‘Once the US starts capturing territory in Iran, all bets are off.’
Kenneth Katzman, a senior fellow at the Soufan Center for Strategic Dialogue, says US war objectives in Iran that cannot be met with air power can be met with a limited ground invasion.
Published On 29 Mar 202629 Mar 2026
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World number one Aryna Sabalenka edges Coco Gauff in a tense three-set final to claim the ‘Sunshine Double’ in Florida.
Published On 29 Mar 202629 Mar 2026
Defending champion Aryna Sabalenka beat hometown favourite Coco Gauff 6-2, 4-6, 6-3 in the Miami Open final on Saturday to join an exclusive club by completing the coveted “Sunshine Double”.
Top-seeded Sabalenka, who reached the final without dropping a set, won 73 percent of her first-serve points and faced just two break points en route to victory in a rematch of the 2025 French Open final won by Gauff.
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Sabalenka is only the fifth woman to win the Indian Wells and Miami titles back-to-back, a feat known as the “Sunshine Double”, given the tournaments’ respective locations in California and Florida.
“I want to start with [Coco]. You’re a fighter, and you also push me so hard to be a better player, and I like our rivalry,” Sabalenka, who improved to 7-6 all-time versus Gauff, said during the trophy ceremony.
Sabalenka raced out to a 2-0 lead, but Gauff, from nearby Delray Beach and appearing in her first Miami final, got on the board with a love hold and then repelled three break points in her next service game to get within 3-2.
But Sabalenka did not lose focus and eventually went up a double break on the world number four before closing out a dominant opening on her serve.
There was very little to separate the two players in the middle set, which remained on serve until Gauff broke Sabalenka for the only time in the match to force a third set. Sabalenka broke Gauff to open the decider, held at love in two consecutive service games to go 5-3 up and then sealed the victory with her fourth break of the match when Gauff sent a backhand wide.
Sabalenka is the first player to win back-to-back Miami titles since Ash Barty in 2019 and 2021. The 2020 edition was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Belarusian joins Iga Swiatek (2022), Victoria Azarenka (2016), Kim Clijsters (2005) and Steffi Graf (1994, 1996) as the only women to complete the Sunshine Double.
She also improved to 23-1 on the year, her only loss coming in the Australian Open final at the hands of Elena Rybakina, whom she went on to beat in the Indian Wells final and Miami semifinals.
“Aryna, congratulations. We’ve had many battles, many finals and, yeah, I think you push me to be a better player,” said Gauff. “You’re a great fighter, and hopefully we can play many more. I think we will.”
Yemen’s Houthis have attacked Israel for the first time, a month after US and Israeli forces began striking Iran, opening up a new front in a rapidly escalating conflict that has killed thousands of people, displaced millions and rattled the global economy.
The Houthis, who control much of northern Yemen, entered the fray on Saturday with two missile and drone attacks on Israel in the space of fewer than 24 hours. The Israeli army said the attacks were intercepted, but the Iran-aligned group pledged to continue fighting in support of “resistance fronts in Palestine, Lebanon, Iraq, and Iran”.
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The Houthis had sat out of the hostilities until now, in contrast with their stance during Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza, when their attacks on shipping vessels in the Red Sea upended commercial traffic worth about $1 trillion a year.
Their widely anticipated involvement in the latest conflict comes just as Iran has throttled traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a vital chokepoint for about a fifth of the world’s oil, raising fears that the Yemeni group will again disrupt Red Sea traffic by blocking the Bab al-Mandeb Strait.
Reporting from Yemen’s capital, Sanaa, Al Jazeera’s Yousef Mawry described Bab al-Mandeb as the group’s “ace”.
“They want to make Israel pay economically. They want to disrupt their trade routes. They want to disrupt the imports and exports in and out of Israel,” he said.
The Houthi attacks came after US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that Washington expected to conclude its military operations against Iran within weeks, even as a new deployment of US Marines has begun to arrive in the region, so US President Donald Trump would have “maximum” flexibility to adjust the strategy as needed.
With no immediate diplomatic breakthrough in sight as both the US and Iran harden their positions, many fear that the US-Israel war on Iran, which started on February 28 and has since engulfed the region, will spiral out of control.
The US and Israel continued their bombardment over the past 24 hours, with the Israeli military claiming it had struck an Iranian research facility for naval weapons, while a series of loud explosions rattled Tehran as night fell on Saturday.
Iranian media said at least five people were killed in a US-Israeli attack on a residential unit in the northwestern city of Zanjan. In Tehran, authorities said the University of Science and Technology was the latest educational facility to be struck, prompting Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to issue a threat against Israeli and US universities in the region.
Separately, Iran’s Fars news agency said a water reservoir in the city of Haftgel, located in western Khuzestan province, had also been attacked.
The Iranian Ministry of Health announced that 1,937 people have been killed since the start of the conflict, including 230 children. Iran’s Red Crescent Society said US-Israeli strikes had damaged more than 93,000 civilian properties.
“Civilians are bearing the brunt of this war,” Al Jazeera’s Mohamed Vall, reporting from Tehran, said.
Meanwhile, Israel’s devastation of Lebanon continued apace, as the Lebanese Ministry of Health reported that 1,189 people had been killed in Israeli attacks since March 2.
The death toll has been mounting as Israeli troops have pushed further into the south, advancing towards the Litani River in their stated bid to wipe out Hezbollah and carve out a buffer zone along the lines of the “Gaza model”.
Among Saturday’s killings, an Israeli strike killed three journalists in southern Lebanon. In parallel, the Health Ministry announced that Israel had also killed nine paramedics, bringing the death toll among healthcare workers in the latest war to 51.
Lebanon’s Public Health Emergency Operations Centre said an Israeli attack on the town of al-Haniyah, in the Tyre district of southern Lebanon, killed at least seven people, including one child.
An Israeli air raid on the southern Lebanese town of Deir al-Zahrani killed a Lebanese soldier, Lebanon’s National News Agency reported.
Hezbollah, which attacked Israel amid a ceasefire that Israel kept violating in retaliation for the assassination of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, claimed dozens of operations against Israeli forces in the past 24 hours.
Trump has threatened to hit Iranian power stations and other energy infrastructure if Tehran does not fully open the Strait of Hormuz. But he has extended the deadline he had imposed for this week, giving Iran another 10 days to respond.
With the US midterm elections coming up in November, the increasingly unpopular war is weighing heavily on the president’s Republican Party.
Trump’s envoy, Steve Witkoff, said on Friday that he believed Tehran would hold talks with Washington in the coming days. “We have a 15-point plan on the table. We expect the Iranians to respond. It could solve it all,” Witkoff said.
Pakistan, which has been a go-between between US and Iranian officials, will host foreign ministers from regional powers Saudi Arabia, Turkiye and Egypt in Islamabad for talks on the crisis.
Pakistan’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Ishaq Dar spoke with his Iranian counterpart, Abbas Araghchi, late on Saturday, urging “an end to all attacks and hostilities” in the region.
In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Dar had told Araghchi that Pakistan remains committed to supporting efforts aimed at restoring regional peace and stability.
Dar also announced that Iran had agreed to allow 20 Pakistani-flagged vessels to transit the Strait of Hormuz, calling it a meaningful step towards easing one of the worst energy crises in modern history.
A GERMAN theme park is being completely transformed by a famous French theme park.
Parc Astérix in northern France, which is inspired by the iconic comic series of the same name, is taking over a destination in Germany.
Currently known as Belantis Park, located near major cities including Dresden and Berlin, the theme park will be completely rebranded by 2031.
And work has already begun with the first new land opening at the theme park this spring.
The new land called Idefix’ Adventure Land will be for families with children and is themed around Idefix the dog from the Astérix universe.
There will be four new attractions and while they are yet to be announced, renders of the land show a small flume-style ride, a drop tower, a wagon ride and a spinning chair ride.
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And there are some reports that they will include the ‘Aerobix Flying Machine’, ‘Driving school Frischling’, ‘Idefix’s River Journey’ and ‘Soapbox derby’.
Renders also reveal a large adventure playground with climbing frames and slides.
There will also be a new restaurant, souvenir shop and character meet and greets.
The new land is the first part of the theme park’s transition into the Astérix and Obélix universe, with the park being completely rebranded Astérix Park Germany by 2031.
The next part of the transition – an expansion phase – is set for 2027, which includes a new family rollercoaster that will begin to be built this year.
Once fully complete, the theme park hopes to attract up to 900,000 visitors each year.
In the meantime, the park officially reopens for this year on March 28, however, the new land will not open then.
For those visiting the theme park before the new land opens, they can get a discount on another ticket if they want to return to see the new land.
Filip De Witte, Managing Director of Belantis, said: “At Belantis, we aim to create experiences where the whole family can enjoy thrilling adventures together.
“This year, we’ve lowered our admission prices to make it even easier for families to visit.
“At the same time, we’re expanding our offerings – from a new season pass and the Belantis app to a brand-new themed area opening later in the season.”
The park also has a new show called ‘Why do spiders spin webs?’ which is both educational and entertaining.
There’s also ‘Pirates on the Loose!’, which has been refreshed to include more music, show-fighting moments and interactions that mean audience members can train as a pirate or even discover a hidden treasure chest.
Existing rides include looping rollercoaster, a bobsled coaster and Fluch des Pharao which is a water ride inside a pyramid.
One recent visitor even noted: “There was hardly any queues when we got there, we went on a Sunday, the only time there was queues was in the evening from about 3-5pm.”
Tickets to the park cost €29 (£25.13) per person.
In other theme park news, here are nine of the best theme parks with something new in 2026 from multi-million lands to epic thrill rides.
Plus, a new £50million Minecraft theme park land is set to open in the UK and it will be the first in the world.
Here are the major earnings before the open Friday
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Jannik Sinner claimed his 29th and 30th consecutive sets at ATP Masters 1,000 events as he cruised past American Frances Tiafoe into the semi-finals of the Miami Open.
The Italian world number two, who broke Novak Djokovic’s 10-year record of 24 on Monday, never looked back after breaking Tiafoe in the opening game – going on to win 6-2 6-2 in 71 minutes.
The world number 20 simply had no response to a dominant dislay from Sinner, who dropped only nine points on serve across the two sets.
Sinner, who has won four Grand Slam titles, will face either Germany’s world number four Alexander Zverev or Argentina’s Francisco Cerundolo in the last four.
“I felt like I was serving quite well in the important moments,” said Sinner said on Sky Sports.
“I thought he might be a bit tired because he has had tough matches here a couple of three set matches so I tried to make it physical in the beginning and that helped for sure.”
The other semi-final will pit France’s Arthur Fils against Czech Jiri Lehecka.
Sinner is aiming to become the first man since Roger Federer in 2017 to complete the coveted ‘Sunshine Double’ of winning Indian Wells and the Miami Open in the same year.
The 24-year-old has now reached the semi-finals in four of his five appearance in the Miami Open and triumphed in the tournament in 2024.
WETHERSPOONS has confirmed that more pubs are opening in Spain, after the success of their first in mainland Europe.
Last month, the famous pub chain opened its first pub outside of the UK at Alicante Airport.
Following this, two more pubs will now open at Barcelona-El Prat Airport in the capital city.
The first one will be at Terminal 1, set to open by September 2026.
This will be followed by a second at Terminal 2 by January 2027.
Passengers will have to go through security to drink at them as they are both airside rather than landside.
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Little else is known about the pubs, including what they will be called, but they will have space for almost 600 passengers.
You can get an early drink too – they’ll be open every day from 5am to 11pm, including real ale.
The menu is likely to be similar to the Alicante menu, which is mainly the British classics with a few Spanish dishes as well.
Drink prices haven’t been confirmed, although the also similar to the Spanish pub, beers are around £3.50.
Wetherspoon boss Tim Martin said: ” We are delighted to have secured two fantastic sites at Barcelona airport.
“In the short time since opening our pub at Alicante airport has proven popular with travellers and we are confident we can replicate that at our two new pubs in Barcelona.”
He added that they aim to open more pubs in mainland Europe in the next few years, particularly at airports.
The Sun’s Assistant Travel Editor Sophie Swietochowski was one of the first to try the new Wetherspoons in Alicante, called Castell de Santa Barbara.
She explained: “The pub has pitched close to the gates for UK flights to draw in the near 650,000 Brits that pass through this airport monthly.
“Floor-to-ceiling windows flood the small space with light, while candy floss, glossy tiles give it a warm atmosphere.
“There’s a tea and coffee station in the corner, while behind the bar there’s not a whiff of scampi fries or Walkers in sight but instead European holiday favourite, Lays.
“This one boasts something that all other airport Wetherspoons do not, however – an outdoor terrace, where you can catch those last glimpses of Spanish sunshine before jetting off home to drizzly England.”
In the mean time, Spain is home to a dupe pub called Weatherspains, as well as 100 Montaditos which is dubbed the Spanish Wetherspoons.
Staying in the UK? Wetherspoons is also rolling out more pubs at a number of Haven holiday parks across the country.
Elena Rybakina beat Jessica Pegula for a fifth straight time to move into the Miami Open semi-finals, winning 2-6 6-3 6-4.
Australian Open champion Rybakina was the losing finalist in Miami in both 2023 and 2024, while her American opponent was runner-up in last year’s competition.
Pegula, 32, took a 4-0 lead on her way to the first set, but Rybakina rallied and hit 15 aces and saved eight of 10 break points to come through.
She will face either world number one Aryna Sabalenka in a rematch of the Australian Open final, or the unseeded American Hailey Baptiste in the last four.
“It’s always very difficult playing Jessica,” said Rybakina, 26.
“She started playing well, and I was rushing and frustrated, but I’m happy that I managed to bounce back and turn it around in the second set.”
American fourth seed Coco Gauff and Karolina Muchova of the Czech Republic play in the other semi-final on Thursday.
If Gauff reaches the final, she will overtake former world number one Iga Swiatek to move third in the WTA rankings next week.
Jannik Sinner extended his remarkable run with a 7-5 7-6 (7-4) win over Alex Michelsen at the Miami Open.
The Italian world number two claimed his 25th and 26th consecutive set wins at ATP Masters 1,000 events during his win over Corentin Moutet on Monday – setting a new record.
Sinner made it 28 sets in a row by beating Michelsen but did not have it all his own way. Having taken the first set, he fell 5-2 down in the second before coming back to win on a tie-break.
The four-time Grand Slam winner has triumphed at the past two Masters 1,000 tournaments – at Indian Wells earlier this month and Paris in November – without losing a set.
In the women’s draw, Coco Gauff takes on Belinda Bencic in a quarter-final later on Tuesday, while Karolina Muchova was the first to power into the semis with a 7-5 7-6 (7-5) win against Canada’s Victoria Mboko.
Third seed Elena Rybakina ended Talia Gibson’s run late on Monday with a comprehensive 6-2 6-2 win to move into the last eight.
The 21-year-old Australian had won 11 of her past 12 matches but was outclassed by two-time Grand Slam champion Rybakina, who will face fifth seed Jessica Pegula on Wednesday.
Zheng beat American 15th seed Madison Keys to claim her first win over a top-20 player since having elbow surgery in July.
Sabelenka has won seven of her eight meetings with Olympic champion Zheng.
Third seed Elena Rybakina cruised into the last 16 with a 6-3 6-4 victory over Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk.
Kazakhstan’s Rybakina will play Australian qualifier Talia Gibson, who knocked out another seeded player courtesy of a 6-2 6-2 win over 18th seed Iva Jovic.
Gibson, who reached the Indian Wells quarter-finals, beat former world number one Naomi Osaka in the second round in Miami.
Fifth-seeded American Jessica Pegula, runner-up to Sabalenka last year, needed only an hour and six minutes to beat Canada’s Leylah Fernandez 6-2 6-2.
Latvia’s Jelena Ostapenko, runner-up in Miami in 2018, fought back to claim a 5-7 6-2 7-5 win over seventh seed Jasmine Paolini of Italy.
Ostapenko will next play American world number 45 Hailey Baptiste, who beat Ukrainian ninth seed Elina Svitolina 6-3 7-5.
Thailand’s Thepchaiya Un-Nooh produced the snooker of his life, firing in a maximum 147 break and finishing with three consecutive centuries to beat Ronnie O’Sullivan 10-7 in the final of the World Open in Yushan.
The 41st seed toppled world number one Judd Trump in the semi-finals and came back from 4-0 down to beat arguably the sport’s greatest ever player in the final.
O’Sullivan hit the sport’s highest ever break of 153 on his run to a 66th ranking final and the 50-year-old Englishman had looked back to something approaching his best as he hunted down a 42nd ranking title – and first since January 2024.
“I just wanted to try my best because I didn’t know when I might be in another final again,” said 40-year-old Un-Nooh, whose only previous title came in the 2019 Shoot Out.
Seven-time world champion O’Sullivan had started the final quickly, reeling off the opening four frames in a run that included a 124 break, but the Thai world number 39 rattled off six consecutive frames thanks to some heavy scoring that included five breaks over 50.
O’Sullivan countered with three consecutive century breaks – 114, 116 and 136 – to regain the lead in a match of the highest quality, only for his opponent to level with a break of 77 then score three centuries of his own to clinch victory.
Un-Nooh’s unbelievable burst of scoring included breaks of 132 and 131, either side of his nerveless 147 in the penultimate frame, to provide a fitting climax.
The performance earned Un-Nooh a £175,000 purse in a season when he had failed to make it past the last 16 in any other tournament, while O’Sullivan had to be content with a £75,000 prize for the highest break.
“I just want to say well done to Thepchaiya who played unbelievable snooker,” O’Sullivan told the Yushan crowd.
“I watched him play against Judd Trump last night and he made the number one player in the world look second best. I was hoping he wouldn’t play like that today but he did – he gave me a good hiding, really.”
US President Donald Trump has threatened to ‘obliterate’ Iran’s power plants if Tehran fails to open the Strait of Hormuz to all vessels within 48 hours. This major escalation comes as Trump faces pressure over skyrocketing domestic energy prices due to the now three-week-long war.
Published On 22 Mar 202622 Mar 2026
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Muchova broke 29-year-old Boulter’s serve twice in the first set and only needed one more in the second set to go 6-5 ahead before she wrapped up the victory.
Elsewhere, British number four Fran Jones also exited the tournament, retiring in the second set of her match with American Jessica Pegula through illness.
Jones, 25, had knocked out Venus Williams in the first round despite feeling under the weather but struggled against Pegula.
Pegula had won the first set 6-1 and despite a medical timeout Jones, who was seen coughing several times during the match, decided at 3-0 down in the second set she was not well enough to continue.
“I didn’t want to lose the opportunity to play Venus, but it’s a whole different ball game playing Jess,” Jones said.
“You need to be 10 out of 10 to compete against her and I’m probably a four out of 10 today. If I’m not able to give my everything out there, I don’t see the point when I’m already battling my general fitness as it is.”
THE world’s first ever immersive theme park land dedicated to Minecraft is set to open in the UK.
Chessington World of Adventures Resort confirmed that the new attraction will be the biggest themed land at the park.
The £50million land will have the first ever Minecraft coaster.
It will also have “interactive adventures [and] epic block built playscapes” along with themed food and drink stores and a gift shop.
The park is working with video game developer Mojang Studios as well as Minecraft creators to bring the experience to life.
Angela Jobson, SVP of Global Brand, Merlin Entertainments said: “We are meticulously creating an authentic world that the global community of Minecraft fans will want to immerse themselves in and experience the game in a whole new way.”
This was backed by Torfi Frans Ólafsson, Senior Creative Director of Entertainment at Minecraft, who said: “We’re thrilled to have partnered with Merlin Entertainments to realise a place where you can literally be in the Minecraft Overworld and have an adventure of your own with your family and friends.”
It is set to open in 2027, although little else is known about the new land at this point.
The idea of a Minecraft ride at the Merlin parks in the UK was first announced back in 2024.
It simply said at the time the land would have “digitally enabled real-life experiences and the creation of touchpoints that will allow guests to unlock exclusive in-game content to continue their gaming journey.”
Minecraft was first released in 2011 and now has over 141 million users.
And the popularity of the world-building game has since resulted in other live-action attractions.
Last year, Minecraft Experience: Villager Rescue experience opened in London as an immersive attraction.
If you can’t wait until 2027, Chessington has another exciting new themed opening this year.
The UK’s first dedicated Paw Patrol-themed land, costing £15million, will have four new rides when it opens.
Characters from the kids TV show including Rubble, Skye, Rocky, Everest and Marshall will be around for meet and greets as well.
And back in 2023 Chessington revealed plans to open its first ever waterpark, although nothing has been announced since.
Several European nations and Japan have issued a joint statement saying they would take steps to stabilise energy markets, a day after several strikes on energy facilities in the Gulf region sent oil and gas prices soaring amid the United States-Israel war on Iran.
The leaders of Britain, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Japan issued a joint statement on Thursday expressing their “readiness to contribute to appropriate efforts to ensure safe passage through the [Hormuz] Strait.”
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They did not specify what those efforts may entail but urged for “an immediate comprehensive moratorium on attacks on civilian infrastructure, including oil and gas installations”.
The International Energy Agency (IEA) last week authorised a coordinated release of its members’ strategic petroleum reserves, the largest in its history, in an attempt to counter rising global energy prices. “We will take other steps to stabilise energy markets, including working with certain producing nations to increase output,” the statement said.
Markets have been hammered since the start of the war on February 28, with Tehran hitting sites across the Gulf and effectively closing the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of global oil and gas flows.
European leaders have rejected demands by United States President Donald Trump to help ensure freedom of navigation in the Gulf’s key oil chokepoint by deploying warships as part of a naval coalition.
Thursday’s joint statement came ahead of a long-scheduled White House meeting between Trump and Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, aimed at burnishing the decades-old security and economic partnership between Washington and its closest East Asian ally.
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said before the meeting on Thursday that he would expect that Japan, which gets 95 percent of its crude oil supplies from the Gulf, would want to ensure its supplies are safe.
Takaichi has sought to move Japan away from a pacifist constitution imposed by Washington after World War II, but with the Iran war unpopular at home, she has so far not offered to assist in clearing the Strait of Hormuz.
The Japanese prime minister told parliament on Monday that Tokyo had received no official request from the US, but was checking the scope of possible action within the limits of its constitution.
Major economies have been scrambling to cushion the impact of soaring energy prices after the de facto closure of the Strait of Hormuz by Iranian forces.
Concerns were compounded on Wednesday when Iran hit the world’s largest liquefied natural gas (LNG) facility, Qatar’s Ras Laffan Industrial City, in retaliation for an Israeli attack on its South Pars gas field.
QatarEnergy reported “extensive damage” from Iranian missiles in Ras Laffan, which produces about 20 percent of the world’s LNG supply and plays a major role in balancing Asian and European markets’ demand for the fuel.
The company’s CEO, Saad al-Kaabi, said Iran’s attacks damaged facilities that produce 17 percent of QatarEnergy’s LNG exports and that it would take three to five years to repair.
Qatar’s Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani said Iran’s claims that it is targeting US bases are “unacceptable and unjustified”, as the attack on Ras Laffan shows that it is targeting energy infrastructure that is vital for Qatar and the entire world.
Energy prices have soared and stocks sunk amid the region’s protracted instability, reigniting fears over global supplies and inflation as well as the likely damage to economic growth.
European gas prices were up 25 percent and Brent crude oil futures nearly 6 percent at $113 at 13:00 GMT on Thursday after briefly surging about 10 percent. European gas prices have leapt by over 60 percent since the war began on February 28.
James Meadway, co-director of the Verdant economic policy think tank, said this would not be “a temporary blip” in the prices of oil and gas.
“In addition to the Strait of Hormuz being blocked, we now have a severe disruption to the basic production of oil and gas,” Meadway told Al Jazeera.
“At this point, this looks like it will be a significant rise in those prices stretching off into the distance.”
The Canterbury nightclub has been linked to a deadly meningitis outbreak in Kent.
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Weekly insights and analysis on the latest developments in military technology, strategy, and foreign policy.
A day after several allies rejected his demand they send warships to the Strait of Hormuz, President Donald Trump said he no longer wants their help. In a post on his Truth Social platform, the U.S. leader excoriated the NATO alliance and other countries for not coming to America’s aid when needed.
Trump’s comments come as the global economy is roiled by rising energy costs in the wake of Iran closing the Strait of Hormuz for most ships and attacking fuel infrastructure across the Middle East. Trump wanted international help in forcing Iran to reopen the Strait.
“…I am not surprised by their action, however, because I always considered NATO, where we spend Hundreds of Billions of Dollars per year protecting these same Countries, to be a one way street,” Trump fumed. “We will protect them, but they will do nothing for us, in particular, in a time of need.”
“Fortunately, we have decimated Iran’s Military — Their Navy is gone, their Air Force is gone, their Anti-Aircraft and Radar is gone and perhaps, most importantly, their Leaders, at virtually every level, are gone, never to threaten us, our Middle Eastern Allies, or the World, again!,” Trump added. “Because of the fact that we have had such Military Success, we no longer “need,” or desire, the NATO Countries’ assistance — WE NEVER DID! Likewise, Japan, Australia, or South Korea. In fact, speaking as President of the United States of America, by far the Most Powerful Country Anywhere in the World, WE DO NOT NEED THE HELP OF ANYONE!”
BREAKING: Trump now says he doesn’t need any help for Iran & Strait of Hormuz:
The United States has been informed by most NATO “Allies” that they don’t want to get involved in our military operation against Iran, despite agreeing that Iran must not have a nuclear weapon.
I’m… pic.twitter.com/hm7HqKsciV
— Clash Report (@clashreport) March 17, 2026
As we noted yesterday, the U.K., Germany, Luxembourg, Japan and Australia rejected Trump’s demand while other countries were on the fence. In a post on X, Axios reported that the U.K. has drafted a plan for a Strait of Hormuz coalition and shared it with the U.S. and several other countries.
🚢🇬🇧🇺🇸🛢️The U.K. has drafted a plan for the strait of Hormuz coalition and shared it with the U.S. and several other countries, two sources said https://t.co/amETYiI5QN
— Barak Ravid (@BarakRavid) March 17, 2026
Highlighting the threat posed by Iran, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) Center reported that an oil tanker was hit by debris from an interception near the ship, located 23 nautical miles east of Fujairah, UAE. The vessel received minor structural damage and the whole crew was confirmed safe. A maritime industry official told The War Zone that the ship was the Kuwaiti-registered Gas Al Ahmadiah.
Despite increased concerns, this was the first incident involving a ship in the area since March 11, according to UKMTO.
Since the start of Epic Fury, UKMTO has received 21 reports of incidents affecting vessels operating in and around the Arabian Gulf, Strait of Hormuz, and Gulf of Oman. There have been 17 attacks and four suspicious activity reports.
As a result of Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz and attacks on oil facilities throughout the Middle East, energy prices are again climbing.
“Brent crude climbed 3% to trade near $103 as Iran stepped up its attacks on energy infrastructure across the Gulf,” Financial Times reported. Brent still remains below its conflict high of $119.50 but has risen more than 40 percent since the war began, the outlet added.
Diesel fuel prices at the pump “have topped the $5-per-gallon barrier for the second time ever,” according to a post on X by Bloomberg News energy and commodities columnist Javier Blas.
This will have a ripple effect across the country, with everything that moves by truck likely to cost more to make up for the increased fuel costs.
CHART OF THE DAY: US retail average diesel prices have topped the $5-per-gallon barrier for the 2nd time ever.
That’s freight inflation — and another big hit to the country’s farming economy (and it has received many hit since Trump came into office) pic.twitter.com/lIUDbhqsC4
— Javier Blas (@JavierBlas) March 17, 2026
Our coverage has ended for the day. Stay tuned for more.
7:07 PM EST—
Zelensky reposted an address to officials in the UK about Ukrainian counter-drone capabilities, stating that he can provide up to 1,000 interceptors per day and sensor networks for detecting and tracking the drones, as well as the software that underpins it.
First, we are capable of producing at least 2,000 effective and combat-proven interceptors every day. We can produce more – it depends on investment. We need about 1,000 interceptors a day, and we can supply at least another 1,000 a day to our allies.
Second, we know how to… pic.twitter.com/vIB2qRho8P
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) March 17, 2026
A ballistic missile attack on Israel included a very large cluster munition warhead:
Spectacular footage showing the fall of submunitions from the Iranian Khorramshahr-4 medium-range ballistic missile carrying cluster warhead on Israel short time ago. pic.twitter.com/n6LsbZwp1C
— Status-6 (War & Military News) (@Archer83Able) March 17, 2026
Dubai under heavy attack again tonight.
Over a dozen interceptor missiles seen earlier in the sky over Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, following a possible attack by Iran using “advanced ballistic missiles” in an attempt to target Dubai International Airport. pic.twitter.com/PxI7EQ5N6W
— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) March 17, 2026
We are now seeing the damage done to the energy storage area in Tehran from IAF strikes:
5:24 PM EST—
NYTs reports that Russia is providing drone components and targeting support to Iran. This would loosely mirror the U.S. in Ukraine. The report reads, in part:
The technology provided includes components of modified Shahed drones, which are meant to improve communication, navigation and targeting, the people said. Russia has also been drawing on its experience using drones in Ukraine, offering tactical guidance on how many drones should be used in operations and what altitudes they should strike from, said the people, who included a senior European intelligence officer.
Russia has been providing Iran with the locations of U.S. military forces in the Middle East as well as those of its regional allies, The Wall Street Journal has reported. That cooperation has deepened in early days of the war, with Russia recently providing satellite imagery directly to Iran, said two of the people, the officer and a Middle Eastern diplomat.
U.S. embassies around the globe are being ordered to review security posture:
The U.S. has ordered all embassies worldwide to urgently review security due to escalating threats linked to the Iran conflict, after hundreds of attacks—mainly in the Middle East—targeted U.S. facilities.
Source: WaPo pic.twitter.com/C3EEfCVWjk
— Clash Report (@clashreport) March 17, 2026
4:04 PM EST—
Growlers are now flying in a relatively rare loadout of four AGM-88 HARM-family of weapons under their wings on Epic Fury missions. This underscores that pop-up radar-guided air defenses still are a potential issue. The latest HARMs can also be used to hit targets that are not emitting radiation, as well.
Trump is now threatening to leave NATO after key members rejected sending ships to open the Strait of Hormuz:
JUST IN: President Trump says he is thinking about leaving NATO, says he doesn’t need approval from Congress.
Reporter: Are you rethinking the United States’ relationship with NATO? Possibly getting out?
Trump: I’m disappointed in NATO that we spend trillions of dollars on… pic.twitter.com/zNVkPrZQOa
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) March 17, 2026
Another night of strings of C-RAM 20mm fire being seen at key locations in Baghdad:
A Counter-Rocket, Artillery, and Mortar System (C-RAM) seen firing into the sky over Baghdad during tonight’s drone attack against the U.S. Embassy and Baghdad International Airport by Iran. pic.twitter.com/Sv8ceqAicY
— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) March 17, 2026
Israel is attacking Basij personnel and checkpoints in urban areas in Iran:
The Israeli Air Force has been striking Basij soldiers and its checkpoints across Tehran in the past few hours, the IDF says. pic.twitter.com/I1KVH9eDfx
— Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) March 17, 2026
A delta-wing fighter was supposedly spotted over the city of Shiraz, indicating a gulf state ally that flies the EF2000, Rafale, or Mirage 2000 could be executing penetrating missions over Iran.
INTERESTING: Footage from Shiraz, Iran shows a fighter jet resembling a Mirage 2000 or Eurofighter Typhoon (not typical of US, Israeli, or Iranian aircraft.)
This fuels rumors of covert Gulf countries’ involvement in strikes on Iran. pic.twitter.com/UKVG7OI9Ks
— Clash Report (@clashreport) March 17, 2026
@MarineTraffic writes:
“Strait of Hormuz activity remains limited
According to #MarineTraffic data, a total of 15 vessels transited the strait over the past three days, including 8 dry bulk vessels, 5 tankers, and 2 LPG carriers. Around 87% were outbound transits, with many vessels taking unusual routes through Iranian territorial waters. Only 13% entered the Gulf, highlighting the continued imbalance in traffic flows. Watch the playback of vessel activity in the Strait of Hormuz over the past three days.”
Strait of Hormuz activity remains limited
According to #MarineTraffic data, a total of 15 vessels transited the strait over the past three days, including 8 dry bulk vessels, 5 tankers, and 2 LPG carriers. Around 87% were outbound transits, with many vessels taking unusual… pic.twitter.com/vlTkpLy7LS
— MarineTraffic (@MarineTraffic) March 17, 2026
2:28 PM EST –
The United Arab Emirates could take part in a U.S.-led effort to safeguard shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a senior Emirati official said on Tuesday, Reuters reported on X, adding that no formal plan had been agreed to and discussions were ongoing.
“We all have a responsibility to ensure the flow of trade, the flow of energy,” Anwar Gargash, the diplomatic adviser to the country’s president, said at an online event hosted by the Council on Foreign Relations, an American think tank.
MORE –
(Reuters) – The United Arab Emirates could take part in a U.S.-led effort to safeguard shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a senior Emirati official said on Tuesday, though he also said that no formal plan had been agreed and discussions were ongoing.
“We all have a… https://t.co/YCM51skWkf
— Phil Stewart (@phildstewart) March 17, 2026
During a meeting with Irish officials at the White House on St. Patrick’s Day, Trump said he could order attacks on Iran’s electrical systems and wipe them out “in a matter of minutes.”
Trump on Iran:
We could take out their electric capacity in one hour. There’s nothing they can do right now because everything is knocked out. They have no radar, no anti-aircraft. They have nothing.
We can knock out their electricity in a matter of minutes if we wanted to.… pic.twitter.com/mpQC1MngwW
— Clash Report (@clashreport) March 17, 2026
The president also stated he was not afraid to send U.S. troops into Iran if needed.
Reporter: “As the Iranian regime told Sky News, if you put boots on the ground in Iran, it will be another Vietnam. Are you afraid of that?”
Trump: “I’m really not afraid of anything.” pic.twitter.com/csLNYgduaB
— Faytuks Network (@FaytuksNetwork) March 17, 2026
The United States has encouraged Syria to consider sending forces into eastern Lebanon to help disarm Hezbollah, but Damascus is reluctant to embark on such a mission for fear of being sucked into the war in the Middle East and inflaming sectarian tensions, Reuters reported, citing five people briefed on the matter.
The proposal to Syria’s U.S.-allied government reflects intensifying moves to disarm Iran-backed Hezbollah, which opened fire at Israel in support of Tehran on March 2, prompting an Israeli offensive in Lebanon.
The proposal to Syria’s U.S.-allied government reflects intensifying moves to disarm Iran-backed Hezbollah, which opened fire at Israel in support of Tehran on March 2, prompting an Israeli offensive in Lebanon.
w/ @FerasDalatey @GebeilyM https://t.co/qb3tx2WRWt
— Timour Azhari (@timourazhari) March 17, 2026
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky insisted that his country is not just a country seeking assistance.
“I would like the U.S. not to perceive Ukraine as a country that merely asks for help,” he stated on X. “That is not the case. Ukraine is defending interests and values. Of course, the U.S. is right when it says it is farther from this war than Europe. That is understandable. But we see U.S. allies in the Middle East, and we see what – and who – threatens them.”
I would like the U.S. not to perceive Ukraine as a country that merely asks for help. That is not the case. Ukraine is defending interests and values. Of course, the U.S. is right when it says it is farther from this war than Europe. That is understandable. But we see U.S. allies…
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) March 17, 2026
Speaking of Ukraine, a technology prevalent in the war may now be employed by Iranian-backed militias attacking U.S. facilities in Iraq. Video emerged on social media showing what is likely a first-person view (FPV) drone surveilling the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad. These types of drones have been used by both sides in the Ukraine war to devastating effect.
An Iranian-backed militia successfully used a (likely fiber optic) FPV drone to carry out a reconnaissance mission through the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad yesterday.
Seen here, the drone flies unchallenged through the embassy complex for nearly two minutes. pic.twitter.com/S1Ky3eVUv0
— OSINTtechnical (@Osinttechnical) March 17, 2026
U.S. counter rocket, artillery, and mortar C-RAM systems have been engaging with drones over Baghdad.
Israeli residents exclaimed “wow” after watching the interception seen in the following video.
2:15PM EST—
Israel announced two decapitation strikes on Iranian leaders, the latest in a series of strikes against top Iranian government and military officials. It claims to have killed Ali Larijani, Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council and the regime’s effective leader as well as Gholamreza Soleimani, commander of the Basij paramilitary unit for the past 6 years. Tehran has yet to comment on these claims which The War Zone cannot independently verify.
“The Israeli Air Force, acting on IDF intelligence, and through the integration of unique operational capabilities, conducted a precise strike that eliminated Ali Larijani, the Secretary of Iranian Supreme National Security Council, who operated as the de facto leader of the Iranian terror regime,” the IDF claimed. “The strike was conducted while he was located near Tehran.”
“During the most recent wave of protests against the Iranian terror regime, Larijani personally oversaw the massacre that was carried out against Iranian protestors,” the IDF added.
🔴Ali Larijani, Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council and the regime’s effective leader, has been eliminated.
Throughout the years, Larijani was considered one of the most veteran and senior figures within the Iranian regime leadership, and was a close associate… pic.twitter.com/kBIgSSGBm0
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) March 17, 2026
“Under Soleimani, the Basij unit led the main repression operations in Iran, employing severe violence, widespread arrests, and the use of force against civilian demonstrators,” the IDF stated.
The Soleimani killing would add “to that of dozens of senior commanders from the armed forces of the Iranian regime who have been eliminated during the operation, and constitutes an additional significant blow to the regime’s security command-and-control structures,” the IDF added.
🔴 COMMANDER OF THE BASIJ UNIT ELIMINATED
Yesterday, the IDF targeted & eliminated Gholamreza Soleimani, who operated as commander of the Basij unit for the past 6 years.
Under Soleimani, the Basij unit led the main repression operations in Iran, employing severe violence,… pic.twitter.com/aJ0dNtCFz0
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) March 17, 2026
In a video posted on X, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu offered his rationale for ordering the strike on Larijani.
PM Netanyahu:
“We eliminated Ali Larijani, who is the boss of the IRGC or the gangsters’ mob. We are dismantling the regime in the hope of giving the people a chance to remove it. It won’t happen all at once; it won’t happen easily. But if we persist, we will allow them to take… pic.twitter.com/c0MAnLaQoA
— Open Source Intel (@Osint613) March 17, 2026
While there was no immediate response from officials in Tehran, after reports of Larijani’s death began to circulate, his X account posted a handwritten memorial to Iranian sailors aboard the IRIS Dena killed in a U.S. submarine attack.
“The martyrdom of the brave members of the Navy of the Army of the Islamic Republic in Dena is part of the sacrifices of the proud nation that has emerged in this time of struggle against international oppressors,” Larijani wrote.
به مناسبت مراسم تشییع سلحشوران نیروی دریایی ارتش جمهوری اسلامی ایران: یاد آنان همواره در قلب ملت ایران خواهد بود و این شهادتها بنیان ارتش جمهوری اسلامی را برای سالها در ساختار نیروهای مسلح استوار مینماید. ازخداوند متعال علو درجات برای این شهدای عزیز خواستارم. pic.twitter.com/dvTdhyDYbY
— Ali Larijani | علی لاریجانی (@alilarijani_ir) March 17, 2026
Larijani became Iran’s de facto leader after U.S.-Israeli airstrikes killed top government and military officials. Iran has a multi-faceted leadership structure, ostensibly headed by the Supreme Leader, who is now Mojtaba Khamenei. He was appointed to replace his father, Ali Khamenei, killed in an airstrike on the opening day of the war. While there are claims Mojtaba Khamenei has been killed or badly wounded, Iranian officials insist that despite being wounded, he is still running the country.
In addition to the clerics, Iran also has a very strong security leadership that includes the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Larijani, as security chief, was part of that structure. While his death, if confirmed, will further complicate Iran’s command and control capabilities, it won’t necessarily eliminate it or be followed by regime change.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar said that while the Iranian regime can only be toppled by its people, they cannot liberate the nation alone.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar:
The regime can only be toppled by the Iranian people, yet without external help, the Iranian people cannot liberate themselves. pic.twitter.com/Bxy6NpjwnB
— Clash Report (@clashreport) March 17, 2026
Meanwhile, Mojtaba Khamenei said Iran has no plans to de-escalate, according to a Reuters post on X.
Iran’s new supreme leader has rejected de-escalation proposals conveyed to Tehran by intermediaries, demanding Israel and the United States first be “brought to their knees”, a senior Iranian official said on Tuesday. @PHREUTERS
— Idrees Ali (@idreesali114) March 17, 2026
In a stunning rebuke of the war on Iran, the director of the U.S. National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC) publicly announced his resignation in a post on X. In his announcement, which largely blamed Israeli influence for the decision to launch Epic Fury, Joe Kent becomes the highest-ranking Trump administration official to publicly disavow President Donald Trump’s decision to attack Iran.
“I cannot in good conscience support the ongoing war in Iran,” Kent stated in his letter. “Iran posed no imminent threat to our nation, and it is clear that we started this war due to pressure from Israel and its powerful lobby.”
Kent, a staunch conservative and noted Trump supporter, said he still backed the president but not his decision to change policy about avoiding wars in the Middle East.
“Until June of 2025, you understood that the wars in the Middle East were a trap that robbed America of the precious lives of our patriots and depleted the wealth and prosperity of our nation.”
Kent added that early in the Trump administration, “high-ranking Israeli officials and influential members of the American media deployed a misinformation campaign that wholly undermined your America First platform and sowed pro-war sentiments to encourage a war with Iran.”
After much reflection, I have decided to resign from my position as Director of the National Counterterrorism Center, effective today.
I cannot in good conscience support the ongoing war in Iran. Iran posed no imminent threat to our nation, and it is clear that we started this… pic.twitter.com/prtu86DpEr
— Joe Kent (@joekent16jan19) March 17, 2026
Kent served in the U.S. Army for 20 years and made 11 combat deployments in the Middle East and other high-threat regions, according to his official bio. He served with the 75th Ranger Regiment, Army Special Forces and U.S. Army Special Operations Command, and received numerous military commendations, including six bronze stars. After retiring from the Army in 2018, he served as a paramilitary officer in the CIA’s Special Activities Center.
His wife, Shannon Kent, was a Navy senior chief cryptologist. She was killed in suicide bombing in Syria on Jan. 16, 2019.
In his role as NCTC director, Kent oversaw a staff of more than 1,000 personnel from across the U.S. intelligence community, federal government and federal contractors. The center “produces analysis, maintains the authoritative database of known and suspected terrorists, shares information, and conducts strategic operational planning,” according to its website.
Trump lauded Kent and his wife when nominating the former Green Beret to lead the NCTC.
In addition to his service, Kent “has long had a penchant for conspiracy theories, claiming without evidence that intelligence officials had a hand in the violence around the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol,” The New York Times noted.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt strongly pushed back against Kent’s assertions that Iran posed no immediate threat and that Trump was influenced by Israel.
There are many false claims in this letter but let me address one specifically: that “Iran posed no imminent threat to our nation.”
This is the same false claim that Democrats and some in the liberal media have been repeating over and over.
As President Trump has clearly and… https://t.co/AC8M5L8lye— Karoline Leavitt (@PressSec) March 17, 2026
Some Republicans were quick to call out Kent’s remarks on Israel. Representative Don Bacon, a former Air Force brigadier general, took to X, reposting Kent’s letter with the comment “good riddance.”
Good riddance. Iran has murdered more than a thousand Americans. Their EFP land mines were the deadliest in Iraq. Anti-Semitism is an evil I detest, and we surely don’t want it in our government. https://t.co/XuJBctblsd
— Rep. Don Bacon 🇺🇸✈️🏍️⭐️🎖️ (@RepDonBacon) March 17, 2026
Kent’s announcement was met with derision from other top Trump supporters as well.
Joe Kent is a crazed egomaniac who was often at the center of national security leaks, while rarely (never?) producing any actual work.
He spent all of his time working to subvert the chain of command and undermine the President of the United States.
This isn’t some principled… https://t.co/bcv0Kh6XVH
— Taylor Budowich (@Budowich) March 17, 2026
I wonder if this guy Joe Kent was about to be fired but quickly resigned first. That’s how these things typically work. He’s part of that radical isolationist Woke Right cabal. Watch how the leftwing media use him to attack the president and the military campaign against Iran.…
— Mark R. Levin (@marklevinshow) March 17, 2026
We have reached out to Kent for comment.
In addition to the decapitation strikes, the IDF said it hit command centers and UAV, ballistic missiles and air defense storage sites in Tehran, the internal security forces’ command center and a ballistic missile site in Shiraz and additional Iranian air defense systems in Tabriz.
🎯STRUCK: Iranian regime infrastructure in different areas across Iran:
📍In Tehran, dozens of munitions were dropped on command centers and UAV, ballistic missiles and air defense storage sites were stuck.
📍In Shiraz, the internal security forces’ command center and a… pic.twitter.com/8RX2NS4tnH
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) March 17, 2026
Iran also struck Israel. Video and images emerged on social media of damage caused by an apparent cluster munition from an Iranian ballistic missile.
Damage was caused in central Israel by an apparent cluster munition from an Iranian ballistic missile, following Iran’s latest attack. pic.twitter.com/gFKUhLhbcx
— Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) March 17, 2026
Baghdad continues to come under attack as well.
🇮🇶 #Iraq‘s capital city #Baghdad was under fire early Tuesday morning, drawing the nation further into the war.
Attacks on Monday targeted the #US embassy and hit a house that was reportedly hosting Iranian advisors, killing four.
Watch to learn more ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/r6MzO7M2kN
— FRANCE 24 English (@France24_en) March 17, 2026
Amid ongoing attacks by the U.S. and Israel, “signs of discontent, low morale, financial strain and desertion are spreading among parts of Iran’s security and military forces,” according to Iran International, a London-based Persian-language news outlet.
“Members of the Special Units Command received a notice on Friday saying salary payments for some units had run into problems, according to people familiar with the matter,” the outlet added. “The delay marked the third time this year that wages for those forces are being paid late.”
We cannot verify this claim, and it should be noted that Iran International has an anti-regime focus.
Signs of discontent, low morale, financial strain and desertion are spreading among parts of Iran’s security and military forces, Iran International has learned.
Members of the Special Units Command received a notice on Friday saying salary payments for some units had run into… pic.twitter.com/LCAeX5evUV
— Iran International English (@IranIntl_En) March 17, 2026
Israel is sending more troops into southern Lebanon, according to the IDF.
⭕️ Operational Update: Lebanon
Additional IDF troops have been deployed in Lebanon, continuing efforts to establish a forward defense posture in order to remove threats and create an additional layer of security for residents of northern Israel against Hezbollah’s threat. pic.twitter.com/Q7dOLsT4Bd
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) March 17, 2026
The Israeli Air Force said it struck an underground facility in Lebanon Hezbollah used to store weapons.
The Israeli Air Force struck an underground Hezbollah site in southern Lebanon used by the terror group to store weapons, the military says.
According to the IDF, Hezbollah stored cruise missiles and hundreds of rockets at the subterranean facility, located in the Kafra area.… pic.twitter.com/PMtlrYpA3X
— Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) March 17, 2026
CENTCOM released more video of its attacks on Iranian targets.
Iran is continuing to block access to the internet for all but a handful of select individuals, according to NETBLOCKS cyber security and digital governance organization.
⚠️ Update: #Iran‘s internet blackout is now entering its 18th day after 408 hours without international connectivity for the general public. Chosen users are granted privileged access, while the remainder are left with a limited domestic intranet under increasingly tight control. pic.twitter.com/nujpYomBAa
— NetBlocks (@netblocks) March 17, 2026
China called for the end to hostilities.
The recent tense situation in the Strait of Hormuz and waters nearby has impacted the route for international goods and energy trade, disrupting peace and stability in the region and beyond.
China once again calls on parties to immediately stop military operations, avoid further… pic.twitter.com/rDvMQcuRj4
— Lin Jian 林剑 (@SpoxCHN_LinJian) March 17, 2026
In its latest report, the U.S.-China Economic AND Security Review Commission said that “Beijing enables Tehran but the relationship is asymmetric… Iran depends heavily on China, while Beijing calibrates support, offering diplomatic cover & dual-use supplies, but stops short of formal defense commitments that may alienate Gulf partners,” the report notes.
New China–Iran Fact Sheet
Beijing enables Tehran but the relationship is asymmetric: Iran depends heavily on China, while Beijing calibrates support, offering diplomatic cover & dual-use supplies, but stops short of formal defense commitments that may alienate Gulf partners. pic.twitter.com/yhzWEZ5xz7
— U.S.-China Commission (@USCC_GOV) March 16, 2026
Contact the author: howard@thewarzone.com
Emma Raducanu has withdrawn from this week’s Miami Open as she continues her recovery from a recent illness.
The British number one became unwell while playing in the Middle East last month, and is still suffering with post-viral symptoms.
Raducanu decided to play last week’s event in Indian Wells, and reached the third round before losing in just 52 minutes to the world number six Amanda Anisimova.
The 23-year-old has 215 ranking points to defend from reaching the quarter-finals in Miami last year, but has decided it would be best to take a break to recover fully.
Raducanu beat both Anisimova and the then top 10 player Emma Navarro before losing to Jessica Pegula in three sets in last year’s quarter-finals.
This year she had a first-round bye, and could have played British childhood rival Sonay Kartal in the second round.
Raducanu had already decided not to play in Great Britain’s Billie Jean King Cup tie in Melbourne next month, but is currently scheduled to return to the tour in three weeks’ time.
She has entered the WTA event in Linz, which would be her first clay-court tournament of the season.
March 16 (UPI) — Illinois will have busy primary elections Tuesday as voters select a candidate to replace retiring U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin and fill five U.S. House seats without incumbents.
Three House seats are open due to retirements, and two others have incumbents running for Senate. All seats are expected to be filled with Democrats.
There will also be primaries for governor of the state, but there are no Democrats running against incumbent Democrat JB Pritzker.
Illinois voters “have an opportunity for generational turnover — where a boomer senator is stepping down, and you’ve got three Gen-Xers, who’ve been around on the scene for quite some time, trying to get the seat,” Northwestern University political science professor and Democratic strategist Alvin Tillery told ABC News. Tillery is not involved in any Illinois races.
“It could be another 20 or 30 years before we have a Senate race this competitive in Illinois,” he added.
Key Republicans running for Senate are attorney Jeannie Evans and former Illinois GOP chair Don Tracy.
There are 11 Democrats vying for the seat, but the top three are Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton and Rep. Robin Kelly.
Krishnamoorthi has raised the most money — more than $30 million — while Stratton has the benefit of Pritzker’s endorsement.
All three have run on fighting President Donald Trump and opposing Immigrations and Customs Enforcement, which operated heavily in Chicago during Operation Midway Blitz.
“Fighting ICE has become synonymous with opposing and fighting back against Trump,” Brandon Davis, a Democratic consultant who worked on Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson’s 2023 campaign, told NBC News.
“I’m the only one with the background of standing up to bullies and bad actors, and successfully doing so, and now I have to stand up to Donald Trump,” Krishnamoorthi told ABC News in an interview. He would be the second Indian-American to hold a seat in the Senate.
Stratton is the first Black lieutenant governor in Illinois and told ABC News: “I have the best path in the nation to elect another Black woman to the United States Senate.”
Kelly has the endorsement of longtime Congressional Black Caucus member Rep. Jim Clyburn, D-S.C. He campaigned with Kelly on Tuesday, telling WLS-TV she is “our go-to person on healthcare issues.”
But all three have focused their ads against ICE.
Stratton has said she wants to “abolish” the agency because, “I don’t believe that this agency can be reformed. I want ICE and CBP out of our American cities.”
Krishnamoorthi said he wants to “abolish Trump’s ICE.” He explained he’s pushing for reforms to stop them from wearing masks and stop “roving gangs of ICE and CBP agents stirring up trouble in our cities.”
Kelly has called to dismantle ICE and the whole of the Department of Homeland Security, saying it’s “too big, too unwieldy and they’re not accountable.”
United States President Donald Trump has called for a naval coalition to deploy warships to secure the Strait of Hormuz, through which one-fifth of world oil shipments transit, as oil markets reel from supply disruptions caused by the US-Israeli war with Iran.
What is essentially the closure of the Strait of Hormuz by Iran in response to the attacks by the US and Israel has sent oil prices soaring to more than $100 per barrel.
Iran’s new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, has promised to keep the maritime artery closed while another top official in Tehran warned that oil prices could shoot up beyond $200 per barrel.
Trump said he hoped a naval coalition could secure the vital waterway, which connects the Gulf to the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea. Iran has struck more than a dozen ships trying to sail through the narrow waterway since the hostilities started two weeks ago.
But will Trump’s solution work?
The US president has been facing domestic pressure over starting the war alongside Israel with no endgame or off-ramps in sight.
“On the strait of Hormuz, they had NO PLAN,” US Democratic Senator Chris Murphy wrote in a post on X. “I can’t go into more detail about how Iran gums up the Strait, but suffice it [to] say, right now, they don’t know how to get it safely back open.”
After threatening to bomb Iran more, Trump called on China, France, Japan, South Korea and the United Kingdom to send warships to secure the strait.
Trump claimed “100% of Iran’s military capability” had already been destroyed but added that Tehran could still “send a drone or two, drop a mine, or deliver a close-range missile somewhere along, or in, this waterway”.
“Hopefully China, France, Japan, South Korea, the UK, and others, that are affected by this artificial constraint will send ships to the area so that the Hormuz Strait will no longer be a threat by a nation that has been totally decapitated,” Trump wrote in a post on his Truth Social platform.
“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!”
Not long after, Trump returned to the keyboard, extending the invitation to all “the Countries of the World that receive Oil through the Hormuz Strait” to send warships, adding that the US would provide “a lot” of support to those who participated.
Alireza Tangsiri, commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy, said in a statement that claims by the US about destroying Iran’s navy or providing safe escort for oil tankers were false.
“The Strait of Hormuz has not been militarily blocked and is merely under control,” he said in a statement.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi later doubled down on this, saying the strait remained open to international shipping except for vessels belonging to the US and its allies.
“The Strait of Hormuz is open. It is only closed to the tankers and ships belonging to our enemies, to those who are attacking us and their allies. Others are free to pass,” Araghchi said.
Khamenei – son of the late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who was killed on the first day of the US-Israeli strikes – suggested in his first statement since taking power that the Strait of Hormuz would remain closed to provide leverage for Iran during the conflict.
The strait, which is just 21 nautical miles (39km) wide at its narrowest point, is the only maritime passage into the Arabian Gulf (known as the Persian Gulf in Iran). Shipping lanes in the waterway are even narrower and more vulnerable to attacks.
It separates Iran on one side from Oman and the United Arab Emirates on the other.
In brief, there is no way in or out by sea when the Strait of Hormuz is closed.
Alexandru Hudisteanu, a maritime security expert who served 13 years in the Romanian navy, told Al Jazeera that in the type of coalition that Trump is hinting at, “interoperability is the biggest hurdle.”
“That’s the ability of cruises to work together or with different units and different doctrine when basic communication would be an issue,” he said.
Then, there is the geography of the Strait of Hormuz: “a very unforgiving environment to sail with this type of wartime threats”, Hudisteanu said. “Especially difficult under missile threats and these asymmetric potential mines or unmanned systems that could damage or destroy ships.”
Providing escorts to ships would be a costly option, and it would pose risks to participating foreign warships from possible Iranian attacks, which would likely further drag more countries into the ongoing war.
From Iran’s point of view, “the fact that the shoreline is so close and the actual maritime passage is highly congested and confined is an advantage by default,” Hudisteanu added. Geographically, Iran keeps it as a gauntlet, with no way out for the ships unless Tehran allows it.
Another major challenge for any naval coalition trying to secure the passage would be the timeline of any operation. ”The security of the strait could be achieved. It’s just a matter of how much time you need and how many assets you need,” the analyst said. Rushing through it “could have negative implications for the security of the mission and the region”.
No country has so far publicly agreed to Trump’s call to send warships to secure the Strait of Hormuz.
London said it is “intensively looking” at what it can do to help reopen the maritime passage. British Energy Secretary Ed Miliband said: “We are intensively looking with our allies at what can be done because it’s so important that we get the strait reopened.”
Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs officials said Beijing is calling for hostilities to stop and “all parties have the responsibility to ensure stable and unimpeded energy supply.”
Japan said the threshold is “extremely high” to send its warships on such a mission. “Legally speaking, we do not rule out the possibility, but given the current situation in which this conflict is ongoing, I believe this is something that must be considered with great caution,” said Takayuki Kobayashi, policy chief of Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party.
France also confirmed that it will not send ships. The Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs said in a statement on Saturday: “Posture has not changed: defensive it is,” in reference to President Emanuel Macron’s assertion that France will not join the war against Iran.
South Korea, which imports 70 percent of its oil from the Gulf, said it was “closely monitoring” Trump’s statements and “comprehensively considering and exploring various measures … to ensure the safety of energy transport routes”.
Some countries have been negotiating with Iran to secure passage for their petroleum shipments.
Two Indian-flagged tankers carrying liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) have sailed through the Strait of Hormuz. New Delhi depends on this passage for 80 percent of its LPG imports.
The war on Iran has caused a critical shortage of cooking gas for India’s 333 million households. New Delhi has long had ties with Iran, but the government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi has not condemned the killing of Ali Khamenei. It has condemned Iran’s retaliatory attacks on Gulf countries, where millions of Indian citizens work and send $51bn in remittances home every year.
Iran’s ambassador to India, Mohammad Fathali, said Tehran had allowed some Indian vessels to pass through the Strait of Hormuz in a rare exception to the blockade but did not confirm the number of vessels.
A Turkish-owned vessel was similarly granted permission last week after Ankara negotiated passage directly with Tehran. Fourteen more Turkish vessels are awaiting clearance.
France and Italy also reportedly opened talks with Iranian officials to negotiate a deal to allow their vessels through the strait, but there has been no official confirmation yet.
“Iran is affecting maritime supply,” Hudisteanu said. “It’s affecting the maritime security of the region and the entire ecosystem and bringing the entire world to the table as the global price for oil and gas increases.”
US President Donald Trump says allies who rely on Gulf oil must help keep the Strait of Hormuz open.
Published On 15 Mar 202615 Mar 2026
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March 14 (UPI) — President Donald Trump on Saturday said that a coalition of nations affected by Iran choking off the Strait of Hormuz will send warships to open it back up.
Trump said that although the United States and Israel have “destroyed 100% of Iran’s military capability” in its war in Iran, its attempt to close the strait — by attacking ships and possibly laying mines along the shipping route — is affecting global trade.
Iran started to limit traffic in the strait since the war started two weeks ago and on Thursday, Iran’s new supreme leader, Mojaba Khamenei, said it would remain closed as a tactic to pressure the United States and Israel to end their attacks on the country.
The Strait of Hormuz is a significant global trading route, and sees roughly 20% of the global oil and fuel supply pass through it every day.
“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,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social, Axios and The Guardian reported.
“Hopefully China, France, Japan, South Korea, the UK, and others, that are affected by this artificial constraint, will send Ships to the area so that the Hormuz Strait will no longer be a threat by a Nation that has been totally decapitated,” Trump said.
On Friday, several news organizations confirmed with the Department of Defense that the USS Tripoli, an amphibious assault ship that was operating in the Philippine Sea, is headed to the Middle East.
The Tripoli brings with it 2,500 Marines of the 31st Marine Expeditionary Group, along with 2,500 more sailors, after U.S. Central Command requested additional military options for the conflict.
The 31st MEU can conduct ground operations, which the Trump administration has not ruled out in Iran, but Joint Chiefs of Staff Chair Gen. Dan Caines told reporters at a press conference that the Pentagon plans to go after Iran’s mine-laying capability and its ability to attack commercial vessels.
