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Tuesday marked the 18th day of the US, Israel-Iran conflict and no indication of de-escalation is visible from either ends.
US President Donald Trump said hostile rhetoric directed at the United States should be taken seriously, asserting that Iran would have used nuclear weapons if it already possessed them. He described Iran as significantly weakened, saying the country was no longer a bully after sustaining major setbacks.
According to Trump, US and allied actions have destroyed most of Iran's missile and drone capabilities and eliminated multiple layers of its leadership. He also referenced Iran's historical leverage over the Strait of Hormuz, suggesting that its strategic importance would be diminished if energy-dependent countries, many of which rely on the strait for the majority of their oil and gas supplies, were affected.
Trump further warned that allowing Iran to obtain nuclear weapons would pose an immediate and catastrophic threat, claiming that a large portion of the world could face destruction if such weapons were used.
Bahrain: +973 39418071, Iran: +98 9128109115 / +98 9128109102 / +98 9128109109 / +98 9932179359, Iraq: +964 771 651 1185 / +964 770444 4899, Israel: +972 54 7520711 / +972 54 2428378, Jordan: +962 770 422 276, Kuwait: +965 65501946
Lebanon: +961 76860128, Oman: +968 98282270 (WhatsApp) / 80071234 (Toll free) Qatar: +974 55647502, Ramallah, Palestine: +970 592916418, Saudi Arabia (Riyadh): +966 11 4884697 / 800 247 1234 (Toll free), Saudi Arabia (Jeddah): +966 126648660 / +966 12 2614093, United Arab Emirates: +971 543090571 (WhatsApp) / 800 46342 (Toll free)
Seyed Abbas Araghchi, Iran's Foreign Minister, criticised the US Secretary of War's statement, saying it shows moral bankruptcy and ignorance of international law.
"When the U.S. Secretary of War declares “no quarter”, he doesn't project strength. He conveys moral bankruptcy and ignorance about law of armed conflict. We advise him to review the Hague Convention and Rome Statute of the ICC, unless he aspires to join Netanyahu as war criminal," he wrote on X.
When the U.S. Secretary of War declares “no quarter”, he doesn't project strength. He conveys moral bankruptcy and ignorance about law of armed conflict. We advise him to review the Hague Convention and Rome Statute of the ICC, unless he aspires to join Netanyahu as war criminal.
— Seyed Abbas Araghchi (@araghchi) March 16, 2026
United Arab Emirates lifts brief airspace closure over Iranian attacks, reports AP.
Seyed Abbas Araghchi, Iran's Foreign Minister, is denying reports of recent direct communication with US envoy Steve Witkoff, stating that his last contact was before the US launched a military attack on Iran. He claims that any claims of ongoing communication are aimed at misleading oil traders and the public.
In a post on X Araghchi wrote, "My last contact with Mr. Witkoff was prior to his employer's decision to kill diplomacy with another illegal military attack on Iran. Any claim to the contrary appears geared solely to mislead oil traders and the public."
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said there will only be a "political solution" to the war in Iran. Speaking after a meeting with Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten in Berlin, Merz said that he pointed out the risks of the conflict "from day one" and stressed that "there will be no military solution here; there will only be a political solution."
Responding to US President Donald Trump's calls to send warships to the Strait of Hormuz, Merz said "NATO is a defensive alliance, not an interventionist one." Merz also said he hopes that NATO allies "will treat one another with the necessary respect within the alliance."
After years of being antagonis
ed by President Donald Trump, US allies in Europe and Asia are in no hurry to bow to his demand that they send ships into a war he started — and has claimed to have won already.A drone attack hit the Roya Tulip Al-Rasheed hotel in Baghdad's Green Zone, causing damage but no casualties. The hotel houses diplomatic delegations and international organisations, including the European Union Advisory Mission in Iraq. Security forces sealed off the area, and no group has claimed responsibility yet. This incident follows recent airstrikes targeting facilities linked to Iraqi militias, and the Iran-backed Kataib Hezbollah reported the death of a senior security figure, Abu Ali Al-Askari.
The United Arab Emirates briefly closed and then reopened its airspace Tuesday, temporarily halting flights in a crucial travel hub, as the country's military said it was facing incoming attacks from Iran, reports AP.
The temporary disruption came as war in the Middle East continued to rage. The Israeli military early Tuesday reported a salvo of Iranian missiles as sirens sounded south of the Sea of Galilee. No injuries were reported. The US and Israel had pummeled military targets in Iran's capital a day earlier, with Israel stepping up bombardments of Iran-backed militants in Lebanon.
Several large explosions have been heard in northern Tehran, near the Saadabad Palace complex, within the last few minutes.
According to Al Jazeera's correspondent in Tehran, the exact nature of the most recent blasts remains unclear, though witnesses described the sounds of blast as occurring in close proximity to the former royal palace. A security source has told Al Jazeera Arabic that air defences have responded to a drone attack targeting the US Embassy in Baghdad.
The United States' war with Iran will "be wrapped up soon" as the regime has been weakened, President Donald Trump said on Tuesday, even as the conflict across the Persian Gulf intensified in its third week. "It'll (The War) be wrapped up soon. We're going to have a much safer world," the president told reporters in the White House.
Trump says, "When they say 'Death to America,' you should believe them because...if they had a nuclear weapon, they would've used it." He adds, "Iran is a shell of itself, it’s no longer a bully...it's the bully that got beat up. We beat the crap out of them—and and they deserve that."
"When they say 'Death to America,' you should believe them because...if they had a nuclear weapon, they would've used it," says @POTUS.
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) March 16, 2026
"Iran is a shell of itself, it’s no longer a bully...it's the bully that got beat up. We beat the crap out of them—and and they deserve that." pic.twitter.com/lWRJChv7NE
US President Trump says, "We have extinguished most of their missiles and drones... We have fully extinguished two layers of leadership and probably a third. We only have one thing to have a little choke point... and they (Iran) have used it very well for years, but it doesn't work. But I think this, if some of these countries that we've been good to for years, get 90 to 95 % of their energy from the Strait of Hormuz..."
#WATCH | Washington DC | US President Donald Trump says, "We have extinguished most of their missiles and drones... We have fully extinguished two layers of leadership and probably a third. We only have one thing to have a little choke point... and they (Iran) have used it very… pic.twitter.com/yDDVuWjKtW
— ANI (@ANI) March 16, 2026
US President Donald Trump said he's taking strong action to end the war quickly, making the world safer. He justified his approach as necessary and effective, suggesting a tough stance is needed to prevent escalation and protect global stability.
.@POTUS: "It'll be wrapped up soon. We're going to have a much safer world. I had an obligation to do this... you want to see a stock market go down? Start letting them hit you with nukes, okay?" pic.twitter.com/dPFLZeVO4H
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) March 16, 2026
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