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Shortly after video footage showing a fire that had broken out at Dubai International Airport had surfaced online, FlightRadar24 showed flights heading away from the vicinity.
Following a series of strikes on Beirut in the evening, the IDF had announced they had begun a wide-scale wave of strikes targeting regime infrastructure in Tehran.
At least three ballistic missiles were launched towards Beer Sheva, with all three reported to have been shot down by Israeli Defence Forces.
Dubai Media Office took to X to state they had successfully contained the fire that had resulted from an impact to one of the fuel tanks in the vicinity of the airport, and no casualties had been reported.
President Donald Trump was looking to build a multinational coalition to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, hoping to announce it by the end of the week, with the effort to involve diplomatic talks with NATO allies, Gulf countries, Japan, China, and European Partners, Axios reported.
US officials said Trump was also considering a seizure of Iran’s Kharg Island oil terminal if the tankers remain blocked, in a move which would require boots on the ground and could escalate the conflict, reported Axios.
The Islamic Resistance in Iraq, called Saraya Awliya al-Dam, claimed responsibility for a rocket attack on the US Victoria base near Baghdad Airport on Sunday night using ‘Al-Qari’ missiles, and also claiming the attack caused ten confirmed casualties among the US forces, including six killed and four seriously wounded.
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said Japan had no plans to dispatch naval ships, and Australian Cabinet member Catherine King said Australia was not asked but would not send vessels, with both statements coming after Trump called on allies for help.
Indian Foreign Minister Jaishankar told the FT that talks with Iran had yielded results after two Indian flagged LPG tankers passed through the Strait of Hormuz and continued toward India.
Saudi Arabia said they intercepted 55 drones in their eastern region on the early morning of March 16.
The IDF began limited and targeted ground operations against Hezbollah positions in Lebanon in recent days, aimed at dismantling infrastructure and pushing threats away from northern Israel.
Abu Dhabi Media Office said they had responded to an incident involving a projectile falling on a civilian vehicle in the Al Bahyah area, resulting in one casualty of a Palestinian nationality.
Israel’s Defence Forces published a claim online saying they had destroyed Ali Khamenei’s plane last night at Maharebad airport in Tehran.
Alerts rang out across central Israel around 10am, which was followed by reports of missile debris falling in Lod and explosions heard in Tel Aviv, along with cluster impacts reported in Rishon LeZion, near Lod, and damage was recorded to a house in Shoham, with no casualties reported.
Following reports that attacks had begun on Iran, scenes began to emerge of smoke rising above Tehran in the Shahrak-e Gharb area, and a building was heavily damaged in Zarafshan Street of the city.
Strong fighting continued in southern Lebanon as the IDF targeted the Al-Saray neighbourhood and the mosque in Nabatieh, southern Lebanon.
As lunchtime approached, sirens rang out across central Israel including Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, causing the Knesset members to seek shelter during a live session, but both missiles were eventually reported as intercepted by the Israeli Home Front Command.
US/Israeli strikes targeted Niavaran Police Station in Tehran, as later reports claimed a recent attack in Tehran was a targeted attack against a vehicle, indicating a possible assassination attempt.
IRGC announced they destroyed a Heron drone over Tehran at 23:50 local time on March 15, while a Hermes 900 drone was shot down near Jam in the early morning, both before completing their missions.
British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said that the UK would work with allies to bring together a ‘viable collective plan’ that can restore freedom of navigation for ships near the Strait of Hormuz, adding the UK wouldn’t be drawn into the ‘wider war’ with Iran.
Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz confirmed the ground invasion of Lebanon, stating it was to protect the residents of the Galilee and the north, adding that those displaced will not return to their homes until the safety of northern Israel’s residents is guaranteed.
On Monday, the Israeli Health Ministry announced that 3,369 people had been admitted to hospitals since the start of ‘Operation Roaring Lion,’ with 81 remaining in hospital, one in critical condition, seven seriously wounded, 14 moderately, and 59 mildly wounded.
The Lebanese Government Commissioner at the Military Court, Judge Claude Ghanem, had charged four new members of Hezbollah with possession and transportation of military weapons.
CENTCOM Commander Admiral Brad Cooper provided an update on Operation Epic Fury, noting that the large-scale strike on Kharg Island destroyed more than 90 Iranian military targets, while more than 6,000 combat flights had been flown, maintaining superiority over the skies of Iran.
Cooper also stated that Iran had attacked 13 countries, including Oman, Saudi Arabia, Israel, Jordan, Cyprus, Turkey, Azerbaijan, the UAE, Qatar, Iraq, Kuwait, and Bahrain – more than 300 times, demonstrating its nature as a ‘global leader of terror,’ adding that the recent cluster strikes were condemned in Tel Aviv and reaffirming that US capabilities continued to build as Iran’s declined.
Another wave of missiles was launched by Iran in three stages at around 3pm, as Warfront Witness claimed two were shot down, but at least one was equipped with a cluster warhead, later publishing damage from debris in Beit Shemesh.
The United Arab Emirates had deepened oil production cuts, now down to 1.5 million barrels per day, while Kuwait have followed suit to just over 1 million barrels a day, as Saudi Arabia reported output was down 2 million barrels a day as of last week, and Iraq’s was down by almost 3 million barrels per day as storage filled up, according to Bloomberg.
Three Pakistani oil tankers crossed the Strait of Hormuz in the past 10 days, according to CNN, who cited shipping sources and ship-tracking data that suggested Iran was granting safe passage to some shipments, as the MV Karachi transited on Sunday evening hugging the Iranian coastline and broadcasting its AIS signal, indicating a safe passage.
CNN also reported that the UAE were doubling down on its strategic partnership with the United States despite attacks by Iran, a senior official said, signalling that Abu Dhabi will not reconsider hosting US forces despite becoming a primary target as a result.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump was encouraging EU allies and Gulf partners to ‘step up’ and contribute to efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, while also claiming that Iran had struck more than 300 civilian targets in the Gulf, but eluding to the fact Israel and US had struck around 60,000 civilian targets in Iran.
German Government Spokesman Stefan Kornelius reiterated Berlin’s unwillingness to send its military to help defend the Strait of Hormuz, while also warning that Israel’s ground offensive in Lebanon could worsen humanitarian conditions.
The US confirmed that two of its three ships capable of mining the Strait of Hormuz, which are normally based in the Gulf, had been relocated to Malaysia ‘conducting brief logistical stops,’ but the spokesperson for the US Fifth Fleet declined to explain why they weren’t in the Gulf.
France rejected Trump’s call to send military assistance to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz, stating it will only deploy forces once hostilities between the US, Iran and its neighbours had ceased, instead discussing a joint patrol force with European and Gulf states that would operate once the fighting ends.
Six hospitals in Iran had been evacuated as a result of the war, the World Health Organisation told Reuters on Monday, as regional director Hanan Balkhy said the country’s health infrastructure remains ‘quite good and robust’ and was stable to accommodate casualties.
According to Ynet, the EU imposed sanctions on an Iranian company and two Chinese firms following cyberattacks they carried out against EU member states.
EU Foreign Policy Chief Kaja Kallas said the closure of the Strait of Hormuz hurt the global economy and helped Russia fund its war against Ukraine, warning that the disruption is dangerous for global energy supplies which could lead to food deprivation next year because of a lack of fertilisers.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Baqaei confirmed that Iran had allowed the vessels of certain countries to cross the Strait of Hormuz, noting that it demonstrated the responsibility of the Islamic Republic of Iran, who is acting as a supporter and overseer of navigation.
According to the Popular Mobilisation Forces, an Israel airstrike targeted the Shahid Haider checkpoint in Al-Qaim district, Anbar Province, in an attack which hit an official security site belonging to the PMF, killing at least six fighters and wounding four others who were ‘performing their duty of protecting the land and sovereignty.”
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi reaffirmed the Strait of Hormuz would remain closed to the enemies of Iran: “They want other countries to come and help them keep the Strait of Hormuz open – from our prospective, however, the Strait is already open – it is only closed for our enemies, those who have violated the rights of our country and our allies.”
Nato said it was considering reinforcing its ballistic missile defence capacity in Turkey against threats from neighbouring Iran, having already intercepted some, stating that the potential reinforcements and updated systems like the PAC-3 are a priority.
Lebanese Information Minister Paul Morcos has asked Lebanese media to stop using the term ‘resistance’ when referring to Hezbollah, which follows Beirut’s ban on the group’s military activities.
Iran launched ballistic missiles in support of the Hezbollah forces in northern Israel, with visual confirmation of smoke seen rising in Nahariya soon after, as reports began to suggest that a direct hit of a missile had been recorded, but was later changed to note that a failed interceptor had crashed in Nahariya, and videos of a massive fire in the area were published.
Following the debris fall, MDA reported that a man aged around 40 was in a mild-to-moderate condition with blast injuries at the Kabri junction, while a woman aged 54 and two teenage girls aged 18 and 16 were injured from smoke inhalation.
Kan reporters later cited a source in the IDF who claimed that reports following a field check which initially believed that an interceptor had misfired, had been confirmed to be a rocket launched from Lebanon.
Trump claimed that 7,000 Iranian targets had been hit, and “these have been mostly military and commercial targets,” adding that: “We’ve achieved a 90% reduction in their ballistic missile launches, and a 95% reduction in drone attacks.”
Hezbollah announced the downing of an Israeli Hermes 450 drone in the skies over Bint Jbeil using appropriate weapons, after which Israeli jets carried out raids on the location where it fell between the city of Bint Jbeil and Aitaroun.
The Lebanese Health Ministry announced that since the start of the war in the country on March 2, the number of deaths from IDF attacks had risen to 886, and the number of injured had risen to 2,141.
Iran’s parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf stated that Tehran would not accept a ceasefire unless it guaranteed the war would not resume, and that the enemy must genuinely regret its aggression.
The IDF showed footage of an airstrike and said they eliminated what they called a Hamas terrorist cell that was advancing an attack plan against IDF soldiers.
Israeli drone strikes and artillery shelling also targeted the areas between the towns of Shaqra and Braachit in Lebanon.
Israel’s ambassador to the UN Danny Danon stated that while several countries were trying to mediate talks between Israel and Lebanon, Israel’s priority remained degrading Hezbollah’s capabilities before any negotiations, adding that Israel had launched a ground operation targeting the group’s infrastructure, and warned: “Lebanon must strain Hezbollah now, or we will.”
The Popular Mobilisation Forces announced that an Israeli-American airstrike targeted the Headquarters of the 2nd Regiment of the 18th Brigade in Al-Qaim district, Anbar Province, on Monday evening, killing two fighters and wounding others.
A second strike was carried out while rescuers were attempting to evacuate the dead and wounded, while a third strike was also launched as further rescue efforts were made, described by the PMF as ‘one of the most savage and barbaric bombing operations’ against Iraqi fighters defending the nation.
Drone strikes targeted Iraq’s Majnoon oil field in Basra province, where BP operates, as investigations believed the attack to be carried out by militias targeting energy facilities to drive Western companies out of the country.
Another drone attack was reported at the US Victoria Base near the Baghdad International Airport, which houses a US Embassy logistics support unit, as locals published videos which showed CRAM in operation intercepting drones.
Kata’ib Hezbollah (KH) announced the death of its military spokesman, Hussein Moanes Jabbar al-Hijami (Abu Ali-al-Askari), who was a prominent figure in the Iranian-backed militia, frequently issuing statements on the group’s operations and regional developments.
According to Al-Jadeed, The Lebanese Government has no plans to list names for a proposed Lebanese negotiating delegation until they convene after Eid Al-Fitr, as previous attempts to create a breakthrough in negotiations by German, Cypriot and French efforts didn’t lead to any serious results.
Al-Jadeed also noted that Hezbollah was fighting under the last breath and considered it an existential battle, so they wouldn’t enter negotiations under fire, while Israel were moving toward escalation in the south through ground incursions that would lead to Beirut so that Israel could head into the negotiations with political and military pressure.
The PMF announced the deaths of seven fighters from the 18th Brigade, who were killed in a bombing in the Akashat area of Anbar Province, as the PMF said its forces remain ‘the spearhead in the arenas of courage, the honourable ones who do not fear death in defence of the land and honour.’
Israel Channel 12 reported that in recent days, the Secretary General of Hezbollah, Naim Qassam, and other senior officials had conveyed strong unambiguous messages to the Lebanese government and threatened not to hold direct negotiations with Israel, adding that such negotiations would carry consequences.
The Telegraph reported that Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, who was targeted in the same attack that killed his father and other members of Iran’s leadership, had survived the strikes because he stepped outside for a walk in the garden minutes before his home was hit by missiles.
Leaked audio recordings revealed that Mojtaba Khamenei was outside and was heading upstairs when Israeli Blue Sparrow missiles struck the compound, causing an injury to his leg, while instantly killing his wife and son, while his brother-in-law was decapitated.
Iran fired two ballistic missiles just after 9pm, both of which were reported to have been shot down leading to a loud explosion over central Israel, as footage showed the moment of one interception over Tel Aviv.
Reuters reported that a fire broke out at the Shah oil field in Abu Dhabi following a drone attack, according to the Abu Dhabi Media Office, noting that authorities said the incident occurred at facilities operated by ADNOC, though the fire was brought under control and operations at the field continued.
Hezbollah announced that they targeted the newly established site at Jabal Al-Bat in the border town of Aitaroun with a rocket barrage, as well as a Merkava tank in the Taybe Project area which was directly hit with a guided missile.
American sources told MTV Lebanon that the Trump administration was monitoring developments in the southern villages, with US-Israeli communications aimed at avoiding targeting Christian villages.
Senior Hezbollah official Mahmoud Qomati serving as the deputy head of the political council, warned that Hezbollah were capable of overturning the country and the government, noting that their patience had limits, adding that ‘Vichy government used to arrest and execute resistors, then it was toppled and its traitors executed – God willing, we will not reach that point.
Iranian official Ali Larijani said that claims by Trump of millions of people participating in anti-US and anti-Israel marches across Iranian cities were AI-generated echoed similar claims made by officials of the Pahlavi government during the 1979 revolution, adding that Iranian authorities believe a historic victory over what he described as the remnants of the ‘Epstein Island network’ is near.
France, Canada, Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom released a joint statement saying they were deeply concerned about the escalation of violence in Lebanon, calling on Israeli and Lebanese officials to negotiate a sustainable political solution, while any large-scale attack on Lebanon must be avoided as its consequences would be severe.
Reports suggested that the IDF had attacked the headquarters of the IRGC Navy in eastern Tehran in an effort to cripple IRGC’s operations in the Strait of Hormuz.
Axios reported a direct communications channel between US envoy Steve Witkoff and Abbas Araghchi had been reactivated, as officials claimed Araghchi sent texts focused on ending the war, but Araghchi took to X to say he had done no such thing and it was propaganda aimed at getting allies to help unblock the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran launched a wave of missiles towards central and northern Israel around 10pm Israeli time, as Warfront Witness reported 1 missile was shot down and one fell into the sea, noting that footage of the projectiles were seen over Qusra in the West Bank, as well as interceptor fragment impacts in Holon and in Rabbi Akiva Street in Bnei Brak, but no casualties reported.
Reports suggested that three Israeli Merkava tanks had been targeted by Hezbollah in a period of two hours in the Taybe Project, southern Lebanon, which was later confirmed by Hezbollah, while the IDF was attempting to advance in the town of Aita Shaab under the cover of airstrikes.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told i24NEWS that having seen the remains of drones from the Middle East, he was able to determine that Russians were providing Shahed drones to Iran, reversing the previous dynamic where Iran supplied Russia.
Zelensky also said that Ukraine had deployed three groups of military experts to the Gulf countries to assist in countering Iranian drones, noting their services were requested directly from the governments of each country, and assistance depended on how the countries chose to involve Ukraine’s expertise and share information.
In terms of an upcoming conversation with Benjamin Netanyahu, Zelensky said he hadn’t spoken with the Prime Minister since the start of the war, but an Israeli team had reached out to his office about the possibility of a phone call.
Trump said he has asked to postpone his visit to China by a month, which was originally scheduled for next month, as he decides what the next phase will be in the war on Iran.
Kuwait authorities reported that they arrested a Hezbollah cell comprising 14 citizens and two Lebanese nationals who were allegedly plotting to destabilise the country, spread chaos and target national security, noting that investigations uncovered a sabotage plot in Florida orchestrated by the cell’s organisers.
Drones targeted the area of the US Embassy in Baghdad with multiple explosions heard, while drones also also targeted the US Victoria base complex inside Baghdad Airport, and the Iraqi militia group Saraya Awliya al-Dam claimed responsibility for the attack.
