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Wednesday marks the 19th day of the US-Israel-Iran conflict, with no signs of de-escalation as US President Donald Trump asserts that the "war" is proceeding strongly.
Earlier, Iran confirmed that its national security chief, Ali Larijani, had died hours after Israel had claimed killing him in an overnight strike, AFP reported. Meanwhile, Trump lashed out at NATO allies for their limited involvement in the conflict and asserted that the US does not need help from anyone.
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Two massive explosions were heard in Riyadh reported news agency Reuters.
The Israeli military says it has detected a new wave of missiles launched at Israel from Iran, reported AlJazeera.
The reported added that the country’s defensive systems were attempting to intercept the attack.
The Indian stock market eyes a gap-down opening as GIFT Nifty, India's early market indicator fell over 1% on Wednesday evening after Iran warned of attack on Gulf oil facilities in retaliation to the hit on its South Pars gas field and nearby infrastructure.
At around 9 p.m., GIFT Nifty was trading at 23,465, down 1.41% or 335 points, slipping below the 23,500 mark. Dow Jones also slumped nearly 1%, shedding over 400 points to trade at 46,570.64 within one hour of market open. Losses in big tech weighed on the Nasdaq index which slipped over 0.7% to 22,317 and S&P 500 declined 0.7% to 6,670.15.
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According to Israeli media reports, Iran’s latest wave of missile attacks at Israel has caused damage in multiple locations.
Damage had been caused at several sites in central Israel by cluster munitions from an Iranian missile, one of which caused damage to a home, reported The Times of Israel citing emergency services.
During the war US has struck over 7,800 targets reported Centcom.
Source: Bloomberg
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte on Wednesday while speaking in Norway said that they are in touch with allies on Strait of Hormuz. He further added that the allies agree that the Strait has to open up again.
Source: Bloomberg
Oil and gas prices jumped on Wednesday after Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Corps issued an evacuation threat for people living around five oil facilities Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar. According to data from Bloomberg, Brent oil climbed as much as 5% to a high of $108.60 a barrel, while Europe’s gas benchmark jumped as much as 7.9%.
Iran President Pezeshkian on Wednesday through a post on X confirms death of Intelligence Minister.
"The cowardly assassination of my dear colleagues Ismail Khatib, Ali Larijani, and Aziz Nasirzadeh, alongside some of their family members and accompanying team, has left us in deep mourning.
I extend my condolences to the great people of Iran for the martyrdom of two cabinet members, the secretary of the Shura, and the military and Basij commanders. I am certain their path will continue more steadfastly than before.," he said in the post.
After the warning from Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Corps, Gulf producers have evacuated multiple sites, reported Bloomberg.
According to Iranian state media, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Corps on Wednesday has issued an evacuation threat for people living around five oil facilities Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar.
After a reported attack at the South Pars gas facility, the situation is under reported Iran’s Fars news agency, quoting the governor of Asaluyeh.
The reported added that fire teams were controlling the blaze, and no casualties had been reported so far.
Qatar’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Majed al-Ansari in a post on X said “the Israeli targeting of facilities linked to Iran’s South Pars field, an extension of Qatar’s North Field, is a dangerous and irresponsible step amid the current military escalation in the region”.
The Israeli targeting of facilities linked to Iran’s South Pars field, an extension of Qatar’s North Field, is a dangerous & irresponsible step amid the current military escalation in the region.
— د. ماجد محمد الأنصاري Dr. Majed Al Ansari (@majedalansari) March 18, 2026
Targeting energy infrastructure constitutes a threat to global energy security, as…
White House Press Scretary Leavitt while speaking to Fox News on Wednesday said that it is a good thing for US that Iran's Khatib is dead. He also added during the interview that US President Donald Trump has full confidence in Tulsi Gbbard.
Lebanon’s Health Ministry on Wednesday said that the death toll from Israeli air strikes at dawn in Beirut’s Basta and Zuqaq al-Blat districts has risen to 10, with 27 people injured, as per reports by AlJazeera.
According to report by the National News Agency, two people have been killed and a number of others wounded in an Israeli air raid on Khirbet Selm in southern Lebanon.
Members of Iran’s women’s national football team and their support staff returned to Iran on Wednesday, reported the Fars news agency.
Iran's semi-official FARS citing sources connected to military reported that Iran will retaliate against attack on energy infrastructure. It further reported that Iran will hit enemy sites that were previously thought to be safe.
After Israel hit Phase 3, 4, 5 and 6 of South Pars Gas Field, Iran is taking several phases offline, according to media reports.
Israel struck Iran's largest gas processing facility on Wednesday in coordination with US, reported AXIOS quoting Senior Israeli Official.
US President Donald Trump on Wednesday in a post on Truth Social said that US is rapidly putting Iran out of business.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday held a conversation with Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah, discussing the evolving situation in West Asia and underlining the importance of regional stability.
US President Donald Trump in a post on Truth Social asked what would happen if US 'finished off' what's left of the 'Iranian Terror State'. In the post he said, "I wonder what would happen if we “finished off” what’s left of the Iranian Terror State, and let the Countries that use it, we don’t, be responsible for the so called “Straight?” That would get some of our non-responsive “Allies” in gear, and fast!!! President DJT."
UAE’s Defence Ministry in a post on X said it dealt with 13 ballistic missiles and 27 drones coming from Iran on Wednesday.
It added that since the start of the attacks, UAE has faced 327 ballistic missiles, 15 cruise missiles and 1,699 drones. "These attacks have resulted in the martyrdom of 2 members of the armed forces while performing their national duty, as well as 6 fatalities of Pakistani, Nepali, Bangladeshi and Palestinian nationalities," the Ministry said in a post.
UAE air defences engage 13 ballistic missiles, 27 UAVs
— وزارة الدفاع |MOD UAE (@modgovae) March 18, 2026
The UAE air defence systems on 18th March 2026 engaged 13 ballistic missiles and 27 UAVs launched from Iran.
Since the onset of the blatant Iranian aggression, UAE air defences have engaged 327 ballistic missiles, 15 cruise… pic.twitter.com/MIRbkNbn51
Iranian state TV on Wednesday reported that there has been an attack on natural gas facilities associated with offshore South Pars field.
In an Israeli air strike on Deir ez-Zahrani that hit a residential building, two people have been killed and seven wounded, including a child with critical injuries, the National News Agency reported.
Amid the tensions in Middle East, Akasa Air has begun operation to and from Riyadh and Mumbai. The company in a statement further added that it continues to operate flights to and from Jeddah and Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Mumbai, Kochi and Kozhikode.
Israel Defence Forces on Wednesday claim that in an attack they have killed Iran’s intelligence minister, Esmaeil Khatib. Tehran however has not commented on, nor confirmed the attack.
🔴ELIMINATED: Esmaeil Khatib, the Iranian terrorist regime Minister of Intelligence, in a targeted strike in Tehran.
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) March 18, 2026
Khatib played a significant role during the recent protests throughout Iran, including the arrest & killing of protestors and led terrorist activities against… pic.twitter.com/654lpYCZ1c
According to a report by AlJazeera, Iraq has reached a deal allowing oil exports through Turkiye’s Ceyhan terminal. This eases a major production crisis that cut southern output by 70% after Iran’s blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan yesterday, said Randhir Jaiswal, Spokesperson, MEA. Both leaders discussed the ongoing situation, while PM Modi condemned attacks on civilian infrastructure.
A US warship reportedly carrying marines and sailors to the Middle East was nearing the Malacca Strait off Singapore, CNN reported.
The Indian-flagged crude oil tanker Jag Laadki has successfully arrived at Mundra Ports in Gujarat. It carried approximately 80,886 metric tonnes (MT) of crude oil, sourced from the UAE, loaded at Fujairah Port. Measuring 274.19 meters in length overall and 50.04 meters in beam, the tanker has a deadweight tonnage of approximately 164,716 tonnes and a gross tonnage of about 84,735 tonnes. (Source: IANS)
Gujarat: The Indian-flagged crude oil tanker Jag Laadki has successfully arrived at Mundra Ports in Gujarat.
— IANS (@ians_india) March 18, 2026
It carried approximately 80,886 metric tonnes (MT) of crude oil, sourced from the UAE, loaded at Fujairah Port. Measuring 274.19 meters in length overall and 50.04… pic.twitter.com/2mE0FNBoOR
India is now trying to secure safe passage for another six tankers currently inside the Persian Gulf, though it is not clear which channel they will follow on their way out.
Israeli airstrikes killed at least two people in Lebanon's western Bekaa valley, Lebanon's health ministry said. The strikes in the town of Sohmor also wounded at least six others, the ministry said.
Amid the escalating war between the US, Israel and Iran, Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf has declared that the situation in the Strait of Hormuz will not return to its "pre-war state." On his social media handle X, Ghalibaf wrote, "The Strait of Hormuz situation won't return to its pre-war status."
Iran's judiciary reported that an 'attack' hit southern Iran, killing and wounding civilians and judicial staff. The judiciary's Mizan news agency reported the attack at a judiciary site in Larestan County in Iran's Fars province.
The site "was targeted in an attack by the enemy,” Mizan said. “A number of staff members and civilians were martyred and injured; the exact number is still unknown." It wasn't clear if the attack was an airstrike or an attack by militants.
The United States military forces have dropped 5,000-pound “deep penetrator munitions” near the Strait of Hormuz, targeting Iranian missile sites along the coastline.
Iran's Foreign Minister Araghchi told Al Jazeera that the US is responsible for the tensions in the region and said, 'this is America's War."
The UAE is expected to join the United States-led international efforts to ensure the safety and security of the Strait of Hormuz, NDTV reported, citing Dr. Anwar Gargash, Diplomatic Adviser to the President of the United Arab Emirates. However, no official plan has been finalised yet, and discussions are still ongoing, it added.
An Indian flagged crude oil tanker has arrived at Adani Ports Mundra in Gujarat, NDTV reported. The tanker measures 274.19 meters in length and 50.04 meters in beam. The tanker has a gross tonnage of about 84,735 tonnes.
A “hostile projectile” hit at the site of the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant in western Iran on Tuesday, with no casualties and no damage to the facility, CNN reported, citing Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization.
The Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran in India said, "The first shipment of medical aid from the esteemed people of India has been delivered to the Iranian Red Crescent Society. We sincerely thank the kind people of India," ANI reported.
In a post on X, the UAE Defence Ministry said, "The UAE's air defenses are currently dealing with missile attacks and incoming drones from Iran, and the Ministry of Defense confirms that the sounds heard in scattered areas of the country are the result of air defense systems intercepting ballistic missiles, as well as fighter jets intercepting drones and loitering munitions."
While, "UAE air defences are currently responding to incoming missile and drone threats from Iran."
On Tuesday, Israel targeted Hezbollah across Lebanon, while it claimed to have “eliminated several Hezbollah terrorists across southern Lebanon," CNN reported.
Iran is conducting discussions with eight countries outside the Middle East for a safe passage for oil traded in the Chinese currency yuan, CNN reported.
IRGC strikes more than 100 targets in Tel Aviv amid "Operation True Promise 4," ANI reported.
A statement issued by the Australian Defence Force said, "An Iranian strike impacted an area at the Al Minhad Air Base in the United Arab Emirates, where the Australian Defence Force (ADF) has a long‑standing presence. No ADF personnel were injured in the incident, and all ADF personnel deployed to the Middle East are safe and accounted for. The strike resulted in minor damage to an accommodation block and medical facility in the Australian section of the base."
It added, "Defence’s focus is on ensuring the safety and security of our people, and we will continue to revise force protection measures as the situation in the Middle East evolves."
Trump cannot credibly exit the war, James Dorsey told NDTV Profit, adding that the majority of Americans were against the war.
Several African economies are running on weeks of refined fuel after Iran's war shipments through the Strait of Hormuz. Around 600,000 barrels a day of oil products typically flow to the continent from the Middle East are at risk, Bloomberg reported.
“A wave of global repercussions has only begun and will hit all — regardless of wealth, faith, or race,” Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi posted on X.
The director of the National Counterterrorism Center Joe Kent, stepped down on Tuesday, highlighting his worries over the justification for military strikes in Iran and saying he “cannot in good conscience” support the Trump administration’s war, AP reported.
Amid escalating tensions in the Middle East, oil prices held firm on Wednesday. Brent crude traded above $103 per barrel, while the US benchmark West Texas Intermediate was around $96.
The UAE Defence Ministry on X said, "The UAE's air defenses are currently dealing with missile attacks and incoming drones from Iran, and the Ministry of Defense confirms that the sounds heard in various parts of the country are the result of the air defense systems intercepting ballistic missiles, as well as fighter jets intercepting drones and loitering munitions. UAE air defences are currently responding to incoming missile and drone threats from Iran."
Nearly 17 people were killed, and several were injured by Israeli strikes across Lebanon on Tuesday night, CNN reported.
Iran has pledged to seek revenge for the killing of its top national security advisor, Ali Larijani, as Sardar Mousavi, the commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ Aerospace Force, declared a “rapid strike,” saying “tonight, the enemy’s sky will become more spectacular for you,” CNN reported, citing state media..
I'm here with Israel's Defense Minister, our Chief of Staff, the head of the Mossad, the Chief of Air Force, our senior commanders. In the past 24 hours, we knocked out two of the terrorist chieftains, the top terrorist chieftains of this tyranny.
— Benjamin Netanyahu - בנימין נתניהו (@netanyahu) March 17, 2026
Our aircraft are hitting the… pic.twitter.com/lFJKEMvgxR
Iran hit missiles at Tel Aviv on Wednesday, killing two. The deceased were two civilians in their seventies, a couple, killed in Ramat Gan, near Tel Aviv, the Jerusalem Post reported.
In a post on X, US Central Command said, "Hours ago, US forces successfully employed multiple 5,000-pound deep penetrator munitions on hardened Iranian missile sites along Iran’s coastline near the Strait of Hormuz. The Iranian anti-ship cruise missiles in these sites posed a risk to international shipping in the strait."
Iran's new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, has rejected proposals for "reducing tensions or ceasefire with the United States," Reuters reported, citing a senior Iranian official.
On Wednesday morning, drone and rocket attacks restarted at the United States Embassy in Baghdad, CNN reported, citing a local security official.
Trump alleged that Iran was two weeks away from having a new nuclear weapon. Addressing from the White House, Trump was quoted by PTI as saying, "If those beautiful, magnificent machines, those B2 bombers, if they didn't do their job, seven or eight months ago, they would have had, they would have had a nuclear weapon and there would have been no talking to him, no talking at all."
He added, "They would have used it very gladly, very happily, and you sort of see that by the fact that they were sending missiles, ballistic missiles, powerful missiles to all of their neighbours, and for the most part, they were supposed to be somewhat friendly with their neighbours."
Criticising NATO allies, Trump in a post on Truth Social said, "The United States has been informed by most of our NATO “Allies” that they don’t want to get involved with our Military Operation against the Terrorist Regime of Iran, in the Middle East, this, despite the fact that almost every Country strongly agreed with what we are doing, and that Iran cannot, in any way, shape, or form, be allowed to have a Nuclear Weapon. I am not surprised by their action."
He added, "however, because I always considered NATO, where we spend Hundreds of Billions of Dollars per year protecting these same Countries, to be a one way street — We will protect them, but they will do nothing for us, in particular, in a time of need. Fortunately, we have decimated Iran’s Military — Their Navy is gone, their Air Force is gone, their Anti-Aircraft and Radar is gone and perhaps, most importantly, their Leaders, at virtually every level, are gone, never to threaten us, our Middle Eastern Allies, or the World, again! Because of the fact that we have had such Military Success, we no longer “need,” or desire, the NATO Countries’ assistance — WE NEVER DID!"
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