Iraq says projectile strike targets Kirkuk air base Iraq’s defence ministry said a projectile struck an air base in Kirkuk. In statements carried by the Iraqi News Agency, the ministry said the facility is “purely Iraqi”, with only Iraqi aircraft stationed there and no foreign personnel. It said the incident “constitutes a direct attack” on the capabilities of the Iraqi Army Air Force.
Saudi Arabia says four injured after missile debris falls in Riyadh Saudi Arabia’s defence ministry said its forces intercepted and destroyed four ballistic missiles launched towards Riyadh. The Saudi Press Agency reported that four people were injured when shrapnel from an intercepted missile hit a residential building. In a post on X, the ministry added that debris from one of the missiles also fell near a refinery south of the city.
Top US intelligence official says it's not her job to determine imminent threats Submitted by Yasmine El-Sabawi on Wed, 03/18/2026 - 17:58 Tulsi Gabbard, a longtime anti-war voice, avoided undermining the president's claims in a public hearing Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard testifies before a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, on 18 March 2026 (Kevin Lamarque/Reuters) Off The Director of National Intelligence (DNI), Tulsi Gabbard, told lawmakers on Wednesday that it was not her job to determine what constitutes an "imminent threat" to the US , as the country's war on Iran heads into its fourth week. Only President Donald Trump can make such a determination, she insisted at a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing. Democrats grilled her on how much information she supplied the president ahead of the decision to begin joint attacks with Israel on 28 February, given that Trump has repeatedly said this week how he was surprised Iran retaliated by attacking Washington's Gulf partners.
Iranian missiles hit Qatar industrial city, causing ‘extreme damage’ Qatar’s defence ministry said the country was targeted by five Iranian ballistic missiles. In a statement on X, it said air defences intercepted four of them, while one struck Ras Laffan Industrial City, sparking a fire. The ministry said civil defence teams were working to contain the blaze, with the interior ministry later saying it had been brought largely under control.
UK says no clear plan yet to reopen Strait of Hormuz A senior British defence official said there is still no clear plan to safely reopen the Strait of Hormuz. UK officials said discussions with allies are ongoing but still at an early stage, as Iran has effectively shut the key shipping route since the US-Israeli war on Iran began. Armed Forces Minister Al Carns said the threat to shipping includes mines, fast attack boats, missiles and drones, describing the situation as a “significant military challenge” that will require a multinational response.
Saudi analyst says kingdom will activate defence pact with Pakistan if it joins Iran war Submitted by MEE staff on Wed, 03/18/2026 - 17:41 Analyst says Pakistan's nuclear arsenal is on the table for Saudi Arabia if it joins war A handout picture shows Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman welcoming Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif ahead of their meeting in Riyadh, on 17 September 2025 (Saudi Press Agency/AFP) Off If Saudi Arabia joins the US-Israeli war on Iran , it will activate its mutual defence pact with Pakistan and potentially lean on the South Asian country’s nuclear arsenal, a Saudi Arabian analyst told Canada’s CBC News. “If the Saudis were to decide to enter with complete force…Iran is going to be the biggest loser because Saudi Arabia will activate its bilateral defence agreement with Pakistan,” Salman al-Ansari, a Saudi Arabian geopolitical researcher, said in an interview. “We can say it literally that there is a nuclear umbrella over Saudi Arabia,” he added.
Lebanon death toll rises to 968 as Israeli strikes continue At least 968 people have been killed in Lebanon since the start of the US-Israeli war on Iran, up from 912 a day earlier, the country’s health ministry said. The toll includes 116 children and 77 women, with more than one million people displaced.
Iran names oil and gas sites in Gulf states as potential targets Iranian authorities have identified five oil and gas facilities in Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar, and it said it would target them in the coming hours. The sites include Saudi Arabia’s SAMREF refinery and Jubail petrochemical complex, the UAE’s al-Hosn gas field, and Qatar’s Ras Laffan refinery and Mesaieed petrochemical complex, the statement circulated by Tasnim news agency said.
War on Iran: Who are the Kurds and what does Trump want from them? Submitted by Daniel Tester on Mon, 03/16/2026 - 15:49 The world’s largest ethnic group without an independent state is concentrated in Iran, Turkey, Iraq, and Syria Iranian Kurdish fighters from the Kurdistan Freedom Party take part in a training session at a base on the outskirts of Erbil, on 12 February 2026 (Reuters) On President Donald Trump has encouraged the people of Iran to rise up and “take over” their government amid the US-Israeli war on the Islamic Republic. But the US has also been approaching regional allies to enter the conflict, not least the Kurds of Iran.
Saudi Arabia intercepts two ballistic missiles Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Defence says it has intercepted and destroyed two ballistic missiles heading towards the country’s eastern region. It earlier said it had destroyed a drone in the same area, and also one in the Riyadh region.
UAE condemns Israeli strike on Iran gasfield The UAE’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has condemned Israel’s strike on Iran’s South Pars gasfield. In a rare rebuke since the war began, the ministry said targeting energy facilities “constitutes a dangerous escalation” that “poses a direct threat to global energy security, as well as to the security and stability of the region and its people”. It also “stressed the need to avoid targeting vital facilities under any circumstances, emphasising the importance of adhering to international law.
Three planes damaged by missile fragments at Tel Aviv airport Three private aircraft were left with “severe” damage after being struck by missile debris at Ben Gurion International Airport near Tel Aviv, the Israel Airports Authority said. The damage occurred over the past few days, with one of the planes catching fire.
Damage to Iranian nuclear site not ‘very significant’ and ‘no casualties’, says IAEA International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) chief Rafael Grossi told reporters that the strike on Iran’s Bushehr nuclear site did not hit the actual power plant but landed on the premises, not causing any "very significant" damage. “The reactors have not been affected and there are no casualties,” Grossi reported, but added that the IAEA had not independently confirmed the damage. Nevertheless, he emphasised that “any attack on any nuclear facility should always be avoided”.
US-Israeli war on Iran 'unjustified and unlawful', French ambassador tells MEE Submitted by David Hearst on Wed, 03/18/2026 - 15:22 French ambassador to Oman says military operation bypassed UN Security Council, sparking 'disappointment and clear dismay' in Muscat " class="video-embed-field-lazy container-element"> Off France believes the US - Israeli war on Iran is unjustified and unlawful, the French ambassador to Oman has told Middle East Eye in an exclusive interview. Nabil Hajlaoui was speaking during an episode of The David Hearst Podcast published on Tuesday. “This military operation is outside of international law and we cannot endorse it in any way,” Hajlaoui said.
Iran warns energy infrastructure of US and allies could be targeted “The fuel, energy and gas infrastructures” of those who attacked Iran’s energy and oil facilities “will be burned and turned to ashes at the earliest opportunity,” a spokesperson for IRGC’s Khatam al-Anbiya Headquarters said. The statement, which was published on Iran’s Mehr news agency added: “This is a firm and clear warning to the criminals who attacked part of Iran’s fuel and energy infrastructures in the south of the country. ” “We declare to the cowardly and aggressive army of the criminal America and the barbaric and child-killing Zionist regime that you will have to throw your soldiers into the water and throw your dignity into the wind.
Iraq’s gas imports from Iran halted after Israel strikes facilities Iraq’s gas supply from Iran has stopped following the strikes on Iranian gas sites earlier today, according to a report from the Iraqi electricity ministry. Iraq is heavily reliant on Iranian energy, importing over a third of its gas and power from Iran. “As a result of the repercussions of developments in the region, Iranian gas flows to Iraq stopped completely,” electricity ministry spokesperson Ahmed Moussa told the Iraqi News Agency.
Nato allies are ‘working collectively’ to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, says Rutte Nato allies are discussing how they can get the Strait of Hormuz reopened, Nato Secretary General Mark Rutte told reporters during a visit to Norway. “We all agree, of course, that trade has to open up again. And what I know is that allies are working together, discussing how to do that.
Iranian president confirms Israeli assassination of Iran's intelligence minister Iranian President Mazoud Pezeshkian has confirmed the death of the country’s intelligence minister, Esmail Khatib. Khatib was killed in an Israeli strike overnight, which the president called a “cowardly assassination” in a statement to X. Iran’s top security official and defence minister have also been confirmed dead as a result of Israeli strikes.
Jeremy Corbyn accuses UK government of 'direct involvement' in Iran strikes Former leader of the Labour Party and Independent MP Jeremy Corbyn challenged British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper’s claim that UK bases are only being used for “defensive strikes” against Iranian missiles. This comes after reports on Friday that US military personnel and ground crew were spotted loading and preparing weapons for operation at RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire, including three B-52 bombers - which can carry up to 24 cruise missiles - and four B-1 bombers. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer agreed to grant permission for the US to use UK bases for the “specific and limited defensive purpose” of destroying Iran’s missiles “at source”.
Qatar condemns Israeli’s targeting of facilities linked to Iran’s energy infrastructure Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesperson Majed al-Ansari issued a statement calling Israel’s strikes on Iran’s natural gas sites “a dangerous and irresponsible step amid the current military escalation in the region”. He warned the attacks constitute “a threat to global energy security, as well as to the peoples of the region and its environment" and called for “all parties to exercise restraint, adhere to international law, and work towards de-escalation in a manner that preserves the security and stability of the region”. Iran’s South Pars field, which was hit earlier today, is the world’s largest natural gas field, with both Qatar and Iran operating facilities on it.
