Former US National Security Adviser John Bolton has described the United States’ recent military operation in Iran as disorganized and lacking proper planning. Speaking to the BBC’s Newsnight program, Bolton said the attack was not well thought out and criticized the approach taken by President Donald Trump. Bolton, who served in Trump’s first term for just over a year, argued that the operation should have been carried out in a more deliberate and structured way.

He added that neither the American public, Congress, nor allied nations were prepared for such an action. Bolton, a long-time advocate of regime change in Tehran, also discussed Iran’s strategic position regarding the Strait of Hormuz, through which about one-fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas passes. He noted that Iran now understands the potential destructive impact of blocking the strait, which could give it significant leverage over global energy exports.

Bolton has been a vocal critic of Trump since leaving the White House in 2019, describing the former president as unfit for office in his memoir.

Amid the ongoing Middle East conflict, diplomatic efforts, military escalation, and economic concerns intensified on March 24, 2026. U.S. President Donald Trump claimed that “constructive” talks had taken place between the United States and Iran, but Iranian officials denied any direct discussions. The White House later described the situation as “unstable,” adding to diplomatic uncertainty. CBS News reported that Iran received proposals from the U.S. through intermediaries, which are under review.

Sources indicated that Trump’s Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, might meet Iranian representatives in Pakistan this week, with Islamabad expressing readiness to host the talks. Following these diplomatic signals, global oil prices briefly fell before rising again above $100 per barrel, reflecting renewed economic pressure.

The military situation worsened as Iran launched multiple missile attacks on Israel, damaging sites in Tel Aviv and central Israel. Israel reportedly struck Beirut and ordered evacuations in southern Lebanon amid preparations for further operations against Hezbollah. In the United Kingdom, Chancellor Rachel Reeves is set to address Parliament about rising energy costs and potential economic impacts, underscoring the conflict’s global reach.

The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) reported that multiple rocket attacks struck central Israel, causing additional damage. Search and rescue teams have been deployed to the affected areas, according to the IDF. The country’s emergency service agency shared several images on its Telegram account showing smoke rising from buildings and debris scattered across the area.

The report follows earlier incidents linked to ongoing hostilities between Israel and Iran. The IDF’s latest update indicates that the situation remains tense, with visible destruction in several locations. The emergency services’ visual evidence highlights the extent of the damage caused by the recent attacks.

Further assessments of the damage and casualties are expected as rescue operations continue in the impacted zones.

The USS Gerald R. Ford, the world’s largest U.S. aircraft carrier, returned on Monday to a naval base on the Greek island of Crete after participating in wartime operations in the Middle East. The vessel had previously resupplied with food, fuel, and ammunition at Souda Bay in February. On March 12, a fire broke out in the ship’s laundry room, injuring two crew members and damaging around 100 berths.

The Ford, along with another U.S. carrier, the USS Abraham Lincoln, played a key role in a major air campaign launched by the United States and Israel against Iran in late February. The withdrawal of the Ford is expected to leave a significant gap in U.S. military presence in the region. Reports also indicated that the ship faced serious toilet malfunctions at sea, forcing sailors to queue for use, and that crew morale had declined due to multiple operational difficulties.

According to U.S. military sources cited by AFP, the damage and morale issues have added to the challenges faced by the carrier during its deployment.

A total of fifteen members of Iraq’s Hashd al-Shaabi, including a commander, were killed in an attack in western Iraq on Tuesday, according to a statement from the group. The statement, cited by AFP from Baghdad, said the strike targeted an operations center in Anbar province and described it as a 'treacherous American attack.' The new death toll updates an earlier report that had listed seven fatalities.

Hashd al-Shaabi, also known as the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), is a former paramilitary coalition that has since been integrated into Iraq’s regular armed forces. The organization includes factions with pro-Iranian affiliations, and it accused the United States of responsibility for the latest strike.

The statement did not provide further details about the nature of the attack or the U.S. response, leaving uncertainty about the broader military or political consequences of the incident.

Tel Aviv Mayor Ron Huldai confirmed that a building in the city was damaged by a direct hit from an Iranian missile. The incident left four people slightly injured, who were treated by emergency responders. According to an AFP correspondent at the scene, an old three-story building in the northern upscale area of the city was destroyed.

Israeli media, including Army Radio, reported that police believe the damage was caused by three to four warheads launched from a rocket launcher. Each warhead was estimated to contain around 100 kilograms of explosives. Israel’s emergency services released a video showing extensive destruction from the explosion and stated that all four injured individuals were treated and released shortly afterward.

The report comes amid ongoing conflict, with local media noting that thousands have been injured in Israel since the start of the war.

Russia launched missile and drone attacks across Ukraine on Tuesday, prompting air raid alerts nationwide except in the Odesa region. According to Ukraine’s regional military administrations, the strikes killed three people—two in Poltava and one in Zaporizhzhia—and injured several others.

Vitalii Diakivnych, head of the Poltava regional military administration, said on Telegram that residential buildings and a hotel were damaged and caught fire in Poltava, leaving two dead and seven injured. In Zaporizhzhia, regional chief Ivan Fedorov reported a large-scale combined missile and drone assault that killed one person and wounded five, damaging multiple residential and industrial structures.

Ahead of the attacks, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned in his daily televised address that intelligence indicated Russia might be preparing a major offensive.

Iran launched a new round of ballistic missile attacks on Israel on Tuesday morning, according to Iranian state television. The strikes reportedly hit a building in northern Israel, while loud explosions were heard in Jerusalem, news agency AFP reported. Iran’s state broadcaster, Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB), stated on Telegram that missiles were fired at what it called occupied territories.

Shortly afterward, IRIB claimed that Iranian missiles had penetrated several of Israel’s defense systems. Israel’s emergency service, Magen David Adom, released footage showing damage to a northern building but confirmed there were no casualties. The Israeli military issued multiple alerts, saying it had detected incoming Iranian missiles and was working to intercept them.

The renewed missile exchange marks another escalation in tensions between Iran and Israel, with both sides reporting defensive and retaliatory actions in recent weeks.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has called on the United States and Iran to return to the negotiating table and end the ongoing conflict in the Strait of Hormuz. Speaking in Canberra, Australia, on Tuesday, March 24, 2026, von der Leyen described Iran’s attempts to close the strategic waterway as “deplorable” and urged an immediate halt to hostilities to prevent further global economic instability.

She emphasized that threats to commercial shipping, the laying of mines, drone and missile attacks, and any blockade attempts must stop at once. Von der Leyen warned that the situation is already affecting global gas and oil prices, stressing that dialogue remains the only viable path to resolving the Middle East conflict.

Her remarks come amid rising regional tensions, including reports of missile strikes in Israel, air raids in Beirut, and casualties in Iraq and Ukraine, underscoring the broader instability affecting global security and trade.

Lebanon’s Health Ministry reported that two people were killed and five others injured in an Israeli airstrike on the southern Beirut suburb of Bchamoun on Tuesday. The attack, part of a series of overnight strikes, targeted multiple districts in the capital’s southern suburbs, including areas such as Bir al-Abed, al-Ruwais, and Burj al-Barajneh.

According to Lebanon’s state news agency, Israeli warplanes carried out seven separate raids across the southern suburbs, areas known for Hezbollah influence. The Israeli military also reiterated its call for residents in southern Lebanon to evacuate. The strikes come amid intensified hostilities following Hezbollah’s rocket attacks on Israel that began on March 2, launched in response to the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in a U.S.-Israeli strike.

Since the escalation, Israel has conducted widespread attacks across Lebanon, killing at least 1,039 people and deploying ground forces in the south. The United Nations has stated that nearly one in five Lebanese citizens has been displaced by the ongoing conflict.

A commander of Iraq’s former paramilitary coalition Hashd al-Shaabi and several fighters were killed in an airstrike in western Iraq’s Anbar province, the group said on Tuesday. The strike hit a base during a commanders’ meeting, and a group source blamed the United States for the attack. According to the source, seven members were killed and 13 others injured. The Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), as the group is also known, confirmed the death of Anbar province commander and operations chief Saad Dawai al-Bayji and condemned the attack.

The PMF is part of Iraq’s regular armed forces but includes several Iran-backed brigades. Iraqi authorities have repeatedly condemned attacks on the group since the start of the ongoing conflict that began after Israeli and U.S. strikes on Iran on February 28. Iran-aligned militias in Iraq and the region have claimed responsibility for attacks on U.S. interests, prompting retaliatory strikes.

Last week, the Pentagon acknowledged for the first time that U.S. helicopters had been used in operations against Iran-backed groups in Iraq during the current conflict.

Iranian officials have denied holding any discussions with the United States, contradicting President Donald Trump’s claim that a 'very good and productive conversation' had taken place to end the ongoing conflict. The denial came just hours after Trump’s statement, with Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf posting on social media on March 23 that no talks had occurred.

In his post on X, Ghalibaf said the United States and Israel were 'trapped in Iran’s quagmire' and accused Trump of using 'fake news' to escape it. He further alleged that Washington and Tel Aviv were spreading false information to manipulate financial and oil markets. Ghalibaf added that the Iranian people demanded full and remorseful punishment for aggressors and that all Iranian officials remained committed to their supreme leader until that goal was achieved.

The exchange highlights continuing tensions between Tehran and Washington, even as international actors such as the European Union have urged both sides to engage in dialogue.

A missile attack by Iran caused significant destruction on a street in Tel Aviv, Israel’s capital, according to a live update from Al Jazeera on Tuesday, March 24, 2026. The broadcast showed scenes of widespread devastation following Iran’s latest strike, with emergency workers and police gathered among debris-strewn streets. Several vehicles were severely damaged, including one overturned car and others crushed by the blast.

The report noted that recent missile attacks have struck various areas in Israel, including Tel Aviv, amid ongoing hostilities between Iran and Israel. These assaults have resulted in damage to buildings and vehicles in multiple locations, reflecting a continuing escalation in the conflict.

The situation underscores the growing intensity of the Iran-Israel confrontation, with repeated missile exchanges causing visible destruction in urban areas.

Turkey, under President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, is pursuing diplomatic efforts to find a respectful resolution to the ongoing US and Israeli aggression against Iran. According to Turkish foreign ministry sources, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan held a series of phone calls on March 22 with Iranian, Egyptian, and European diplomats, as well as senior US officials. He also discussed regional de-escalation with counterparts from Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Iraq, and Pakistan. Ankara is emphasizing a short-term ceasefire to allow continued negotiations, though the possibility of renewed conflict remains if talks fail.

Former US President Donald Trump stated that Washington is engaged in productive discussions to ease Middle East tensions and has temporarily suspended strikes on Iran’s energy infrastructure. Fidan warned that Israel might seek to prolong the conflict by targeting specific military and strategic sites, highlighting the critical role of the United States in shaping outcomes.

Turkey is also working to form a unified diplomatic front involving European, Gulf, and regional powers. Analysts note that Iran faces political and economic pressure and may enter talks, but lasting peace remains uncertain due to disputes over future attacks, compensation, and nuclear issues.

A powerful explosion occurred on Monday, March 23, at a Valero-owned oil refinery in Port Arthur, Texas, United States. The blast was so intense that local authorities immediately instructed nearby residents to evacuate to safe locations, according to AFP. Emergency services in Port Arthur issued alerts urging people in surrounding areas to seek shelter away from the site.

Valero stated in a company release that all employees had been accounted for and no one was missing, emphasizing that worker safety remained their top priority. Local media footage showed large flames and thick black smoke rising from the refinery, while witnesses reported that the explosion shattered windows in nearby homes.

The refinery, located about 90 miles east of Houston, employs around 800 workers and processes approximately 435,000 barrels of oil per day, producing gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel. The cause of the explosion remains unknown, and an investigation is underway.