Iranian missiles struck two communities in southern Israel late on Saturday (March 21, 2026), leaving buildings shattered and dozens injured in twin assaults not removed from Israel’s major nuclear analysis heart, whereas President Donald Trump warned the U.S. will “obliterate” Iranian energy vegetation if it does not absolutely open the Strait of Hormuz inside 48 hours.
The developments signaled the battle was shifting in a harmful new route at the beginning of its fourth week.
Iran-Israel battle LIVE updates on March 22
Mr Trump — who’s going through growing stress at dwelling to safe the strait as oil costs soar — issued the ultimatum in a social media put up whereas he spent the weekend at his Florida dwelling.
Mr. Trump mentioned he is giving Iran 48 hours to open the very important waterway or face a brand new spherical of assaults. He mentioned the U.S. would destroy “varied POWER PLANTS, STARTING WITH THE BIGGEST ONE FIRST!” Iran warned early on Sunday that any strike on its power services would immediate assaults on US and Israeli power and infrastructure belongings within the area, in response to a press release carried by Iran’s state media and semiofficial shops, citing an Iranian army spokesperson.
The Strait of Hormuz, which connects the Persian Gulf to the remainder of the globe’s oceans, is a vital pathway for the world’s circulate of oil. Assaults on business ships and threats of additional strikes have stopped almost all tankers from carrying oil, gasoline and different items by the passage. That is additionally led to cuts in output from a number of the world’s largest producers, as a result of their crude has nowhere to go.
The Iranian strikes in Israel got here after Tehran’s major nuclear enrichment web site at Natanz was hit earlier within the day.
Israel’s army mentioned it was not in a position to intercept missiles that hit the southern cities of Dimona and Arad, the most important close to the middle in Israel’s sparsely populated Negev desert. It was the primary time Iranian missiles penetrated Israel’s air protection programs within the space across the nuclear web site.
“If the Israeli regime is unable to intercept missiles within the closely protected Dimona space, it’s, operationally, an indication of coming into a brand new section of the battle,” Iran’s Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf mentioned on X earlier than phrase of the Arad strike unfold.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu mentioned extra emergency crews had been being despatched to the scene.
“This can be a very troublesome night,” he mentioned.
Rescue staff mentioned the direct hit in Arad prompted widespread injury throughout no less than 10 house buildings, three of them badly broken and at risk of collapsing. Not less than 64 folks had been taken to hospitals.
Dimona is about 20 kilometers (12 miles) west of the nuclear analysis heart and Arad round 35 kilometers (22 miles) north.
Israel is believed to be the one Center East nation with nuclear weapons, although its leaders refuse to substantiate or deny their existence. The U.N. nuclear watchdog mentioned on X it had not acquired stories of injury to the Israeli heart or irregular radiation ranges.
A harmful new route within the battle
The battle isn’t near ending,” Israel’s military chief, Gen. Eyal Zamir, mentioned earlier within the day.
Iran additionally focused the joint U.Ok.-U.S. Diego Garcia army base within the Indian Ocean about 2,500 miles (4,000 kilometers) away, suggesting that Tehran has missiles that may go farther than beforehand acknowledged — or that it had used its area program for an improvised launch.
The U.S. and Israel have provided shifting rationales for the battle, from hoping to foment an rebellion that topples Iran’s management to eliminating its nuclear and missile packages and its assist for armed proxies. There have been no indicators of an rebellion, whereas web restrictions restrict data from Iran.
The battle’s results are felt far past the West Asia, elevating meals and gasoline costs.
It’s not clear how a lot injury Iran has sustained within the U.S. and Israeli strikes that started Feb. 28 — and even who is actually in cost. Supreme Chief Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei has not been seen in public since being named to the position.
Israel had denied accountability for assault on Natanz
Israel earlier on Saturday (March 21) denied accountability for the strike on the Natanz nuclear facility, almost 220 kilometers (135 miles) southeast of Tehran. The Iranian judiciary’s official information company, Mizan, mentioned there was no leakage.
The Worldwide Atomic Power Company has mentioned the majority of Iran’s estimated 970 kilos (440 kilograms) of enriched uranium is elsewhere, beneath the rubble at its Isfahan facility. It mentioned on X it was wanting into the strike.
The Pentagon declined to touch upon the strike on Natanz, which was additionally hit within the first week of the battle and within the 12-day battle final June. Russian Overseas Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova mentioned such strikes posed a “actual threat of catastrophic catastrophe all through the Center East.” Iran retaliated hours later.
U.S. can use Diego Garcia base to guard Strait of Hormuz
U.Ok. officers didn’t give particulars of the strike that focused the Diego Garcia base Friday, which was unsuccessful. Britain’s Ministry of Protection described Iran as “lashing out throughout the area.” It is unclear how shut the missiles got here to the island. Iran beforehand asserted that it has restricted its missile vary to beneath 2,000 kilometers (over 1,200 miles).
However army specialists mentioned Iran might have used its area launch automobile for an improvised firing. “In the event you’ve obtained an area program, you have obtained a ballistic missile program,” mentioned Steve Prest, a retired Royal Navy commodore.
Israel’s military chief, nevertheless, mentioned Iran had fired “a two-stage intercontinental ballistic missile.” There was no assertion from Iran.
Britain has not participated in US-Israeli assaults however has allowed US bombers to make use of its bases to assault Iran’s missile websites. On Friday, the U.Ok. authorities mentioned bombers may use Diego Garcia to assault websites used to focus on ships within the Strait of Hormuz.
International stress will increase to get delivery again on monitor
As Iran threatens delivery on the Strait of Hormuz, the United Arab Emirates joined 21 different nations together with the U.Ok., Germany, France and Japan in expressing “readiness to contribute to applicable efforts to make sure protected passage.” The Trump administration introduced it was quickly lifting sanctions on Iranian oil that was already loaded on ships as of Friday, however that doesn’t improve oil manufacturing, a central consider surging costs. The oil ministry of Iran, which has evaded sanctions for years, replied that it “basically has no crude oil left in floating storage.”
The pinnacle of U.S. Central Command, Adm. Brad Cooper, asserted that Iran’s capacity to assault vessels on the strait had been “degraded.” He mentioned 5,000-pound (2,270-kilogram) bombs had been dropped earlier within the week on an underground facility alongside Iran’s coast used to retailer anti-ship cruise missiles and cellular missile launchers.
The U.S. is deploying three extra amphibious assault ships and roughly 2,500 extra Marines to the Center East, an official advised The Related Press. Two different US officers confirmed that ships had been deploying, with out saying the place they had been headed. All three spoke on situation of anonymity to debate the operations.
Gulf nations reported extra assaults. A missile alert sounded Saturday night time in Dubai. Saudi Arabia mentioned it downed 20 drones in its east, dwelling to main oil installations.
Iran’s loss of life toll within the battle has surpassed 1,500, the state broadcaster reported, citing the well being ministry. In Israel, 15 folks have been killed by Iranian missiles and 4 others have died within the occupied West Financial institution. Not less than 13 US army members have been killed, together with nicely over a dozen civilians in Gulf nations.
Israeli troops and Hezbollah militants conflict in Lebanon
Israel’s army mentioned it was conducting a “focused floor operation” in southern Lebanon and no less than 4 militants had been killed. Hezbollah mentioned its fighters clashed with troops within the southern village of Khiam.
Israeli strikes focusing on Hezbollah have killed greater than 1,000 folks and displaced greater than 1 million, in response to the Lebanese authorities. Hezbollah’s civilian belongings even have been focused. (AP)