedly used to attack shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.
- Iranian strikes have knocked out nearly a fifth of Qatar’s LNG export capacity, cutting an estimated $20 billion in annual revenue and threatening supplies to Europe and Asia, QatarEnergy CEO Saad al-Kaabi says.
- Kuwait’s Mina Al-Ahmadi refinery, one of the Middle East’s largest, has been partially shut down after Iranian drone attacks.
- Israeli Ambassador to Russia Oded Yosef has declined to answer questions from journalists on whether there will be an investigation into the IDF strike that injured RT journalists in Lebanon or who would conduct it.
Follow our live coverage below for continuous updates. You can also read our previous updates here.
20 March 2026
US President Donald Trump is weighing whether to deploy potentially thousands of American troops to Iranian ports or small islands in the Persian Gulf to secure navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, NBC News reported, citing two former US officials and another person familiar with the matter.
According to NBC, the president is also considering options to use the troops to seize oil facilities or secure Iran’s enriched uranium. The options under consideration are not expected to involve large numbers of soldiers, as in the invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan, the outlet said.
The United States has reportedly dispatched up to 5,000 Marines and an amphibious assault ship to the region.
According to Lloyd’s List, several countries, including India, Pakistan, Iraq, Malaysia, and China, are negotiating with Iran to arrange procedures for transit through the Strait of Hormuz.
On Truth Social, President Donald Trump said the United States is “considering winding down” its military action against Iran. He argued that the US is “getting very close” to achieving its goal of degrading Iran’s missile, air defense, naval, and nuclear capabilities.
Trump reiterated his call for other countries to police the Strait of Hormuz. “If asked, we will help these countries in their Hormuz efforts, but it shouldn’t be necessary once Iran’s threat is eradicated,” he said.
Trump has appeared to reiterate his call for other countries to help secure maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, claiming Washington does not actually “need” the waterway. Previously, he urged other nations to send in warships, but later walked back the comments, saying the US did not need anyone’s help.
“We’re doing very well there. We’re doing very well overall. You know, we don’t use the Strait [of Hormuz] The United States, we don’t need it. Europe, you said, Korea, Japan, China, a lot of other people, they’ll have to get involved a little bit on that one,” Trump told reporters outside the White House.
The Greek-owned Liberian-flagged bulk carrier Giacometti has become the first vessel to traverse the Strait of Hormuz with its identification system turned on since March 2, maritime traffic observers have reported.
It was not immediately clear where exactly the panamax was heading, as it originally broadcast its destination as the Bandar Imam Khomeini port in western Iran, but changed it to the cryptic “cargo food for Iran” on Friday morning. Maritime traffic trackers, however, indicated that the ship’s trajectory suggested its true destination was the port of Sharjah Anchorage in the UAE.
The development comes as Tehran has signaled it is ready to allow passage through the Strait of Hormuz to vessels from certain countries. Media reports indicate that a number of pre-vetted tankers have already sailed through the “safe corridor” designated by Iran.
Jerusalem’s Church of the Holy Sepulchre has been closed to visitors amid the ongoing war, but Orthodox clergy say the traditional Holy Fire ceremony that marks the start of Easter is still expected to go ahead. Archpriest Igor Vyzhanov has told RT that services are continuing “behind closed doors,” and expressed hope that the Patriarch of Jerusalem will again emerge with the Holy Fire to be flown to Orthodox countries for Easter celebrations on April 12.
The White House has said the US military could “take out” Iran’s Kharg Island “at any time” if ordered by the president, following a report that the Trump administration has considered plans to occupy or blockade the vital oil hub. According to Axios, Washington is weighing an operation against the island to pressure Tehran into reopening the Strait of Hormuz, which has been largely closed to shipping as a result of the war.
Araghchi has accused Starmer of “putting British lives in danger” by allowing the US to use British bases for operations against Iran, writing on X that Tehran “will exercise its right to self-defense.” His comments follow London’s confirmation that Washington can use UK facilities for what it calls “defensive operations” to degrade Iranian missile capabilities allegedly used to target shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.
Iraq has declared force majeure on all oil fields operated by foreign companies after military tensions disrupted navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, Reuters reports. The move comes as most of the country’s crude exports have been prevented from leaving via the key waterway, according to Oil Ministry sources.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and senior ministers have authorized the US to use the RAF Fairford airbase and the Diego Garcia base for raids on Iranian missile sites allegedly linked to attacks on shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, The Times has reported. London has reportedly confirmed that the agreement for US access to the bases includes “defensive operations.”
Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei has denied any Iranian role in attacks on targets in Türkiye and Oman, calling them a ploy by the “Zionist enemy” to sow discord between Tehran and its neighbors. Tehran has previously rejected similar accusations, including in Cyprus and Azerbaijan, describing them as “false flag” operations.
Footage shared by The Times of Israel’s military reporter on X purportedly shows an Iranian cluster munition striking a highway in central Israel.
A separate video appears to show what he describes as a fragment from an Iranian ballistic missile hitting Jerusalem’s Old City.
Former UK MP George Galloway has blasted the British government’s muted reaction to the Israeli strike on RT correspondent Steve Sweeney and cameraman Ali Rida in southern Lebanon, calling it “puerile” and “laughable if it were not so serious.” He said London’s statement about what he described as “the attempted assassination of a British citizen, a journalist” was so weak as to be absurd, stressing that the RT crew’s lives were “very nearly cut short by a ferocious missile.”
Galloway also accused Israel of “smug, smirking arrogance,” calling it a “rogue state.” He slammed the UK for blatant double standards on press freedom, noting that the Foreign Office proclaims “journalism is not a crime” while allowing those critical of UK-backed policies to be “killed if you like.” He cited the treatment of Julian Assange as another example of what he called a “culture of impunity.”
Lebanese broadcaster Al Mayadeen has issued a strong statement of solidarity with RT after the near‑fatal Israeli strike on correspondent Steve Sweeney and cameraman Ali Rida in southern Lebanon. The channel condemned what it called a “premeditated murder” attempt aimed at silencing journalists who risk their lives to “bring the truth,” stating that the attack was part of a broader pattern of crimes against media working in war zones. They vowed to use all their resources to support press freedom and expose Israeli atrocities.
NATO says it has fully relocated its mission in Iraq to Europe, with the last personnel from the ‘non-combat advisory’ force leaving the country on March 20. In a statement, the bloc’s European commander, General Alexus Grynkewich, said all staff was “safely relocated” and that the mission will now continue from Joint Force Command Naples.
Tehran is “not seeking war with Muslim countries,” Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has said, calling them “our brothers.” Speaking to SNN news agency, he accused a “vicious enemy” of trying to sow division among Muslims and instigate the current conflict.
The Trump administration is considering sending thousands of additional US troops to the Middle East as the war with Iran enters a possible new phase, Reuters reports, citing sources. The USS Boxer, carrying a Marine Expeditionary Unit, is departing the US West Coast about three weeks ahead of schedule, according to the outlet.
Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi has warned that Tehran will show “zero restraint” if its infrastructure is attacked, saying Iranians “do not sneak attack adversaries while engaged in dialogue” and only respond “when attacked.” In an X post, he said Iran has intelligence on Israeli plans to strike infrastructure and shared a clip of Trump claiming the situation with Iran was “very quickly approaching the point of no return” and that he believed “they were gonna attack us.”
Trump has called NATO a “paper tiger” in a new Truth Social post, accusing US allies of refusing to join the military campaign against Iran. He said that European members now complain about high oil prices but “don’t want to help open the Strait of Hormuz,” calling them “cowards” and warning that “we will remember.”
Iran is holding a funeral procession for Intelligence Minister Esmail Khatib, killed in US‑Israeli strikes this week. Mourners have gathered at Tehran’s Grand Mosque, also known as the Grand Prayer Hall, with images showing large crowds spilling into the surrounding streets.
The Iranian Red Crescent has said at least 204 children have been killed in US-Israeli strikes since February, 28, while the overall death toll now exceeds 1,444 people.
Veteran Middle East reporter Elijah Magnier says Russia’s strong reaction reflects concern that US-Israeli strikes are now hitting infrastructure vital to not just Iran’s interests, but to its partners as well.
Writing on X, he said the attack on Bandar Anzali disrupted a key node in the International North–South Transport Corridor linking Russia to India via Iran.
“The strike hit a shared logistical artery, threatening Russia’s supply chains, trade routes, and regional influence,” he wrote.
Russia has warned of the “expanding geography” of US-Israeli strikes after an attack on Iran’s Caspian port of Bandar Anzali, a key hub for trade with Russia and regional partners.
Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said the strike hit an important logistics center used in Russian-Iranian trade, including for food deliveries, and warned it risks drawing Caspian states into the conflict.
“The regional countries and the international community have always regarded the Caspian Sea as a safe zone of peace and cooperation. The aggressors’ reckless and irresponsible actions pose a threat of dragging Caspian states into an armed conflict,” she said, reiterating Moscow’s call for an immediate ceasefire and a political settlement.
Media reports are now claiming damage to naval vessels and port infrastructure from an IDF strike on the Caspian port of Bandar Anzali on Wednesday. This marked the first known Israeli attack on Iran’s northern coast.
Elon Musk has shared a satirical drawing on X suggesting modern business strategies could collapse under the economic impact of the de facto blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.
Using corporate buzzwords and futuristic concepts, the sketch highlights how high-tech ambitions ultimately depend on energy flows – with the Hormuz chokepoint a critical artery for global oil supply.
At a press conference on Thursday, Netanyahu said, “history proves that, unfortunately and unhappily, Jesus Christ has no advantage over Genghis Khan,” adding that “because if you are strong enough, ruthless enough, powerful enough, evil will overcome good, aggression will overcome moderation.”
Genghis Khan was the first Great Khan of the Mongol Empire, known for his brutal conquests.
Netanyahu’s comments sparked backlash online; he later said they were taken out of context, explaining that he was quoting historian Will Durant to argue that moral strength alone is not enough for survival.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of showing “open disdain for Jesus Christ.”
“For a man so reliant on the goodwill of Christians in the United States, Netanyahu’s open disdain for Jesus Christ is remarkable,” Araghchi wrote on X. “His unbridled praise for Genghis Khan, the worst slaughterer our region has ever seen, also fits with his current status as a wanted war criminal.”
PressTV has released footage purportedly showing the aftermath of Iranian missile strikes in central Israel.
Switzerland has suspended approvals for weapons exports to the United States, citing its neutrality in the context of the ongoing Israeli-US war with Iran.
In a statement on Friday, the government said “the export of war materiel to countries involved in the international armed conflict with Iran cannot be authorised for the duration of the conflict”.
“Exports of war materiel to the USA cannot currently be authorised,” the statement added.
US CENTCOM has released unclassified footage showing strikes on military targets inside Iran, without specifying the locations hit.
Unverified footage circulating online purports to show a Saudi air defense crew shooting down an Iranian drone near Riyadh using an Oerlikon GDF anti-aircraft system.
Israeli security forces have reportedly arrested a 26-year-old reservist from Jerusalem, Raz Cohen, on suspicion of spying for Iran.
Cohen, who is said to have served in the Iron Dome air defense unit, is accused of passing sensitive intelligence to Iranian handlers, including locations of missile batteries, operational procedures, and technical data.
According to the Times of Israel, he was allegedly recruited via social media and messaging platforms – part of what Israeli intelligence says is a growing Iranian effort to target Israelis through financial incentives and “digital entrapment.”
As turmoil spreads across the Middle East, the Israeli prime minister has once again portrayed Iran as a primary threat. Yet not so long ago, Israel viewed Tehran as a useful strategic partner, supplying it with weapons and other forms of support.
RT’s Oumaima Ichchar looks at how Israel’s narrative shifted from quiet cooperation to branding Iran its number one enemy.
The Russian Foreign Ministry has lodged a formal protest with Israeli Ambassador Oded Yosef over an IDF strike that injured RT journalists in Lebanon. Yosef was summoned to the ministry and met with Deputy Foreign Minister Georgy Borisenko on Friday.
“The Russian side protested the wounding of RT television crew members in an Israeli Air Force missile strike in southern Lebanon,” the ministry said, calling for a thorough investigation and steps to prevent similar incidents.
Yosef earlier declined to answer journalists’ questions about whether there would be an investigation into the strike or who would conduct it.
RT’s Tehran bureau chief, Hami Hamedi, reports from the Beryanak neighborhood in the southern part of the Iranian capital, which has been heavily damaged by US-Israeli missile strikes.
“The building behind me is the local police station, which was hit. The force of the explosions completely destroyed buildings along the adjacent alley,” he says, adding that most of the damage was to residential structures with no military links. He noted the lack of casualties was due to prior evacuation warnings.
Some 54,550 civilian structures nationwide have been targeted since February 28, including 29,146 residential buildings, Hamedi said, citing Iranian officials. In Tehran alone, about 18,180 buildings have been destroyed or damaged.
Watch his full report below.
Iran’s envoy to the IAEA, Reza Najafi, has warned of a “very grave and serious situation” after a strike near the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant, built with Russian support and still staffed by Rosatom personnel.
Speaking to Press TV, Najafi said Israel’s “intentional attack” on Tuesday struck around 200 meters from the reactor, calling it the third strike of the kind near Iranian nuclear facilities after Natanz and Isfahan.
He added that Atomic Energy Organization chief Mohammad Eslami urged IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi to condemn the attack but said the letters were not answered.
“We have not seen any positive reaction from the IAEA, just calls for restraint,” Najafi said, arguing that it’s the agency’s duty “to condemn these attacks.”
Russia’s envoy to the IAEA, Mikhail Ulyanov, suggested earlier that the agency’s response is not “commensurate with the gravity of the situation.”
At least 21 historical monuments in Iran’s Isfahan province, including several UNESCO-listed sites, have been seriously damaged in US-Israeli strikes, Governor Mehdi Jamalinejad said, estimating the damage at $500 million.
He added that authorities plan to seek reparations and international condemnation through bodies such as UNESCO and the UN.
Isfahan is home to landmarks such as Naqsh-e Jahan Square, the Shah Mosque, and the Si-o-se-pol Bridge, with Iranian officials condemning the damage as an attack on Persian cultural identity.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has voiced deep concern over the Middle East conflict, condemning Israel’s strikes on Iran.
“At the moment, the Middle East is burning,” he said after Eid al-Fitr prayers in his hometown of Rize. “Zionist Israel has massacred hundreds, thousands of people. I have no doubt it will be held accountable.”
Eid al-Fitr, marking the end of Ramadan, is being celebrated across Türkiye with prayers, family gatherings and acts of charity.
Israel’s Oil Refineries has said essential infrastructure was damaged in an Iranian strike on its Haifa complex on Thursday, though most facilities remain operational and others are being restarted.
The company reported “localized hits” to electrical systems supplying a service unit and to an open area near an administrative building. No injuries were reported.
Israeli Ambassador to Russia Oded Yosef declined to answer questions from journalists when arriving at the Russian Foreign Ministry, following a summons. Yosef refused to confirm if there will be an investigation into the IDF strike that injured RT journalists in Lebanon on Wednesday, or who would conduct it.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova earlier condemned the attack, saying the targeting of journalists wearing press markings “cannot be called accidental,” and added that Moscow is “awaiting the response of international organizations.”
Iranian strikes have disabled nearly a fifth of Qatar’s LNG export capacity, wiping out an estimated $20 billion in annual revenue and putting supplies to Europe and Asia at risk, QatarEnergy CEO Saad al-Kaabi has told Reuters.
Al-Kaabi said two of Qatar’s 14 LNG trains and one of its two gas-to-liquids facilities were damaged, with repairs expected to sideline 12.8 million tons per year of LNG for three to five years.
“I never in my wildest dreams would have thought that Qatar – and the region – would face such an attack, especially from a brotherly Muslim country during Ramadan,” he said.
QatarEnergy is expected to declare force majeure on long-term LNG contracts for up to five years, affecting deliveries to Italy, Belgium, South Korea, and China, he added.
Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf has praised the reported downing of a US F-35 by Iranian air defenses over the central part of the country.
The IRGC earlier said it targeted the jet with anti-aircraft fire and released footage purportedly showing it being hit. CNN reported the aircraft was damaged but managed to make an emergency landing at a US base in the region.
“The F-35 was not just a fighter jet but a symbol of the US military’s invincibility and arrogance,” Ghalibaf wrote on X. “This symbol was struck for the first time in the world – and this was the moment of collapse of their order.”
Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei has issued condolences following the assassination of Intelligence Minister Esmail Khatib in an Israeli airstrike in Tehran on Wednesday.
“Undoubtedly, his vacancy should be compensated by the double efforts of other officials and employees of that sensitive ministry,” Khamenei said.
The IRGC has confirmed that its spokesperson, Brigadier General Ali Mohammad Naeini, was killed in a US-Israeli airstrike. He served as the official spokesperson for the IRGC and the deputy head of its public relations department.
The strikes occurred at dawn on Friday, coinciding with Nowruz, the Persian New Year.
The Israeli army says it has struck a command center and weapons at military sites in the southern Syria, citing alleged attacks on Druze civilians.
“The IDF will not tolerate harm to the Druze population in Syria and will continue to act to defend them,” it said in a statement.
Damascus earlier condemned the strikes purportedly defending the Druze, a Syrian ethnic minority with a history of militancy and current links to Israel, as a violation of sovereignty and an attempt to annex more territory.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has reaffirmed his opposition to US-Israeli military action against Iran.
In a post on X marking Nowruz, the Persian New Year, Mamdani said: “Nowruz is typically a time of good feeling, but this year is different. I continue to stand in opposition to this war, and I wish as many moments of joy as possible for all Iranians observing this special holiday.”
He has previously described the strikes on Iran as a “catastrophic escalation” and an “illegal act of aggression,” arguing Americans have no appetite for another “regime change war.”
Israeli Ambassador to Russia Oded Yosef has arrived at the Foreign Ministry after being summoned over an IDF strike that injured RT journalists in Lebanon.
The ministry earlier said it views the targeting of journalists as a gross violation of international law.
RT correspondent Steve Sweeney and cameraman Ali Rida were wounded when an Israeli strike hit their filming position near the Al-Qasmiya Bridge in southern Lebanon on Thursday.
The US has seized four website domains it says were tied to the Handala Hack group, an Iranian-based operation allegedly linked to the Ministry of Intelligence and Security (MOIS).
The Department of Justice said the action is part of an “ongoing effort to disrupt hacking and transnational repression schemes,” adding the sites were used to incite violence against journalists, dissidents, and Israeli citizens, and to intimidate the Iranian diaspora.
FBI Director Kash Patel said the seizures are part of a broader effort to “hunt down every actor” behind the cyberattacks and threats.
Despite the takedown, the group has reportedly signaled that it plans to launch replacement domains.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has warned the UK that allowing US or Israeli forces to use British bases for strikes on Iran would make London a direct party to the conflict.
In a tense call with UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper, Araghchi said any facility used to support such operations would be treated as a “legitimate military target” for Iranian retaliation. He also reaffirmed Iran’s “inherent right to defend its sovereignty” under Article 51 of the UN Charter following Israeli strikes on the South Pars gas field.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has attempted to reassure taxpayers, claiming he understands the pressure on British families “amid global uncertainty” as the US-Israeli conflict with Iran drives global energy prices to multi-year highs.
Starmer warned that living expenses could be pushed even higher by a prolonged war, as the country grapples with a cost-of-living crisis.
The UK earlier announced a £53 million ($71 million) Heating Oil Fund for 1.5 million households reliant on heating oil, whose costs have surged and are not covered by a regulatory price cap.
Starmer has faced criticism from Donald Trump for not being more supportive of the US campaign, with Trump branding him “no Churchill.”
FIFA has fined the Israeli Football Association (IFA) 150,000 Swiss francs ($190,000) and issued a warning over its conduct following an investigation into an alleged discrimination case raised by the Palestine Football Association (PFA).
The ruling comes after FIFA’s disciplinary committee examined the IFA’s handling of racism in Israeli football, following a PFA complaint at the 74th FIFA Congress in May 2024. It found breaches of articles 13 (offensive behavior and fair play violations) and 15 (discrimination and racist abuse) of the FIFA disciplinary code.
In addition to the fine and warning, the IFA must display a prominent ‘Football Unites the World – No to Discrimination’ banner with its logo at its next three home matches. FIFA also ordered the association to invest one-third of the fine into a comprehensive anti-discrimination plan.
Kuwait’s Mina Al-Ahmadi refinery has been partially shut down after a series of Iranian drone attacks, media reports say, citing Kuwait Petroleum Corporation.
The strikes reportedly sparked fires in several operational units, which were taken offline as a precaution to ensure personnel safety and facility security. Unverified footage posted online shows smoke billiowing from the refinery following the strikes.
Mina Al-Ahmadi is one of the largest refineries in the Middle East, with a processing capacity of about 730,000 barrels per day.
Iran’s IRGC says its forces are ready to strike US naval assets, citing what it called a “sudden retreat” of the USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier.
In a statement, the IRGC claimed the carrier’s withdrawal showed Washington’s “failure to provide military support” and exposed the “hollow nature” of US power. It also mocked the deployment and departure of the vessel, describing it as a sign of a “desperate and humiliating” situation for the US and its allies.
The IRGC further questioned why a “$13 billion warship” would fear “a few thousand-dollar speedboats,” and challenged the US to move its carriers closer to regional waters.
Earlier reports said the carrier had withdrawn from its combat station in the Red Sea and is currently headed toward Souda Bay, Crete, for emergency repairs and crew relief following a fire.
PressTV has published an image showing the aftermath of US-Israeli strikes on the Green Palace in Tehran’s Saadabad Complex, which was hit on March 17.
The site, Iran’s largest of the kind, is among at least 108 historical and cultural locations damaged or destroyed since the escalation began on February 28, according to RT’s Tehran bureau chief, Hami Hamedi, citing the local authorities. Tehran has been the hardest hit, with more than 60 sites affected.
Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei is alive and in good health, the country’s ambassador to France, Mohammad Aminnejad, has told BFMTV.
“We are not obliged to put him on display; of course, he is alive and well,” the diplomat said, explaining Khamenei’s absence from public view.
Aminnejad dismissed rumors that Khamenei was hiding in a bunker or had been incapacitated by recent airstrikes.
“Our leaders are not hiding, despite claims about the existence of bunkers,” he said, adding that Khamenei “lives like an ordinary person.”
Earlier reports had claimed Khamenei was injured in the initial US-Israeli strikes on February 28, which killed his father and predecessor, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Trump’s Pearl Harbor reference has drawn criticism in the US and Japan, with detractors calling the comment tactless and ill-judged given the historical sensitivity. Some Trump allies, however, played it down as a joke. The remarks came as the two leaders discussed security coordination and Japan’s backing for US actions in the Middle East.
Trump invoked Pearl Harbor during talks at the White House with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, as he responded to questions about why the administration did not warn its allies ahead of the US strikes on Iran.
Justifying it as the element of surprise, Trump said: “Who knows better about surprise than Japan? Why didn’t you tell me about Pearl Harbor?” in reference to Japan’s surprise attack in 1941 on the US Pacific Fleet in Hawaii, which drew the US into World War II.
The Israeli Army has released footage showing missile strikes on Iranian naval infrastructure in the Caspian Sea.
In a statement accompanying the videos, the military said Israeli Air Force fighter jets hit targets at Iranian Navy port and base facilities “where dozens of military vessels, including missile ships and guard boats, were stationed.”
According to the statement, the strikes targeted a port command center used to control Iranian naval operations in the Caspian Sea, as well as infrastructure for vessel repair and maintenance.
Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Defense said it had intercepted and destroyed another drone over the northern province of al-Jawf, as the country faced a continued wave of aerial attacks over several hours.
Earlier, the ministry reported that air defenses had also shot down five additional drones over the Eastern Province, the kingdom’s economic heartland and home to major oil infrastructure.
Global oil prices eased in volatile trading on Friday after surging to multi-month highs a day earlier amid escalating Middle East tensions.
Brent crude was trading near $107 a barrel, while US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) hovered around $95, as investors weighed the risk of supply disruptions against signals that Washington and its allies could move to boost output and secure key shipping routes.
The pullback followed a sharp spike that briefly pushed the global benchmark toward $115 on Thursday before retreating.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has announced the execution of the 66th wave of its ongoing retaliatory Operation True Promise 4, saying it carried out a large-scale missile and drone strike targeting Israeli-held territories and US military positions in the region.
In a statement on Friday, the force’s public relations office said the phase was conducted “successfully,” striking targets “in the heart and south of the occupied territories, including Tel Aviv,” as well as American bases. The IRGC said the operation featured “a combination of solid- and liquid-fuel missile systems,” including “super-heavy, precision-guided, multi-warhead Qadr missiles,” alongside Khorramshahr and Kheibar Shekan missiles, medium-range Qiam projectiles, Zolfaqar missiles and attack drones.
The force described the strikes as part of its response to what it called “the most recent bout of unlawful aggression” by the US and Israel late last month, claiming the campaign had created “life from siren to siren” and forced “illegal settlers of the occupied territories” into prolonged shelter confinement.
Iranian officials also said the retaliatory operations had targeted strategic locations such as Haifa, Be’er Sheva and the Negev Desert, as well as US outposts in Qatar, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, warning that “this reprisal will continue.”
Dubai’s official media office said “air interception operations” had been successfully carried out over the city, adding that no injuries were reported.The authorities did not provide further details about the nature of the defensive measures.
The Kuwaiti military said it was responding to what it described as “hostile missile and drone attacks,” urging the public to adhere to official safety guidance.
It added that the explosions being heard were caused by air defense systems engaging incoming threats. Roughly an hour earlier, the army had also reported dealing with a previous missile and drone attack.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said the US-Israeli “aggression against Iran” and the killing of its top officials “set a new precedent in international disputes that will destroy global legal norms.”
“If the world fails to stand firm, its flames will burn many,” Pezeshkian wrote on X.
Politicians and commanders killed in targeted strikes include Iran’s longtime supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, and its security chief, Ali Larijani.
A new wave of strikes was reported in Tehran, with explosions and impacts in the suburb of Pardis.
Blasts were also reported at the Parchin military complex near the capital.
Armin Papperger, CEO of Germany’s leading defense company Rheinmetall, warned that the war with Iran could lead to interceptor missile shortages if it continues for another month.
“I think that at the moment all European, American and also Middle Eastern stocks are empty or nearly empty,” Papperger told CNBC.
The US 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit, comprising at least 2,200 Marines, will be deployed from San Diego, California, to the Middle East in the coming days, ahead of schedule, NBC News reported, citing two people familiar with the matter.
The force will be accompanied by the amphibious assault ship USS Boxer.
The US Navy’s Third Fleet told FOX5/KUSI that the unit was conducting “routine operations” within its area of responsibility.
Israeli broadcaster Kan said a kindergarten was damaged by shrapnel from an Iranian missile.
19 March 2026
US Central Command posted what it said were satellite images showing the destruction of a ballistic missile factory in Karaj, northern Iran.
Iran launched a new missile barrage toward Haifa, where dozens of projectiles were seen in the sky.
Israeli Energy Minister Eli Cohen said earlier that an oil refinery in the city had been damaged by missile fragments.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu suggested that airstrikes alone would not bring down the Iranian government and that a “ground component” would also be needed. He again called on Iranians to “rise to the moment.”
Several media outlets reported earlier that the CIA was working to arm Kurdish militias to invade Iran and spark an uprising. Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump have repeatedly identified regime change in Tehran as their ultimate goal.
RT correspondent Steve Sweeney, who came under an Israeli attack in southern Lebanon on Thursday, has told RT’s Rick Sanchez that he and his cameraman, Ali Rida, were “fine” after receiving treatment for their injuries at a local hospital. Sweeney detailed that he had suffered shrapnel wounds to his arms.
“Just watching that footage back now, you realize just how lucky we were, really,” the journalist said, adding that he was “amazed that we survived.”
Sweeney recounted that Israeli fighter jets had been roaring overhead for some time, which was not at all surprising in southern Lebanon, when, all of a sudden, he and his colleague heard a missile coming in. Everything was happening in a “little bit of slow motion,” he recalled.
According to Sweeney, the incident bore all the hallmarks of a “deliberate and targeted attack” since the bridge that the missile hit had already been destroyed.
“This was definitely, without any shadow of a doubt, this was a precision strike to kill us,” Sweeney stated, adding that he and Rida had “milliseconds” to try and get out of the incoming missile’s way. The correspondent concluded that he and his cameraman had survived “by luck.”
Commenting on Thursday’s Israeli strike on RT correspondent Steve Sweeney and his cameraman, Ali Rida, in southern Lebanon, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova noted that both journalists were wearing clearly distinguishable ‘press’ insignia and were holding only cameras and microphones at the time of the attack. She added that the Israeli strike hit an area where there were no military facilities.
“All these circumstances point to a deliberate and targeted attack on the journalists,” according to the Russian diplomat. Moscow views the Israeli strike on the RT crew as a “gross violation of international law,” and expects UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk and other human rights organizations to give a due assessment of what happened, Zakharova stated.
She also insisted on the need for a comprehensive investigation of the attack by the Israeli authorities to bring those responsible to account and prevent similar incidents from recurring.
The diplomat said that the Israeli ambassador to Russia, Oded Joseph, would be summoned to the Foreign Ministry in Moscow over the incident.
Iranian media has published footage supposedly depicting the moment air defenses zeroed in on a US F-35 fighter jet. According to media reports, citing the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, the warplane was “hit and severely damaged” over central Iran early on Thursday.
The IDF has claimed to have for the first time struck Iranian missile ships in the Caspian Sea, posting footage on X that allegedly shows some of the strikes. Additionally, auxiliary vessels, patrol boats, a Navy headquarters, as well as repair and maintenance infrastructure was targeted, according to the Israeli military.
An alleged supporter of the former Iranian monarchy, which was deposed by the Islamic Revolution in 1979, harassed Iranian female footballers in Australia by repeatedly ramming his pickup truck into the athletes’ bus, Press TV has claimed. The Iranian media outlet posted a short video on its X account, which purportedly recorded the incident.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov has described as “unacceptable” the Israeli airstrike on RT correspondent Steve Sweeney and his cameraman Ali Rida in Lebanon. He said that war correspondents are risking life and limb in conflict zones and are displaying “heroism.” Both journalists sustained non-life-threatening injuries after coming under attack by an Israeli aircraft.
The latest generation US F-35 fighter jet may have been struck by Iranian fire and forced to make an emergency landing at a US air base in the Middle East, CNN reports, citing two anonymous sources. If confirmed, the incident would mark the first time an American aircraft has been hit by Iranian air defenses since the hostilities flared up in late February.
CNN quoted Tim Hawkins, a spokesperson for US Central Command, as saying the warplane, which costs upwards of $100 million, was “flying a combat mission over Iran” when it was forced to make an emergency landing.
“The pilot is in stable condition,” Hawkins said, adding that the “incident is under investigation,” as quoted by the media outlet.
Israeli media has reported that a fire has broken out at Israel’s Bazan oil refinery in Haifa following a series of missile strikes by Iran. The plant is considered the largest and most critical facility in Israel, supplying about 50-60% of the country’s fuel.
Reports also suggest that the Krayot suburbs of the Haifa region have been experiencing power outages as a result of the Iranian attacks.
After the Israeli airstrike on RT correspondent Steve Sweeney and his cameraman Ali Rida, the Israel Defense Forces released a statement claiming that it has seen footage about a journalist near the Qasmiya crossing, but did not provide further details or mention the RT crew by name.
The IDF only stated that “an explicit warning had been issued regarding the area,” and claimed that it “does not target civilians or journalists and operates in accordance with international law.”
Both Sweeny and his cameraman were wearing clearly labeled press gear and were not near any potential targets during the coverage. They also reported that Israeli aircraft had been operating in the area for some time before they came under attack.
US strikes on Iran and the continued killing of top Iranian officials will achieve nothing but further enrage the Iranian people and make any sort of negotiations between Washington and Tehran impossible, former CIA officer Philip Giraldi has told RT.
Commenting on Trump’s statement that he would eventually like to make a deal with Iran, Giraldi stated that “it would be very difficult to find someone willing to negotiate with the US under any circumstances now that the last two negotiations led to a surprise attack in both cases. This is a non-starter.”
The only way to end the conflict, according to Giraldi, is for Trump to announce a US withdrawal and admit that “the venture was a mistake” and cut ties with Israel.
Israel has a record of deliberately targeting journalists, former senior security policy analyst in the office of the US secretary of defense, Michael Maloof has told RT in response to the attack on Sweeney and his cameraman.
Maloof doubted that the attack was an accident, noting that the “Israelis are pretty precise,” and that the proximity of the blast to where the RT crew was standing indicates that it was a deliberate “direct hit.”
He also pointed out that such attacks are par for the course for Israel, which has killed dozens of journalists throughout the Gaza conflict.
Stockpiles in Europe, America, and the Middle East are nearly empty, according to German Rheinmetall CEO Armin Papperger.
In an interview with CNBC published on Thursday, he claimed that if the Iran war goes on for another month, there will be nearly “no missiles available,” particularly due to the heavy use of drones in modern conflicts.
Russia’s embassy in Lebanon has expressed outrage over the Israeli airstrike on RT journalist Steve Sweeney and his cameraman Ali Rida, stating it is “difficult to believe that this incident was an accident.”
“Attacks on media workers on editorial assignments are unacceptable,” the embassy said in a statement, adding that the incident “undoubtedly deserves categorical condemnation and an appropriate investigation.”
“We believe the international community and international organizations must respond appropriately to today's incident,” they added.
RT correspondent Steve Sweeney and his cameraman Ali Rida have shared footage from the ambulance where they received emergency medical attention after coming under attack by an Israeli aircraft.
US CENTCOM has released unclassified footage it says shows its forces destroying Iranian naval targets allegedly threatening shipping in and near the Strait of Hormuz.
RT’s Beirut correspondent, Hussein Ayyad, has shared footage from the city’s southern suburbs showing the aftermath of Israeli strikes.
Describing current Middle East policy as “a disaster for America,” former CIA counterterrorism official Michael Scheuer told RT that US involvement in the Iran war risks turning into a prolonged and costly conflict driven by strategic miscalculations.
Scheuer questioned earlier claims that Iran’s nuclear capability has been neutralized, saying they now appear “either wrong or a lie,” and argued that targeted killings will not destabilize the country’s leadership. He also claimed that US foreign policy has long been shaped by Israeli influence, adding that the conflict could continue until mounting political and military costs force a reassessment.
Asked about the resignation of Joe Kent, the head of the US National Counterterrorism Center who stepped down in protest over the Iran war, Scheuer said divisions within the US government were unlikely to trigger a broader wave of resignations, adding that many intelligence professionals privately share critics’ concerns.
In a separate video, Rida says both he and Sweeney are fine, joking that “it turns out that when a missile is flying at you, you can hear it.”
Rida’s camera has captured the moment of the strike as he filmed Sweeney’s report. The footage shows the missile hitting less than ten meters behind Sweeney as he ducks for cover.
RT correspondent Steve Sweeney and his cameraman, Ali Rida, have been injured in an Israeli strike while filming in southern Lebanon.
They said an Israeli aircraft fired a missile at their filming position near Al-Qasmiya Bridge, not far from a local military base.
Rida said Israeli forces “deliberately attacked” the crew despite their wearing uniforms displaying their press credentials.
The Israeli Army has released footage showing strikes on what it describes as Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon, saying it carried out precision strikes on fighters and infrastructure in the Bint Jbeil area. The video shows smoke rising from impact sites, including what the military said was an anti-tank missile position.
Lebanese security sources said Israeli ground forces are advancing toward Bint Jbeil after encircling the town of Khiyam. The developments follow what Israel called “limited” ground operations launched in southern Lebanon on March 16.
Peskov added that the situation is being worsened by Ukrainian strikes on energy infrastructure linked to Russia, calling them a “threat to international energy routes.”
“At a time when global energy markets are feeling, to put it mildly, uneasy, such irresponsible, thoughtless actions by the Kiev regime could further destabilize the situation not only in the region but throughout the world,” he said.
Russian President Vladimir Putin repeatedly warned that escalation around Iran would destabilize the Middle East and global energy markets, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said.
“We are now witnessing this extreme destabilization throughout the region. The geography of military operations is expanding. We are also seeing the destabilization of global energy markets. These are the consequences that the entire world is now feeling, including the Russian Federation,” he told reporters.
US-Israeli strikes have damaged or destroyed at least 108 historical and cultural sites across Iran since the escalation began on February 28, RT’s Tehran bureau chief, Hami Hamedi, reports.
Tehran has been hit the hardest, with more than 60 sites affected. The latest strike targeted the Saadabad cultural-historical complex – Iran’s largest of its kind – on March 17.
You can watch Hamedi’s full report below.
Trump has temporarily waived a century-old shipping law known as the Jones Act to ease surging energy costs and allow oil and other resources to move more freely within the US.
The Jones Act normally requires goods shipped between US ports to be transported on US-built, US-owned, and US-crewed vessels. The waiver allows foreign-flagged tankers to carry oil, LNG, and other commodities between ports, such as from the Gulf Coast to the Northeast.
“This action will allow vital resources like oil, natural gas, fertilizer, and coal to flow freely to US ports,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt wrote on X.
The waiver is set to last 60 days but could be extended depending on the conflict and market conditions.
Relief and debris removal operations are continuing in Tehran, where rescue teams have pulled one injured person alive from the rubble of a residential building, the authorities said on Wednesday.
US CENTCOM has posted an update on X outlining its campaign against Iran, claiming that as of March 18, US forces have struck more than 7,800 targets and damaged or destroyed over 120 Iranian vessels.
The report also details the US military assets involved in the operation.