All you need to know about Day 21 of US-Israeli war on Iran

This live blog follows updates for Day 21 of the US-Israeli war on Iran. For a recap of Day 20, go here.

• War exposing Europe's reliance on Gulf flights, airlines warn
• US, Israel strike 16 Iranian cargo vessels in port towns: Iran media
• Israeli military says striking Iranian region on Caspian Sea
• Israel says struck Syrian army camps after Druze 'attacked'
• Sri Lanka refused ground access to US warplanes: President

Israel police probe blast sites after Iran missile warning

Published March 20, 2026 | 20:58 GMT

Israeli police said they were investigating blast impact sites around Tel Aviv on Friday, after a warning that Iran had fired missiles and air raid sirens sounded in the city.

Sirens and blasts were also heard from Jerusalem, AFP correspondents said, following an earlier blast in the city just a few hundred metres from Jerusalem's revered holy sites of Al-Aqsa Mosque, the Western Wall and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.

AFP could not independently verify whether it was a direct hit by a missile or fragments that fell after an interception.

Police said they were "handling several impact sites of munitions" in the Tel Aviv district, while the military reported search and rescue teams were also deployed.

Iran says it has no oil surplus to offer global markets

Published March 20, 2026 | 20:51 GMT

Iran on Friday said it had no surplus crude oil to offer to international markets, after the US treasury secretary said Washington could lift sanctions on Iranian oil at sea.

"Currently, Iran basically has no surplus crude oil left on the water or for supply in other international markets, and the US treasury secretary's statement is solely aimed at giving hope to buyers," Iranian oil ministry spokesman Saman Ghoddoosi wrote on X.

Stocks drop, oil jumps as Mideast war persists

Published March 20, 2026 | 20:43 GMT

Stocks tumbled while oil prices pushed higher Friday at the end of a turbulent week in which attacks on Gulf energy infrastructure rattled global markets and sparked fears of a global economic slowdown.

Crude prices jumped further on Friday,  with the international benchmark, Brent crude, rising 3.3 percent on Friday to nearly $112.19 per barrel. The main US contract, West Texas Intermediate, rose 2.3 percent to over $98 per barrel.

Israeli attacks on Syria a 'dangerous escalation': Turkey 

Published March 20, 2026 | 20:01 GMT

Turkey on Friday lashed out at Israel for striking army camps in southern Syria, urging the international community to intervene.

"We view Israel's attack targeting military infrastructure in southern Syria as a dangerous escalation and strongly condemn it," a foreign ministry statement said, urging the international community "to stop the Israeli attacks".

UK allows US to use bases to strike Iranian sites targeting Hormuz

Published March 20, 2026 | 19:57 GMT

Britain has authorised the United States to use its bases to strike Iranian sites threatening the Strait of Hormuz shipping lane, the government said Friday.

A spokesperson said ministers met and "confirmed that the agreement for the US to use UK bases in the collective self-defence of the region includes US defensive operations to degrade the missile sites and capabilities being used to attack ships in the Strait of Hormuz".

Since the war began on February 28, Britain has allowed the US to use two bases for defensive operations and has deployed air assets to support allies targeted by Tehran's regional retaliatory campaign.

Trump rules out Iran truce as more Marines head to Middle East

Published March 20, 2026 | 19:32 GMT

US President Donald Trump on Friday ruled out reaching a ceasefire agreement with Iran, as more Marines headed to the Middle East in a possible sign of a coming ground operation.

Trump insisted Washington had the upper hand in the three-week-old war, despite Iran effectively blockading the Strait of Hormuz in a move that has sent global oil prices skyrocketing.

"I think we have won," Trump told journalists at the White House alongside Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

"I don't want to do a ceasefire. You know you don't do a ceasefire when you're literally obliterating the other side."

Hezbollah denies UAE accusations of having network in country

Published March 20, 2026 | 19:26 GMT

Hezbollah denied on Friday that it has a presence inside the United Arab Emirates, after Emirati authorities announced they had arrested at least five members of a "terrorist network" linked to Hezbollah and its backer, Iran.

In a statement, the Lebanese militant group said it "denies the fabricated accusations made against it by the security authorities in the United Arab Emirates".

"Hezbollah has no presence inside the UAE or in any other country under any cover or commercial designation or otherwise."

According to Emirati authorities, the alleged network had "sought to infiltrate the national economy and carry out external schemes threatening the country's financial stability" as part of "a pre-established strategic plan in coordination with external parties linked to Hezbollah and Iran", the official WAM news agency said, citing the UAE State Security Apparatus.

US ambassador welcomes Lebanon's proposal for talks with Israel

Published March 20, 2026 | 19:10 GMT

The US ambassador to Lebanon on Friday hailed the Lebanese president's proposal to launch direct negotiations with Israel to put an end to the latest war between Israel and Hezbollah.

"We appreciate the importance of the issue for the president and the importance of his responsibility in finally deciding that he must meet with the Israelis, because matters are not resolved without talking," Michel Issa told journalists following a meeting with Maronite Patriarch Bechara al-Rai in Beirut.

"Each party has its point of view of how meetings start," he said, however, adding that he believed Israel "has decided not to stop" striking Lebanon yet.

"That means Lebanon has to decide whether it can meet the Israelis in this case," he said.

US could 'take out' Iran's Kharg Island any time: White House

Published March 20, 2026 | 18:11 GMT

The United States could "take out" Iran's Kharg island whenever it wanted, the White House said Friday, after a report that President Donald Trump's administration was considering plans to occupy or blockade the oil hub.

Axios reported that Trump was mulling an operation against Kharg to pressure the Islamic Republic to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, the crucial shipping lane that Tehran has largely blocked.

Trump administration sues Harvard over anti-Israel protests

Published March 20, 2026 | 17:29 GMT

The Trump administration filed a lawsuit Friday against Harvard University, accusing the institution of allowing a "hostile environment" toward Jewish and Israeli students during pro-Palestinian demonstrations on campus from 2023 to 2025.

President Donald Trump has launched an offensive against major American universities, accusing them of giving free rein on their campuses to pro-Palestinian movements in the face of the Israeli offensive in the Gaza Strip, action which he equates with antisemitism.

In its new complaint, the DOJ said Harvard "faculty and leadership turned a blind eye to antisemitism and discrimination against Jews and Israelis," accusing the university of failing to enforce its own rules against pro-Palestinian and anti-Israeli protesters.

In a statement responding to the lawsuit, Harvard said it "cares deeply about members of our Jewish and Israeli community and remains committed to ensuring they are embraced, respected, and can thrive on our campus."

US deploying more Marines to Middle East: reports

Published March 20, 2026 | 17:26 GMT

The United States is deploying additional Marines to the Middle East, US media reported on Friday, possibly signaling a coming ground operation three weeks into the US-Israeli campaign against Iran.

The reports came as Axios said President Donald Trump's administration is mulling seizing Iran's strategic Kharg Island to pressure the Islamic Republic to reopen the Strait of Hormuz -- a mission that could fall to US Marines.

The Wall Street Journal said Washington is deploying between 2,200 and 2,500 Marines from the California-based USS Boxer Amphibious Ready Group and 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit.

CNN meanwhile, said thousands of Marines and sailors were expected to deploy to the Middle East. Both publications cited anonymous US officials.

Asked about the reports, the Marine Corps said the USS Boxer Amphibious Ready Group and the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit are "deployed at sea," while US 3rd Fleet said they are "conducting routine operations."

Impact in Jerusalem Old City after Iran missile warning

Published March 20, 2026 | 17:20 GMT

A blast left a crater in a hillside just inside Jerusalem's Old City on Friday, spraying debris across a road, after a warning of incoming missiles fired from Iran.

AFP journalists at the scene saw the damage just a few hundred metres from Jerusalem's revered holy sites of Al-Aqsa Mosque, the Western Wall and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.

Police cordoned off the site in the Jewish Quarter of the Old City shortly after several loud blasts had rocked the centre of Jerusalem.

The Israeli military wrote on X "the Old City in Jerusalem, right near the Temple Mount, was impacted by Iranian missile fragments".

Israeli Old City police commander Dvir Tamim said the blast was caused by a "missile impact and not interceptor fragments".

NATO says Iraq mission relocated to Europe

Published March 20, 2026 | 17:18 GMT

NATO's mission in Iraq has been fully relocated to Europe, the alliance said, with the last personnel from the non-combat force of several hundred departing the country on Friday.

"NATO Mission Iraq has adjusted its posture, safely relocating all its personnel from the Middle East to Europe," said a statement from the alliance's European command.

Khamenei says Iran dealt enemies 'dizzying blow' in war

Published March 20, 2026 | 15:53 GMT

Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei on Friday said that Iranians had dealt a "dizzying blow" to the country's enemies during the war with Israel and the United States.

By showing unity and resolve, Iranians had "dealt him (the enemy) a dizzying blow so that he now starts uttering contradictory words and nonsense," Khamenei said in a written message for Persian New Year.

He also said Iran and allied forces in the region were "in no way" behind attacks on Oman and Turkey during the war, instead blaming "deception by the Zionist enemy" in reference to Israel.

Blasts heard in Tehran as Iranians celebrate Nowruz: AFP

Published March 20, 2026 | 15:45 GMT

AFP journalists reported hearing several blasts in Tehran on Friday, as the war with Israel and the United States continued.

The blasts, which came with Iranians celebrating Nowruz, the Persian new year, came from the eastern and northern parts of the capital, the journalists said.

Iran's Khamenei says enemy 'defeated' in written Nowruz message

Published March 20, 2026 | 15:43 GMT

 Iran's supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei on Friday said the enemies of the Islamic republic were being defeated in the war against the US and Israel in a written message for the Persian New Year, Nowruz.

"At the moment, due to the particular unity that has been created between you our compatriots -- despite all the differences in religious, intellectual, cultural and political origins -- the enemy has been defeated," said Khamenei, who is yet to appear in public after being named to succeed his father Ali Khamenei who was killed in an airstrike at the a start of the war.

Impact near Jerusalem Old City after Iran missile warning

Published March 20, 2026 | 15:13 GMT

Smoke was seen rising from an impact site near the walls of Jerusalem's Old City on Friday, Israeli television showed, after AFP journalists heard loud blasts following a warning of Iranian missiles

Israeli media showed footage of a crater in a road that appeared to be close to the Jewish and Armenian quarters of the historic Old City.

Israeli police said they were "conducting searches to locate the impact sites of weapons and munitions or interception fragments within the Jerusalem District".

UK foreign minister warns Iran against 'directly' targeting British bases

Published March 20, 2026 | 14:54 GMT

Britain's Foreign Minister Yvette Cooper warned her Iranian counterpart in a phone call "against targeting UK bases, territory or interests directly", a foreign office statement said Friday.

The statement was response to one issued by Iran's foreign ministry in which it said Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told Cooper in the call on Thursday that any US use of British bases would be seen as "participation in aggression" against the Islamic republic.

Cooper told Araghchi "the defensive UK operations in the region were a response to the Iranian aggression against Gulf partners", the UK foreign office said, adding: "She made clear that the UK wants to see a swift resolution to this conflict."

Trump calls NATO allies 'cowards' over Iran

Published March 20, 2026 | 14:22 GMT

President Donald Trump on Friday branded the United States' NATO allies "cowards" for not heeding his demand for military assistance against Iran to control the Hormuz Strait shipping route.

"COWARDS, and we will REMEMBER!" he posted on his Truth Social platform.

US allies "don't want to help open the Strait of Hormuz, a simple military maneuver that is the single reason for the high oil prices. So easy for them to do, with so little risk," he posted.

Iran military says to hunt down US, Israeli officials even on vacation

Published March 20, 2026 | 13:18 GMT

Iran's military said on Friday to hunt down officials and army commanders from the United States and Israel even while they were vacationing or visiting entertainment centers.

"We are watching your cowardly officials and commanders, pilots and wicked soldiers," armed forces spokesman Abolfazl Shekarchi said, quoted by state TV.

"From now on, based on the information we have on you, the promenades, resorts and tourist and entertainment centers in the world will not be safe for you either."

Spain to temporarily freeze rents due to Middle East war: PM

Published March 20, 2026 | 12:53 GMT

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez announced Friday a decree introducing a temporary freeze on rents nationwide in response to the Middle East war, a measure that still requires parliamentary approval.

The move mirrors steps taken during previous crises, citing in particular the energy crisis triggered by Russia’s war in Ukraine, he added during a press conference following an emergency cabinet meeting.

Iran Revolutionary Guards say US-Israel strikes kill spokesman

Published March 20, 2026 | 12:20 GMT

Iran's Revolutionary Guards said on Friday that US-Israeli strikes had killed their spokesman Ali Mohammad Naini.

Naini "was martyred in the criminal cowardly terrorist attack by the American-Zionist side at dawn", the Guards said in a statement on their Sepah News website.

US, Israel strike 16 Iranian cargo vessels in port towns: Iran media

Published March 20, 2026 | 12:10 GMT

The United States and Israel struck 16 Iranian cargo vessels in port towns on the Gulf on Friday, local media reported, saying the ships were burnt.

"Following the American–Zionist air attack, at least 16 cargo vessels belonging to citizens of the towns of Bandar Lengeh and Bandar Kong were completely burnt in the fire," a local official from the southern Hormozgan province said, quoted by the Tasnim news agency.

War exposing Europe's reliance on Gulf flights, airlines warn

Published March 20, 2026 | 11:00 GMT

The war in the Middle East has exposed Europe's reliance on Gulf companies for flights to Asia, Europe's airlines said on Thursday.

In the wake of Tehran's retaliatory strikes across the region, tens of thousands of flights have been cancelled, affecting millions of passengers.

Many European travellers have found themselves stranded in Asia, unable to pass through the key hubs of Dubai, Doha and Abu Dhabi. 

Those three airports are the respective headquarters of Emirates, Qatar Airways and Etihad, all of which have become big-hitters in the long-distance flights market.

"With 600 aeroplanes on the ground and 100 of them that normally were going in and out of Europe, it is a bit of a wake-up call to show how dependent the European continent is on Gulf carriers," the CEO of Air France-KLM, Benjamin Smith, told a press conference of the Airlines for Europe (A4E) association on Thursday in Brussels.

US, Israel strike 16 Iranian cargo vessels in port towns: Iran media

Published March 20, 2026 | 10:56 GMT

The United States and Israel struck 16 Iranian cargo vessels in port towns on the Gulf on Friday, local media reported, saying the ships were burnt.

"Following the American–Zionist air attack, at least 16 cargo vessels belonging to citizens of the towns of Bandar Lengeh and Bandar Kong were completely burnt in the fire," a local offical from the southern Hormozgan province said, quoted by the Tasnim news agency.

Israeli military says striking Iranian region on Caspian Sea

Published March 20, 2026 | 10:56 GMT

Israel's military said Friday it was launching strikes in Iran's Noor region on the shores of the Caspian Sea, as it kept up its bombing campaign after almost three weeks of war.

"The IDF has begun striking targets belonging to the Iranian terror regime," the army said in a statement.

The fresh strikes come after Israel's military said Thursday its jets had hit several Iranian naval vessels in the Caspian Sea.

Israel says struck Syrian army camps after Druze 'attacked'

Published March 20, 2026 | 10:35 GMT

Israel's military said on Friday it had struck Syrian army camps in response to what it called attacks against the Druze community in the southern Sweida province.

"Overnight, the IDF struck a headquarters and weapons at Syrian regime military camps in southern Syria," the Israeli military said.

"This was in response to yesterday's events, in which Druze civilians were attacked in the (Sweida) area. The IDF will not allow harm to come to Druze in Syria and will continue to act for their protection."

Sri Lanka refused ground access to US warplanes: President

Published March 20, 2026 | 10:35 GMT

Sri Lanka refused permission to the United States to station two of its warplanes at a civilian airport in the island's south in early March, President Anura Kumara Dissanayake said on Friday.

Washington wanted to relocate two of its missile-armed aircraft from a base in Djibouti to Sri Lanka's civilian Mattala International Airport, Dissanayake told parliament.

The request, made on Feb. 26, was turned down to maintain Colombo's neutrality and ensure its territory was not used for any military purpose that could help or hinder either side, he said.

Iran Guards say missile production continues despite war

Published March 20, 2026 | 07:55 GMT

Iran's Revolutionary Guards said on Friday that the Islamic republic has continued to produce missiles despite the war with Israel and the United States.

"Our missile industry deserves a perfect score... and there is no concern in this regard, because even under wartime conditions we continue missile production," Guards spokesman Ali Mohammad Naini said, quoted by the Fars news agency.

On Thursday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that "Iran no longer has the capacity to enrich uranium and manufacture ballistic missiles".

Israel strikes 'decimated' Iran as war roils markets

Published March 20, 2026 | 07:55 GMT

Israel launched a new wave of strikes on Tehran on Friday after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Iran was being "decimated", and as Gulf nations faced a fresh set of attacks.

The bombardment came shortly after Netanyahu said the Middle East war had eradicated the Islamic republic's capacity to enrich uranium or manufacture ballistic missiles as the conflict heads towards a fourth week.

"We are winning and Iran is being decimated," the Israeli premier said at a press conference.

Lebanon state media says Israeli jets struck southern towns

Published March 20, 2026 | 07:45 GMT

Israel carried out strikes on towns in southern Lebanon, causing multiple injuries, state media reported on Friday.

"Israeli enemy fighter jets struck at dawn, targeting the towns of Bafliyeh and Hanine in the Tyre and Bint Jbeil districts," the official National News Agency (NNA) reported, adding that Israeli forces had hit five other towns in the south of the country.

Vietnam sees petrol prices shoot up overnight

Published March 20, 2026 | 06:05 GMT

The cost of petrol was up by more than 20% in Vietnam on Friday after the government announced an overnight hike amid fears of oil and gas shortages caused by US-Israeli war on Iran.

Southeast Asian countries have borne the brunt of surging diesel prices following strikes against energy infrastructure in Iran and the Gulf states.

Just before midnight Thursday, the Vietnamese government announced an increase in the price of 95-octane gasoline by 20% from the weekend to 30,690 Vietnamese dong ($1.20) per liter, while diesel was up by nearly 34% to 33,420 dong.

The hike takes the prices of regular octane 95 and diesel in the manufacturing hub to more than 50 and 70% higher, respectively, since the conflict began in late February.

Fire at Kuwait refinery as Gulf states come under drone, missile attacks

Published March 20, 2026 | 05:30 GMT

Drone attacks caused fire at Kuwait's Mina Al-Ahmadi oil refinery on Friday, state media reported, as authorities in several Gulf states said they were responding to attacks from Iran.

Iran has stepped up attacks on Gulf energy infrastructure in recent days, hitting refineries and the world's biggest gas hub in Qatar, as Tehran retaliated over Israeli strikes on its South Pars gas field.

The official Kuwait News Agency, citing the national oil company, said "several hostile drone attacks" hit the Mina Al-Ahmadi refinery, causing fires but no casualties.

It said firefighters were working to contain the blazes while "several refinery units were shut down".

Earlier on Friday, Bahrain's interior ministry said that shrapnel from an "Iranian aggression" caused a fire at a warehouse, which was brought under control and resulted in no injuries.

In Kuwait, an army statement said air defenses were "responding to hostile missile and drone threats", while the UAE state media reported "incoming missile and drone threats from Iran".

Gulf states say responding to missile, drone attacks

Published March 20, 2026 | 02:47 GMT

Emirati and Kuwaiti air defenses were responding to missile fire early Friday, authorities in the Gulf states said, while Saudi Arabia intercepted drone attacks.

Elsewhere in the Gulf, Bahrain's interior ministry said that shrapnel from an "Iranian aggression" caused a fire at a warehouse, which was brought under control and resulted in no injuries.

The ministry earlier said air raid sirens were activated.

In Kuwait, an army statement said air defences were "responding to hostile missile and drone threats", while the UAE's interior ministry reported "a missile threat".

Saudi Arabia's defence ministry said that in a little over an hour, its forces had "intercepted and destroyed" six drones in the country's east and another in the north.

UAE arrests members of Hezbollah: State media

Published March 20, 2026 | 01:59 GMT

UAE authorities have arrested at least five members of Iran and Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, state media said Friday.

The alleged network had "sought to infiltrate the national economy and carry out external schemes threatening the country's financial stability" as part of "a pre-established strategic plan in coordination with external parties linked to Hezbollah and Iran", the official WAM news agency said, citing the UAE State Security Apparatus. The report included mug shots of five detained suspects.

Saudi Arabia intercepts more drones in the Eastern region
Published March 20, 2026 | 01:05 GMT

Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Defence on X announced, intercepting and downing more than three drones around it's Eastern Province within the last few hours.

IRGC launches new wave of attacks at Israel after Netanyahu boasts of war gains

Published March 20, 2026 | 00:00 GMT

Iran launched multiple rounds of missiles towards Israel late Thursday after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared the Islamic Republic has been "decimated" by war, with the Iranian barrage triggering loud blasts over Jerusalem.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has said its 65th wave of attacks targeted central and southern Israel, including Tel Aviv, as well as US bases across the region, according to the IRGC-affiliated Fars news agency.

Israel's military said it identified three rounds of missile fire.

AFP reporters heard several loud blasts over Jerusalem following the Iranian fire, as air raid sirens rang out across the city.

Iran Revolutionary Guards say US-Israel strikes kill spokesman

Iran's Revolutionary Guards said on Friday that US-Israeli strikes had killed their spokesman Ali Mohammad Naini.

Naini "was martyred in the criminal cowardly terrorist attack by the American-Zionist side at dawn", the Guards said in a statement on their Sepah News website.