U.S. President Donald Trump has called on various countries to send warships to the Strait of Hormuz as the joint U.S.-Israeli assault on Iran enters its fifteenth day. Iran has responded with strong counterattacks and tightened control over the strategic waterway, reportedly striking a U.S.-linked vessel under the Marshall Islands flag. While Iran has allowed Turkish and Indian ships to pass, most other maritime traffic has been halted. Experts believe Trump’s call for a multinational naval mission is unlikely to gain much support.

Analysts cited by Al Jazeera, including Professor Mohammed Elmasry of the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies, described the proposed mission as extremely difficult and dangerous. Elmasry noted that warships move slowly and could easily become targets in the narrow strait, which lies close to Iran’s mainland. He added that Iran’s drones have a range of about 2,500 kilometers, giving it the capacity to strike vessels at will.

The heightened risk has already made many insurance companies reluctant to cover ships or crews operating in the area, further complicating any potential deployment.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has denied any involvement in the recent drone attacks that targeted Saudi Arabia’s capital Riyadh and its eastern province. According to Saudi authorities, ten drones attempted to strike these areas, but their air defense systems intercepted and destroyed them. The IRGC’s public relations office issued a statement on Sunday clarifying that the Islamic Republic of Iran had no connection to the alleged attacks.

The IRGC further urged the Saudi government to investigate the true source of the drone operations. The statement came amid heightened regional tensions and follows Saudi reports of thwarted aerial assaults. No additional details were provided about the origin of the drones or any potential perpetrators.

The denial from Iran’s military branch may influence ongoing regional security discussions, though the source does not specify any immediate diplomatic or military responses.

The United States Embassy in Riyadh has issued an urgent directive for American citizens currently in Saudi Arabia to leave the country as soon as possible using commercial flights. The embassy released a security alert on March 15, 2026, emphasizing that it is closely monitoring the rapidly changing situation in the Middle East.

According to the embassy, the safety of US citizens is receiving the highest priority from Donald Trump, Marco Rubio, and the US State Department. The advisory was issued in response to ongoing tensions and conflicts across the Middle East, which have raised concerns about potential risks to foreign nationals in the region.

The embassy’s warning underscores heightened security awareness and the possibility of further developments in the regional conflict landscape, though no specific threats or incidents were detailed in the alert.

The Israeli military announced that it has destroyed multiple command centers belonging to Hezbollah’s elite Radwan Force in Beirut. According to a statement released on Saturday, Israeli forces carried out operations across several areas of the Lebanese capital targeting these command centers. The military also reported strikes on several Hezbollah missile launch sites in the Al-Qatrani area of southern Lebanon.

Reports indicate that casualties in Lebanon continue to rise following Israeli attacks. Since the joint U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran began on February 28, at least 826 people have been killed in Lebanon. The ongoing conflict is increasingly spreading across the Middle East, drawing in multiple countries and armed groups and further complicating the regional situation.

The developments mark a deepening of hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah, with growing concerns that the violence could expand beyond Lebanon and intensify instability across the region.

Iran carried out overnight attacks across several Gulf countries on Saturday, according to regional reports. Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Defense stated that its forces intercepted and destroyed 26 Iranian drones, mostly near the capital Riyadh and in the eastern region. The United Arab Emirates said its air defense systems were countering missile and drone attacks from Iran, with a fire breaking out at Fujairah port following a drone strike.

Bahrain reported that warning sirens were sounded and residents were instructed to move to the nearest shelters. The United States ordered non-essential government employees and their families to leave Oman due to security concerns. Kuwait announced that its National Guard had downed five Iranian drones within the past 24 hours. Qatar said it had intercepted missile and drone attacks throughout Saturday but did not report any overnight strikes.

The widespread attacks have heightened regional security tensions, prompting multiple Gulf states to activate defense systems and issue civilian safety alerts.

At least 108 people were injured in Israel within the past 24 hours amid the ongoing conflict with Iran, according to the country’s Ministry of Health. The Times of Israel reported that all the injured individuals were hospitalized, though the exact causes of their injuries were not detailed by the ministry.

Authorities indicated that some injuries may not have resulted directly from Iranian missile strikes or rockets fired from Lebanon, but rather from people getting hurt while rushing to shelters. The ministry also stated on social media platform X that since February 28, a total of 3,195 people have been hospitalized, with 81 still receiving treatment.

The report noted that rising military tensions between Iran and Israel have led to repeated missile and rocket alerts across various parts of Israel, forcing civilians to seek shelter frequently.

According to a report by Turkey’s Anadolu Agency, the United States has suffered nearly $4 billion in military equipment losses during two weeks of war, with operational expenses estimated at around $280 billion. The report cites military analysts who said Iran’s attacks caused the greatest damage to the US THAAD missile defense system, destroying at least four AN/TPY-2 radars in the UAE, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia. Additional losses include damaged radar systems in Qatar, destroyed drones, fighter jets, and a tanker aircraft, as well as infrastructure damage in Bahrain and Kuwait.

A Democratic member of the US House Committee has requested the Congressional Budget Office to disclose the true cost of the war, while the Pentagon has not released any official data. The New York Times reported that the first week of the war cost about $6 billion, with daily expenses estimated between $1 billion and $2 billion. Analysts attribute the high costs to expensive interceptor missiles, advanced aircraft operations, and extensive military deployment across the Middle East.

Experts also noted that while the US defense budget can absorb the expenses, replenishing destroyed equipment and managing domestic discontent over rising costs remain major concerns.

Pakistan carried out airstrikes on military installations in Kandahar, Afghanistan, in response to drone attacks allegedly launched from Afghan territory. According to Geo News, citing official sources, the strikes targeted the 313 Corps in Kabul and the Tarawo militant camp in Kandahar, destroying key infrastructure. The operation also hit four militant hideouts belonging to the Afghan Taliban and Fitna al-Kharij in Paktia province between March 12 and 13. Fuel storage and supply facilities near Kandahar airport were also destroyed during the raids.

President Asif Ali Zardari condemned the drone attacks from Afghanistan, warning Kabul that targeting Pakistani civilians crossed a “red line.” The Pakistani military stated that locally made drones were intercepted before reaching their targets, though debris injured civilians in Quetta, Kohat, and Rawalpindi. Airspace around Islamabad was temporarily closed after the drones were detected.

Tensions between the two neighbors have escalated since late February, when Pakistan began operations against militants allegedly sheltering inside Afghanistan.

The Pentagon has released the identities of six US service members killed when a KC-135 refueling aircraft crashed in western Iraq earlier this week. In a statement on Saturday, the Pentagon said preliminary findings indicate the crash was not caused by hostile action. The incident occurred Thursday and increased the number of US personnel killed in the anti-Iran military campaign to at least 13. Another aircraft involved in the operation landed safely, according to officials.

The Pentagon confirmed that the victims were crew members on duty at the time, including three from the US Air Force and three from the Air National Guard. The cause of the crash remains under investigation, though US Central Command stated it was not due to enemy fire or friendly fire. Meanwhile, the Iran-backed coalition “Islamic Resistance in Iraq” claimed responsibility for downing a KC-135 and said it had targeted another aircraft that escaped.

The KC-135 crash marks at least the fourth US military aircraft lost in the ongoing conflict, following earlier friendly-fire incidents over Kuwait.

Switzerland has refused a request from the United States to use Swiss airspace for military operations targeting Iran. According to the report, the US made two separate requests to allow its aircraft to fly over Swiss territory as part of its Middle East military actions. The Swiss government declined both requests, citing its neutrality law.

In an official statement, the Swiss authorities explained that under national law, it is prohibited to allow any party involved in a conflict to use Swiss airspace for military purposes. However, the government confirmed that it had approved three flights unrelated to combat operations—one for maintenance and two for transport purposes.

The decision underscores Switzerland’s long-standing policy of neutrality and its legal restrictions on involvement in foreign conflicts, even when approached by major powers such as the United States.

Britain is planning to deploy mine-detection drones in the Strait of Hormuz to reduce Iran’s influence over this vital global trade route. The British Ministry of Defence stated that various options are being considered to ensure the safe passage of cargo ships through the strait, which handles about 20 percent of the world’s oil shipments daily. The proposal was first reported by The Sunday Times, citing the Royal Navy’s Mine and Threat Exploitation Group, currently stationed in the Middle East, as the likely source of the drone deployment.

The Sunday Telegraph reported that British interceptor drones, originally designed for Ukraine, may also be used to counter Iranian Shahed drones. The initiative follows earlier calls by former U.S. President Donald Trump for allied nations to send warships to protect oil tankers in the region.

Details such as the number of operational drones and how many could be deployed remain uncertain, according to the reports.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has claimed that Russia is supplying Shahed drones to Iran for use in attacks against the United States and Israel. In an interview with CNN, he said it is 'one hundred percent true' that Iran used Russian-made Shahed drones to strike US bases. He also noted that similar drones have been linked to attacks in other regional countries, though it is not always clear who manufactures them.

According to the report, Iran originally developed the Shahed drone as a cheaper alternative to missiles. Zelensky stated that since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in the fall of 2022, Russian forces have launched thousands of these drones. Initially supplied by Iran, Russia is now producing the Shahed drones domestically. The report adds that the US military and other armed forces have also adopted these drones, viewing their use as part of operational planning against Iran.

The Guardian was cited as the source of this information.

At least 17 ships have been attacked in the Middle East over the past two weeks following the outbreak of regional conflict, according to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO). The incidents occurred around the Persian Gulf, the Strait of Hormuz, and the Gulf of Oman. The UKMTO and the Indian Embassy in Oman confirmed that two Indian nationals were killed in the attacks.

The UKMTO reported that on March 1, two tankers were hit by projectiles in the Strait of Hormuz, and another vessel was struck while anchored in Bahrain. Additional attacks took place in the Gulf of Oman, the Persian Gulf, and the Strait of Hormuz between March 3 and March 12, involving explosions, drone strikes, and projectile impacts. The most recent incident on March 12 set a container ship ablaze in the Persian Gulf.

The series of maritime attacks highlights growing insecurity in key shipping routes of the Middle East, though the source did not specify who was responsible for the assaults or the broader military context.

The United States has instructed non-essential government employees and their family members to leave Oman due to security risks as tensions escalate across the Middle East. The directive was issued on Friday by the Bureau of Consular Affairs of the US Department of State. The statement also urged American citizens to reconsider travel to areas near the Oman–Yemen border.

According to the statement, concerns over potential drone and missile attacks from Iran have persisted since the conflict between the United States and Iran began on February 28. The situation has also caused significant disruptions to commercial air traffic in the region.

The advisory reflects Washington’s growing concern over regional instability and the potential for further escalation affecting civilian and diplomatic safety in Oman and neighboring areas.

At least 20 people were killed when armed gunmen attacked a village in central Nigeria’s Plateau State on Friday, according to a statement released Saturday by the Kanam Development Association (KADA). The group said the attackers ambushed soldiers on routine patrol before opening fire, resulting in the deaths of 12 security personnel and eight local residents who had joined efforts to defend their community.

KADA reported that after the assault on the soldiers, the gunmen raided a nearby village, looting livestock and other property. The organization said the incident has worsened the hardship faced by already vulnerable rural populations. The attackers, described locally as “bandits,” are part of armed groups known for kidnappings and village raids across Nigeria.

Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation, continues to face multiple security crises. Despite ongoing military operations against Islamist insurgents, the presence of various armed groups has further complicated the country’s security situation.