Donald Trump said the US may “wind down” its Middle East military operation, even as his administration deploys more troops and requests an additional $200 billion from Congress. The United Kingdom has approved the use of its bases for US strikes near the Strait of Hormuz, while Washington considers lifting sanctions on Iranian oil at sea to stabilise prices. Follow live updates on military actions, regional reactions and unfolding developments:

01:01 PM, 21 March 2026

War must end completely and permanently: Iran FM

Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, has expressed willingness to consider any initiative that could bring the ongoing Middle East conflict to a “complete end,” describing the war as one “imposed” on the country, according to the BBC.

Speaking to Japanese media outlet Kyodo, Araghchi said Iran is “ready to listen and to consider such proposals.” However, he added that while some nations are seeking solutions, “it does not appear that the United States is prepared to halt its aggression.”

Araghchi clarified that Iran is not calling for a ceasefire, but aims for “a complete, comprehensive, and lasting end to the war.”

The interview was shared on Araghchi’s Telegram account, and a transcript was published by Mehr News Agency, linked to the Islamic Propagation Organisation.

12:28 PM, 21 March 2026

Seoul signals support to reopen Strait of Hormuz

South Korea said it’s also in talks with Iran after the Islamic Republic’s foreign minister said Teheran may allow Japanese vessels to pass the Strait of Hormuz.

South Korea’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement that it was having “multifaceted” talks with Iran and other related nations to find ways to “protect our citizens and secure energy transport routes.”

12:23 PM, 21 March 2026

Iran president says no dispute with its neighbours

Addressing neighbouring countries Saturday, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian posted on social media that “the only beneficiary of our differences is the Zionist entity,” referring to Israel.

12:20 PM, 21 March 2026

Iran holds funeral for intelligence minister

Saturday’s funeral service for Minister of Intelligence Esmail Khatib was held in Iran’s holy city of Qom, the Islamic Republic’s state-run media reported.
11:56 AM, 21 March 2026

Iranians hold Eid prayers as Mideast war rages

Thousands of Muslims held Eid Al Fitr prayers in Iran on Saturday to mark the end of the Ramadan fast against the backdrop of the Middle East war, state television footage showed.

At dawn, a crowd of worshippers gathered at central Tehran’s Imam Khomeini grand mosque, named after the founder of the Islamic republic.

For lack of space, many worshippers followed the prayer outside, with state television showing images of crowded areas around the mosque, despite the risk of strikes.

Overnight strikes again targeted several districts of Tehran and its outskirts, as well as the central city of Isfahan, according to the Fars news agency.

Iranian television also showed prayer gatherings elsewhere in the country, including in Arak in the centre, Zahedan in the southeast and the western city of Abadan.

11:25 AM, 21 March 2026

Kurds in Iraq celebrate the new year festival of Nowruz

11:13 AM, 21 March 2026

Iran war halts Qatar helium output, risks tech chain

Iran’s attack this week on Qatar’s natural gas export facility threatens to disrupt not just world energy markets but also global technology supply chains because the helium it produces is crucial for a range of advanced industries.

Best known as the gas that makes party balloons float, helium is also a key input in chipmaking, space rockets and medical imaging.

Qatar supplies a third of the world’s helium, according to the US Geological Survey, but the nation had to halt production shortly after the war erupted three weeks ago. The latest Iranian strikes against the region’s energy producing infrastructure have added to supply worries, with Qatar’s state-owned gas company saying it would crimp helium exports by 14%.

10:54 AM, 21 March 2026

Israel says targeting Hezbollah in Beirut

The Israeli military said it launched a wave of strikes on Beirut claiming to target the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah early Saturday, while Lebanese state media reported strikes in the country’s south.

In a brief statement on Saturday, the Israeli military said its forces were “currently striking Hezbollah terrorist organisation targets in Beirut”.

A military spokesman earlier issued a warning to residents of Beirut’s southern suburbs, a Hezbollah stronghold, to evacuate ahead of strikes.

09:51 AM, 21 March 2026

Middle East crude surges toward $150 as global oil prices rebound

Global oil prices rose again on Saturday as geopolitical tensions tightened supply flows, with Middle East crude leading gains.

Murban crude, a key UAE benchmark, surged 18% to $146.40 per barrel after jumping 6% to $131 a day earlier. Brent crude climbed back above $100 to $112 per barrel, up 3.3%, while West Texas Intermediate (WTI) rose into the low-$90s.

The rebound follows losses on Friday. The US has been worling to boost supply, while allies are coordinating efforts to stabilize flows through the Strait of Hormuz, including deploying additional troops to secure key shipping routes.

07:30 AM, 21 March 2026

Saudi Arabia condemns Israeli ‘aggression’ against Syria

Saudi Arabia’s foreign ministry condemned on Saturday Israel’s strikes on Syrian army camps as “aggression”, joining Turkey in calling on the international community to intervene.

The Saudi foreign ministry said in a statement that the Kingdom condemned “the blatant Israeli aggression… in flagrant violation of international law and Syrian sovereignty”.

It urged the international community “to put an end to Israel’s violations of international laws and norms”.

07:30 AM, 21 March 2026

Iran says ready to help Japan ships through Hormuz Strait

 Iran is willing to help Japanese ships sail a vital route for global fuel supplies, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told Kyodo News in an interview published on Saturday.

Japan depends on crude oil imports from the Middle East, most of which transits the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran has effectively closed the strait in retaliation for US-Israeli strikes, sending countries reliant on the shipping lane scrambling for alternative routes and tapping reserves.

In a telephone interview with Kyodo News on Friday, Araghchi denied closing the passageway, insisting instead that countries attacking Iran face restrictions, while others were being offered assistance.

“We have not closed the strait. It is open,” he said.

He added that Iran was prepared to ensure safe passage for Japan.

07:15 AM, 21 March 2026

United Airlines prepares for oil to reach $175 a barrel

The airline’s CEO said the company is also preparing for oil to not return to $100 a barrel until the end of next year.

Scott Kirby said in a message to United employees on Friday that jet fuel prices that have more than doubled in the last three weeks already would cost the airline $11 billion a year if they remain where they are now.

The price of Brent crude has zigzagged from roughly $70 per barrel before the Iran war began to as high as $119.50 this week.

Of United’s worst-case assumption, Kirby said, “I think there’s a good chance it won’t be that bad, but … there isn’t much downside for us to preparing for that outcome.”

07:10 AM, 21 March 2026

Friday briefing: Middle East conflict developments

Iran strikes: Israeli military launched attacks on Iranian government sites in Tehran; Ali Mohammad Naini, IRGC spokesman, was killed. Iran confirmed his death.

Iran’s leadership: New Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei issued a statement; he has not been publicly seen since succeeding his father, Ali Khamenei.

Nowruz in Iran: Iranians marked the New Year amid mourning for those killed in protests and US-Israeli strikes; economic crisis and currency collapse overshadowed celebrations.

Hormuz tensions raise: US military intensified strikes against Iranian drones and naval vessels to secure the Strait of Hormuz amid soaring oil prices.

Gulf states under attack: Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, and UAE intercepted drone and missile strikes, reportedly launched from Iran; Kuwaiti refinery fires reported.

Lebanon: Eid Al Fitr celebrations disrupted as Israel and Hezbollah continued hostilities; hundreds of thousands remain displaced.

Israel: Iran launched missiles at Israel; fires reported in Haifa, missile fragments fell in Jerusalem including near Old City; no casualties reported.

US military moves: President Trump considers winding down operations in Iran, while sending 2,500 additional Marines to the region; wartime emergency declared to expedite $23B in weapons sales.

Death toll: Over 2,300 killed since the start of the war—mostly in Iran; 1,000+ in Lebanon; at least 13 US service members and 14 Israelis dead.

Indian casualty in Saudi Arabia: A second Indian national was killed in Riyadh after an Iranian missile attack on March 18, following an earlier Indian fatality on March 8

07:00 AM, 21 March 2026

Israel launches new strikes on Tehran, IDF says

The Israel Defence Forces says it has launched a fresh wave of airstrikes on “Iranian terror regime targets” in Tehran, targeting government and military infrastructure in the Iranian capital.

The announcement followed recent Israeli strikes in Beirut aimed at Hezbollah positions, after evacuation warnings were issued for several neighbourhoods in the south of the city.

06:39 AM, 21 March 2026

Iran fired missiles at joint US-UK base in Indian Ocean

Iran recently fired two ballistic missiles toward the joint US-UK military base at Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean, The Wall Street Journal reported Friday, citing US officials.

Neither missile hit the target, which is around 2,500 miles (4,000 kilometers) from Iranian territory, but the launch suggests that Tehran has missiles with longer ranges than previously thought, the report said.

One of the missiles failed in flight, and the other was targeted by an interceptor fired from a US warship, though it was not clear if the missile was hit, The Journal reported.

Diego Garcia in the Chagos Islands is one of two bases Britain is allowing the United States to use for “defensive” operations in Iran.

05:40 AM, 21 March 2026

Israel military says striking Hezbollah targets in Beirut

The Israeli military said it launched a wave of strikes on Lebanon’s capital Beirut targeting Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah early Saturday, after calling on residents of several areas to evacuate.

In a brief statement, the military said its forces were “currently striking Hezbollah terrorist organisation targets in Beirut”.

A military spokesman earlier issued a warning to residents of Beirut’s southern suburbs, a Hezbollah stronghold, to evacuate ahead of strikes.

05:30 AM, 21 March 2026

Bahrain intercepts 143 missiles, 242 drones since escalation

 The General Command of the Bahrain Defence Force announced today that its air defense systems intercepted and destroyed 143 missiles and 242 drones since the start of the brutal Iranian aggression against the country.

The General Command emphasized that the use of ballistic missiles and drones to target civilian objects and private property constitutes a flagrant violation of international humanitarian law and the United Nations Charter, and that these heinous and indiscriminate attacks represent a direct threat to regional peace and security.

05:20 AM, 21 March 2026

Targeting Iranian oil could hit other countries, Qatar warns

Qatar’s Minister of State for Energy Affairs Saad bin Sherida Al Kaabi said Qatar had warned the United States about the potential regional fallout if Iranian oil and gas facilities were targeted, urging Washington to exercise restraint.

He told Reuters that damage to facilities worth $26 billion could disrupt LNG shipments to Europe and Asia for up to five years. The recent attack on Ras Laffan halted 17% of Qatar’s LNG export capacity and may delay expansion projects that would have increased production from 77 mtpa to 126 mtpa by next year.

Al Kaabi said no casualties were reported, but the delay in North Field expansion could push back deliveries to countries including France, Germany, and China. Full resumption of QatarEnergy operations would take at least three to four months once hostilities cease.

He warned that the broader impact of the conflict could set back the Gulf region’s economy by 10–20 years.

04:33 AM, 21 March 2026

Saudi Arabia intercepts more than 20 drones in east

Saudi Arabia intercepted 22 drones in the east of the country, the defence ministry said on Saturday, as Iran continues striking Gulf nations.

“10 drones intercepted and destroyed in the eastern region,” the Saudi defence ministry posted on X.

The ministry later posted that its air defences had shot down 12 more drones, also in the east.

Iran has kept up retaliatory attacks on Saudi Arabia and nearby nations in response to US and Israeli strikes that have sparked a war that has spread across the Middle East since late last month.

04:30 AM, 21 March 2026

Baghdad International Airport targeted by 3 drones

An Iraqi security source announced today that Baghdad International Airport was targeted by three drones.

The source stated that two drones targeted the vicinity of the logistics support center surrounding Baghdad International Airport, adding that the attack was thwarted by air defenses.

In the same context, a security source also reported that the logistics support headquarters at Baghdad International Airport was targeted following the crash of a third drone in its vicinity.

In southern Kirkuk, northern Iraq, a medical source announced that an unidentified projectile killed two people and left others injured after it was tampered with by children

03:30 AM, 21 March 2026

US lifts sanctions on some Iranian oil

The move comes as the White House tries to bring down soaring oil prices.

The pause applies to Iranian oil loaded on ships as of Friday and is set to end on April 19.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent previously suggested the move as a way to prevent China from being the sole beneficiary of Iranian oil.

The Trump administration also eased sanctions on certain Russian oil shipments for 30 days as it looks for ways to boost global oil supplies during the Iran war.

The license has limits including a restriction on sales involving anyone in North Korea or Cuba.

02:08 AM, 21 March 2026

Trump adds new objective for the Iran war

Though his administration for weeks has maintained that its four objectives remained “unchanged, unambiguous, and consistent” since the operation began, Trump in his social media post added a fifth one.

The four objectives had been to block Iran’s path to a nuclear weapon, stop it from arming proxy militant groups, destroy its navy and destroy its ballistic missile capacity.

In his post Friday, Trump enumerated those and added a fifth: “Protecting, at the highest level, our Middle Eastern Allies” and listed America’s Gulf partners.

01:35 AM, 21 March 2026

Trump says US considers ‘winding down’ Iran military effort

Trump says he is considering ‘winding down’ Middle East military operation even as US sends more troops to region. The president made the comment in a post on social media Friday evening after another climb in oil prices sent the US stock market sharply lower.

Trump’s statement seemed at odds with his administration’s move to send more troops and warships to the region and request another $200 billion from Congress to fund the war.

In his post, the president also left a muddled picture of whether the US would police the vital Strait of Hormuz shipping lane. Trump had said this week that the US didn’t need help, while also complaining that other countries did not help.

12:44 AM, 21 March 2026

UAE residents alerted safe

UAE residents have received a new mobile alert from authorities confirming that the situation in the country is currently safe following earlier warnings about potential missile threats.

12:37 AM, 21 March 2026

Trump rules out ceasefire in Iran

US President Donald Trump on Friday ruled out reaching a ceasefire agreement with Iran, saying Washington has the upper hand in the three-week-old war

12:35 AM, 21 March 2026

Dubai authorities confirm air defence interception

Authorities in Dubai have confirmed that the sounds heard across parts of the city were the result of successful air defence interception operations.

In a statement, the Dubai Media Office said the noises reported by residents were linked to defensive measures carried out as part of security operations.

Officials urged the public to rely only on verified updates from official channels and avoid circulating unconfirmed information.

12:11 AM, 21 March 2026

UAE issues emergency alert

The UAE Ministry of Defence has issued an urgent alert, advising residents to take immediate shelter due to a potential missile threat.

The message, sent to mobile phones in multiple areas, instructed people to go to the nearest secure building and avoid windows, doors, and open spaces until authorities provide further guidance.

12:08 AM, 21 March 2026

Blasts, air raid sirens heard from Jerusalem

A series of blasts were heard from Jerusalem on Friday after sirens sounded in northern Israel, AFP journalists said, following a warning that Iran had fired missiles.

“A short while ago, the IDF identified missiles launched from Iran toward the territory of the State of Israel. Defensive systems are operating to intercept the threat,” the Israeli military said on its official Telegram channel.

12:04 AM, 21 March 2026

‘I may have a plan, I may not’ to attack Kharg Island: Trump

Trump was asked while leaving the White House on Friday afternoon about plans to have US forces further target Kharg Island in the Arabian Gulf, which is vital to Iran’s oil network.

He responded, “I may have a plan I may not” but said he wouldn’t tell reporters one way or the other.

“It’s certainly a place that people are talking about. But I can’t tell you that,” Trump added.

GULF NEWS