Iran War News Highlights (March 16): Explosions heard near US Embassy in Baghdad;, Drone strike causes fire at major UAE oil field

Iran’s new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei narrowly survived a February 28 US-Israeli airstrike that killed his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and several family members, according to leaked audio. He reportedly stepped outside into the garden moments before missiles hit the compound, while US President Donald Trump said it remains unclear whether Khamenei is alive or severely injured.

A direct channel between U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has reopened for the first time since the US‑Israel‑Iran war began, focusing on ending the conflict. President Trump said Iran is talking to U.S. officials but their authority to negotiate is unclear, while Tehran insists any peace deal must be permanent. Trump also criticized allies for not helping reopen the Strait of Hormuz amid ongoing Gulf tensions.

Hezbollah on Monday said it targeted Israeli troops and vehicles in at least three Lebanese border towns, after the Israeli army announced it had begun limited ground operations in Lebanon.

In three separate statements, the group said it targeted an Israeli site "in the border town of Aitaroun with a rocket salvo" as well as "a gathering of Israeli vehicles and soldiers" in Odaisseh with artillery shells, and "a gathering of Israeli vehicles and soldiers" and a Merkava tank in the town of Taybeh with a rocket salvo.

Authorities report a fire at the Shah oil and gas field in Abu Dhabi after a drone strike, with no injuries reported so far; the field is one of the world’s largest.

President Donald Trump expressed uncertainty about Iran’s new supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei, saying Washington does not know if he is “dead or not” or who it could negotiate with amid rising Middle East tensions. (Read more)

The United States and China held what both sides described as “constructive” talks in Paris to address strained trade ties following tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump. The meeting between US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng also discussed global trade disruptions caused by the ongoing Middle East conflict and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. Officials said discussions could pave the way for a future summit between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping.

US President Donald Trump stepped up the pressure on Britain and France on Monday, saying he expected them to help secure shipping in the Strait of Hormuz during the war against Iran. Trump said he had talked with French President Emmanuel Macron about it and his response had been "an eight, not perfect." "I think he's going to help," Trump said, adding that he also believed Britain would be involved in a Hormuz mission.

President Donald Trump criticized US allies on Monday for their lukewarm response to his call to help protect shipping in the Strait of Hormuz during the US war against Iran.

"For 40 years, we're protecting you, and you don't want to get involved," Trump told reporters.

Donald Trump said countries that rely heavily on the Strait of Hormuz should step forward to help keep the key maritime route secure.

“We strongly encourage other nations whose economies depend on the strait, far more than ours... we want them to come and help us with the strait,” Trump said, urging greater international involvement in safeguarding the vital shipping corridor.

Donald Trump said the United States has struck thousands of targets across Iran since the conflict began, claiming the campaign has sharply weakened Tehran’s military capabilities.

“Since the beginning of the conflict, we've struck more than 7000 targets across Iran. And these have been mostly commercial and military targets. We've achieved a 90% reduction in their ballistic missile launches and a 95% reduction in drone attacks,” Trump said.

He added that the U.S. military had also targeted Iran’s weapons infrastructure, saying three missile and drone manufacturing sites were hit on Monday.

Donald Trump said in a media briefing that Iran’s military capabilities had been severely weakened after extensive strikes during the conflict.

He claimed that more than 7,000 military and commercial targets had been struck in Iran, adding that the country now had very few missiles left and that its attacks had reduced by 90 percent. Trump also said Iran’s navy had been “completely decimated” and that the country had been “literally obliterated.”

Iran's Revolutionary Guards said they will target U.S. industries in the region in the coming hours, asking people to evacuate nearby areas, Tasnim news agency reported.

"We warn the failed American regime to evacuate all American industries in the region, and we call on the people of the areas surrounding the industrial plants in which the Americans are shareholders to evacuate those areas so that no harm comes to them. These industries will be attacked and hit in the coming hours," the Guards said in a statement carried by the state media.

Randhir Jaiswal: There’s a history of engagement between India and Iran and that is the basis of our understanding (for allowing safe passage to Indian vessels in the strait of Hormuz)

Israel's military said on Monday it had launched a broad wave of strikes on the Iranian cities of Tehran, Shiraz and Tabriz, more than two weeks into the US-Israeli war against the Islamic republic.

"The IDF has just begun a wide-scale wave of strikes targeting infrastructure of the Iranian terror regime in Tehran, Shiraz, and Tabriz", the military said in a statement.

Randhir Jaiswal on Donald Trump asking nations to send their warships to strait of Hormuz : have not yet discussed this in bilateral setting We are in talks with several stakeholders about safe passage of vessels in the strait of Hormuz give a headline

Rajesh Kumar Sinha, Special Secretary, Ministry of Ports Shipping and Waterways: Shivalik carrier will reach India today at around 5 PM. Before its arrival, priority berthing has been arranged

Sinha: All seafarers in Persian gulf are safe and no incident has been reported in last 24 hrs

There are 22 Indian flagged vessels with 611 India seafarers remain in west of strait of Hormuz

Jag Laadki sailed from UAE carrying 81000 million tonnes Murban crude oil is safely en route to India , will reach tomorrow at Mundra port, says Sinha

Sinha: Major ports of India carefully monitoring vessels movement

Sinha: There has been no congestion reported at major ports

Sujata Sharma, Joint Secretary: The Centre issued an order on March 14 requesting consumers with both PNG and LPG connections to surrender their LPG connection.

Sujata Sharma, Joint Secretary:  Request consumers to shift to alternate sources of energy wherever available instead of LPG

Sujata Sharma, Joint Secretary, MoPNG: crude oil available in adequate quantities. Petrol pumps are operating normally, no dry out has been observed.

100% supply to CNG and PNG consumers have been made, Sharma said.

IGL has offered free gas worth Rs 500 to consumer registering gas before March 31. Similar incentives are being offered by MGL, GAIL and BPCL in their efforts to enable consumers shift from LPG to PNG, she added

Oil loading operations have been suspended at the United Arab Emirates port of Fujairah, two sources told Reuters on Monday, after a drone attack sparked a fire in the emirate's petroleum industrial zone. Fujairah, located on the Gulf of Oman just outside the Strait of Hormuz, is typically a critical exit point for about 1 million barrels per day of the UAE's Murban crude - a volume equivalent to roughly 1% of global demand. Civil defence teams are currently working to control the blaze, the Fujairah government media office said in a statement, adding that no casualties have been reported. – Reuters

Explosions hit the Iranian capital on Monday, an AFP journalist reported, hours after Israel said it conducted large-scale overnight strikes.

The blasts were heard in central Tehran as air defence systems were activated, the journalist said. It was not immediately clear what was targeted.

The city was rocked by heavy explosions overnight, the reporter added. - AFP

More than 500 people have been killed in attacks by the US and Israel in Tehran Province since the war began, a senior emergency services official said. Mohammad Esmaeil Tavakoli, head of Emergency Medical Services in the province, told Mehr News Agency that 503 people have died in the region since the conflict involving Iran began on February 28. He added that about 5,700 people have also been injured in the province during the same period.

Explosions struck Tehran on Monday, hours after Israel said it carried out large-scale overnight strikes, AFP reported.

Blasts were heard across central Tehran, prompting the activation of the city’s air defence systems. The exact targets of the strikes were not immediately clear. AFP also reported that the city experienced heavy explosions overnight, adding to mounting tensions in the region.

The European Union will discuss on Monday the possibility of extending its Red Sea naval mission to help reopen the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz, EU foreign affairs chief Kaja Kallas said.

“It is in our interest to keep the Strait of Hormuz open, and that's why we are also discussing what we can do in this regard,” Kallas told journalists in Brussels ahead of the talks.

A fire broke out at an industrial zone in Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates following a drone strike, the emirate's media office said. Civil defence teams are working to bring the blaze under control, and no injuries have been reported so far, the statement added.

Authorities in Abu Dhabi are responding to an incident in which a missile struck a civilian vehicle in the Al Bahyah area, the city's media office said. The incident resulted in one casualty, a Palestinian national, according to a statement posted by the media office on X.

The Dubai Civil Aviation Authority said in a post on X that some flights to and from Dubai International Airport are gradually resuming to select destinations after operations were temporarily suspended after Iran's drone attack. The official note further said that "passengers have been advised to contact their respective airlines to stay updated on the latest developments regarding their flights."

Saudi Arabia has intercepted more than 60 drones since midnight, according to a tally of defence ministry figures released on Monday. The Saudi defence ministry posted a series of statements on X describing the interception of a total of 61 drones in the east of the country in the early hours of Monday morning. - AFP

United States fighter jets have reportedly struck military facilities on a mountain near the Chabahar Free Trade Zone, according to the Persian-language service of Voice of America. The report said intense explosions were heard in the area behind the zone following the strikes. The Chabahar Free Trade Zone is located in Sistan and Baluchestan Province in southeastern Iran, near the border with Pakistan.

The United Arab Emirates' air defence systems were intercepting Iranian missiles and drones on Monday, the Gulf nation's defence ministry said.

"UAE air defences are currently responding to incoming missile and drone threats from Iran," the UAE Ministry of Defence posted on X.

Earlier, Dubai authorities said a "drone-related incident" had sparked a fire near the airport and flights had been temporarily suspended. - AFP

Air India said Air India Express passengers can change or cancel their bookings by typing #GulfCrisis on Tia, the airline's AI-powered digital assistant, on WhatsApp at +91 63600 12345, or through the airline's website and mobile app.

Air India advised passengers requiring further assistance to contact its 24x7 customer support at +91 11693 29333 or +91 11693 29999.

Air India said its teams are working to assist passengers and ensure that those stranded are brought back home safely at the earliest possible opportunity.

Air India said that while Dubai services remain suspended, Air India Express will continue its ad-hoc flight operations to and from Abu Dhabi, Ras Al Khaimah and Sharjah as previously scheduled.

Air India said passengers affected by the cancellations can choose to rebook their travel for a later date or cancel their tickets and receive a full refund at no additional cost. The airline said it regrets the inconvenience caused due to the operational disruption.

Air India said all flight operations at Dubai International Airport have been temporarily suspended, leading to the cancellation of Air India and Air India Express flights to and from Dubai for the day.

The first charter flight from Bahrain to Kerala landed in Kochi on Sunday night, bringing back 192 Indian expatriates as tensions continue to rise in the Middle East.

Japan said on Monday it was beginning the release of its strategic oil reserves after the International Energy Agency indicated earlier that the release would begin in Asia and Oceania before other regions. IEA members agreed on March 11 to tap oil stockpiles to cushion the surge in prices caused by the war in the Middle East -- by far the largest-ever response of its kind. Japan, which depends on the Middle East for 95 percent of its oil imports, said Monday in a notice in its official government gazette that the level of oil reserves in the country "is being lowered". - AFP

Japan said it is 'not considering' maritime security operations after Donald Trump called on other countries to deploy warships to help safeguard the Strait of Hormuz.

"The overall maritime threat environment remains at a critical level due to recent attack patterns, continued navigation interference and persistent operational disruption, including at port facilities across the region," UKMTO further said.

According to the UK maritime monitoring body, at least 20 vessels have been attacked in the Persian Gulf, the Strait of Hormuz and the Gulf of Oman since the war began three weeks ago.

The Strait of Hormuz continues to face a "critical" threat level even though no incidents have been reported in the past three days, the UK Maritime Trade Operations said.

Authorities said no casualties were reported following the incident.

Earlier reports said a drone strike on Kuwait's Ali Al Salem base on Sunday hit a shelter used by the Italian Task Force Air and destroyed a remotely piloted aircraft stationed there.

Kuwait's National Guard said it intercepted two drones over the past 24 hours.

Authorities said the fuel tank fire has been successfully contained. The Dubai Media Office added that no injuries were reported from the drone impact.

Travellers have been urged to contact their respective airlines for the latest updates regarding their flights.

Dubai's Civil Aviation Authority said the temporary halt to flights was implemented "as a precautionary measure to ensure the safety of all passengers and staff," according to the Dubai Media Office.

Flights at Dubai International Airport were temporarily suspended after a nearby fuel tank caught fire in what authorities described as a "drone-related incident."

The escalating war has also rattled energy markets. Oil prices rose on Sunday, with Brent crude climbing above $105 a barrel, marking its highest level since July 2022.

Iran claimed it has fired around 700 missiles and 3,600 drones at US and Israeli targets since the conflict began.

Israel said it carried out strikes on more than 200 targets inside Iran over the past day as fighting intensified.

Trump said the United States and Israel have "similar objectives" in their military campaign. Officials in the Trump administration have indicated they expect the conflict to end within weeks. However, Israel told CNN that its military operations are likely to continue for at least another three weeks.

US President Donald Trump urged China to help address disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz, a key global shipping route. He said there had been "some positive response" after Washington reached out to several countries seeking assistance to safeguard the waterway. Trump also warned that NATO could face a "very bad" future if allies fail to step in and help.

The war involving Iran entered its 17th day on Monday, March 16, 2026, with tensions continuing to escalate across the region.