&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "Iran war highlights: ‘Unclear if Mojtaba has control even if he’s alive’: US ambassador to UN")
On February 28, the US and Israeli military launched strikes on Iran, killing Iran’s supreme leader Ali Khamenei and several other top Iranian officials. The operation was named ‘Epic Fury’ by the US and ‘Lion’s Roar’ by Israel. The attacks came amid heightened tensions between Washington and Tehran and ongoing talks over Iran’s nuclear program. In retaliation, Iran launched attacks on Israel and US military bases in the region, including in Bahrain, Kuwait, the UAE, Iraq, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and Azerbaijan.
In recent days, US President Donald Trump has claimed victory in the war with Iran. On Friday (Mar 13), the US forces struck Kharg Island, Iran’s key oil export terminal located in the northern Persian Gulf. Trump said that the US was striking military targets on Iran’s “crown jewel”. He added that “for reasons of decency”, he did not “wipe out” the oil infrastructure on the island. He further warned that he would reconsider his decision if Iran interfered with the passage of ships through the Strait of Hormuz.
The attack came after Iran’s parliament speaker, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, on Thursday (Mar 12) warned the United States and Israel, saying that Tehran will “abandon all restraint” if its islands in the Gulf are attacked.
Amid the escalating tension in West Asia, several vessels have been targeted while passing through the Strait of Hormuz. Iran has shut down the Strait of Hormuz and warned that any vessel attempting to pass could be targeted and set on fire, with several oil tankers being hit in recent days. However, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) on March 5 said that the passage is closed to vessels from the United States, Israel, Europe and their Western allies. On March 10, the IRGC said that it will grant certain countries unrestricted passage through the Strait of Hormuz, but that this safe passage will be conditional. The IRGC said that only those Arab or European nations that expel Israeli and American ambassadors from their territory will be granted the right to transit through the strategic waterway, which accounts for roughly 20 per cent of the global oil supply passing through it daily.
The Strait of Hormuz is the only maritime outlet for ports located in the Persian Gulf. Its blockage has significantly affected global energy supply, triggering a sharp rise in oil prices.
Stay with WION to follow the latest updates on the Iran war:
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has said that Tehran never asked for a ceasefire or negotiation.
President Donald Trump had earlier said that Iran wanted a deal, but he was unwilling to agree to one "because the terms are not good enough yet".
"We don't see any reason why we should talk with Americans, because we were talking with them when they decided to attack us," Araghchi told CBS News.
"This is a war of choice by President Trump and the United States, and we are going to continue our self defence."
US Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz has raised doubts over Iran’s new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, and said that the Trump administration is keeping a close tab on how much control Mojtaba holds over the country.
“The president has said he’s not happy (with the new leader) who by many accounts is an incredibly hardline individual, a hardline cleric, we’ll see if he’s actually really in charge,” Waltz said during an interview with CNN on Sunday.
The Israeli military is planning at least three more weeks of its campaign against Iran with “thousands of targets” remaining, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) military spokesperson told CNN on Sunday.
“We have thousands of targets ahead,” IDF spokesperson Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin said. “We are ready, in coordination with our US allies, with plans through at least the Jewish holiday of Passover, about three weeks from now. And we have deeper plans for even three weeks beyond that.”
Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said in an interview published on Sunday that the war pitting his country against the United States and Israel will only end when Tehran can be certain it will not be restarted.
“This war will end when we are certain it will not be repeated and that reparations will be paid. We experienced this last year: Israel attacked, then the United States... they regrouped and attacked us again,” Araghchi told Arabic-language news outlet Al-Araby Al-Jadeed, referring to Iran's war with Israel and the US in June 2025.
The Israeli military is planning at least three more weeks of its campaign against Iran with “thousands of targets” remaining, an Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) military spokesperson told CNN on Sunday (March 15).
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has said that Iran’s supreme leader is in “good health” and “manages the country strongly,” as questions swirl over Mojtaba Khamenei’s well-being.
Israel is not facing a shortage of missile interceptors and will continue the war against Iran alongside the US until its objectives are achieved, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar said.
Authorities in the United Arab Emirates have arrested 25 people accused of praising Iran and its leadership and promoting its military actions, according to Al Arabiya.
Ali Larijani, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, said he had heard of an alleged plot to stage an attack similar to September 11 and falsely blame it on Iran.
Amid escalating hostilities in West Asia, SpiceJet has announced to operate special flights from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to India for Indian nationals returning to the country. The airlines will be operating seven special flights from Fujairah and two from Dubai on March 15 and March 16. This comes as many foreign nationals remain stranded in the Gulf nations following airspace restrictions amid the conflict.
UK Energy Security Minister Ed Miliband on Sunday said it was essential to calm the situation in the Middle East after US President Donald Trump called for other nations to help protect world oil supplies passing through the Strait of Hormuz.
The "plan now has to be to de-escalate the conflict", Miliband told the BBC.
South Korea said on Sunday it was paying close attention to US President Donald Trump's call for Seoul and other countries to send warships to help protect oil supplies passing through the Strait of Hormuz.
"We are closely monitoring President Trump's remarks on social media and will carefully consider the matter in close consultation with the United States," a presidential official told AFP.
The IDF has begun a wave of extensive strikes targeting infrastructure of the Iranian terror regime in western Iran.
US reached out several times regarding help in Middle East, says Ukrainian President Zelensky.
The Hezbollah terror group continues to fire rockets and launch drones at northern Israel, triggering sirens.
The official spokesperson for the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Defence said its forces intercepted and destroyed 4 drones over the Riyadh area.
Sirens sound in the Haifa area amid Hezbollah rocket fire from Lebanon.The rocket fire comes at the same time as a missile salvo launched from Iran triggers sirens in the south.
Airlines have reduced several flights to and from the UAE following the latest directives issued by airport authorities, impacting services operated by Air India and Air India Express. Multiple flights to Dubai and Abu Dhabi have been cancelled or scaled back, while a limited number of services continue to run to select destinations. Affected passengers are being offered free rebooking on upcoming flights or the option of a full refund.
Bloomberg News reported that oil-loading operations at the United Arab Emirates' Fujairah emirate have resumed following a drone attack and fire
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi claimed that the United States launched strikes on Kharg Island and Abu Musa Island from two locations in the UAE — Ras Al-Khaimah and another site he described as “very close to Dubai.” He called the move dangerous and said Iran would try to avoid targeting populated areas there. The US Central Command declined to comment on the claim, according to the Associated Press.
Amid the escalating war in West Asia, US President Donald Trump on Saturday (Mar 14) said that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is the last person the United States would need help from in fighting with Iran. READ MORE
Takayuki Kobayashi, policy chief of Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party, has said the threshold is “extremely high” for Tokyo to send its warships to help protect the Strait of Hormuz.
The Lebanese National News Agency reported an Israeli strike on a residential building in the Sharhabil area of the southern city of Sidon.
Saudi Arabia said that it has intercepted 10 drones in the areas surrounding Riyadh and the eastern regions of the country. The IRGC said shortly afterwards that the attack had nothing to do with Iran. “This attack has no connection to the Islamic Republic of Iran, and the Saudi government should seek to discover the origin of the attacks,” it said in a statement.
UN chief Antonio Guterres said that on a visit to Beirut that diplomatic channels remained open to end the war between Israel and Hezbollah and urged the international community to support Lebanon
Iran Guards vow to 'pursue and kill' Israeli premier Netanyahu. "If this child-killing criminal is alive, we will continue to pursue and kill him with full force," said the Guards on their website Sepah News. READ MORE
The US embassy in Baghdad was hit by an attack on Saturday following strikes that killed three members of a powerful Iran-backed group in the capital, AFP reported quoting security sources said
The Formula One grands prix in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia have been cancelled due to the United States' and Israel's war with Iran, motorsport's governing body the FIA announced
Three more members of the Iranian women's football team have left their asylum in Australia and decided to return home, Canberra said
The Pentagon released the identities of six US crew members killed during the crash of a refueling aircraft in western Iraq earlier this week, which authorities said was not caused by "hostile fire." The Pentagon said the six members killed in the crash were: John Klinner, 33, of Auburn, Alabama; Ariana Savino, 31, of Covington, Washington; Ashley Pruitt, 34, of Bardstown, Kentucky; Seth Koval, 38, of Mooresville, Indiana; Curtis Angst, 30, of Wilmington, Ohio; and Tyler Simmons, 28, of Columbus, Ohio.
Explosions rang out over Bahrain's capital of Manama early on Sunday, two AFP journalists said, as Iran continued its strikes across the Gulf.
Bahrain said it has intercepted 125 missiles and 203 drones since the start of Iran's attacks, which have killed two people in the kingdom and 24 others in neighbouring Gulf nations.
The United Arab Emirates has the right to defend itself against Iran's ongoing strikes but chooses restraint, a senior UAE official has said, as Tehran continues its retaliatory attacks across the Gulf.
"The UAE has the right to defend itself against this imposed terrorist aggression, but it is still prioritising reason and logic, continuing to exercise restraint and seeking a way out for Iran and the region," presidential adviser Anwar Gargash said late Saturday on X.
The UAE "made sincere efforts until the very last moment to mediate between Washington and Tehran to avoid this war", he wrote.
The Formula One grands prix in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia have been cancelled due to the United States' and Israel's war with Iran, motorsport's governing body the FIA announced Saturday.
"It has been confirmed today that, after careful evaluations, due to the ongoing situation in the Middle East region, the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix will not take place in April," the FIA said in a statement.
A drone attack late on Saturday targeted the Baghdad airport complex, which houses a military base and a US diplomatic facility, two security sources told AFP.
One security source told AFP that drones "targeted the military base" but were brought down just outside the complex, which previously housed anti-jihadist US-led coalition troops, while a second source said a crashed drone sparked a huge fire outside.
Lebanese militant group Hezbollah said it was involved in "direct clashes" with Israeli forces in the southern Lebanese town of Khiam late on Saturday.
In a statement, it said the clashes were ongoing, having started at 9:20 pm (1920 GMT) and involved "light and medium weapons as well as rocket-propelled projectiles".
It said it had also targeted Israeli forces in three border villages.
Lebanon is preparing to form a delegation to negotiate with Israel in a bid to stop the war with Iran-backed Hezbollah, an official told AFP, adding that there was still no Israeli commitment to the initiative.
"Negotiations are on the table and preparations are underway to form a delegation, but... neither the timing nor the location has been determined, with Paris and Cyprus being considered," the official said, adding: "We also need an Israeli commitment to a truce."
An Axios report on Saturday cited sources as saying the French government had drafted a plan to end the war in Lebanon that would require the government in Beirut to officially recognise Israel.
Police have arrested three people in Kuwait for using camera drones, authorities said on Saturday, after the country warned against filming and spreading information about Iranian strikes.
"Three people were arrested for using aerial camera drones in violation of warnings and instructions," the government's communications centre said.
US President Donald Trump on Saturday said countries that rely on oil carried through the Hormuz strait should take responsibility for keeping the passage open -- with American help.
"The United States of America has beaten and completely decimated Iran, both Militarily, Economically, and in every other way, but the Countries of the World that receive Oil through the Hormuz Strait must take care of that passage, and we will help -- A LOT!" he said on social media.
"The US will also coordinate with those Countries so that everything goes quickly, smoothly, and well."
Several drones struck Kuwait's international airport on Saturday and hit its radar system but did not injure anyone, the country's civil aviation authority said.
"Kuwait International Airport was targeted by several drones this evening, which struck its radar system," the authority said. "Thankfully, no injuries were recorded."
Bahrain's interior ministry said on Saturday that six people were arrested for allegedly posting videos and spreading misinformation about Iranian attacks on the country.
"Six people were arrested and referred to the public prosecution for posting videos about the effects of the Iranian aggression, praising its hostile actions and spreading false news," the ministry said.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi called on Saturday for neighbouring countries to expel US forces from the Middle East.
The US security umbrella in the region "has proven to be full of holes and inviting rather than deterring trouble," the top diplomat posted on X, adding that Iran called on its neighbours "to expel foreign aggressors".
