This live blog follows updates for Day 23 of the US-Israeli war on Iran. For a recap of Day 22, go here.

• Missiles strike southern Israel towns, causing damage, injuries, and widespread panic
• Israel launches strikes on Iran, targeting missile sites and nuclear facilities
• Iran retaliates with missiles and drones across Israel and Gulf countries
• Clashes intensify as Hezbollah fights Israeli forces along Lebanon border towns
• Global tensions rise as nations call for restraint and protect vital oil routes

Iraqi pro-Iran group prolongs pause in US embassy attacks

Published March 22, 2026 | 22:55 GMT

Kataeb Hezbollah, an influential pro-Iran Iraqi armed group, announced on Monday that it would extend a pause on its attacks on the US embassy in Baghdad by five days.

"The deadline given to the embassy of American evil will be extended by an additional five days," the group said in a statement.

The group warned that it would respond if it came under attack and denied involvement in a drone strike that hit an Iraqi intelligence building on Saturday, killing an officer.

Israel to advance ground operations in Lebanon after striking key bridge

Published March 22, 2026 | 22:09 GMT

The Israeli military announced it was expanding its ground campaign against Hezbollah in Lebanon, warning of a lengthy operation, after Beirut condemned what it called Israel's flagrant violations of Lebanese sovereignty.

Israeli forces were ordered earlier to destroy bridges they said were used by the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah to cross the Litani River, and Lebanese official media reported Israeli raids in the south.

An AFP correspondent saw smoke billowing from a bridge that was hit outside the city of Tyre.

"The operation against the Hezbollah terrorist organization has only begun... This is a prolonged operation," Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir said in a statement.

Israel faces 'weeks of fighting' against Iran, Hezbollah: military spokesman

Published March 22, 2026 | 21:17 GMT

Israel faces more weeks of fighting against arch-foes Iran and Lebanese armed group Hezbollah, military spokesman Brigadier General Effie Defrin said on Sunday.

"Citizens of Israel, we face more weeks of fighting against Iran and Hezbollah," Defrin said in a televised briefing.

"With each passing day, we are further weakening the (Iranian) terror regime. We will not allow it or its proxies to threaten the citizens of Israel or the existence of the state of Israel."

Israel to 'advance targeted ground operations' in Lebanon: army chief

Published March 22, 2026 | 18:13 GMT

Israel's military will expand its ground operations in Lebanon against Hezbollah, its army chief said Sunday.

"The operation against the Hezbollah terrorist organization has only begun... This is a prolonged operation," Zamir said in a statement.

"We are now preparing to advance the targeted ground operations and strikes according to an organized plan," he added.

Israel army will destroy more bridges in south Lebanon: defense minister

Published March 22, 2026 | 17:10 GMT

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said Sunday that the army had been ordered to destroy more bridges over the Litani river being used by Hezbollah in south Lebanon and to step up the demolition of houses.

"Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and I instructed the IDF to immediately destroy all the bridges over the Litani River that are used for terrorist activity, in order to prevent Hezbollah terrorists and weapons from moving south," Katz said in a statement.

He said the military was also instructed to "accelerate the demolition of Lebanese houses in the contact villages in order to thwart threats to Israeli communities".

Israel army says began 'wave of strikes' on Hezbollah in south Lebanon

Published March 22, 2026 | 15:57 GMT

Israel said it had begun striking Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon on Sunday, shortly after the military was ordered to destroy bridges across the Litani River.

"The IDF has begun a wide wave of strikes against Hezbollah terrorist organization infrastructure in southern Lebanon," the Israeli military said.

Iran military says to completely close Hormuz if US targets power plants

Published March 22, 2026 | 14:33 GMT

Iran's military says on Sunday to completely shut down the strategic Strait of Hormuz, among other measures, if US President Donald Trump acts on threats to target the country's power plants.

"If the United States' threats regarding Iran's power plants are carried out... the Strait of Hormuz will be completely closed, and it will not be reopened until our destroyed power plants are rebuilt," the military's operational command Khatam Al-Anbiya said in a statement carried by state television.

Iran has already all but choked off the vital waterway, but a relatively small number of vessels have been able to transit it around five percent of its pre-war volume, according to analytics firm Kpler

Israeli military strikes bridge in south Lebanon after warning: AFP

Published March 22, 2026 | 13:43 GMT

Israel's military struck a key bridge in south Lebanon on Sunday, an AFP correspondent said, after Israel's defense minister said the army had been ordered to destroy more bridges over the Litani River.

The AFP correspondent saw smoke rising from the site north of the city of Tyre after the bombardment of the Qasmiyeh bridge, located on a main highway linking villages in the Tyre district with others further north, after Israel had said the bridge was being used by Hezbollah.

Iran speaker says 'irreversibly destroy' region's infrastructure if own attacked

Published March 22, 2026 | 13:18 GMT

Iran's powerful parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said on Sunday to irreversibly destroy vital infrastructure across the region if the United States and Israel attacked its own.

"Immediately after power plants and infrastructure in our country are targeted, vital infrastructure as well as energy and oil infrastructure across the entire region will be considered legitimate targets and will be irreversibly destroyed," Ghalibaf said in a post on X.

He warned that oil prices would then "rise for a long time".

Trump says will 'obliterate' Iran power plants unless Hormuz opens within 48 hours

Published March 22, 2026 | 00:13 GMT

US President Donald Trump gave Iran a 48-hour deadline to open the Strait of Hormuz to shipping traffic or face the destruction of its energy infrastructure.

"If Iran doesn't FULLY OPEN, WITHOUT THREAT, the Strait of Hormuz, within 48 HOURS from this exact point in time, the United States of America will hit and obliterate their various POWER PLANTS, STARTING WITH THE BIGGEST ONE FIRST!" Trump posted on his Truth Social platform.

Israel PM visits town hit by Iran strike, vows to target Guards leaders

Published March 22, 2026 |12:00 GMT

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed on Sunday to pursue senior commanders of Iran's Revolutionary Guards "personally", during a visit to an Israeli town struck by an Iranian missile the previous day.

"We're going after the regime. We're going after the IRGC, this criminal gang," Netanyahu said, as he inspected the damage in the southern town of Arad.

"We're going after them personally, their leaders, their installations, their economic assets. We're going after them personally."

Middle East war at 'perilous stage' with strikes around nuclear sites: WHO

Published March 22, 2026 | 11:30 GMT

The Middle East war has reached a "perilous stage" with strikes around nuclear sites in Iran and Israel, the World Health Organization warned Sunday, as it called for maximum restraint.

"Attacks targeting nuclear sites create an escalating threat to public health and environmental safety," WHO chief Tedros Adhanom 

Ghebreyesus said on X. "I urgently call on all parties to exercise maximum military restraint and avoid any actions that could trigger nuclear incidents."

Iran speaker threatens to 'irreversibly destroy' region's infrastructure if own attacked

Published March 22, 2026 | 10:54 GMT

Iran's powerful parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf threatened on Sunday to irreversibly destroy vital infrastructure across the region if the United States and Israel attacked its own.

"Immediately after power plants and infrastructure in our country are targeted, vital infrastructure as well as energy and oil infrastructure across the entire region will be considered legitimate targets and will be irreversibly destroyed," Ghalibaf said in a post on X.

He warned that oil prices would then "rise for a long time".

Overnight attacks target US centre at Baghdad airport: security officials

Published March 22, 2026 - 08:55 GMT

Eight overnight attacks targeted a US diplomatic and logistics centre at Baghdad's International Airport, an Iraqi security official told AFP on Sunday.

"Eight separate attacks, carried out until dawn with rockets and drones targeted the US centre," a senior security official told AFP, adding that "some rockets landed near the base".

A second security official said there had been six strikes, with a police source saying a rocket launcher was discovered in a Baghdad district near the airport.

Hezbollah says attacked soldiers in north Israel's Misgav Am

Published March 22, 2026 | 07:55 GMT

Lebanon's Iran-backed Hezbollah militant group said it attacked Israeli soldiers in northern Israel's Misgav Am on Sunday, where first responders said rocket fire from Lebanon killed one person.

In a statement, the group said its fighters targeted "a gathering of Israeli enemy soldiers" in Misgav Am "with a rocket barrage" -- one of a series of attacks it claimed against Israeli troops in northern Israel and southern Lebanon on Sunday.

The death is the first Israeli fatality from fire from Lebanon since fighting started with Hezbollah on March 2.

Blasts heard, sirens in Jerusalem after Iran missile alerts

Published March 22, 2026 | 06:40 GMT

Israel's Magen David Adom emergency medical service said there were no immediate reports of casualties.

Blasts were heard and air raid sirens sounded in Jerusalem on Sunday, AFP journalists said, after the Israeli military warned of incoming missile fire from Iran.

The army issued several alerts saying it had identified that "missiles were launched from Iran toward the territory of the State of Israel".

Israel's Magen David Adom emergency medical service said after the first warning that there were no immediate reports of casualties.

Iran state media says drone strikes target military base near Baghdad airport

Published March 22, 2026 | 05:34 GMT

Iran's official IRNA news agency said on Sunday that a drone attack targeted a military base near the Baghdad International Airport.

The "military base, located near Baghdad International Airport, has again been the target of drone strikes," IRNA wrote, referring to a compound that was used in the past by the US military.

Iran mourns 20-day-old infant killed in US-Israeli strike

Published March 22, 2026 | 04:55 GMT

Iranians hold a funeral ceremony for Mohammad Ali Kayalha, the 20-day-old infant who was killed in a US-Israeli strike in the city of Qazvin, according to Fars news agency.

A video clip posted on X by Fars showed a man raising the shrouded remains of the infant as a large crowd chanted messages mourning the death of Kayalha.

The infant was killed alongside his mother and brother following an attack in the Majidieh residential area of Tehran, according to the Tehran Times. 

UAE says responding to Iranian missile, drone attacks

Published March 22, 2026 | 03:50 GMT

The United Arab Emirates said it was responding to incoming aerial attacks from Iran on Sunday.

"UAE air defences are currently responding to incoming missile and drone threats from Iran," the defence ministry said in a statement, explaining "the sounds heard are the result of the Air Defence Systems intercepting missiles and drones".

Saudi Arabia reports 3 ballistic missiles targeted Riyadh area

Published March 22, 2026 | 02:45 GMT

Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Defense said three ballistic missiles were detected around the capital, as the kingdom and its Gulf neighbours face Iranian strikes in retaliation for US-Israeli attacks.

"One missile was intercepted, while the other two fell in an uninhabited area," a spokesperson for the ministry posted on social media.

Early Sunday morning, the Saudi Civil Defense issued a warning, before cancelling it seven minutes later after determining the danger had passed.

According to the defense ministry, five drones were also intercepted since midnight.

Israel military says striking central Tehran

Published March 22, 2026 | 01:09 GMT

The Israeli military said its forces launched a wave of strikes on Tehran early Sunday, hours after Iranian missile fire hit two cities in southern Israel.

A brief statement said Israeli forces were "currently conducting strikes on Iranian terror regime targets in the heart of Tehran".

Iran army says will target energy, desalination infrastructure after US threats

Published March 22, 2026 | 01:41 GMT

Iran's military renewed threats against the region's infrastructure after the US president vowed to "obliterate" power plants in the Islamic republic if the Strait of Hormuz is not swiftly reopened.

"Following previous warnings, if Iran's fuel and energy infrastructure is violated by the enemy, all energy, information technology and desalination infrastructure belonging to the US and the regime in the region will be targeted," the Iranian military's operational command Khatam Al-Anbiya said in a statement carried by Fars news agency.

The statement comes after Donald Trump gave Iran a 48-hour deadline to open the vital route in the Gulf to shipping traffic after it was effectively closed in response to the Middle East war.

Saudi Arabia expels Iran military attache

Published March 22, 2026 | 00:02 GMT

Saudi Arabia has ordered an Iranian diplomat and three members of his team to leave the country, as the kingdom and its Gulf neighbors face Iranian strikes in retaliation for US-Israeli attacks.

In a statement condemning "repeated Iranian attacks," Riyadh said it "decided to declare persona non grata the military attache of the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran, along with three members of the embassy's military mission."

They were given 24 hours to leave the country, the foreign ministry said in a message posted on social media.