Iran US war news highlights: US aims to cut off Iran’s proxy militias

Turkey’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said there is currently no serious initiative to resume US-Iran negotiations.

Fidan believes Iran remains open to back-channel talks despite the stalled diplomacy.

Comments came amid Turkey’s efforts to stay neutral in the widening Middle East conflict.

Turkey previously attempted to mediate between the two nations.

Fidan noted that conditions for diplomacy are “not very much conducive” due to Iran feeling “betrayed” after attacks during ongoing nuclear negotiations.

He emphasized that Iran may still engage in “any sensible back-channel diplomacy.”

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky tells CNN that Russia supplied Iran with drones that have been used to attack US military bases and targets in the Middle East.

The drones involved are Iranian-designed “Shahed” kamikaze drones, which Russia has mass-produced and used extensively in the war against Ukraine.

Zelensky said Russian components have been identified in drones used in Middle East attacks, suggesting deeper military cooperation between Moscow and Tehran.

Seyed Abbas Araghchi, Foreign Minister, Iran wrote on X: "Touted US security umbrella has proven to be full of holes and inviting rather than deterring trouble. US is now begging others, even China, to help it make Hormuz safe. Iran calls on brotherly neighbors to expel foreign aggressors, especially as their only concern is Israel."

Drone attack targeted Kuwait’s international airport Saturday night.

Airport’s radar system was hit, according to Kuwait’s Civil Aviation Authority.

Flights at the airport have been halted since the war began.

US Embassy in Baghdad issued a more urgent advisory, recommending US citizens leave by land due to the lack of commercial flights.

The embassy warned that those choosing to remain in Iraq are strongly encouraged to reconsider.

The advisory cited the significant threat posed by Iran-aligned terrorist militia groups in the region.

The warning reflects escalating security concerns for Americans in Iraq amid ongoing attacks.

A drone strike and fire occurred at the Lanaz refinery near Irbil on Saturday.

Two officials from an Iran-backed Iraqi militia confirmed the attack to The Associated Press.

Operations at the refinery were suspended following the incident, according to a Kurdish regional government official.

No immediate information was available regarding casualties or damage.

Israeli military said it had killed two senior Iranian intelligence officials in a strike in Tehran, just days after they replaced the former head of the directorate who was killed on Saturday, 28 February.

Israel said the two men, identified as Abdollah Jalali-Nasab and Amir Shariat, were senior officials in the intelligence directorate of the Khatam al-Anbiya, the Iranian military's central operations command, reported AFP.

Lebanon is preparing to form a delegation to negotiate with Israel in a bid to stop the war with Iran, an official told AFP, adding that there was still no Israeli commitment to the initiative.

An Iranian drone attack reportedly forced suspension of some oil-loading operations at UAE's Fujairah port – which is a major global oil hub.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said that the Strait of Hormuz remains open to international shipping but is closed to vessels belonging to countries that are attacking Iran, specifically the United States and Israel. Read here

US Embassy in Baghdad has advised US citizens to leave Iraq immediately, in an updated security alert, reported Reuters.

“US citizens should leave Iraq now,” the Embassy said in a social media statement. “US citizens choosing to remain in Iraq are strongly encouraged to reconsider in light of the significant threat posed by Iran-aligned terrorist militia groups.”

‘Strait of Hormuz is open, but not for American and Israeli ships and tankers': Iran’s foreign minister Araghchi

Iran Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the Strait of Hormuz is open to international shipping despite rising regional tensions. He said the waterway is closed only to vessels belonging to countries attacking Iran, specifically the United States and Israel.

Araghchi made the remarks in an interview on MS Now.

The White House says the US operation aims to sever Iran’s support for regional proxy groups accused of carrying out attacks on US forces and allies.

The Trump administration says Iran has armed, funded, and directed proxy militias across the Middle East for decades.

One objective of the campaign is to weaken or dismantle the networks that allow these proxies to operate and receive weapons from Tehran.

US officials say Iranian proxy groups have destabilized the region and targeted American troops, bases, and partners.

Operation Epic Fury seeks to cut off the supply of missiles, drones, and other weapons that Iran provides to its allied militias.

The operation is also intended to prevent proxy forces from launching future attacks against US interests in the region.

Kuwait’s armed forces said the sound of explosions was linked to ongoing interception operations.

Saudi Arabia’s Defense Ministry said it shot down three drones over the Kingdom’s Eastern Province.

There were no immediate reports of casualties or damage following the incidents.

United Kingdom is discussing security options with allies to protect shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, the Defense Ministry said.

The talks follow a call by Donald Trump urging countries, including the UK, to deploy warships to safeguard the key global oil shipping route. (AP)

An Iranian suicide drone struck the Citibank Tower in Dubai on Monday morning in retaliation for recent US strikes targeting Iranian banks. The suicide drone attack has come minutes after the Iranian regime accused UAE of letting the US use their land to target Tehran.

Iranian media has reported that fresh US and Israeli strikes in Isfahan of Iran on Saturday, March 14, have killed 15 persons, Al Jazeera posts.

After Iran rejected the possibility of a ceasefire until the strikes end from the US and Israel, the Trump administration, according to some Reuters sources, has rebuffed efforts by Middle Eastern allies to start diplomatic negotiations.

An official said, “He's [Trump] not interested in that right now, and we're going to continue with the mission unabated. Maybe there's a day, but not right now.”

Iran has rejected the possibility of a ceasefire until the US-Israel end their strikes, Reuters quoted sources as saying.

In an interview to MS Now, Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi has claimed that last night's attacks on the Iranian territory by the United States were done from the United Arav Emirates (UAE.

Iran has launched attacks on Dubai, Abu Dhabi and other cities of the UAE since the start of the war, justifying the attacks saying the land was being used by the US to attack them.

At least three members of the Kuwaiti army were injured after two drones hit the Ahmed Al-Jaber air base. The defense system also intercepted three other drones. Two more drones fell outside the “threat area”, the ministry said.

Hours after the Iranian official Ebrahim Azizi put Ukraine on a ‘legitimate target’, Kyiv has put him on the ‘kill list’, according to a post by RT.

Ebrahim Azizi had hinted that Ukraine could be the next target for Iran, accusing Kyiv of providing drone support to Israel.

Ebrahim Azizi is the head of Iran’s parliamentary committee on national security and foreign policy.

U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres said in Beirut on Saturday that there is no military solution to the Israel conflict and called for diplomacy and full implementation of UN resolutions. He urged the international community to step up efforts to end the conflict.

Trump, while spending Saturday morning at his golf club in Florida posted that, “Many Countries, especially those who are affected by Iran’s attempted closure of the Hormuz Strait, will be sending War Ships, in conjunction with the United States of America, to keep the Strait open and safe.”
This marks the first time that the POTUS has publicly suggested US may not be able to reopen the waterway on its own, and without international support, reported AP

The Israeli Air Force (IAF) mentioned on Saturday, March 14, that it has struck the Iranian Space Agency – the primary research centre – and several aerial defence systems production sites.

Sharing the details in a post on X, it said, “STRUCK: The primary research center of the Iranian Space Agency & an aerial defense system production factory.”

It mentioned that the center contained “strategic laboratories” that were being used to develop “military satellites, intelligence collection, & directing fire” towards the Middle East.

Israel has threatened to strike ambulances and medical facilities in Lebanon. It said they will be targeted if they were being used unlawfully by Hezbollah in Lebanon.

Israel has not, however, provided evidence for the claim.

Meanwhile, Hezbollah has clarified that it was not using ambulances and medical facilities for military purposes.

Lebanon, in a statement, has said that since the start of the Israeli attacks on their territory, as many as 826 people have been killed. Israeli forced launched strikes on Lebanon on March 2, two days after the US and Israel jointly struck Iran.

The White House has claimed that Iran's ballistic missile capacity has been destroyed in the 13 days of conflict. It has also claimed that there have been 95% decrease in Iranian drone attacks and 6,000+ targets destroyed across the country.

Smoke rises in the Fujairah oil industry zone, caused by the falling of the debris. The debris off a drone fell over the Fujairah oil industry after the UAE air defenses intercepted a drone, according to the Fujairah media office.

Warning Iran on the closure of Strait of Hormuz, Donald Trump said that the US will bomb the hell out of the shoreline and continue shooting Iranian boats.

Trump said it was hoped that China, France, Japan, South Korea, the UK and other affected countries would send ships to the area so that the Strait of Hormuz would no longer pose a threat from a nation that had been “totally decapitated.”

He said, “In the meantime, the United States will be bombing the hell out of the shoreline, and continually shooting Iranian Boats and Ships out of the water. One way or the other, we will soon get the Hormuz Strait OPEN, SAFE, and FREE!”

In a statement on Truth Social, Donald Trump has claimed that many Countries, especially those who are affected by Iran’s attempted closure of the Hormuz Strait, will be sending warships to keep the Strait “open and safe”.

Day after mentioning that the United States would be helping ships cross through the Strait of Hormuz, Donald Trump has urged other nations to send ships to secure the channel.

Iran's semiofficial Tasnim news agency has in a statement urged people in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to immediately evacuate the areas surrounding Jebel Ali port in Dubai, Khalifa port in Abu Dhabi and Fujairah port.

Russia has sent humanitarian aid to Iran as the Middle East country battles strikes from the US and Israel for the past 14 days. According to a Russian embassy, an Il-76 aircraft delivered more than 13 tons of medical supplies to Azerbaijan which will assist in transferring it to the Iranian authorities.

India’s Ports, Shipping and Waterways Ministry has confirmed in a press conference that two Indian ships have sailed through the Strait of Hormuz early this morning. They had left last night.

Iran in India posts, "Following repeated requests from charitable and benevolent members among our Indian brothers and sisters to provide humanitarian assistance to Iranian compatriots affected by the ongoing war, the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran in New Delhi hereby announces the following bank account number for the deposit of intended cash donations."

Ebrahim Azizi, the head of Iran’s parliamentary committee on national security and foreign policy, accused Ukraine of providing drone support to Israel. In a post on social mediam Azizi said that by providing drone support to Israel, Ukraine has “effectively become involved in the war.” He said the entire country became a target for Iran.

The Joint Secretary of Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas also said that while LPG supply remains a matter of concern, “no stockouts have been reported thus far.”

“I would like to re-emphasise one specific point: instances of panic booking remain excessively high. The figure I shared with you yesterday—approximately 7.5 to 7.6 million bookings—has now risen to nearly 8.8 million,” she said in a press conference.

Amid concerns of LPG shortage and increased demand, Sujata Sharma, Joint Secretary (Marketing & Oil Refinery), Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas, has said in a statement that there is sufficient crude supply and there have been no instances of stockouts.

Addressing a presser, Sujata Sharma said, “As far as crude oil and refineries are concerned, we have a sufficient supply of crude, and our refineries are operating at full capacity. No instances of stockouts have been reported at retail outlets; ample petrol and diesel are available.”

“We produce sufficient petrol and diesel domestically to meet our requirements; consequently, we have no need for imports.”

Iran's Armed Forces have told the United Arab Emirates (UAE) that it has 'legitimate right' to target 'origin of American missile launches hidden in some cities of UAE'. Iran has been targeting Dubai, Abu Dhabi and other UAE cities claiming that the US was targeting them from their bases.

The bodies of 84 sailors from Iran’s IRIS Dena, who were killed in a US attack, will soon be repatriated from Sri Lanka, according to an Iranian news agency.

Days after the United States issued a 30-day waiver to India allowing New Delhi to buy Russian oil, previously imposed heavy sanctions related to the war in Ukraine, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has said Washington was now begging them to buy crude from Moscow.

"The US spent months on bullying India into ending oil imports from Russia," said Araghchi on Friday, adding, “After two weeks of war with Iran, White House is now begging the world - including India - to buy Russian crude.”

A fire broke out due to falling debris in Fujairah, the emirate's media office confirmed on Saturday.

The incident followed the successful interception of a drone by air defences and did not result in any injuries.

Fujairah Civil Defense teams are currently responding to the incident to bring it under control.

After IndiGo, Akasa Air, too, has imposed a fuel surcharge amid a significant increase in the price of aviation turbine fuel (ATF), driven by evolving geopolitical developments in the Middle East after the United States-Israel struck Iran.

“Given this impact, Akasa Air will introduce a fuel surcharge ranging from INR 199 to INR 1300 on our domestic and international routes, for all bookings that are made with effect from 00:01 hrs on March 15, 2026. The fuel surcharge will be applied per sector and will vary based on the duration of the flight,” it said in a statement.

Israeli strikes hit an apartment building in Bourj Hammoud, Beirut, causing heavy damage. According to a Reuters report, the building was struck twice in a period of 24 hours. The initial attack has failed to hit the occupants of the building.

Explosions rocked Iraq's capital Baghdad on Saturday after two strikes targeted the powerful Iran-backed group Kataeb Hezbollah, killing two members including a "key figure", security sources told AFP.

US President Donald Trump said Friday that Iran has been "totally defeated" in the US-Israeli military campaign against the country.

"The Fake News Media hates to report how well the United States Military has done against Iran, which is totally defeated and wants a deal - But not a deal that I would accept!" Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform, without elaborating. (AFP)

Air Canada has suspended all its Toronto-Dubai flight operations till May 1 amid the escalating tensions in West Asia.

The airlines said that they will resume their flight operations when safe passage is ensured. The airlines further said that it will continue to add to its capacity to Delhi to provide travellers with options to Canada.

Saudi Arabia’s Defense Ministry said early Saturday it downed a drone in the al-Jawf region, a sparsely populated province near the Jordan border that hosts military and energy infrastructure, as reported by AP.