War in Middle East
Latest developments

Paris, France, March 16, 2026 (Net) – Here are the latest events in the Middle East war:
– Flights temporarily suspended at Dubai airport –
Flights were temporarily suspended Monday at Dubai’s airport, previously one of the world’s busiest, after a “drone-related incident” sparked a fire nearby, city authorities said.
The incident impacted a fuel tank, the Gulf financial hub’s media office said, later adding authorities had extinguished the blaze that broke out and no injuries had been reported.
– Iran calls strikes on Tehran fuel depots ‘ecocide’ –
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Monday that Israeli strikes on Tehran fuel depots consti-tuted “ecocide” due to the long-term risks to residents’ health.
– Trump says ‘talking’ to Iran –
US President Donald Trump said Sunday that the United States was in discussions with Iran as the war enters its third week but that Tehran was not ready for a deal to end it.
“But I don’t think they’re ready. But they are getting pretty close,” Trump said. Iran’s foreign minister had denied earlier that any talks with the United States were taking place.
– Macron tells Iran attacks on French interests ‘unacceptable’ –
French President Emmanuel Macron said Sunday he had told Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian it was “unacceptable” to target French interests, after an Iranian-designed drone killed a French soldier in Iraq’s Kurdistan region last week.
“I called on him to put an immediate end to the unacceptable attacks that Iran is carrying out against countries in the region, whether directly or through proxies, as in Lebanon and Iraq,” Macron said on X after his call with Pezeshkian.
– NATO, China pressured on Hormuz –
President Donald Trump said Sunday that NATO faces a “very bad” future if US allies fail to help open the Strait of Hormuz, the critical oil transport conduit effectively shut by Iran in the Mideast war.
Trump also said an upcoming summit in Beijing with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping could be de-layed as he presses for China’s help to open the strait.
“It’s only appropriate that people who are the beneficiaries of the Strait will help to make sure that noth-ing bad happens there,” Trump said.
Japan said it was not considering launching maritime security operations and Australia ruled out sending a navy ship to the Strait of Hormuz following Trump’s comments.
– Israel strikes Beirut again –
Israel launched a fresh strike on Beirut’s southern suburbs late Sunday as Israel’s military said it was striking Hezbollah infrastructure in the city following earlier raids mainly in the country’s south.
On Sunday morning, an AFP photographer in south Beirut saw empty streets covered with debris and buildings flattened, with smoke still rising from strikes in previous days.
– Israel has ‘thousands’ more targets –
“We still have thousands of targets in Iran, and we are identifying new targets every day,” Israeli mili-tary spokesman Brigadier General Effie Defrin told a televised briefing.
– Trump-Starmer call –
US President Donald Trump and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer spoke about the “importance” of reopening the Strait of Hormuz, currently blocked by Iran, the UK leader’s office said.
– Iran hikes wages –
Iran’s labour minister has announced a more than 60-percent hike in the minimum wage, local media reported, months after anti-government protests that began over discontent with dire economic condi-tions.
– UN force shot at –
The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon said its peacekeepers were fired upon three times, “likely by non-state armed groups”, in the country’s south, two days after another position was hit.
– Baghdad airport hit –
Five people were wounded in a rocket attack on the Baghdad airport complex, which houses a US dip-lomatic facility, Iraqi authorities said.
– Rafah crossing to partially reopen –
Israel said it would partially reopen Gaza’s Rafah crossing with Egypt on Wednesday, after it closed the key gateway when it launched strikes on Iran.
– Oil reserves released –
Strategic oil reserves will be released “immediately” in Asia and Oceania, and as early as the end of March in America and Europe, the International Energy Agency said, as governments try to contain the surge in prices caused by the war.
– Iran says no talks –
Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Iran was not interested in talks with the United States, pushing back on Trump’s stance that Tehran wants a deal to end the war.
– Israelis injured –
At least eight people were injured in Israel following repeated missile launches from Iran, at least two of which contained cluster munitions, according to Israeli authorities.
– Italy-US base hit –
Italy’s military said there had been a drone attack on the Ali Al Salem airbase in Kuwait hosting Italian and US forces, but said all its personnel were safe.
– Lebanon says 850 dead –
Lebanon’s health ministry said Israeli attacks have killed 850 people in the country during two weeks of war between Israel and Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah, including 66 women, 107 children and 32 health workers, with 2,105 wounded.
Hezbollah said its fighters targeted Israel’s Palmachim air base south of Tel Aviv with “an advanced mis-sile”.
An Israeli strike in south Lebanon’s Sidon area killed Hamas official Wissam Taha, a source from the Palestinian militant group told AFP, after state media reported a strike on an apartment.
Overnight strikes in Sidon and nearby Al-Qatrani killed at least four people, Lebanese state media and the government said.