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Germany is among countries which have rejected demands by President Donald Trump for help to stop Iran blocking the Strait of Hormuz.

Trump told the FT that it would be "very bad" for the future of NATO if members did not help get the critical waterway open and that he could also delay his summit with China’s President Xi Jinping. “It’s only appropriate that people who are the beneficiaries of the strait will help to make sure that nothing bad happens there,” Trump told the newspaper.

But Germany, Australia, Luxembourg, and Japan said they have no plans to send vessels to the region. German defense minister Boris Pistorius said Monday, "this is not our war, we have not started it.” The European Union and the U.K. have said they are weighing up a response to open the strait as oil prices continue to spike.

China has also not directly accepted Trump's proposal, with its foreign ministry calling on all parties "to immediately cease military operations." When asked what help was needed, Trump replied, “whatever it takes,” adding that allies should send minesweepers.

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Mar 16, 2026 at 11:07 PM EDT

Unknown Projectile Hits Tanker Near UAE

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) reported that an unknown projectile struck a tanker 23 nautical miles east of the city of Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates, which is just south of the Strait of Hormuz.

The vessel suffered only minor structural damage, with no injuries to the crew and no environmental impact yet reported, either.

Authorities are investigating, according to the UKMTO, which advised vessels to transit the area with caution.

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Mar 16, 2026 at 10:20 PM EDT

Israel Begins ‘Extensive Waves of Attack’ on Tehran, IDF Announced

The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) announced on its Telegram account that it has launched "extensive waves of attacks" against Tehran and Beirut on early Tuesday, local time.

"The IDF has now begun a widespread wave of attacks against infrastructures of the Iranian terrorist regime throughout Tehran," the IDF wrote, as translated.

"At the same time, the IDF has now begun another wave of attacks against infrastructures of the Hezbollah terrorist organization in Beirut," the IDF added.

Mar 16, 2026 at 09:38 PM EDT

United Arab Emirates lifts brief airspace closure

The United Arab Emirates lifted a brief airspace closure Tuesday morning after the country faced incoming Iranian attacks, the Associated Press reported.

The state-run WAM news agency quoted the UAE’s General Civil Aviation Authority as saying the closure had ended.

The authorities said “the situation stabilized,” allowing flights to resume.

The snap announcement early Tuesday showed the balancing act Emirati authorities face in trying to keep their long-haul carriers Emirates and Etihad flying as Iranian attacks continue to target the country.

On Monday, an Iranian drone attack set a fuel tank ablaze at Dubai International Airport, the world’s busiest for international travel.

Mar 16, 2026 at 08:20 PM EDT

Trump Not Speaking With Tehran Despite Reported Outreach

President Donald Trump has advised his team that he will not negotiate with Tehran - for now - despite Iranian officials attempting to establish talks with Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and others in the administration, CNN reported on Monday, citing two senior White House officials.

“The president has said he is willing to talk, but not at this time, as he wants to see operation Epic Fury continue unabated,” one of the White House officials said.

Iranian Foreign Minster Abbas Araghchi on Monday wrote on X that his last contact with Witkoff was "prior to his employer's decision to kill diplomacy with another illegal military attack on Iran."

"Any claim to the contrary appears geared solely to mislead oil traders and the public," Araghchi wrote.

Mar 16, 2026 at 07:15 PM EDT

Family of American man held in Iran says he’s been designated as wrongfully detained

Kamran Hekmati, a jeweler from Long Island, traveled to Iran last year to visit family but was detained and has been held there since. He is currently imprisoned in the notorious Evin Prison and is believed to be among a half dozen Americans detained in Iran, the Associated Press reported.

The family says the State Department notified them on Monday that Hekmati has been designated as wrongfully detained. Such a designation moves supervision of a detained American’s case to the Special Presidential Office of Hostage Affairs, which functions as the U.S. government’s chief hostage negotiator.

The State Department last week designated Iran as a state sponsor of wrongful detention, accusing the country of engaging in hostage diplomacy.

Mar 16, 2026 at 06:05 PM EDT

U.S. forces have struck more than 7,000 Iranian targets, says CENTCOM

U.S. forces have struck more than 7,000 Iranian targets, conducted over 6,500 combat flights, and damaged or destroyed 100-plus vessels since the Iran war began, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said in a Monday update.

“CENTCOM forces are striking targets to dismantle the Iranian regime’s security apparatus, prioritizing locations that pose an imminent threat,” said CENTCOM, which is responsible for U.S. military activities in the Middle East.

It shared details on the military hardware being used, including about two dozen aircraft, among them B-2 stealth bombers, U-2 reconnaissance aircraft, and AH-64 Apache helicopters. It also noted the use of nuclear-powered submarines and guided-missile destroyers at sea and THAAD and Patriot missile defense systems on land.

Despite the U.S. military strength, the Iranian regime has shown no signs of backing down, with President Masoud Pezeshkian stating on Monday that “the Islamic Republic of Iran will not submit to bullies.”

The Washington Post reported last week that THAAD and Patriot systems were being transported from South Korea to the Middle East to support the war effort, causing some unease in Seoul as North Korea conducted missile tests this weekend.

Mar 16, 2026 at 05:19 PM EDT

Trump says former US president regretted not striking Iran

President Donald Trump said Monday that a former U.S. president privately told him he regretted not taking military action against Iran while in office, though Trump declined to identify which of his predecessors made the remark.

“I’ve spoken to a certain president—who I like, actually—a past president, former president,” Trump told reporters at the White House. “He said, ‘I wish I did it. I wish I did.’ But they didn’t do it. I’m doing it.”

Pressed on the identity of the former president, Trump said he did not want to reveal the name. “I don’t want to embarrass him,” Trump added. “Would be very bad for his career, even though he’s got no career.”

Only four former U.S. presidents are currently living: Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Barack Obama and Joe Biden. Trump did not indicate which of them he was referring to.

The comments come amid Trump’s continued efforts to justify his administration’s military campaign against Iran by arguing that previous presidents failed to act decisively. Last month, Trump spoke favorably of Clinton in an interview with NBC News, saying, “I like Bill Clinton. I like his behavior toward me. I thought he understood me.” The remarks were made days before Clinton gave a closed‑door deposition to the House Oversight Committee as part of its investigation into the Epstein case.

Trump has not clarified whether Clinton—or any other former president—was the individual he said expressed regret over not confronting Iran, leaving the claim unresolved.

Mar 16, 2026 at 04:44 PM EDT

More than 200 U.S. troops wounded in Iran war across seven countries

The number of U.S. troops wounded in the campaign against Iran has now exceeded 200 across seven countries, according to U.S. Central Command.

Navy Captain Tim Hawkins, CENTCOM’s chief spokesman, said American personnel have been injured in Bahrain, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates, with most casualties occurring in the opening days of the conflict. Some injuries have only been identified more recently as symptoms—particularly traumatic brain injuries—became apparent.

The updated figures mark a sharp increase from last week, when senior Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said more than 140 U.S. troops had been injured, eight of them seriously. Hawkins said Monday that the number of seriously wounded service members has since risen to 10.

Seven U.S. troops have been killed in Iranian attacks since the war began on February 28, including six soldiers killed in a March 1 drone strike on a tactical operations center at Port Shuaiba in Kuwait. Six additional service members died last week when a KC‑135 refueling aircraft crashed in an accident while supporting operations in Iraq.

Mar 16, 2026 at 03:39 PM EDT

How Iran’s Mojtaba Khamenei survived U.S.-Israeli strikes—Report

Iran’s new supreme leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, narrowly survived the U.S.-Israeli airstrikes that killed his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, according to a report citing a leaked audio recording obtained by The Telegraph.

The recording is said to feature Mazaher Hosseini, the head of protocol for the late supreme leader’s office, describing how Mojtaba Khamenei left his residence moments before missiles struck the family’s compound on February 28. Hosseini told senior clerics and Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commanders that Khamenei stepped outside to check something in his garden shortly before the attack.

According to the account, the strike killed Mojtaba Khamenei’s wife and son instantly, while he survived with a leg injury. He was later selected to succeed his father but has not appeared publicly since, issuing only written statements.

Trump questioned whether the younger Khamenei was “even alive” during an NBC interview on Saturday, adding, “So far, nobody’s been able to show him.”

Mar 16, 2026 at 03:02 PM EDT

Trump explains why US spared Iran’s oil infrastructure in Kharg Island strikes

President Donald Trump said the United States deliberately avoided striking Iran’s oil infrastructure when it bombed military targets on Kharg Island, describing the decision as a way to preserve the country’s ability to rebuild in the future.

Speaking during a Kennedy Center board meeting at the White House on Monday, Trump said U.S. forces “literally destroyed everything on the island, except for the area where the oil is,” adding, “I call it the pipes.”

Trump said the oil facilities were spared “for purposes of someday rebuilding that country,” while cautioning that the decision could be reversed. “I guess we did the right thing,” he said. “But it may not stay that way.”

Kharg Island is Iran’s most important oil export hub, handling roughly 90 percent of the country’s crude shipments. Any strike on its oil infrastructure would mark a major escalation in the conflict and could have immediate consequences for global energy markets.

Trump warned on Friday that the U.S. could target the island’s oil facilities if Iran continues to restrict shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a vital waterway for global oil trade.

The president has long pointed to Kharg Island as a pressure point. In a 1988 interview, Trump said that if Iran attacked U.S. personnel or ships, “I’d do a number on Kharg Island. I’d go in and take it.”

Mar 16, 2026 at 02:09 PM EDT

Iran’s president says nation ‘will not submit to bullies’ after call with Macron

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian took to X on Monday after his call with French President Emmanuel Macron, writing:

I emphasized that Iran did not start this brutal war. Defending against aggression is a natural right that we know well how to exercise. The use of U.S. bases in the region against Iran, with the aim of disrupting our relations with our neighbors, must be stopped.

Peace and stability in the region cannot be achieved by ignoring the Zionist-American aggression against our country. The Islamic Republic of Iran will not submit to bullies. We expect the international community to condemn this aggression and persuade the aggressors to respect international law.

Starting a war based on false information and with the aim of territorial conquest is a medieval act in the twenty-first century. Talking about stopping aggression, to ensure no attack on our land, is meaningless.

Mar 16, 2026 at 12:47 PM EDT

Emirates warns passengers to avoid Dubai International Airport after drone attack

The world’s busiest airport for international passenger traffic should be avoided, Emirates Airline warned early on Monday, referring to Dubai International Airport. The warning followed a drone attack that ignited a fuel tank at the airport—prompting a temporary shutdown—amid escalating regional attacks linked to the Iran war.

“All flights to and from Dubai have been temporarily suspended,” the airline said in an X post. “Please do not go to the airport.” A follow-up stated, “Emirates has resumed reduced flight operations after a temporary suspension earlier this morning. Some flights from today’s schedule have been cancelled. Affected customers will receive a cancellation notice and will be advised on reaccommodation options.”

Dubai International Airport is the primary hub of Emirates, the most profitable and largest long‑haul airline in the world.

Authorities in Dubai said some flights were diverted to Dubai World Central–Al Maktoum International, a smaller airport that usually handles cargo, charter, and seasonal flights.

Mar 16, 2026 at 11:59 AM EDT

International Energy Agency says it can release more emergency oil reserves

The International Energy Agency (IEA) said it could release additional emergency oil reserves if needed, as the Iran War continues to disrupt global energy supplies and rattle markets.

IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol, speaking from Paris, said last week’s decision by member countries to release 400 million barrels of oil from emergency reserves had already helped ease market pressure.

It was the largest coordinated release in the agency’s history and came amid “the largest supply disruption in the history of the global oil market,” as the agency described the war’s impact.

Birol said that around 1.4 billion barrels are still held in combined government emergency stocks and industry inventories maintained under government obligation.

Birol said reopening the Strait of Hormuz remains the single most important factor for restoring stability to global energy markets. Roughly a quarter of the world’s seaborne oil normally passes through the narrow waterway.

While the emergency stock release is designed to cushion the immediate shock, Birol cautioned that it is not a permanent solution if the conflict drags on.

Mar 16, 2026 at 10:55 AM EDT

No issues for now letting oil tankers pass through Strait of Hormuz: Scott Bessent

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has said more fuel ships are passing through the Strait of Hormuz to meet global demand but gave no timeline on when the Iran War would end.

“We are seeing more and more of the fuel ships start to go through,” Bessent told CNBC, “the Iranian ships have been getting out already, and we've let that ⁠happen to supply the ⁠rest of the world.”

He said that along with Iranian vessels, ships from China and India have also been able to pass through the critical waterway.

President Donald Trump said t he was putting pressure on "at least seven" countries to increase efforts to secure and re-open the Strait of Hormuz.

Bessent said on Monday, “we want the world to be well supplied,” but when asked how long the war would take, added, “I don't know how many weeks it will be."

Mar 16, 2026 at 10:00 AM EDT

Trump’s meeting with China’s Xi could be postponed: White House

President Donald Trump’s proposed meeting with Chinese president Xi Jinping could be delayed, the White House has said.

Trump was due to travel to China from 31 March to 2 April for a meeting between the leaders of the world’s two biggest economies. However, due to Trump’s focus on the Iran war, this trip could be postponed, according to White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt.

“I don’t think the meeting is in jeopardy,” she told Fox News, “but it’s quite possible the meeting could be delayed.”

Trump has called on China, as well as other countries which rely on oil passing through the Strait of Hormuz, to help open the critical waterway effectively shut by Iran which has spiked oil prices. China has not directly responded to Trump's call.

Mar 16, 2026 at 09:17 AM EDT

Israel says it’s struck site in Tehran linked to space program

The Israeli military said it had destroyed a site it said was integral to Iran's plans to attack satellites in space.

The Israeli air force said it struck a site in Tehran involved in programs including the development of the Chamran-1 satellite, which it claimed was built by Iran's defense ministry electronics industries.

It comes as Israel also announced it had launched strikes on the cities of Shiraz and Tabriz as well as other parts of the Iranian capital.

Explosions were reported in Tehran as air defense systems were activated, according to local media reports, suggesting coordinated strikes across the country.

The Israeli military also said it had destroyed an aircraft used by Iran’s late supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, at Tehran’s Mehrabad airport which was also used by senior Iranian political and military figures.

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Mar 16, 2026 at 08:33 AM EDT

U.S. said it struck 90 targets on Iran’s Kharg Island

The commander of the United States Central Command has said that over 90 military targets were struck on Iran's Kharg Island last week.

Admiral Brad Cooper said in a video briefing on Monday that the U.S. and its partner forces had flown more than 6,000 combat flights over the past 16 days and had air superiority over Iran.

He said that among the U.S. targets were storage sites for naval mines and missiles in an operation which was aimed at eliminating the Islamic Republic's ballistic missile, drones and naval threats.

US and partner forces had also destroyed more than 100 Iranian naval vessels and were trying to reduce Iran's ability to threaten the Strait of Hormuz which it has effectively closed.

Mar 16, 2026 at 08:14 AM EDT

U.K. will not be drawn into “wider war” after Trump’s request

U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Monday that the U.K. was working with allies on a plan to reopen the Hormuz Strait but would not be drawn into a wider war.

His comments follow President Donald Trump's call for allies' help in opening the waterway which has been effectively blocked by Iran.

Starmer has spoken with Canadian prime minister Mark Carney about the impact of the Strait’s continued closure on international shipping with the British premier saying Monday there was the possibility of using mine-hunting drones that the U.K. has in the region but London was unlikely to dispatch a warship.

Trump has criticized Starmer for a perceived lack of support for the war, after he iinitially refused to allow the U.S. to use British bases to strike Iran.

"While taking the necessary action to defend ourselves and our allies, we will not be drawn into the wider war," Starmer said, adding that it would "keep working towards a swift resolution that brings security and stability back to the region and stops the Iranian threat to its neighbors."

Mar 16, 2026 at 07:34 AM EDT

India says its vessels are crossing Strait of Hormuz

India says two of its vessels will cross the Strait of Hormuz on Monday as Tehran insisted that the waterway was only closed to its enemies.

India’s shipping ministry said an an Indian-flagged vessel carrying liquefied petroleum gas would arrive Monday with more than 40,000 metric tons of fuel and that a second ship would dock on Tuesday.

Indian officials said 22 Indian-flagged vessels remain west of the strait as Iran insisted that it had not closed the transit area through which one fifth of the world’s oil travels.

It comes as Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi said that the waterway is only cut off for vessels of the U.S., Israel and their allies. “From our perspective it is open,” he said. “It is only closed to our enemies,” he said.

Mar 16, 2026 at 07:09 AM EDT

Iran warns NATO country not to help the U.S.

Iran has warned NATO member Romania not to get involved in its war with the U.S. and Israel.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said Monday that Romania should not allow its bases to be used for American operations against the Islamic Republic.

"If Romania makes its bases available to the United States, it would amount to participation in military aggression against Iran," he said in comments reported by Iranian media.

It comes after President Donald Trump called for NATO support in unblocking the Strait of Hormuz which Tehran has effectively closed, spiking oil prices.

Mar 16, 2026 at 06:51 AM EDT

Iran has not requested ceasefire with U.S.

Iran has not asked for a ceasefire and will continue to fight, its foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has said.

He told reporters on Monday that Iran had endured "difficult but proud days" and would keep resisting.

"We have not sent any message and we have not requested a ceasefire," Araghchi said according to Iranian media.

It comes as Iran's Foreign Ministry said the Strait of Hormuz has not been closed but ship traffic was moving under special conditions under the control of Iranian armed forces.

"No coastal state in such a situation can allow enemy ships and vessels to move normally to strengthen themselves or carry out aggressive actions," Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said.

Mar 16, 2026 at 06:22 AM EDT

Israel to send extra troops into Lebanon

Israel sends extra troops into Lebanon for “limited” operation as the IDF continues its strikes on the neighboring country as part of its campaign against Hezbollah.

Military spokesman Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani said the aim was to protect Israeli border communities against attacks from the Hezbollah militant group.

One person was killed by an Israeli airstrike early Monday on the southern Lebanese village of Kfar Sir, according to local media.

It comes as aid workers in Lebanon have told Newsweek about their fears for the coming weeks as Israel continues its campaign.

Read More: Fears Grow In Lebanon Over Israeli Attacks.

Mar 16, 2026 at 06:01 AM EDT

Missile and drone attacks reported across Middle East

Gulf Arab states, including the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Bahrain have said they have faced new missile or drone attacks.

Iran called for the evacuation of three major ports in the United Arab Emirates — the first time it has threatened a neighboring country’s non-U.S. assets.

A fire broke out Monday following a drone attack on an industrial oil facility in Fujairah, although in Abu Dabhi, a Palestinian civilian was killed in a missile attack early Monday, according to local authorities.

Saudi Arabia intercepted three drones Monday morning over Riyadh and the nation’s oil-rich western region with no immediate reports of casualties or damage.

Meanwhile, Bahrain said its air defense systems responded to four missiles and three drones being fired.

Mar 16, 2026 at 05:47 AM EDT

Iran issues warning about US aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford

Tehran has said that logistical and service facilities supporting the USS Gerald R. Ford in the Red Sea would be targeted by its armed forces and Iran continues its strikes across the region.

Iran’s Khatam al-Anbiya central command said Monday that the deployment of the carrier in the Red Sea was a threat and all the centers that provided support would be “targets for Iran’s armed forces.”

It comes as strikes on residential areas in Iran’s Markazi province killed five people and wounded seven others early on Monday, according to local media.

An F/A-18F Super Hornet aircraft, attached to Strike Fighter Squadron 213, lands on the flight deck of the world's largest aircraft carrier, USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78).

...

Mar 16, 2026 at 05:22 AM EDT

Crude prices rise again despite efforts to increase supply

Brent crude prices have gone past $106 a barrel increasing inflation risks and threatening global growth.

In analysis sent to Newsweek on Monday, Susannah Streeter, chief investment strategist, Wealth Club, said that countries have started to release unprecedented levels of emergency supplies onto the market in response to Iran’s blocking of the Strait of Hormuz.

However, the release will only make up a fraction of the crude being lost through the effective closure of the strait, which is why crude prices are continuing to ramp higher, Streeter said.

The plea from President Donald Trump for other nations to provide military support to try to reopen the Strait shows how it’s going to be a hugely complicated and drawn-out process, and it looks unlikely while Iranian forces are still displaying significant firepower, Streeter said.

“Companies, consumers, and governments are left counting the cost of escalating energy prices,” Streeter said.

Mar 16, 2026 at 04:59 AM EDT

“Now we’ll see if they help us” Trump

More from that interview with the FT, which said that the U.S. president was pessimistic that US allies would heed his pleas for help.

Trump said that the U.S. did not have to help NATO with the war in Ukraine “but we helped them. Now we’ll see if they help us.“

“I’ve long said that we’ll be there for them but they won’t be there for us,” he added, and I’m not sure that they’d be there.”

Trump suggested he wanted European military help to eliminate Iranians making “a nuisance” in the Gulf with drones and naval mines.

“We’re hitting them very hard,” Trump said. “They’ve got nothing left but to make a little trouble in the Strait but these people are beneficiaries and they ought to help us police it," he said, "we’ll help them. But they should also be there."

President Donald Trump arrives at the White House on the South Lawn in Washington, DC, March 15, 2026. Photo by Annabelle GORDON / AFP via Getty Images.

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Mar 16, 2026 at 04:41 AM EDT

Trump warns NATO must help open Strait of Hormuz or face “bad future”

President Donald Trump has called on NATO allies to help open the Strait of Hormuz, warning of bad consequences for the alliance if it didn’t.

In an interview with the Financial Times, Trump said that Europe and China were dependent on the oil that transist the strait which has been effectively blocked by Tehran.

He said that this meant was “only appropriate that people who are the beneficiaries of the Strait will help to make sure that nothing bad happens there.”

Trump’s comments follow an appeal to China, France, Japan, South Korea and the UK to join a “team effort” to open up the strait through which one fifth of the world's oil passes.

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