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Interim summary
In case you’re just tuning in to today’s live coverage of the US-Israel war on Iran, here’s a recap of the latest developments. It’s just passed 11.30am in Tehran, 10am in Tel Aviv and Beirut and 4am in Washington DC.
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Donald Trump has said he is considering “winding down” military operations against Iran. “We are getting very close to meeting our objectives,” the US president posted on Friday on his Truth Social platform in the strongest indication yet that he may be prepared to soon end the hostilities that began three weeks ago.
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Israel launched military strikes on “regime targets” in Tehran, Iran, and Hezbollah targets in southern Beirut, Lebanon, early on Saturday. Iran earlier launched a new wave of drone and missile attacks on Israel.
Photograph: Mohamed Azakir/Reuters
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The US temporarily eased sanctions on Iranian oil shipments to stem the global supply crisis. The US Treasury’s authorisation allowing for the delivery and sale of Iranian crude oil and other petroleum products loaded on to ships before 20 March would last until 19 April, it said. It is the third time the US has temporarily waived sanctions in about two weeks.
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Iran fired two intermediate-range ballistic missiles at Diego Garcia but neither of them hit the joint US-UK military base in the Indian Ocean, the Wall Street Journal and CNN reported, citing multiple US officials. One of the missiles failed in flight and a US warship fired an SM-3 interceptor at the other, the WSJ said. Neither outlet confirmed when Iran launched the missiles.
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Iran’s military warned the United Arab Emirates on Saturday against allowing attacks from its territory on two disputed islands – Abu Musa and Greater Tunb – in the Persian Gulf near the strait of Hormuz.
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Saudi Arabia said it was continuing to intercept and destroy drones – the defence ministry said it had intercepted dozens overnight in the east – while neighbouring Kuwait said it had also been intercepting air attacks.
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Iran is willing to help Japanese ships sail through the strait of Hormuz, foreign minister Abbas Araghchi told Kyodo News in an interview published on Saturday, if it coordinates with Tehran.
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Donald Trump said he was “very surprised” Australia had not sent warships to help open the strait of Hormuz amid the oil route’s effective shutdown. He has also lashed out at Nato, describing alliance members as “cowards” for not wanting to help unblock the strait.
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The European Commission has urged EU states to lower natural-gas storage targets and start refilling reserves gradually to curb demand, the Financial Times reported on Saturday.
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Iran’s military has threatened recreational and tourist sites worldwide, amid its retaliatory strikes in the Gulf region. The top military spokesperson, Gen Abolfazl Shekarchi, warned that “parks, recreational areas and tourist destinations” globally would not be safe for the country’s enemies.
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One person was killed and two others wounded after an Israeli airstrike hit a house in a southern Lebanon town early on Saturday, state media said.
Key events
US military claims Iran threat to Hormuz ‘degraded’
The US military has said that Iran’s ability to threaten the strait of Hormuz has been “degraded” by the bombing of an underground facility where it stored cruise missiles and other weaponry.
Admiral Brad Cooper, commander of US Central Command said in video message posted on X:
We not only took out the facility, but also destroyed intelligence support sites and missile radar relays that were used to monitor ship movements.
He added:
Iran’s ability to threaten freedom of navigation in and around the strait of Hormuz is degraded as a result, and we will not stop pursuing these targets.
Damien Gayle
The US-Israel war on Iran is a disaster for the climate, according to an analysis that finds it is draining the global carbon budget faster than 84 countries combined.
As warplanes, drones and missiles kill thousands of people, level infrastructure and turn the Middle East into a gigantic environmental sacrifice zone, the first analysis of the climate cost has found the conflict led to 5m tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions in its first 14 days.
The analysis, shared exclusively with the Guardian, adds another layer on to reporting of the catastrophic environmental harm being caused by attacks on fossil fuel infrastructure, military bases, civilian areas and ships at sea.
“Every missile strike is another downpayment on a hotter, more unstable planet, and none of it makes anyone safer,” said Patrick Bigger, a research director at the Climate and Community Institute and a co-author of the analysis.
“Every refinery fire and tanker strike is a reminder that fossil‑fuelled geopolitics is incompatible with a livable planet. This war shows, yet again, that the fastest way to supercharge the climate crisis is to let fossil fuel interests dictate foreign policy.”
Read the full report here:
As we’ve been reporting, Iran fired two missiles at the UK-US military base on Diego Garcia.
Part of the Chagos Islands, Diego Garcia is about 3,800km (2,360 miles) from Iran and home to an airbase capable of accommodating long-range US bombers.
The island has been at the centre of a political row after the UK agreed to cede sovereignty of the islands to Mauritius and lease back the base.
Russia has condemned the US and Israel’s attack on the Natanz nuclear enrichment facility.
In a statement reported by Reuters, Russia’s foreign ministry’s spokesperson Maria Zakharova said: “This is a blatant violation of international law”.
During its invasion of Ukraine and subsequent war, Russia has attacked nuclear power plants in Ukraine, including the Chornobyl site which suffered a meltdown in 1986.
India’s prime minister Narendra Modi has spoken to the Iranian president Masoud Pezeshkian as he “condemned attacks” on infrastructure in the region.
Modi posted on X, formerly known as Twitter: “Spoke with President Dr Masoud Pezeshkian and conveyed Eid and Nowruz greetings. We expressed hope that this festive season brings peace, stability and prosperity to west Asia.
“Condemned attacks on critical infrastructure in the region, which threaten regional stability and disrupt global supply chains.
“Reiterated the importance of safeguarding freedom of navigation and ensuring that shipping lanes remain open and secure.
“Appreciated Iran’s continued support for the safety and security of Indian nationals in Iran.”
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has called for “restraint” after Israel and the US targeted a nuclear enrichment facility in central Iran.
The Iranian Tasnim news agency said the Natanz site between Tehran and Isfahan was targeted earlier on Saturday. It said it had not led to any radioactive leakage, and residents were not at risk (See 09.24am)
A post on X, formerly Twitter, by the IAEA on Saturday quoted its director general Rafael Grossi and said: “IAEA director general Grossi reiterates call for military restraint to avoid any risk of a nuclear accident.”
Reports of an Iranian missile attack on the UK and US Diego Garcia military base in Indian Ocean are correct, the Guardian understands.
The Ministry of Defence indicated that the failed strikes (see 7.05am) at the base were before the announcement last night that UK bases can be used by the US for “specific and defensive operations”.
Diego Garcia and RAF Fairford can be used by the US.
An MoD spokesperson said: “Iran’s reckless attacks, lashing out across the region and holding hostage the strait of Hormuz, are a threat to British interests and British allies.
“RAF jets and other UK military assets are continuing to defend our people and personnel in the region.
“This government has given permission to the US to use British bases for specific and limited defensive operations.”
Sardar Azmoun has been omitted from the Iran squad announced for two World Cup friendlies games after Iranian media reports that the striker had been expelled from the national team for a perceived act of disloyalty to the government.
Azmoun, who has scored 57 goals in 91 internationals, was the most notable absentee from a 35-man squad named by the head coach, Amir Ghalenoei, on Friday for games against Nigeria and Costa Rica in the Turkish city of Antalya.
Azmoun, who plays his club football in the United Arab Emirates for Shabab Al Ahli, upset the Iranian authorities this week by posting a picture on his Instagram feed of a meeting with Dubai’s ruler Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.
Iran has launched rocket and drone attacks on the UAE after airstrikes by the United States and Israel, which killed the country’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Strikes by the US and Israel on Iran will “intensify” in the next week, Israel’s defence minister Israel Katz has said.
In a statement published by AFP, Katz said there would be a “significant” rise in the attacks on the country.
He said: “This week, the intensity of the strikes to be carried out by the IDF and the US military against the Iranian terror regime and the infrastructure on which it relies will rise significantly.”
Iranian among those charged with trying to enter UK naval base
Morgan Ofori
In the UK two people have been charged, one of them Iranian, after they allegedly tried to enter a naval base in Scotland which houses the UK’s nuclear Trident submarines.
A 34-year-old man and a 31-year-old woman were charged after the incident at the HM Naval Base Clyde, which is known as Faslane. Police Scotland said inquiries were continuing and that the pair were due to appear at Dumbarton sheriff court on Monday.
A police spokesperson said: “Around 5pm on Thursday, 19 March 2026 we were made aware of two people attempting to enter HM Naval Base Clyde.
“A 34-year-old Iranian man and a 31-year-old Romanian woman have been arrested and charged in connection with the incident.
Here’s a dispatch from William Christou and Abbas Abdelkarim in South Lebanon as Israel’s attacks on the area continue.
Lebanese healthcare workers and officials say Israeli bombings have deliberately targeted medical workers and facilities in south Lebanon, including through the use of double-tap strikes, in what they describe as a systematic effort to make the area unlivable.
Since the war began on 2 March, Israel has struck at least 128 medical facilities and ambulances across south Lebanon, killing 40 healthcare workers and wounding 107, according to the Lebanese ministry of health. The war started when Hezbollah launched rockets at Israel, triggering an Israeli military campaign.
Most of the strikes on medics happened while they were sitting in ambulances or at first aid centres, several of which have been destroyed in south Lebanon. Israel has also carried out at least five double-tap strikes, a tactic in which an initial strike is followed by a pause, allowing medical workers to arrive before the area is bombed for a second time.
One dead in drone attack on Iraqi intelligence headquarters
An officer was killed in the drone attack (see 9.16am) on the Iraqi intelligence headquarters on Saturday, the intelligence service has confirmed.
In a statement the intelligence service said the drone, launched by “outlaw groups”, had killed an officer at the headquarters in Baghdad.
The strike took place at about 10am local time, 7am GMT, on Saturday.
“An officer was martyred,” Iraqi intelligence said in a statement published by AFP.
It condemned “a terrorist attack carried out by rogue elements”.
A security official and an Iraqi emergency services source reported that another officer was wounded.
Israel and US attack Iranian nuclear enrichment facility
Israel and the US have attacked a nuclear enrichment facility in Iran, according to Iranian media.
The Iranian Tasnim news agency said the latest attack on Saturday on the Natanz site in central Iran had not led to any radioactive material leakage.
It said residents near the facility between Tehran and Isfahan were not at risk.
Earlier in March the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said it had suffered damage after the US and Israel launches its strikes on the country on 28 February.
Iraqi government confirms drone strike on intelligence services
There’s an update on the reported drone attack on Iraq’s intelligence headquarters (see 8.34am).
General Saad Maan, head of Iraq’s government security media unit confirmed the attack in central Baghdad on Saturday morning.
In comments reported by AFP, he said: “A drone targeted the headquarters of the Iraqi National Intelligence Service in the Mansour district.” He said the attack took place at about 10am local time, 7am GMT.
An Iraqi security official has told the news agency the attack targeted a national intelligence service “telecommunications building”. It cooperates with US advisers in Iraq as part of an anti-jihadist coalition.
Iraq has been drawn into the conflict since the US and Israel attacked its neighbour Iran in late February.
Strikes have hit Iran-backed groups, which have in turn attacked US-linked buildings or facilities in the region, including Iraq.
At least three drone attacks overnight targeted a US diplomatic and logistics hub that houses US military personnel at Baghdad International Airport, according to two security officials speaking to AFP.
On Thursday, the Pentagon said combat helicopters had carried out strikes against pro-Iran armed groups in Iraq.
The Israel Defence Force killed four Hezbollah members in southern Lebanon overnight, the military has said.
The IDF posted on Telegram that a combination of ground troops and the Israeli air force killed one – and tanks killed three more.
The post on Saturday morning said jets also hit a series of Hezbollah buildings in Beirut it claimed were used by the group’s members.
Iraq’s intelligence headquarters in the country’s capital Baghdad has been targeted by a drone strike, according to agency reports.
Reuters reported the strike, as security sources told the AFP news agency that a communications building in Baghdad had been hit by a drone strike.
The communications building, according to a security source referenced by AFP, housed an Iraqi security agency that works with the US in Iraq as part of the anti-jihadist coalition.
Interim summary
In case you’re just tuning in to today’s live coverage of the US-Israel war on Iran, here’s a recap of the latest developments. It’s just passed 11.30am in Tehran, 10am in Tel Aviv and Beirut and 4am in Washington DC.
-
Donald Trump has said he is considering “winding down” military operations against Iran. “We are getting very close to meeting our objectives,” the US president posted on Friday on his Truth Social platform in the strongest indication yet that he may be prepared to soon end the hostilities that began three weeks ago.
-
Israel launched military strikes on “regime targets” in Tehran, Iran, and Hezbollah targets in southern Beirut, Lebanon, early on Saturday. Iran earlier launched a new wave of drone and missile attacks on Israel.
Photograph: Mohamed Azakir/Reuters
-
The US temporarily eased sanctions on Iranian oil shipments to stem the global supply crisis. The US Treasury’s authorisation allowing for the delivery and sale of Iranian crude oil and other petroleum products loaded on to ships before 20 March would last until 19 April, it said. It is the third time the US has temporarily waived sanctions in about two weeks.
-
Iran fired two intermediate-range ballistic missiles at Diego Garcia but neither of them hit the joint US-UK military base in the Indian Ocean, the Wall Street Journal and CNN reported, citing multiple US officials. One of the missiles failed in flight and a US warship fired an SM-3 interceptor at the other, the WSJ said. Neither outlet confirmed when Iran launched the missiles.
-
Iran’s military warned the United Arab Emirates on Saturday against allowing attacks from its territory on two disputed islands – Abu Musa and Greater Tunb – in the Persian Gulf near the strait of Hormuz.
-
Saudi Arabia said it was continuing to intercept and destroy drones – the defence ministry said it had intercepted dozens overnight in the east – while neighbouring Kuwait said it had also been intercepting air attacks.
-
Iran is willing to help Japanese ships sail through the strait of Hormuz, foreign minister Abbas Araghchi told Kyodo News in an interview published on Saturday, if it coordinates with Tehran.
-
Donald Trump said he was “very surprised” Australia had not sent warships to help open the strait of Hormuz amid the oil route’s effective shutdown. He has also lashed out at Nato, describing alliance members as “cowards” for not wanting to help unblock the strait.
-
The European Commission has urged EU states to lower natural-gas storage targets and start refilling reserves gradually to curb demand, the Financial Times reported on Saturday.
-
Iran’s military has threatened recreational and tourist sites worldwide, amid its retaliatory strikes in the Gulf region. The top military spokesperson, Gen Abolfazl Shekarchi, warned that “parks, recreational areas and tourist destinations” globally would not be safe for the country’s enemies.
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One person was killed and two others wounded after an Israeli airstrike hit a house in a southern Lebanon town early on Saturday, state media said.
Vladimir Putin has said Moscow remains a loyal friend and reliable partner of Tehran, the Kremlin was quoted as saying on Saturday.
The Russian president’s comment came as he congratulated Iranian supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei and President Masoud Pezeshkian on Nowruz, the Persian new year.
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