Iran warns U.S. troops will become 'food for sharks' if Trump launches ground attack - Middle East conflict on 29 March
A senior Iranian military officer warned that American troops will become &lsq...
Iran says it is open to talks with countries seeking safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz - disrupted by recent attacks - as Israel continues to launch wide‑scale strikes on Iranian infrastructure in the west. This live report tracks the latest developments.
Thanks for reading and we'll be back tomorrow as usual.
Kuwait’s Defence Ministry has reported that three drones struck Kuwait International Airport, causing damage to the facility’s radar system.
The armed forces said they destroyed a further five drones, preventing additional damage, though no casualties were reported.
Germany’s federal government is preparing legislation to limit sudden increases in petrol prices following the outbreak of the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran, a government spokesperson said on Sunday.
Under the draft bill, oil companies would be required to justify any price hikes in advance. Service stations would be allowed to raise prices only once daily at 12:00 GMT, though reductions could be applied at any time.
The legislation was sent for inter-ministerial consultation and to parliament on Sunday and could be adopted as early as this week, without requiring approval from the Bundesrat. Officials said the law would be temporary and subject to review after the summer.
Iran has signalled it is willing to engage with countries seeking safe passage for vessels through the Strait of Hormuz, where recent attacks on ships have effectively halted maritime traffic, its foreign minister said on Sunday.
"We are open to countries who want to talk to us about the safe passage of their vessels," he said.
Speaking to CBS News, Abbas Araghchi said Tehran had “been approached by a number of countries” interested in ensuring the security of the shipping lane, though he did not name any nations.
Araghchi added that Iran’s nuclear facilities are “all under rubble” and that, for now, there are “no plans to recover them”. He also noted that during earlier talks with the United States on a nuclear deal, Iran had offered to dilute enriched material - a “big concession” - but stressed that the current conflict has changed the situation: “There is nothing on the table right now, everything depends on the future.”
The strait has become a flashpoint since the first U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran a fortnight ago, prompting attacks on numerous vessels and sending global oil prices higher. U.S. President Donald Trump has called on countries including the UK, China, and France to deploy warships to help secure the crucial shipping route.
The International Energy Agency (IEA) has announced that more than 400 million barrels of emergency oil reserves will soon be released into global markets. In a statement on Sunday, the agency said member countries have pledged a total of 411.9 million barrels.
Of this, 271.7 million barrels will come from government stocks, 116.6 million barrels from obligated industry reserves, and 23.6 million barrels from other sources. Around 72% of the planned release will be crude oil, with the remaining 28% comprising oil products.
The IEA added that stocks held by Asia-Oceania countries will be made available immediately, while reserves from Europe and the Americas are expected to reach the market by the end of March.
Abbas Araghchi told CBS News' Face the Nation programme that Tehran “never asked for a ceasefire, we have never asked even for negotiation,” responding to claims by President Donald Trump that Iran wanted to strike a deal.
He added: “We don’t see any reason why we should talk with Americans, because we were talking with them when they decided to attack us, and that was for the second time.”
“This is a war of choice by President Trump and the United States, and we are going to continue our self-defence,” Araghchi said.
The Ali Al Salem airbase was struck earlier on Sunday, General Luciano Portolano, Italy’s chief of the defence general staff said in a statement.
The drone hit a shelter housing a remotely piloted aircraft belonging to Italy’s Task Force Air, destroying the aircraft.
Portolano said all personnel at the base were safe at the time of the incident.
Italy’s armed forces added that the number of staff at the facility had been reduced in recent days due to the evolving security situation in the region.
Israel says it has launched a new wave of air strikes targeting Iranian military infrastructure in western Iran.
In a post on X, the Israeli military said its air force hit “several central command centres” belonging to the Revolutionary Guards and the Basij paramilitary force. It claimed the facilities were used to coordinate operations and plan attacks against Israel and other countries in the region.
The Israeli army added that it is expanding strikes on what it described as the Iranian government’s command-and-control infrastructure across western and central Iran.
There has been no immediate response from Iranian authorities.
UEFA has cancelled the latest edition of the Finalissima after failing to reach agreement with Argentina over a new date and venue, following disruption caused by the war in the Middle East.
In a statement, European football’s governing body said several alternative options had been explored but none proved acceptable to the Argentine Football Association. Proposals included staging the match at Madrid’s Santiago Bernabéu, a two-legged format split between Spain and Buenos Aires, and a one-off game at another European venue.
The Finalissima pits the reigning Copa América champions against the European champions. Argentina won the inaugural edition in 2022 by beating Italy at Wembley.
UEFA said it was “a source of great disappointment” that circumstances had prevented the teams from competing for the trophy in Qatar as originally planned.
The British Ministry of Defence has confirmed that Typhoon and F-35 jets carried out overnight deployments in defence of UK interests.
The MOD said the missions also supported allies in Qatar, Southern Cyprus, the UAE, Jordan, and Bahrain, highlighting continued UK military readiness amid regional tensions.
Lebanon’s Health Ministry has reported that at least 850 people have died since Israel began its latest round of retaliatory strikes on 2 March.
The figures include 66 women, 107 children, and 32 health workers, with more than 2,100 others wounded.
The ministry added that over 850,000 people have been displaced as Israeli forces stepped up attacks and deployed additional troops in southern Lebanon.
At least eight people have been killed in central Gaza after an Israeli airstrike targeted a Hamas-run police vehicle, health officials reported on Sunday.
An Israeli strike in the southern Lebanese city of Sidon has killed Hamas official Wissam Taha, a source from the Palestinian group told AFP on Sunday.
State media had earlier reported that a residential apartment in a northern district of Sidon had been hit. The coastal city is home to Lebanon’s largest Palestinian refugee camp, which Israel has targeted in recent months, citing Hamas activity.
U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright told ABC News he expects the Iran conflict to be resolved within “the next few weeks,” with global oil supplies rebounding and energy prices likely to fall once hostilities ease.
"I think that this conflict will certainly come to the end in the next few weeks - could be sooner than that. But the conflict will come to the end in the next few weeks, and we'll see a rebound in supplies and a pushing down in prices after that," Wright told ABC's "This Week" programme.
Israel’s government is reportedly weighing the cancellation of a gas agreement with Lebanon, GLZ radio reported on Sunday, citing the country’s energy minister.
No further details on potential timing or consequences of the move have been released.
Israel’s Health Ministry has reported that at least 3,195 people have been injured in Iranian attacks since the Israeli-U.S. war against Iran began late last month.
A ministry statement on Sunday said 81 remain hospitalised, including one in critical condition and nine in serious condition. In the past 24 hours alone, 108 people were admitted to hospitals following Iranian strikes.
Israeli media also reported early on Sunday that two people were injured by debris from an intercepted Iranian missile in central Israel.
Iran’s Health Ministry has said that at least 223 women and 202 children have been killed in U.S.-Israeli attacks since 28 February, including three pregnant women and 12 children under five.
The ministry, cited by Fars News Agency on Sunday, added that 41 children have also been injured and that 153 health centres across the country have suffered damage.
Israel has approved an emergency $827 million (2.6 billion shekels) budget allocation for military purchases as the U.S.-Israel war on Iran enters its third week, Israeli media report.
Cabinet ministers approved the package in a late-night telephone vote over the weekend, with funds earmarked for “security purchases” and “urgent needs,” including munitions, advanced weapons systems, and replenishing critical combat stocks.
A Finance Ministry document cited by Haaretz described the decision as “exceptional” and necessary given the intensity of the fighting. The funds will be drawn from the recently approved $222 billion state budget, which is expected to be adopted by the Knesset by March 31.
Pope Leo has made a heartfelt appeal for an immediate ceasefire in the escalating war involving Iran, describing the ongoing violence as “atrocious” and lamenting the suffering of thousands of civilians across the region.
Speaking during his weekly Angelus prayer at St. Peter’s Square on Sunday, the pope said: “For two weeks, the peoples of the Middle East have been suffering the atrocious violence of war. In the name of Christians in the Middle East and of all women and men of good will, I appeal to those responsible for this conflict: Cease fire!”
He highlighted the human cost of the conflict, noting that “thousands of innocent people have been killed, and many more have been forced to leave their homes,” and expressed sympathy for all who have lost loved ones.
Pope Leo also voiced concern for Lebanon, where clashes between Israel and the Iran-backed group Hezbollah have caused severe devastation, urging dialogue and lasting solutions to support the country’s authorities and safeguard the Lebanese people.
Israeli media have reported that a fragment of an Iranian missile struck a residential building used by the United States consul in Israel on Sunday.
At least two people have been injured in central Israel following Iran’s latest ballistic missile attack, according to Israeli media reports.
The Times of Israel, citing the Magen David Adom rescue service, said two men in their 50s sustained light injuries during the strike.
The newspaper reported that a missile carrying a cluster bomb warhead dispersed submunitions over the southern city of Eilat and parts of central Israel.
Earlier, local authorities in Eilat said an Iranian ballistic missile fitted with a cluster bomb warhead had been intercepted by Israeli air defences over the city.
Norway’s prime minister, Jonas Gahr Støre, has warned that the war involving Iran appears to be escalating and said the overall strategy behind the military campaign remains unclear.
Speaking on Sunday, Støre said the conflict in the Middle East was intensifying and raised concerns about the direction of the military operation as fighting continues in the region.
Israel’s foreign minister, Gideon Saar, has said the government has no plans to hold direct talks with Lebanon in the coming days and denied reports that Israel had warned the United States it was running low on missile interceptors.
Speaking on Sunday, Saar dismissed media reports suggesting discussions with Beirut were imminent. Israel’s Haaretz newspaper reported on Saturday that the two countries were expected to hold direct talks soon.
Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araqchi, has told his French counterpart that countries must refrain from any action that could further escalate tensions in the Middle East.
In comments posted on his Telegram account on Sunday, Araqchi said states should avoid steps that could intensify the conflict, which has sharply worsened following U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iranian territory.
Egypt’s foreign minister, Badr Abdelatty, is set to travel to Qatar on Sunday as part of a Gulf tour focused on the latest regional developments amid the Israeli-U.S. war on Iran, according to a statement from Egypt’s foreign ministry.
The UK’s energy secretary, Ed Miliband, has said it is essential to de-escalate tensions in the Middle East, warning that stabilising the situation is a global priority as concerns grow over disruption to oil supplies through the Strait of Hormuz.
Speaking to the BBC, Miliband said “the plan now has to be to de-escalate the conflict” after Donald Trump urged other countries to help protect shipping in the key waterway.
Miliband said ensuring the Strait of Hormuz is reopened and operating normally is “a priority for the world”, adding that “any options that can get the Strait reopened are being looked at”.
He said the UK has already been in discussions with allies, including the U.S., about restoring safe navigation through the route, which handles a significant share of global oil shipments.
MotoGP has postponed the Qatar Grand Prix, originally scheduled for 10‑12 April at the Lusail International Circuit, due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
Organisers announced on Sunday that the race will now take place on 8 November, citing the “ongoing geopolitical situation” as the reason for the rescheduling.
Iran’s foreign minister has denied targeting civilian or residential areas in the Middle East and said Tehran is prepared to form a joint committee with neighbouring states to investigate responsibility for such strikes.
Abbas Araqchi, quoted on his Telegram channel following an interview with Al-Araby al-Jadeed, said Iran is in communication with several Gulf capitals and would welcome initiatives that could ensure a full end to the U.S.‑Israeli war on Iran.
Gulf countries have urged Tehran to halt attacks that have damaged energy facilities, residential areas, and U.S. military bases in the region.
Israel’s military says it has launched a broad wave of strikes on western Iran, over two weeks into the ongoing U.S.‑Israeli war against the Islamic Republic.
"A short while ago, the IDF began a wide-scale wave of strikes targeting infrastructure of the Iranian terror regime in western Iran," the army said in a statement.
This is a developing story.
Ukraine wants money and technology in return for assisting Middle Eastern countries to defend against Iranian kamikaze drones, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Sunday.
Kyiv has sent specialist teams to four countries in the region. Zelenskyy said each team, consisting of dozens of personnel, can carry out expert assessments and demonstrate how drone defence systems should operate.
Iran’s military has threatened to kill Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, state media reported.
The semi-official Mehr news agency said the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) will “continue to pursue and kill him with force.”
The IRGC also claimed that targets in Israel, as well as three American bases in the region, were destroyed in its 52nd wave of attacks.
Three of five players from Iran’s women’s football team who had sought asylum in Australia have chosen to return home, The Australian newspaper reported on Saturday.
The players were in Australia for the Women’s Asian Cup when the war between Iran, Israel, and the United States began. Five team members had left the squad and received humanitarian visas.
Australia’s Home Affairs department said the three returning players were given multiple opportunities to reconsider.
Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said: “While the Australian government can ensure that opportunities are provided and communicated, we cannot remove the context in which the players are making these incredibly difficult decisions.”
South Korea’s presidential office said on Sunday it will carefully consider U.S. President Donald Trump’s call for allies to send warships to secure the Strait of Hormuz.
“We will communicate closely with the U.S. regarding this matter and make a decision after careful review,” the statement said.
U.S. President Donald Trump has renewed calls for other countries to help secure the Strait of Hormuz, writing on Truth Social that the United States will “help - A LOT” amid the ongoing U.S.-Israeli war on Iran.
Trump claimed that the U.S. had “decimated Iran, both militarily, economically, and in every other way,” and said he hoped nations including China, France, Japan, South Korea and Britain would send warships to keep the strategic passage open. He offered no details on which countries would commit vessels.
Oil-loading operations have restarted at the United Arab Emirates’ Fujairah emirate following a drone attack and fire on Saturday, Bloomberg News reported.
Fujairah, a key bunkering hub and crude export terminal outside the Strait of Hormuz, handles around 1 million barrels per day of UAE Murban crude - roughly 1% of global demand.
Authorities have not reported further disruptions, signalling a swift recovery after the attack.
Israel and Lebanon are expected to hold rare direct talks amid the ongoing war with Iran-backed Hezbollah, according to Haaretz. Beirut is forming a delegation, but no date has been set, with Lebanon seeking a full ceasefire before negotiations.
The conflict began on 2 March when Hezbollah fired on Israel; Israeli strikes have killed over 800 people in Lebanon and displaced around 800,000.
Talks may be held in Paris or Southern Cyprus, with Jared Kushner reportedly involved and Israel’s Ron Dermer leading the delegation.
FCC Chairman Brendan Carr renewed warnings to broadcasters over “fake news,” citing U.S. President Trump’s criticism of media coverage on the U.S. and Israel conflict with Iran.
Carr posted that broadcasters must act in the public interest or risk losing their licences. The FCC regulates radio and TV, not online or print media. He said “hoaxes and distortions” have eroded public trust, extending his criticism to coverage of the war.
Democrats and some Republicans have condemned Carr’s pressure campaign, while he points to polls showing widespread distrust of the media.
Israeli forces killed four Palestinians, including two children, during a raid in the occupied West Bank on Sunday, Palestinian health authorities reported.
A mother and father, aged 35 and 37, were shot dead in the village of Tammun, along with two of their children, aged five and seven. Two other children in the household were injured.
The Israeli military said it is investigating the incident.
Iran has detained 20 people in the northwestern province of West Azerbaijan accused of acting as informants for Israel, the Tasnim news agency reported on Sunday.
According to the provincial prosecutor’s office, the suspects allegedly provided details about the locations of Iran’s military and security assets to Israel.
Iranian authorities have not released further details on the suspects or the ongoing investigation.
Formula 1 has cancelled the Bahrain (12 April) and Saudi Arabia (19 April) Grands Prix due to safety concerns amid the ongoing Iran war.
F1 said no replacements will be scheduled, leaving a 22-race season and a five-week gap between the Japanese and Miami Grands Prix. Teams had tested in Bahrain just one month ago.
"While several alternatives were considered, it was ultimately decided that no substitutions will be made in April," F1 said in a statement released on Saturday.
Switzerland has refused two U.S. overflight requests linked to the Iran conflict, citing neutrality laws, but approved three others for transport and maintenance flights.
"The law on neutrality prohibits overflights by parties to the conflict that serve a military purpose related to the conflict. Permitted are humanitarian and medical transits, including the transport of wounded persons, as well as overflights that are unrelated to the conflict," the government said in a statement.
The U.S. Department of Defense has named the six service members who died when a military refuelling aircraft crashed in Iraq on 12 March. The crew has been identified as John A. Klinner, Ariana G. Savino, Ashley B. Pruitt, Seth R. Koval, Curtis J. Angst and Tyler H. Simmons.
They were aboard a KC-135 Stratotanker, a refuelling aircraft supporting ongoing U.S. operations in the region, including missions linked to Iran. Pentagon officials said the crash is under investigation, and that neither hostile nor friendly fire was involved.
The talks, led by U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng, aim to resolve outstanding issues in the October 2025 trade truce, including tariffs, rare earth exports, high-tech controls, and agricultural purchases. U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer is also attending.
Analysts say the focus is on keeping dialogue on track rather than achieving a major breakthrough, with attention in Washington fixed on the U.S.-Israel war with Iran and global oil concerns.
China has called for continuity in talks as a “stabilising anchor.”
In an interview with CNN’s Fareed Zakaria aired on Saturday, Volodymyr Zelenskyy described the claims as “100% facts,” adding that Iran has already used Russian-made Shaheds to strike U.S. bases.
Shahed drones, first developed by Iran as a cheaper alternative to missiles, have been widely deployed since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in late 2022. Thousands have reportedly been launched by Russian forces, while other countries - including the United States - have adopted Shahed-style drones for military use.
Although Iran pioneered the technology, Russia now manufactures its own Shahed drones, and the weapons have also been linked to attacks across the Middle East, though the precise origin of some strikes remains unclear.
At least 15 people have been killed in a strike on a factory in the central Iranian city of Isfahan, Fars news agency reports.
The facility, which manufactures heaters and refrigerators, was hit on Saturday while workers were inside, according to the agency. Iranian media have attributed the attack to forces from Israel and the United States, though neither country has officially confirmed involvement.
The strike represents a significant escalation in tensions across the region, with Iran already facing repeated attacks on its infrastructure. Details remain limited as reports continue to emerge.
The head of the World Health Organization said 12 doctors, paramedics and nurses were killed in a strike on the Bourj Qalaouiyeh primary healthcare centre in southern Lebanon late on Friday.
Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said two paramedics were also killed earlier in an attack on a health facility in Al Sowana, bringing the total number of health workers killed in the past 24 hours to 14.
He described the deaths as “a tragic development” amid the escalating conflict between Israel and Hezbollah.
U.S. President Donald Trump said the United States may carry out further strikes on Iran’s Kharg Island oil export hub, despite signs Tehran is ready to negotiate an end to the conflict.
Speaking to NBC News on Saturday, Trump said the previous U.S. strikes had “totally demolished” most of the key facility but warned more attacks could follow.
“Iran wants to make a deal, but the terms aren’t good enough yet,” he said, adding the U.S. “may hit it a few more times just for fun.”
The United States has ordered non-emergency government employees and the family members of staff to leave Oman, citing safety concerns as the conflict involving Iran continues to escalate.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer could deploy thousands of UK-made interceptor drones to the Middle East as part of efforts to strengthen regional defences against Iranian unmanned aerial vehicles, according to a report in The Telegraph.
Military officials are said to be assessing whether the “Octopus” anti-drone system - developed in the UK and currently supplied to Ukraine for use against Russian forces - could also be used to counter Iran’s Shahed drones.
The involvement of Yemen’s Houthis has heightened regional tensions as the Iran-aligned group joins the conflict. The U.S. says it is hopeful of holding talks with Iran in the coming days, while Tehran has said that "talking and bombing is intolerable". Welcome to our live coverage of the conflict.
Cuba and the United States have been at odds for more than six decades, with tensions rooted in the 1959 revolution that transformed the island’s political and economic system. Renewed focus on relations comes as Donald Trump’s rhetoric intensifies and conditions on the island worsen.
The four astronauts selected for NASA’s Artemis II mission have arrived in Florida, entering the final phase of preparations for the first crewed journey towards the Moon in more than five decades
Iranian Military Spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Ibrahim Zulfiqari has warned that American soldiers will become 'food for sharks' if U.S. President Donald Trump launches ground attacks against Iran. The threat comes after the U.S. military said it was deploying thousands of Marines to the region.
China is moving ahead with plans to establish a nationwide long-term care insurance system, aimed at supporting its rapidly ageing population and easing the financial burden on families caring for elderly relatives.
More than 372,000 people were left without electricity in Russia’s southern region of Dagestan after heavy rain triggered severe flooding, officials said.
Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has said his government will absorb a 56bn-rupee fuel subsidy to shield people from rising energy costs linked to the Middle East conflict.
The involvement of Yemen’s Houthis has heightened regional tensions as the Iran-aligned group joins the conflict. The U.S. says it is hopeful of holding talks with Iran in the coming days, while Tehran has said that "talking and bombing is intolerable". Welcome to our live coverage of the conflict.
AnewZ has released the official trailer for its upcoming original documentary, Halfway Across, an investigation into the systems behind illegal migration.
Hamas would have to allow its vast network of tunnels in Gaza to be destroyed as it gives up its weapons over eight months, under a disarmament plan drawn up by the U.S. President Donald Trump’s Board of Peace.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment