Mar 26, 2026
- President Donald Trump says Iran’s leaders “are begging to make a deal, not me”, adding, “I don’t know if we’re willing to do that.”
- An Israeli air strike has allegedly killed the commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps navy, Alireza Tangsiri, the US and Israel say. No confirmation from Iran has been given.
- US-Israeli strikes on Iran continue as Iranian missiles target central and northern Israel.
- Israeli forces pound Lebanon as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says Israel is expanding what he calls a “buffer zone” in southern Lebanon.
- At least two people are killed and three injured from falling debris in Abu Dhabi. Bahrain, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia intercept Iranian missiles and drones.
- Visit our live tracker for the latest casualty figures from across the region.
Qatar’s PM discussing diplomacy, security cooperation in Washington, DC
Qatar’s prime minister and foreign minister is here in Washington right now, and he’s expected to meet Donald Trump, but he has already met with Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth.
They’ve been discussing the ongoing situation in the Middle East, but also security cooperation, especially because of what’s happening right now.
Just a few weeks ago, Hegseth had said that he had been in discussions with countries in the GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) about the ongoing situation and how to increase security for these countries, especially after the attacks they faced from Iran.
So certainly, lots of concerns about the GCC countries, even though there’s differences in what they want out of this war.
We have seen more hawkish stances from countries like Saudi Arabia or the United Arab Emirates.
On Qatar’s end, we have seen a much more diplomatic approach, hoping to de-escalate the ongoing situation.
Qatar is in a position where it’s on the front line of a war it did not want.
Iraq caught in crossfire as US strikes Iran-backed militias
US air strikes on the Habbaniyah military base in Iraq’s Anbar province have killed at least five to seven Iraqi soldiers and injured 23 others, according to Iraqi military officials.
The base, located west of Fallujah on a route once known as the “road of death” during the US invasion of Iraq, houses both Iraqi forces and members of the Popular Mobilisation Force, some of whom are Iran-backed militias.
The attacks destroyed medical and engineering facilities, and Iraqi officials say Iran-backed militias have been targeting US forces across Iraq and the region, prompting US demands for the Iraqi government to rein them in or face further strikes. Iraqis fear being dragged into a war not of their making as both sides escalate attacks.
Trump says talks are under way while sending more troops to region
This is what we’ve been seeing since the beginning of the war, Trump saying something in the morning, and later on something completely different.
And that’s what happened last Friday, when he said that the United States was not ready for a ceasefire.
Later on in the day, he said that they could be ready to start winding down the situation, and then, next day, on Saturday, this deadline to Iran that if it would not open up the Strait of Hormuz, (the US) would destroy the country.
That deadline has been extended for five days, and now we’re hearing that it has been extended once again, until April 6, at 8pm US Eastern time (01:00 GMT on April 7].
So we’ve been seeing lots of changes from the US president.
Still, on social media, he said that in spite of “fake news” from journalists, talks are going well.
But as we know, as the talks are ongoing, the United States is also adding up and sending more troops to the Middle East, at least 5,000 Marines coming from Japan and from California.
They have already deployed three more warships and the 82nd Airborne Division.
And it shows, in a way, that the Trump administration is under a lot of pressure, basically because of the price of gas in this country and the big impact it has had until now on his approval ratings and his popularity.
Israeli chief of staff warns military will ‘collapse in on itself’ due to soldier shortage
The chief of staff of the Israeli military has warned that it will “collapse in on itself” due to growing demand and a shortfall of manpower as it fights multiple fronts.
“I am raising 10 red flags before you,” Eyal Zamir told a security cabinet meeting on Wednesday, according to Israeli media reports. He said that it wouldn’t be long before the military was unable to perform routine missions.
He said the military needs a “conscription law, a reserve duty law, and a law to extend mandatory service”.
‘We’ve already won’: Trump claims Iranian combat capabilities are effectively ‘knocked out’
US President Donald Trump has declared that the US military has effectively neutralised Iran’s primary combat capabilities, claiming the war “militarily” has already been won.
During an interview with Fox News, the US president stated that the US has “just about completely knocked out” both the Iranian navy and air force, specifically citing the destruction of 154 ships.
He asserted that the Iranian military has been heavily degraded, and noted the targeting of missile launchers and telecommunications infrastructure.
“We knocked out their missile launchers, which is a big deal, because without the missile launchers, the missiles don’t do very well, and we knocked out all their communications and telecommunications,” he said.
President Trump also emphasised his control over the diplomatic timeline, revealing that while the Iranians requested a seven-day pause, he opted for 10. “I’m going to give you 10 because they gave me ships,” Trump said, adding, “We talked about the eight ships.”
He further dismissed the strategic necessity of the region for the US, noting that the US does not need the Strait of Hormuz and expressed frustration that the nations that rely on the waterway were failing to take action.
Qatar’s FM meets with US’s Hegseth in Washington, DC
The Qatari Foreign Ministry says that the country’s Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani held a meeting in Washington with US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth.
The meeting reviewed the cooperation between Qatar and the US, and discussed ways to strengthen and develop it in the defence and security fields, in light of the developments taking place in the region.
Both sides also stressed the importance of continuing joint coordination and consultation to address regional challenges, in order to support security and stability at the regional and international levels, according to a statement from the Qatari Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Kuwait says responding to missile and drone attacks
The Kuwaiti army has announced that it is responding to missile and drone attacks and has urged the public to adhere to the authorities’ safety and security instructions.
The military confirmed in a statement that any explosions heard across the country were the result of successful interceptions. Officials called for calm and emphasised the importance of following official guidance during the ongoing engagement.
Israeli forces continue to bombard southern Lebanon
Lebanon’s National News Agency is reporting that Israeli forces have bombed several towns and villages in recent hours.
They include:
- Israeli warplanes bombed the town of Kfar Reman, the village of Hamool and the outskirts of Odaisseh in the Nabatieh Governorate.
- Israeli warplanes bombed the town of Haddatha, targeting the public road, near Karim Mini Market.
- An Israeli air strike targeted the town of Zibqin in the South Governorate.
- Israeli warplanes targeted the town of Bayada, near a facility that was used by the Lebanese army, before they evacuated.
- Israeli artillery also shelled several towns, with heavy shelling reported in Majdal Zoun and Hanaway, in the South Governorate.
IAEA warns of risk of ‘major radiological accident’ posed by missile strikes
The International Atomic Energy Agency’s director general, Rafael Grossi, has reiterated his “deep concern” about recent military strikes near Iran’s Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant.
Grossi warned that “damage to the facility could result in a major radiological accident affecting a large area in Iran and beyond,” the IAEA said.
He called for maximum restraint and stressed the importance of the seven pillars for ensuring nuclear safety.
US weighs diverting Ukraine weapons as Iran war strains supplies: Report
The United States is considering redirecting weapons meant for Ukraine to the Middle East as its joint war with Israel on Iran stretches military supplies, according to a report by The Washington Post.
The report said air defence interceptor missiles funded through a NATO initiative could be reassigned, raising concerns about Kyiv’s access to critical systems.
The shift comes as the Israeli-US war continues to expand in the region. Admiral Brad Cooper said Washington has struck more than 10,000 targets inside Iran.
A Pentagon spokesperson said it would “ensure that US forces and those of our allies and partners have what they need to fight and win”.
Israel says new wave of missiles launched from Iran
The Israeli military says more missiles have been launched from Iran towards Israel’s territory.
In a statement, the military said air defence systems are operating to intercept the attack.
Saudi Arabia intercepts drones in eastern region
Saudi Arabia has intercepted and destroyed a further two drones in its eastern region, the Defence Ministry says.
Diplomatic efforts face ‘monumental challenges’ to halt war on Iran
Mediators are pushing for possible in-person talks between the Iranians and the Americans, perhaps as soon as Friday in Pakistan, Egyptian and Pakistani officials say.
Press TV, the English-language broadcaster on Iranian state television, cited an Iranian five-point proposal that includes: a halt to killings of its officials, safeguards against future attacks on Iran, reparations for the war, the end of hostilities, and Iran’s “exercise of sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz”.
Those measures, particularly reparations and its continued chokehold over the Strait of Hormuz, likely will be unacceptable to the White House.
While Iran and Oman both have territory in the strait, its narrow shipping channels are viewed as international waters through which all ships can travel.
Any talks between the US and Iran would face monumental challenges. It’s not clear who in Iran’s government has the authority and willingness to negotiate.
Iran remains highly suspicious of the United States, which, twice under the Trump administration, has attacked during high-level diplomatic talks, including when the war began on February 28.
Two killed, 8 injured in Israeli air strike in southern Lebanon
The country’s state-run National News Agency (NNA) has reported that two people have been killed in an Israeli air strike targeting the town of Kfar Reman in the Nabatieh district of southern Lebanon.
The air strike also left eight people injured, according to the report.
Rubio thanks Kurdistan Regional Government for enabling Iraqi oil exports
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has spoken with Kurdistan Regional Government Prime Minister Masrour Barzani, expressing his gratitude to the government for enabling oil from Iraq to reach global markets.
Iraq’s oil exports have dropped by more than 70 percent as a result of the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz. Earlier this month it reached an agreement with Kurdistan to use a pipeline running from Kurdistan to Turkey to export what it can.
Rubio “strongly condemned the continued attacks by Iran and Iran-alligned terrorist militas against U.S. citizens and energy infrastructure across Iraq,” the State Department said in a statement, and offered condolences to families of Peshmerga killed this week.
Lebanon PM warns UN chief of annexation risk
Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam has warned UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres about the “risk of annexation” of areas south of the Litani River by Israel.
In a phone call, he highlighted “the repeated threats issued by the Israeli defence minister regarding Israel’s intention to occupy the area south of the Litani River, in addition to the statements of the Israeli finance minister about seeking to annex this area.”
Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency also quoted Salam as denouncing Israel’s destruction of bridges, which he said sought to isolate the area.
Mass displacement of residents and the “daily encroachment on lands, the demolition of homes” suggest civilians will not be allowed to return in the future. He warned that Israel’s actions and statements threaten Lebanon’s sovereignty, as well as being in contradiction with international law and the UN Charter.
Guterres said he asked Lebanon’s foreign minister to submit an immediate complaint to the Security Council, and called on the UN to “assume its responsibilities in putting an end to these violations”.
One killed in Tehran following an attack on a telecommunications building
A telecommunications building in southwest Tehran was hit in an attack, with the resulting shrapnel from the projectile hitting a passing car and killing one person, Iran’s Mehr news agency reported.
Iran bans sports teams from ‘hostile’ states over safety fears
Iran has barred its national and club teams from travelling to countries it deems hostile, citing risks to athletes amid the ongoing Israeli-US war on the country.
The sport ministry said safety concerns prompted the decision.
“The presence of national and club teams in countries considered hostile and unable to ensure the security of Iranian athletes and team members is prohibited until further notice,” it said.
Authorities have instructed football officials to notify the Asian Football Confederation to move fixtures elsewhere.
The move follows reports that members of Iran’s women’s national team faced pressure from Australian police during a recent visit to defect to the country. Several did, before going on to change their minds and return to Iran.
Thousands of Lebanese vow to stay home as Israeli attacks intensify
Lebanon’s coastal southern city of Tyre – famed for its Roman ruins and white sandy beaches – is almost a ghost town.
The renewed war between Israel and Hezbollah, against the backdrop of the wider war between Israel, the United States and Iran, has forced more than one million people in to flee. But several thousand residents linger in Tyre, refusing to be expelled from their land.
“This is our land – where would we go? We won’t abandon our homes even when they’re destroyed,” said Jihan Salama, 55, surveying all that remained of her family’s apartment after an Israeli air strike.
Nader al-Ashqar, 60, awoke to the thunderous clap of bombardment and sprinted out of his building with his wife and two daughters as Israeli jets roared overhead.
“We saw our belongings flying in the air, hundreds of metres in the air. Everything is gone,” he said. “But God told me to stay here.”
Tehran’s ‘toll booth’: How Iran picks who to let through Strait of Hormuz
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has imposed a “toll booth” system to control vessel traffic through the strait, the shipping journal Lloyd’s List reported on Wednesday.
On Sunday, Iranian lawmaker Alaeddin Boroujerdi told the United Kingdom-based, Farsi-language satellite TV channel Iran International that the country has been charging some vessels $2m to pass through the strait.
What is the toll booth system? How does it work? Is it legal? Read more here.
Air attack targets PMF base in al-Qaim town, west of Iraq
Our colleagues at Al Jazeera Arabic have reported that an air strike has targeted a military base used by the Iran-aligned Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF) in Iraq’s border town of al-Qaim in the western province of Anbar.
The air attack left 3 people injured, according to the report.
We will bring you more when we have it.
Israel says it needs more troops as Lebanon invasion expands
Israel’s military says it needs more soldiers as its invasion in southern Lebanon deepens, part of a push to impose a so-called buffer zone along the border.
“On the Lebanese front, the forward defensive zone that we are creating requires additional [Israeli military] forces,” army spokesperson Effie Defrin said.
He acknowledged the army is stretched across multiple fronts, including Gaza, the occupied West Bank and Syria.
“For that, more combat soldiers are needed in the [Israeli army].”
Key takeaways on Trump’s Iran war cabinet meeting
US President Donald Trump denied being “desperate” to make a deal with Iran as he mixed threats with diplomacy in a push to wrap up his war in the Middle East.
Holding his first cabinet meeting since the start of the US-Israeli attack, Trump insisted Iran is “begging” for a deal despite Tehran’s denials.
Attacks continue throughout Middle East as death tolls rise
- Loud booms could be heard across Israel as it was repeatedly targeted by barrages from Iran. Its Magen David Adom emergency service said a man in his 30s was killed in the area of Nahariya, the country’s northernmost coastal city.
- In the United Arab Emirates, two people were reported killed by shrapnel from a missile interception over Abu Dhabi.
- Since the war began, more than 1,900 people have been killed in Iran, Deputy Health Minister Ali Jafarian told Al Jazeera.
- At least 18 people have died in Israel, while three Israeli soldiers have also been killed in Lebanon.
- At least 13 American troops have been killed and dozens wounded.
- More than a dozen civilians in the occupied West Bank and Gulf Arab states have also died.
Iranian military claims strikes on Israeli vessels and fighter jet fuel tanks in Haifa
Iran’s military headquarters says it targeted “various types of Israeli military vessels in the eastern Mediterranean” as well as “the fuel tanks of Israeli fighter jets in the port of Haifa”.
“We are determined to powerfully target the source of all aggression and evil, with the grace of God,” Revolutionary Guard spokesperson Lieutenant-Colonel Ebrahim Zolfaghari was cited as stating in state media.
Israeli opposition warns wars pushing army to breaking point
Israel’s opposition leader Yair Lapid has accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of driving the country into a “security catastrophe” as the war intensifies.
Speaking on the 27th day of Israel’s war on Iran and Lebanon, Lapid said the military is overstretched and lacks the resources to sustain operations across multiple fronts.
“Our pilots, our fighters are currently writing glorious chapters in the history of the State of Israel … But the [Israeli army] is being pushed to the limit, beyond its limits,” he said, warning the government has left “the army wounded, abandoned on the battlefield.”
“The government is sending the army to fight a war on several fronts without a strategy, without the necessary resources and with far too few soldiers,” he added.
Continue reading at www.aljazeera.com
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