The Israeli military has claimed responsibility for killing Gholamreza Soleimani, commander of Iran’s Basij Force, a paramilitary unit under the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). According to the Israeli statement, Soleimani was killed in an attack on Monday night. Israel described his death as a major blow to Iran’s command-and-control structure and vowed to continue using force against Iranian commanders. Iran has not yet issued any official response to the claim.

The report comes amid heightened regional tensions following failed nuclear talks between Tehran and Washington that took place from February 6 to 27 without reaching an agreement. On February 28, the United States launched “Operation Epic Fury” in Iran, while Israel simultaneously began its own campaign called “Operation Roaring Lion.”

In retaliation, Iran has been launching waves of drone and missile strikes targeting U.S. bases in Israel and six Gulf countries—Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, and Oman. These attacks are reportedly ongoing, according to Al Jazeera.

The number of Rohingya refugees in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, increased by 178,757 over the past year, reaching 1,184,864 as of February 28, 2026. The data comes from the latest report by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), published on March 17, 2026. In February 2025, the refugee population stood at 1,006,107.

According to the UNHCR report, 144,456 of the new arrivals were identified as newcomers, while an estimated 34,301 were newborns. The report attributes the new wave of displacement to both general and targeted conflicts in Myanmar during 2024. Although the newcomers have been identified through biometric methods, they are not yet fully registered; they receive only family cards for life-saving aid distribution.

The report also notes that the number of Rohingya refugee families in Bangladesh rose to 246,415 by February 2026, up from 204,303 a year earlier. Since 1990, 39,502 Rohingya refugees have been officially registered in Bangladesh, with more than one million arriving after August 2017.

Iran’s newly appointed Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei is currently undergoing treatment at a hospital in Moscow after being injured in attacks by the United States and Israel. According to a report by Kuwait-based outlet Al-Jarida, he traveled to Moscow at the invitation of Russian President Vladimir Putin. The report stated that Putin spoke with Khamenei by phone on March 12, after which Khamenei flew to Moscow aboard a Russian military aircraft.

Al-Jarida contacted the Kremlin for confirmation, but no officials agreed to comment. Russian news agency TASS also sought clarification, and President Putin’s press secretary said they could not comment on such reports. The incident follows the death of former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on February 28, the first day of the Iran war, in which several members of his family were also killed.

Following Ayatollah Khamenei’s death, Mojtaba Khamenei was chosen as Iran’s new Supreme Leader. U.S. media reported that he was seriously injured, though Iranian sources said his leg injury was not life-threatening.

Ibrahim Al Jarwan, chairman of the Emirates Astronomical Society, has announced the likely date for Eid al-Fitr in Arab countries this year. According to his statement, the holy month of Ramadan in the Arab world is expected to complete 30 days, making the first day of Shawwal likely to fall on March 20. This means that most countries in the region, including Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar, are expected to celebrate Eid on Friday, March 20.

Al Jarwan also noted that on the 29th day of Ramadan, which falls on the preceding Wednesday, there will be no crescent moon visible in the skies over Arab nations. His assessment was reported by The National, indicating that astronomical conditions support the likelihood of Eid being observed a day later.

The announcement provides early guidance for communities and authorities in the Middle East to prepare for the festival, though the final confirmation will depend on the official moon sighting closer to the date.

At least 3,530 people have been injured in Israel since the outbreak of war with Iran, according to the Israeli Health Ministry. The ministry reported that the injured include both civilians and members of the Israeli military. Many of the wounded have been hospitalized for treatment.

As of Tuesday, 86 Israelis remain hospitalized, with eight of them in critical condition. The information was reported by Qatar-based news outlet Al Jazeera, citing official data from Israel’s Health Ministry. The report did not specify the timeline or nature of the incidents that caused the injuries.

The ongoing conflict between Israel and Iran has led to a significant number of casualties and hospitalizations, highlighting the escalating humanitarian impact within Israel.

Iran has launched nearly 2,000 missiles and drones toward the United Arab Emirates since the start of the ongoing conflict, focusing its attacks on the country’s transport and energy infrastructure. On Monday, a drone strike near Dubai International Airport caused a fire and temporarily halted flight operations. Another attack ignited a blaze at the major oil storage facility in Fujairah port.

According to the Abu Dhabi Media Office, a Palestinian citizen was killed in a rocket strike on a car in the outskirts of the UAE capital. Dubai International Airport has been hit multiple times since Iran began its retaliatory strikes, leading to significant disruptions. In late February, a luxury hotel in Dubai was also targeted in a separate attack.

The continued strikes have raised concerns over the safety of key infrastructure and civilian areas in the UAE as the conflict persists.

A leaked audio recording obtained by The Telegraph reveals that Mojtaba Khamenei, Iran’s new Supreme Leader, narrowly survived a missile attack by Israel and the United States that killed his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The strike occurred on February 28 at 9:32 a.m. when an Israeli Blue Sparrow ballistic missile hit the Khamenei residence. Mojtaba survived because he had stepped into the garden moments before the impact.

The recording, attributed to Mazaher Hosseini, head of protocol in Ali Khamenei’s office, was delivered on March 12 before senior clerics and IRGC commanders in Tehran’s Kolhak area. Hosseini said Mojtaba sustained minor leg injuries, while his wife Haddad and their son were killed instantly. The missile also struck the home of Khamenei’s brother-in-law, Misbah al-Huda Bagheri Kani, killing him, and caused damage near the residence of Mojtaba’s brother Mostafa, who escaped unharmed.

The leak comes amid uncertainty about Mojtaba’s health and leadership capacity. An Iranian official said even military commanders lack information on his current condition, while former U.S. President Donald Trump publicly questioned whether he is still alive.

Ali Larijani, head of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, has issued an open letter in Arabic urging Muslim-majority countries to support Iran in its ongoing war against the United States and Israel. In the letter, Larijani described the conflict as a struggle between the US-Israel alliance and regional resistance forces, warning that Washington is untrustworthy and that Israel remains an enemy of the Muslim world. He emphasized that Iran seeks no dominance over others and called on Muslim nations to consider the region’s future.

Larijani accused the US and Israel of launching an aggressive war to destroy Iran, lamenting the limited support from Muslim countries during this crisis. He asserted that Iran’s people would continue to resist until the end. The letter follows failed nuclear talks between Tehran and Washington, which ended on February 27 without agreement.

The day after the talks collapsed, the US began “Operation Epic Fury” in Iran, joined by Israel’s simultaneous “Operation Roaring Lion.” Iran has since retaliated with drone and missile strikes on US bases across six Gulf countries, actions that remain ongoing.

U.S. President Donald Trump has warned NATO allies that the alliance’s future could be at risk if member nations fail to help reopen the blocked Strait of Hormuz, which has been disrupted amid conflict with Iran. In an interview with The Financial Times published on March 17, 2026, Trump said countries benefiting from the strait should take responsibility to ensure its safety. He urged China, France, and the United Kingdom to send warships to the area and hinted at possible U.S. military action to restore passage.

Trump emphasized that European and Chinese economies depend more heavily on oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz than the United States does, yet those nations have not taken sufficient steps to secure the route. He suggested that allies could assist by deploying minesweeper vessels to clear the waterway.

Referring to NATO’s past cooperation, Trump noted that the United States supported European allies during the war in Ukraine and now expects reciprocal assistance in maintaining freedom of navigation in the Gulf region.

Qatar Airways announced on Monday that it will operate a limited number of flights to and from Doha starting Wednesday through March 28. The airline said the restricted schedule covers dozens of destinations across Africa, Europe, Asia, the Middle East, North and South America, and the Asia Pacific. The carrier explained that its regular operations remain suspended due to the closure of Qatari airspace and that full services will resume once the Qatar Civil Aviation Authority declares the airspace safe for reopening.

The decision comes as air travel across the Middle East faces severe disruption following the US and Israel’s military assault on Iran on February 28. The attacks triggered retaliatory Iranian missile and drone strikes across the region, affecting several Gulf countries that serve as major aviation hubs. Many travelers remain stranded as airspace restrictions persist.

In the United Arab Emirates, authorities reported that flights at Dubai International Airport were gradually resuming after a drone-related incident caused a nearby fuel tank fire. Officials confirmed the fire was contained and no injuries occurred.

Multiple explosions struck Baghdad on Monday, killing at least four people in an air raid on a building used by the Iran-backed Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF) in the Jadriyah district. The attack followed drone strikes targeting the United States Embassy in the city’s fortified Green Zone, where air defences intercepted several drones and one reportedly struck inside the compound. A separate drone hit the Al Rasheed Hotel near the embassy, causing a minor fire but no casualties, according to Iraq’s Ministry of Interior.

The PMF, an umbrella group of mostly Shia paramilitary factions aligned with Iran, was formally integrated into Iraq’s security forces. The Iraqi army condemned the earlier suspected US strike on a PMF checkpoint in Al-Qaim, which killed at least eight troops, calling it a “treacherous and cowardly attack.” Security forces have since blocked roads to the Green Zone with armoured vehicles.

The violence coincided with reports of drone attacks on Iraq’s Majnoon oilfield in Basra province and the death of a senior Kataib Hezbollah commander. Iraq’s oil minister said a key pipeline to Turkiye would reopen within a week to resume disrupted exports.

United States President Donald Trump said on Monday that “numerous countries” had told him they were “on their way” to join an international naval coalition aimed at securing the Strait of Hormuz amid the ongoing US-Israel war on Iran. Trump did not identify any of the countries but said Secretary of State Marco Rubio would make an official announcement. He had earlier urged China, France, Japan, South Korea, and the United Kingdom, as well as NATO members, to participate in the coalition, though no country has yet confirmed involvement.

Several nations have publicly declined to send military ships, including Australia, Japan, Poland, Sweden, and Spain. Germany’s Defence Minister Boris Pistorius ruled out military participation but expressed support for diplomatic efforts. The UK and South Korea said they were reviewing options, with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer suggesting possible deployment of mine-hunting drones while avoiding deeper engagement. France has shown more openness to assisting. Trump criticized countries that refused to join, noting that some were long-time US allies under American protection.

The conflict has sharply affected global oil markets, with prices rising 40–50 percent amid Iranian attacks on shipping. The UN reports 3.2 million people displaced in Iran, while Amnesty International accused the US of a deadly strike on a girls’ school in Minab.

Most of the world wants the ongoing war involving Iran to end quickly, but the countries engaged hold sharply different objectives. The United States, under President Donald Trump, has wavered between limiting Iran’s nuclear program, forcing regime change, and securing regional compliance. Despite 16 days of intense bombing that weakened Iran’s military, Tehran has neither surrendered nor collapsed. Earlier indirect talks in Geneva, mediated by Oman, had shown progress on nuclear issues, but Iran refused to discuss its missile program or regional proxies.

Iran seeks an end to the war but not at the cost of accepting all U.S. demands. It insists on guarantees against future attacks and compensation for damages from U.S. and Israeli airstrikes. Israel, meanwhile, wants to destroy as much of Iran’s missile and military infrastructure as possible, viewing Tehran’s weapons programs as existential threats. Gulf Arab states, though initially neutral, are now angered by Iranian drone and missile strikes on their territories.

Rising oil prices, partial closure of the Strait of Hormuz, and growing domestic unease in the U.S. are increasing pressure on Washington to find a way out of the conflict.

Amnesty International has concluded that the United States is responsible for a February 28 missile strike on a primary school in Minab, southern Iran, that killed at least 170 people, most of them children. The rights group said on Monday that a US-manufactured Tomahawk missile was likely used in the attack, which also hit structures in an adjacent Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) compound. Amnesty’s investigation, based on satellite imagery, video analysis, and expert interviews, found that the school was directly struck, indicating a failure by US forces to take feasible precautions to avoid civilian harm.

The organization said the attack represents a serious breach of international humanitarian law and may amount to a war crime. Amnesty’s senior director Erika Guevara-Rosas stated that if the US failed to identify the building as a school, it would show gross negligence and a major intelligence failure. Alternatively, if the US knew the school’s location and still proceeded, it would constitute a reckless and indiscriminate attack. The United Nations and US lawmakers have called for accountability, while Washington has said it is investigating the incident.

The Minab strike has intensified scrutiny of the ongoing US-Israeli war on Iran, which legal experts say violates international law, and raised concerns about US officials’ dismissive remarks regarding rules of engagement.

Andreas Krieg, an Associate Professor at King’s College London, stated that attempts to open the Strait of Hormuz by force would be 'almost suicidal.' He commented on US plans to deploy 2,500 marines to the Gulf, saying the move would make no difference in reopening the strategic waterway.

Krieg’s remarks highlight skepticism about the effectiveness of military measures in addressing tensions surrounding the Strait of Hormuz, a critical maritime route for global energy shipments. His assessment suggests that a forceful approach could carry severe risks without achieving the intended outcome.

The statement underscores concerns about escalating military involvement in the Gulf region and the potential consequences of using force to secure maritime access.