The U.S. navy declared on Saturday (March 21, 2026) it had taken out an Iranian bunker housing weapons threatening oil and fuel shipments within the Strait of Hormuz, as hundreds of Iranians marked Id al-Fitr with prayer.
The U.S. assertion appeared designed to calm the issues of vitality markets and of Washington’s sceptical worldwide allies, greater than 20 of whom issued a press release vowing to again efforts to re-open the important thing sea lane.
Iran-Israel warfare LIVE
Admiral Brad Cooper, head of U.S. Central Command, mentioned U.S. warfare planes had dropped 5,000-pound bombs on an underground facility on Iran’s coast that was storing anti-ship cruise missiles, cellular launchers and different gear.
“We not solely took out the ability, but additionally destroyed intelligence help websites and missile radar relays that had been used to watch ship actions,” Admiral Cooper mentioned in a video assertion, revealing particulars of a strike first introduced on Tuesday (March 17, 2026).
A joint assertion by greater than 20 international locations, together with UAE, Bahrain
An announcement from the leaders of primarily European international locations, together with the U.Okay., France, Italy and Germany, but additionally South Korea, Australia, the UAE and Bahrain, condemned the “de facto closure of the Strait of Hormuz by Iranian forces”.
“We categorical our readiness to contribute to acceptable efforts to make sure secure passage by means of the Strait. We welcome the dedication of countries who’re partaking in preliminary planning,” they mentioned.
As shoppers rely the price of assaults on vitality amenities within the Gulf, together with the world’s largest fuel hub, U.S. President Donald Trump has slammed NATO allies as “cowards” and urged them to safe the strait.
Iran has choked the channel, by means of which round a fifth of the world’s crude oil and liquefied pure fuel passes throughout peacetime.
International Minister Abbas Araghchi mentioned Tehran had solely imposed restrictions on vessels from international locations concerned in assaults towards Iran, and would provide help to others that stayed out of the battle.
Iran additionally denies claims — cited within the 20-country joint assertion — that it has deployed mines within the channel.
Exceptional endurance?
The standoff has despatched crude oil costs hovering, with a barrel of North Sea Brent crude up greater than 50% over the previous month and now comfortably greater than $105.
Analysts, in the meantime, say Iran’s Islamic authorities has survived the lack of its prime leaders and that its strike capability is proving extra resilient than anticipated, with drones, missiles and launchers apparently in a position to proceed retaliatory strikes for one more 4 to 6 weeks.
“They’re exhibiting loads of resilience that we did not maybe anticipate, that the U.S. did not anticipate, when it took this on,” Neil Quilliam of Chatham Home instructed the London-based assume tank’s podcast.
“However the IRGC, the Iranian regime, it is deep, it has these roots, this institutional power… it is fairly exceptional how they’ve managed to endure.”
In the meantime, Tehran marked the top of Ramadan because the warfare entered its fourth week.
Iran’s supreme chief historically leads Eid al-Fitr prayers, however Mojtaba Khamenei, who got here to energy earlier this month after his father was killed in US-Israeli strikes, has remained out of the general public eye.
As an alternative, the pinnacle of the judiciary, Gholam Hossein Mohseni Ejei, attended prayers at central Tehran’s Imam Khomeini grand mosque, which was overflowing, with worshippers flooding the streets outdoors.
The earlier night, airstrikes had darkened the temper as town celebrated Nowruz, the Persian New Yr.
“The ambiance of the New Yr was spreading by means of town. Locations like Tajrish or Golestan Shahrak, the place I went, had been filled with well-dressed and delightful ladies shopping for flowers,” mentioned Farid, an promoting govt, reached by AFP by means of a web based message.
“The Israeli assaults taking place precisely in the mean time of the New Yr had been deeply upsetting. The thought that some individuals could possibly be dying proper on the New Yr dinner desk was painful.”
Iran’s ally Russian President Vladimir Putin despatched greetings to Mr. Khamenei, saying he “wished the Iranian individuals power on overcoming these extreme trials and emphasised that in this troublesome time, Moscow remained a loyal pal”.
Israeli navy ‘unaware’ of assault on Natanz nuclear plant
In keeping with Iran’s atomic vitality organisation, the U.S. and Israel focused a plant at Natanz in Isfahan province, which hosts underground centrifuges to complement uranium for Iran’s disputed nuclear programme and was already broken in final 12 months’s June warfare.
The pinnacle of the Worldwide Atomic Vitality Company (IAEA), Rafael Grossi, referred to as for “navy restraint to keep away from any threat of a nuclear accident”, however the UN watchdog confirmed that no enhance in off-site radiation ranges had been reported.
Requested about Natanz, the Israeli navy mentioned it was “not conscious of a strike”.
‘Unsuccessful’ ballistic missile assault on Diego Garcia air base
Iran launched what a U.Okay. official instructed AFP was an “unsuccessful” ballistic missile assault on the U.Okay. and U.S. navy base on Diego Garcia, an island within the Indian Ocean round 4,000 kilometers (2,500 miles) from Iran.
If the salvo had reached its goal it will have been the longest-range Iranian strike but. Earlier than the warfare, based on the U.S. Congressional Analysis Service, Washington was conscious of Iranian missiles that might attain 3,000 kilometres.
Iran has “at all times had missiles of that kind of vary that we have recognized about, possibly not declared”, former UK Royal Navy commander and defence knowledgeable Tom Sharpe instructed AFP.
The assault “reveals that they’ll nonetheless transfer these cellular launchers round, undetected, spin up and fireplace with out being struck”, mentioned Sharpe, including nevertheless that these wouldn’t be a “sport changer”
On Friday (March 20, 2026), the U.Okay. authorities mentioned it will enable Washington to make use of its bases in Diego Garcia and Fairford in England to focus on Iranian “missile websites and capabilities getting used to assault ships within the Strait of Hormuz”.
The U.Okay. official confirmed that the tried missile strike passed off earlier than this announcement.