The foreign ministers of the G7 group of nations on Friday called for an immediate stop to attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure in the Iran war.
Thanks for joining us. We'll be back tomorrow. For a round-up of today's key events see the article below.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio reiterated Washington's aims in the Iran conflict while speaking to reporters in Cernay-La-Ville in France after the G7 summit.
"We're going to destroy their factories that make missiles and rockets and drones. We're going to destroy their navy. We're going to destroy their air force and we are significantly going to destory their missile launchers so they can never hide behind these things to get a nuclear weapon," he said.
More than 400 Hezbollah fighters have been killed since the Lebanese militant group launched the latest wave of fighting with Israel on March 2, two sources familiar with Hezbollah's count told Reuters.
The group has so far only issued sporadic notices for a few individual fighters.
The Israeli military gave a higher death toll for the Islamist armed group's losses, saying this week it had killed at least 700 Hezbollah fighters in Lebanon, including hundreds of members of the group's elite Radwan Force.
In a 2023-2024 war with Israel, Hezbollah issued daily death notices for each fighter killed and said after the conflict that some 5,000 had been killed in total.
Elyas Hazrati, Head of Iran's Government Information Council, said the situation at the two Iranian steel plants hit by Israel was "under control," adding there was "no cause for concern," in a post on X on Friday.
Hazrati named the two factories hit as Khuzestan Steel in Ahvaz, southwestern Iran, and Mobarakeh Steel Company in Isfahan, central Iran.
The Shahid Rezayee Nejad yellow cake production facility in Yazd province, also known as Ardakan, was attacked on Friday, Iran told the International Atomic Energy Agency.
There was no increase in off-site radiation levels reported, the UN nuclear watchdog said on X on Friday, adding that it is looking into the report.
U.S. President Donald Trump has said that the U.S.'s mission in Iran is "going great," in a post on Truth Social. Trump added he was going to make a "big speech on economics" in Miami.
Seyed Abbas Araghchi said on Friday that Israel had hit two of Iran's largest steel factories, a power plant and civilian nuclear sites, in a post on X.
"Israel claims it acted in coordination with the U.S. Attack contradicts POTUS extended deadline for diplomacy. Iran will exact HEAVY price for Israeli crimes," he added.
Iran-linked hackers have broken into FBI Director Kash Patel's personal email inbox, publishing photographs of him and other documents to the internet, the hackers and the FBI said on Friday.
On their website, the hacker group Handala Hack Team said Patel "will now find his name among the list of successfully hacked victims." The hackers published a series of personal photographs of Patel sniffing and smoking cigars, riding in an antique convertible, and making a face while taking a picture of himself in the mirror with a large bottle of rum.
The FBI confirmed that Patel's emails had been targeted. In a statement, spokesman Ben Williamson said, "we have taken all necessary steps to mitigate potential risks associated with this activity" and that the data involved was "historical in nature and involves no government information."
Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Friday expressed scepticism that the United States and Israel had a clear strategy to end the war in Iran, adding that Germany would in principle be ready to take part in an international stabilisation mission after the end of fighting.
"I'm just not convinced that what's happening right now – what Israel and America are doing – will actually lead to success," he said at a conference hosted by the FAZ newspaper.
UK fighter jets carried out defensive operations overnight in the Middle East, Britain's Ministry of Defence (MOD) said in a statment posted on social media on Friday.
The HMS Dragon warship is now deployed near Cyrpus, the MOD said, adding that it was "fully integrated" in the UK's air defence system in the region.
Britain's government has faced criticism for delays in deploying the ship to the region. It arrived on Monday (23 March), three weeks after an Iranian drone hit a British military base in Cyprus.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio told his G7 counterparts that the Iran war should end in a matter of weeks, three people familiar with the talks told Reuters on Friday.
Reuters News Agency reports that Iran's Khondab heavy water research reactor was targeted in an air attack, an official tells Fars News and no casualties or danger threatens residents in the area.
According to the World Nuclear Association, Iran has also been building a 40 MWt heavy water-moderated reactor at Arak fuelled by natural uranium. The IR-40 reactor is officially referred to as the Khondab Heavy Water Research Reactor.
The foreign ministers of the G7 group of nations on Friday called for an immediate stop to attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure in the Iran war.
The ministers in a joint statement, at the ongoing G7 meeting in France, emphasized the importance of minimising the impact of the conflict on regional partners, civilian populations and critical infrastructure.
"We focused on the value of diverse partnerships, coordination, and supporting initiatives, including to mitigate global economic shocks such as disruptions to economic, energy, fertilizer, and commercial supply chains, which have direct impacts on our citizens," they said in the statement seen by Reuters.
The G7 members are the United States, Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy and Japan, along with the European Union.
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Iranian media has said that 18 people were killed in an attack in Qom, Iran, on 26 March.
The Iranian state television, citing a statement from the Qom Governor's office, reported that yesterday's attack, "the death toll has reached 18 in the attack carried out by American-Zionist aggressors on a neighborhood in the Pardisan district."
The report said ten people were also injured in the attack and there are fears that the death toll may rise.
Germany has said it is not pursuing any direct agreements with Iran on allowing its ships to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, said a government spokesperson on Friday.
"I believe the arrangement that China, and also India, has found for some ships stems from direct agreements with the Iranian regime," said the spokesperson in Berlin.
"The German government is not currently pursuing this type of agreement. Therefore, we are waiting until the military situation allows passage again," he added.
Internet observatory website NetBlocks says most of Iranian's citizens are facing a record blackout across the country. Members of the regime have full access:
⚠️ Update: The internet blackout in #Iran is now in its 28th day after 648 hours, with Iranians having spent more than half the year to date cut off from international networks.
Authorities continue to refine a two-tiered system where only regime apparatchiks are allowed online. pic.twitter.com/aelMfAyQUI — NetBlocks (@netblocks) March 27, 2026
Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz is speaking on the situation in Iran;
AnewZ correspondent Touraj Shiralilou has taken these exclusive photos from inside Iran's capital:
The U.S. military has fired more than 850 Tomahawk cruise missiles in four weeks of war with Iran, burning through the precision weapons at a rate that has alarmed some Pentagon officials, reports the Washington Post.
The Post cites officials who say it has prompted internal discussions about how to make more available.
UNICEF's representative in Lebanon, Marcoluigi Corsi has said;
Iranian state media report that the Strait of Hormuz is closed and any transit through the waterway will face "harsh measures". The order appears to be made by Iran's Revolutionary Guards (IRGC).
Iranian media also report that the IRGC has said shipping “to and from ports of allies and supporters of the Israeli-American enemies” is prohibited through any corridor or to any destination.
Ukraine and Saudi Arabia have signed an agreement on defence cooperation, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Friday, setting the stage for future contracts, technological collaboration, and investments.
Zelenskyy, visiting Saudi Arabia, announced the deal ahead of a meeting with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
“We are ready to share our expertise and systems with Saudi Arabia and to work together to strengthen the protection of lives,” he said in a post on Telegram.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi addressed an emergency session of the United Nations Human Rights Council convened by Iran, China and Cuba, on Friday.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has urged civilians across the region to leave areas where U.S. forces are stationed, according to Iranian state media.
UN rights chief Volker Türk on Friday called on the United States to swiftly conclude its investigation into a deadly strike on a primary school in Iran carried out at the start of last month’s U.S.-Israeli attacks.
Addressing the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva, Türk said the findings should be made public as soon as possible, stressing the need for accountability.
“There must be justice for the terrible harm done,” he said during an urgent debate requested by Iran.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said he held a “meaningful exchange of views” with India’s External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar on Friday on the sidelines of the G7 ministerial meeting in France.
In a post on X, Sybiha said the talks focused on developments in the Middle East, underscoring the importance of regional stabilisation and ensuring the safe functioning of key global supply chains.
Iran has requested an urgent debate at the U.N. Human Rights Council today on the fatal air strike on a Shajareh Tayyebeh School on the first day of the U.S.-Israeli attacks on Iran, that killed 168 children according to Iranian officials.
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk has meanwhile called on U.S. to conclude their investigation on strike as soon as possible and publish findings.
Effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz means thousands of tonnes of tea have piled up in Kenya's Mombasa city or stopped mid-transit. Tea traders are starting to feel the strain and payments are being delayed, financial journalist Ken Karuri writes for AnewZ opinion.
The United States has deployed uncrewed drone speedboats for patrols as part of its operations against Iran, the Pentagon said, the first time Washington has confirmed using such vessels in an active conflict.
The deployment of the vessels - which can be used for surveillance or kamikaze strikes -has not been previously reported.
In response to Reuters’ questions, Tim Hawkins, a Pentagon spokesperson for Central Command, said unmanned vessels built by Maryland-based BlackSea, known as the Global Autonomous Reconnaissance Craft, or GARC, had been used for patrols as part of the U.S. campaign against Iran, dubbed “Operation Epic Fury.”
“U.S. forces continue to employ unmanned systems in the Middle East region, including surface drone assets like the GARC. This platform, in particular, has successfully logged more than 450 underway hours and more than 2,200 nautical miles during maritime patrols in support of Operation Epic Fury,” Hawkins said in a statement.
Iran has used sea drones to attack oil tankers in the Gulf at least twice since the U.S. and Israel began strikes nearly a month ago. There was no indication the U.S. had used uncrewed vessels for offensive strikes.
Saudi capital Riyadh and other Eastern regions have been targeted by two drones, which they intercepted, state media reports.
Drones have hit Kuwait’s Shuwaikh port on Friday causing material damage, the country’s ports authority said, adding that no injuries were reported. Officials are still assessing the damage.
Transport workers in Philippines capital Manila are striking for a second day.
The Philippines, which relies heavily on imported fuel, declared a state of national energy emergency on Tuesday (24 March) to deal with the fallout from the Middle East war, including the disruptions to oil procurement.
Authorities have temporarily increased coal-fired generation in the capital due to energy supply pressures and have allowed the temporary and limited use of cheaper oil.
The Indian rupee is set to weaken past 94 per dollar.
"The sense now is that the Middle East conflict will persist longer than initially assumed, triggering repricing across assets. The rupee, obviously, will have to adjust alongside" a currency trader at a bank said.
Germany's foreign minister said on Friday that the United States and Iran have had indirect negotiations and that representatives from both sides plan to meet shortly in Pakistan.
"Based on my information there have been indirect contacts, and preparations have been made to meet directly. That would be very soon in Pakistan, apparently," minister Johann Wadephul told Deutschlandfunk radio.
It's reported that fuel at some petrol stations in Australia is 85% higher than it was before the war in Iran started. Many petrol stations from across the country report on running out altogether.
Fears of shortages and rapid price rises are driving the trend, despite the government urging people not to panic buy. The crisis hasn't been helped by the recent weather which has damaged major oil plants.
President Trump has sharply criticised NATO, saying the alliance had provided no meaningful support during the recent conflict with Iran and questioning whether it would come to Washington's aid in a larger crisis.
President Trump sharply criticized NATO, saying the alliance had provided no meaningful support during the recent conflict with Iran and questioning whether it would come to Washington's aid in a larger crisis https://t.co/ZP9Bxd3dkq
see less pic.twitter.com/I5Ms7sFYs5 — Reuters (@Reuters) March 27, 2026
Iran has banned national and club sports teams from travelling to countries it considers hostile until further notice, Iranian media reported on Thursday, citing the Sports Ministry, which said the move was due to concerns over the safety of its athletes.
"The presence of national and club teams in countries considered hostile and unable to ensure the security of Iranian athletes and team members is prohibited until further notice," the ministry said.
U.S. President Donald Trump said earlier this month that while Iran's national team were welcome to play in the U.S. however it might not be appropriate for their "life and safety."
Iran's football federation is in discussions with soccer's world governing body FIFA about moving its World Cup matches to Mexico from the U.S., federation President Mehdi Taj said last week.
Vietnam's finance ministry says it has suspended an environmental protection tax and special consumption tax on fuels to stabilise the domestic market.
The removal of the taxes on gasoline, diesel and jet fuel will be effective until 15 April, the ministry said in a statement.
The United Arab Emirates has told Washington and other western allies that it would participate in a multinational maritime task force intended to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, the Financial Times reported on Friday, citing people familiar with the matter.
The U.S. is said to be looking at plans to send 10,000 additional U.S. troops to the Middle East to join thousands of servicemen and women already out there.
The Mayuree Naree, a Thai-flagged cargo ship that was hit earlier this month by Iran's Revolutionary Guards (IRGC), has run aground off Qeshm Island, Iran's Tasnim news agency said on Friday.
Thailand has said 20 crew members were rescued by the Omani navy, while three were missing after an explosion in the stern of the ship caused a fire in the engine room.
Iran did not ask for a 10-day pause on such strikes, peace talk mediators told the Wall Street Journal.
U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has asserted that Iran remains a significant global and U.S. threat.
At a Cabinet meeting led by President Donald Trump, Hegseth highlighted ongoing military operations involving A-10 warthogs and Apache helicopter gunships in Iranian airspace and the Strait of Hormuz.
He told the Cabinet "their presence is proof that Iran's air defences are going", adding that the country's command and control systems are "shattered," with top leaders in hiding and morale among Iranian fighters "plummeting."
Watch the full statement here:
.@SECWAR Full Remarks at President Trump’s Cabinet Meeting. pic.twitter.com/KokRoYLMKK — DOW Rapid Response (@DOWResponse) March 26, 2026
The Farsi account of the Israel Defence Force just posted on social media site X:
"The Israeli army recently concluded a large-scale wave of attacks against the infrastructure of the Iranian terrorist regime in Tehran. More details will be announced later."
France has said its Armed Forces Chief Fabien Mandon held talks with around 35 countries on Thursday as it sought partners and proposals for a mission to reopen the Strait of Hormuz once the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran ends.
South Korean's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) Chairman Gen. Jin Yong-sung was in attendance and an official from his office told The Korea Times that "the meeting was aimed at sharing the notion the safe navigation in the Strait of Hormuz is important for the security and economy of respective countries".
Republican Nancy Mace told Axios she will "most likely" vote for House Democrats' resolution to constrain President Trump from waging war with Iran the next time it comes up for a vote. She told Axios in a text message: "War with Iran needs to end. President Trump has won the war, time to exit."
"I'm not voting to send South Carolina's sons and daughters into battle to die for the price of oil," she said. Mace emerged as a suddenly fierce critic of the Iran war this week, declaring on Wednesday that she will vote against funding further operations in the region.
Speaking to CBS News, Mace said she told a recent House Armed Services Committee briefing on Iran that she hasn't "seen an exit strategy yet." She also warned against a potential “20-year-plus endless war".
While expressing support for President Donald Trump and saying recent operations had degraded Iran’s missile capabilities, Mace urged him to “declare victory” rather than risk further escalation.
The 15-point U.S. proposal, conveyed to Tehran by Pakistan, was reviewed in detail on Wednesday by senior Iranian officials and the representative of Iran's supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, an Iranian offical told Reuters. The official said they felt it served only U.S. and Israeli interests.
However, diplomacy had not ended, the official added.
The proposal included demands ranging from dismantling Iran's nuclear programme to curbing its missiles and effectively handing over control of the Strait of Hormuz, according to sources and reports.
Pakistan's foreign minister, Ishaq Dar, said "indirect talks" between the U.S. and Iran were taking place through messages relayed by Islamabad, with other states including Türkiye and Egypt also supporting mediation efforts.
President of the European Council, Antonio Costa, urged an immediate halt to Iran's attacks and its allies after speaking to Israel's President Isaac Herzog. Costa expressed EU solidarity with Israel while pressing for de-escalation across the region.
U.S. President Donald Trump said he will pause attacks on Iran’s energy infrastructure for 10 days, until 6 April, at Tehran’s request.
Trump said negotiations with Iran are progressing positively, describing talks as “going very well."
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The family of the late Virginia Giuffre have urged King Charles III to meet survivors of sexual abuse during his upcoming state visit to the United States.
India has purchased crude oil from Iran for the first time in seven years, as supply disruptions in the Middle East threaten global energy markets.
British police have arrested a fourth person in connection with an arson attack on ambulances belonging to a Jewish community charity. The arrest took place at a London court on Saturday, where three other suspects were already appearing.
Senegal has taken steps to curb government spending by banning non-essential foreign travel for ministers, as rising global oil prices place increasing pressure on the country’s finances.
One U.S. crew member has been rescued after two American warplanes were downed over Iran and the Gulf, as the search continues for a missing pilot, while President Donald Trump has given Tehran 48 hours to agree to a deal to end the war.
The U.N. Security Council is expected to vote next week on a Bahraini resolution to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and protect commercial shipping, diplomats said on Friday, amid opposition from China to any authorisation of force.
One crew member from a U.S. warplane shot down over Iran has been rescued, U.S. officials said, as a search continues for a second crew member.
The global commodities market is facing a severe structural supply shock after a series of coordinated military strikes in the Middle East devastated critical industrial infrastructure, threatening the manufacturing base of Western economies.
More than 1.1 million people have been forced from their homes in Lebanon, according to the United Nations, as the UN spokesman says the humanitarian situation is worsening. Israel recently announced it intends to annex part of Southern Lebanon.
The U.N. Security Council is expected to vote next week on a Bahraini resolution to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and protect commercial shipping, diplomats said on Friday, amid opposition from China to any authorisation of force.
One U.S. crew member has been rescued after two American warplanes were downed over Iran and the Gulf, as the search continues for a missing pilot, while President Donald Trump has given Tehran 48 hours to agree to a deal to end the war.
Iran has strongly condemned U.S. President Donald Trump’s threat to bomb the country “back to the Stone Age”, calling his remarks an example of “war crimes and genocide.”
International law experts from across the U.S., including Harvard, Yale and Stanford, have signed an open letter saying the strikes on Iran may amount to war crimes. America and Israel began airstrikes on 28 February on Iran's capital, Tehran.
The global commodities market is facing a severe structural supply shock after a series of coordinated military strikes in the Middle East devastated critical industrial infrastructure, threatening the manufacturing base of Western economies.
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