U.S. President Donald Trump said Israel struck Iran’s South Pars gas field without U.S. or Qatari involvement, and warned that any Iranian attack on Qatar would prompt massive retaliation. The comments come as regional tensions soar after Tehran fired missiles at Gulf energy sites.
That concludes today’s updates on the U.S.‑Israel conflict with Iran. We will continue to monitor developments in the region and provide the latest reports as the situation evolves.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reiterated that the goal of the war on Iran is to eliminate nuclear and ballistic missile threats before they are buried underground and shielded from air attacks.
Speaking at a press conference, he said the campaign also aims to create conditions for the Iranian people to “grasp their freedom to control their destiny.” Netanyahu claimed Israel and the U.S. are destroying factories producing missile components and wiping out Iran’s industrial base, adding that the country’s command and control structure is in utter chaos.
He suggested there are many signs the Iranian government could collapse, though he did not provide details. Netanyahu also said Israel is assisting U.S. efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, noting that price spikes “go up and come down.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday that there are “many indications of the collapse of the Iranian regime”, but stopped short of guaranteeing it.
Speaking at a press conference, he said Israel is working to create conditions that could lead to such an outcome, while acknowledging the regime may still survive.
Netanyahu added that even if it survives, Iran would be much weaker, losing “the death industries it has built over decades” along with many of its other capabilities. He also warned that Iran would face harsher consequences if it attempted to rebuild.
France’s Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot will make an unscheduled visit to Israel on Friday following his trip to Beirut as part of efforts to secure a ceasefire in Lebanon.
The French foreign ministry said Barrot will meet Israeli officials to discuss regional security, humanitarian aid, and ways to de-escalate conflicts in the Middle East.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel will hold off on further attacks on Iran’s South Pars gasfield following a request from President Donald Trump.
Speaking at a televised press conference, Netanyahu said Israel “acted alone” in the initial strike and predicted the Iran war could end “faster than people think.”
He warned that any Iranian attempt to close the Strait of Hormuz would fail, calling Iran’s threats a bid to “blackmail the world” that “won’t work.”
Netanyahu also denied that his government dragged the United States into the conflict, praising Trump for leading efforts to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons and saying the world “owes a debt of deep indebtedness” to the U.S. president.
The U.S. military’s request for over $200 billion in additional funding for the Iran war faced strong opposition in Congress on Thursday. Democrats and some Republicans questioned the need for such a large sum, given substantial defense appropriations approved last year.
A U.S. official confirmed a Washington Post report that the Department of Defense has asked the White House to submit the funding request to Congress.
France will double its humanitarian aid to Lebanon to 17 million euros ($19.7 million), Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot announced on Thursday during a visit to Beirut. The move comes as Lebanon faces Israel’s ongoing military campaign.
Barrot made the announcement on social media as part of efforts to push for a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah.
Earlier this week, France’s special envoy for Lebanon, Jean-Yves Le Drian, said it was unreasonable to expect the Lebanese government to disarm Iran-backed Hezbollah while the country is under attack.
Sources said Israel rejected Beirut’s offer of direct talks, viewing it as too little, too late, despite shared goals of disarming Hezbollah and avoiding civil war.
The leaders of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Japan, and the United Kingdom condemned “in the strongest terms” Iranian attacks on unarmed commercial vessels, civilian infrastructure, and oil and gas installations, as well as the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
In a joint statement, they called on Iran to halt its threats and attempts to block the strait, emphasizing that “freedom of navigation is a fundamental principle of international law.”
The leaders said they were ready to support “appropriate efforts to ensure safe passage through the Strait” and welcomed the commitment of nations already engaging in preparatory planning.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, “We are winning, and Iran is being decimated,” claiming that Iran’s missile and drone arsenal is being massively degraded and that factories producing components for missiles and nuclear weapons are being destroyed.
He did not provide evidence for his claim that Iran no longer has the capacity to enrich uranium.
He added it is too soon to tell whether Iranians will rise against their government, saying, “It’s up to the Iranian people to show that, to choose the moment and to rise to the moment.”
Netanyahu also indicated that a ground component may be necessary for the conflict, without providing details, and denied dragging the United States into the war.
“Does anyone really think that someone can tell President Trump what to do?” he said.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday that Iran no longer has the capacity to enrich uranium or produce ballistic missiles after 20 days of U.S.-Israeli air attacks, speaking at a news conference.
U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright confirmed that President Donald Trump’s administration has no plans to limit oil or gas exports, saying on social media, “The Trump administration has no plan to implement restrictions on oil and gas exports.”
International Atomic Energy Agency Director-General Rafael Grossi stressed the urgency of resuming negotiations with Iran once the U.S. and Israel’s military campaign ends, warning that “we will still inherit a number of major issues,” including Iran’s stockpile of enriched uranium, some of which may be under rubble.
Speaking to CBS’s Face the Nation, Grossi noted that the current operations do not appear to be targeting nuclear facilities specifically. He highlighted the risks of handling Iran’s uranium, describing cylinders of highly enriched uranium hexafluoride at 60% as “very difficult to handle,” with possible decoys complicating inspections.
While Iran is obligated to allow UN inspectors, Grossi said “nothing can happen while bombs are falling,” and emphasized that much of Iran’s nuclear program, its capabilities, knowledge, and industrial capacity, remains intact, underscoring the need to return to the negotiating table.
Iran’s ambassador to Germany, Majid Nili, said Tehran has asked Berlin to clarify the role of Ramstein Air Base in the US‑Israel war on Iran.
“We have asked them to clarify or explain regarding the role of Ramstein,” Nili said, adding that “the role of Ramstein is not officially clear for us.”
He added that “till now, we don’t have any answer.”
Israel’s attacks in southern Lebanon on Thursday damaged a key power substation in Bint Jbeil, the Lebanese state electricity company said. The strike affected various parts of the station, disrupting electricity supply to the city and surrounding towns.
There were no immediate reports of casualties, and the Israeli military has not commented on the attack.
An Iranian missile attack targeted Israel’s Oil Refineries in Haifa on Thursday, but caused no significant damage, Israel’s Energy Ministry said. Power was briefly disrupted but restored within 45 minutes. Police and bomb disposal units investigated multiple impact sites, and no casualties were reported.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards claimed the strike also targeted Ashdod refineries and other security and military sites, though the extent of damage there remains unclear.
Energy Minister Eli Cohen described the northern power grid damage as “localized and not significant.”
Israel’s Ministry of Environmental Protection confirmed debris from an intercepted missile is being examined for hazardous materials.
Iran's foreign minister Abbas Araghchi posted a warning to Israel, that next time Iran will attack properly, on his X account:
Our response to Israel's attack on our infrastructure employed FRACTION of our power. The ONLY reason for restraint was respect for requested de-escalation.
ZERO restraint if our infrastructures are struck again.
Any end to this war must address damage to our civilian sites. — Seyed Abbas Araghchi (@araghchi) March 19, 2026
U.S. releases footage of the strikes on Iranian ships:
U.S. forces are destroying Iranian naval targets that threaten international shipping in and near the Strait of Hormuz. pic.twitter.com/qR6FJyI5ZS — U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) March 19, 2026
Top lines from The White House:
Replay:
Trump meets Japan's Takaichi in Washington https://t.co/NS3rcHNfmU — Reuters (@Reuters) March 19, 2026
This was streamed live.
U.S. Director of National Intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, has told a hearing that the United States intelligence community has "high confidence" it knows where Iran's highly enriched uranium stockpiles are.
She didn't however admit on the floor of the House whether the country had a means of destroying it.
The leaders of the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Japan have said the following on the Strait of Hormuz.
"We express our deep concern about the escalating conflict. We call on Iran to cease immediately its threats, laying of mines, drone and missile attacks and other attempts to block the Strait to commercial shipping, and to comply with UN Security Council Resolution 2817."
"We welcome the International Energy Agency decision to authorise a coordinated release of strategic petroleum reserves. We will take other steps to stabilise energy markets, including working with certain producing nations to increase output."
Qatar's Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani joint press conference with Türkiye's foreign minister Hakan Fidan in Doha.
Top lines:
AnewZ will have a full write up of this press conference shortly.
Iran’s attacks on Qatar have damaged facilities that produce 17% of the company’s liquefied natural gas export capacity and could take 3 to 5 years to rebuild, QatarEnergy CEO Saad al Kaabi said.
UN General Secretary Antonio Guterres has urged the United States and Israel to stop the war. He also asked Iran to stop attacking its neighbours.
"It is high time to end this war that is risking to get completely out of control", he said.
India's Modi and France's Macron spoke on the phone about the need to reduce the conflict
Thank you, my dear friend.
India and France are working closely together to reduce tensions in the region and to keep diplomacy at the heart of our efforts for peace. https://t.co/FkXTZvPSj0 — Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) March 19, 2026
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told Fox Business Network's "Mornings with Maria" program "In the coming days, we may unsanction the Iranian oil that's on the water. It's about 140 million barrels".
The move aims to help reduce prices by lifting global supplies.
U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and U.S. chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Caine have been speaking live at the Pentagon about the Iran war.
"Our objectives, given directly from our America-first president, remain exactly what they were on day one," Hegseth told reporters. "These are not the media's objectives, not Iran's objectives, not new objectives. Our objectives - unchanged, on target and on plan," Hegseth added.
Hegseth: Iran has the ability to make the right choices, it should not target Arab allies.
Iran still retains some missile capabilities, Caine said on Thursday, as the war in Iran entered its 20th day. "They came into this fight with a lot of weapons" he added.
Hegseth: It will be Trump's choice to say we've achieved what we needed for security.
Iran's 11 submarines have been destroyed, Hegseth said.
He finished by saying strikes on Iran's military capabilities on Kharg Island give the U.S. control over the fate of the country.
Anton Rubtsov, Director of the Oil and Gas Facilities Department at Russia’s Energy Ministry, said Moscow could impose a ban on fuel exports if domestic prices rise.
Speaking at an event in Moscow, Rubtsov said Russia’s fuel market is currently balanced but warned that exports could disrupt domestic supply. “Fuel exports could create a supply problem in the domestic market. Therefore, if a problem arises in the balance, a ban can be imposed quickly,” he said.
Russia already maintains partial export restrictions on petrol, diesel and other fuel types, although petroleum product manufacturers are exempt.
As of early 2026, India and China have been the major importers of Russian fuel.
His comments come as tensions involving Iran, the United States and Israel raise concerns over disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz, a key global trade route which has contributed to rising energy prices.
The United Arab Emirates has said that its air defence system has intercepted seven ballistic missiles and 15 drones fired from Iran on Thursday,
The UAE Ministry of Defence says they have intercepted and destroyed a total of 334 ballistic missiles, 15 cruise missiles, and 1,714 drones fired from Iran since the start of the conflict.
The authorities further reported that these attacks have led to the death of two military personnel, six civilians and 158 individuals injured.
The UAE has experienced a barrage of projectile attacks from Iran in retaliation for a joint ongoing U.S.-Israel military strike that has killed top Iranian officials, including Ali Kameni and other top security officials.
The Iraqi Civil Aviation Authority has said all arriving, departing and overflying aircraft will now be banned until Sunday (22 March) due to the Middle East conflict, Anadolu Agency reports.
Iraq first announced its airspace would be closed for 24 hours on 28 February, as a result of conflict in the region. This period has been extended several times since.
Iran has launched attacks in Iraq in retaliation for strikes by the U.S. and Israel since the conflict began, including on the airport in Baghdad, which houses U.S. diplomatic assets.
Italian luxury sports car maker Ferrari RACE.MI said on Thursday that it had temporarily suspended deliveries in the region.
"We are closely monitoring the developments in the Middle East and the potential implications for our business," it said in a statement.
"At this stage, we have temporarily suspended deliveries in the area, while managing few deliveries via airplane," the company added.
Sultan Al Jaber said on Thursday that critical energy infrastructure across the region, including that of ADNOC in the United Arab Emirates, has come under attack.
"This is an unjustified, unprovoked and illegal attack on a peaceful nation," Al Jaber said in a LinkedIn post.
"But it is not just a regional issue - it is global economic warfare. Energy flows are being weaponised."
Former Iranian defense minister Hossein Dehghan has been appointed as the new secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council. It comes after Ali Larijani was killed by Israeli strikes.
Financial Times reports the Cypriot Prime Minister told the media before the EU summit (see 08.51): “When this unfortunate situation in the Middle East is over, we need to have an open and frank conversation about the status and future of the British bases in Cyprus”
An Iranian lawmaker has said that Iran is considering imposing fees on vessels to pass through the Strait of Hormuz in a bid to monetise control of oil and gas supplies to the world.
Germany ready to assist mission in the Strait of Hormuz, once the fighting ends and an international mandate is secured
Current and former officials are quoted saying the United States could deploy a Marine unit to the Strait and Iran-controlled islands.
Figures say 1000 people have died since the start of the Israel-U.S. led conflict in Iran, with Israel launching missiles into Lebanon.
Israel's military has destroyed a helicopter at an airport
⭕️ نیروی هوایی یک فروند بالگرد از نوع «MI‑17» را در فرودگاه «سنندج» منهدم کرد
نیروی هوایی همچنان به لطمه به توانمندیهای نظامی نیروی هوایی سپاه پاسداران انقلاب اسلامی ادامه میدهد و برتری هوایی خود را در غرب ایران گسترش میدهد.
در جریان شب گذشته (چهارشنبه)، با هدایت اطلاعاتی… pic.twitter.com/MdbxGvEBX3 — ارتش دفاعی اسرائیل | IDF Farsi (@IDFFarsi) March 19, 2026
From March 1 to 18, commodities carriers made just 105 crossings, according to analytics firm Kpler -- a decrease of more than 95 percent. This is according to industry intelligence site Lloyds List.
60 were oil and gas tankers and, of those, nearly six out of 10 were loaded, Kpler data showed. Three-quarters of the crossings were by ships leaving the Gulf.
Leaders discuss energy prices and impact of Iran war - this event streamed live
EU leaders meet in Brussels to discuss energy prices https://t.co/DMEkXUakXI — Reuters (@Reuters) March 19, 2026
The Saudi Defence Ministry says Oil giant Saudi Aramco's SAMREF refinery in the Red Sea port of Yanbu was targeted in an aerial attack on Thursday. The IRGC issued evacuation warnings across oil fields.
Yanbu has been one of two major export outlets for any crude oil out of Gulf Arab countries since Iran effectively shut the Strait of Hormuz late last month.
According to a senior Trump administration official speaking to The Washington Post, The Pentagon has asked the White House to approve a more than $200 billion request to Congress to fund the war in Iran.
The Post reports that some White House officials don't believe lawmakers will approve the request.
Internet observatory website NetBlocks has been tracking the internet blackout for Iran, reporting that chosen users recieve access whilst most of the public are blocked.
⚠️ Update: #Iran's internet blackout has entered its 20th day, with international connectivity unavailable to the general public for over 456 hours.
The incident is now the longest recorded shutdown in Iran's history, surpassing the blackout imposed during protests in January. pic.twitter.com/DovE5nA6AT — NetBlocks (@netblocks) March 19, 2026
India's trade ministry said on Thursday the government will extend support for insurance cover on shipments routed through conflict‑hit corridors, as exporters struggle with sharply rising logistics costs.
China is willing to strengthen coordination and cooperation with Southeast Asian countries to address energy security issues arising from the war in Iran, the Chinese foreign ministry said on Thursday.
The situation in the Middle East has disrupted global energy security, said Lin Jian, spokesperson at the foreign ministry, when asked if Southeast Asian nations had reached out to China for help in tackling their energy security issues.
A vessel off Qatar’s coast was struck by an “unknown projectile,” UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) reported, adding that all crew members are safe. The incident occurred near Ras Laffan, which was hit by Iranian strikes on Wednesday.
UKMTO also reported a similar attack on a vessel off northeast UAE near the Strait of Hormuz, causing a fire but no casualties.
Foreign ministers from a number of Arab and Islamic countries called Thursday on Iran to immediately halt its attacks on regional states following a consultative ministerial meeting.
In a joint statement issued after the meeting in Riyadh, the ministers condemned what they described as deliberate Iranian attacks using ballistic missiles and drones targeting residential areas and civilian infrastructure.
U.S. President Donald Trump may use a White House meeting with Japan’s prime minister on Thursday to press for help in the war on Iran.
Trump hosts Takaichi for a long-scheduled White House visit aimed at burnishing the decades-old security and economic partnership between Washington and its closest East Asian ally.
Takaichi told the Japanese parliament on Monday that Japan had received no official request from the U.S. but was checking the scope of possible action within the limits of its constitution.
Iran seeks compensation from the United Arab Emirates, accusing it of enabling U.S. attacks against Iranian territory, Iran's UN Ambassador told the UN Secretary General in a letter according to a Nournews report published on Thursday.
In the letter, Amir Saeid Iravani said the UAE’s decision to allow its territory to be used for the strikes constituted "an internationally wrongful act that entailed state responsibility.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Thursday expressed “deep concern” over an attack on a gas facility in Qatar and called for de-escalation.
He condemned what he described as Iranian attacks across the Middle East and said Australia does not want further escalation. “We are not participants in the conflict, but we will continue to argue for de-escalation,” he said.
Oil prices surged past $110 a barrel after reports of an airstrike on Iran’s South Pars gas field, the world’s largest. Brent crude rose to $112 in early Asian trading, up more than 5% from Tuesday, before easing slightly.
The spike came as Qatar also confirmed “extensive damage” at its Ras Laffan industrial site following Iranian threats.
Qatar released a statement Thursday strongly condemning Iranian attacks targeting energy facilities in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates over the past two days.
The ministry said the Iranian attacks on regional countries had crossed “all red lines,” citing what it said was the targeting of civilians, civilian infrastructure and vital facilities.
Iran executed three men on Thursday convicted of killing two police officers during unrest earlier this year, state media reported, saying the sentences had been upheld by the Supreme Court.
The judiciary said the men were found guilty of murder and 'Moharebeh' (waging war against God), including carrying out acts it said were in favour of Israel and the United States. The executions were carried out in the religious city of Qom.
Three Palestinian women were killed in an Iranian missile attack in the West Bank late on Wednesday (18 March), the Palestinian Red Crescent said, in the first deadly Iranian strike there, since the start of the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran.
The missile struck a hair salon in the town of Beit Awwa, southwest of Hebron, the Palestinian Authority's official news agency WAFA reported.
Two men have been charged under the National Security Act after an investigation by Counter Terrorism Police in London into alleged surveillance of Jewish community sites. Nematollah Shahsavani, 40, and Alireza Farasati, 22, are accused of aiding a foreign intelligence service.
They are due in Westminster Magistrates' Court on 19 March. Authorities say the investigation was complex and stresses public safety remains a priority.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz told lawmakers on Wednesday he agreed Iran must not be allowed to pose a threat to its neighbors but expressed doubts about the rationale behind the U.S.-Israeli war.
"To this day, there is no convincing plan for how this operation could succeed. Washington has not consulted us and did not say European assistance was necessary," he said.
"We would have advised against pursuing this course of action as it has been pursued. Therefore, we have declared that as long as the war continues, we will not participate in ensuring freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, for example, by military means."
U.S. officials detected unidentified drones above an army base in Washington where Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth live, the Washington Post reported on Wednesday (18 March).
Saudi Arabia reserves the right to take military actions "if deemed necessary" following Iranian attacks on Gulf countries, the kingdom's Foreign Minister said early on Thursday (19 March).
Speaking to reporters in Riyadh, he said Iran must “review its misjudgements”, stressing that such attacks will not bring Tehran any gains.
Prince Faisal said Iran “doesn’t believe in talking to its neighbours” and instead “tries to pressure its neighbours”, adding that this approach will not succeed and will “backfire politically and morally” on Tehran.
U.S. President Donald Trump said late on Wednesday the attack on Iran's South Pars gas field was carried out by Israel, and the U.S. and Qatar were not involved in it.
"The United States knew nothing about this particular attack, and the country of Qatar was in no way, shape, or form, involved with it, nor did it have any idea that it was going to happen," Trump wrote on Truth Social.
QatarEnergy said several of its liquefied natural gas (LNG) facilities were targeted in missile attacks in the early hours of Thursday, causing "sizeable fires" and extensive damage.
"Emergency response teams were deployed immediately to contain the resulting damage with no reported casualties," it said in a statement.
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President Donald Trump said the U.S. was considering "winding down" its military operation against Iran, as Iran and Israel traded attacks on Saturday (21 March) and Iranian media said the nuclear enrichment facility in Natanz had been attacked.
Ankara has conveyed “friendly advice” to the Iranian leadership in an effort to avert a wider war in the Middle East, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said on Thursday in the Qatari capital, Doha.
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.
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German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has voiced doubts about the effectiveness of the U.S. and Israeli military campaign in Iran, warning that the conflict risks becoming prolonged and increasingly complex.
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.
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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.
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