Israeli air protection system fires to intercept missiles throughout an Iranian assault over Tel Aviv, Israel, early Sunday, March 15, 2026.
Ohad Zwigenberg/AP
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Ohad Zwigenberg/AP
The battle within the Center East has entered a 3rd week, with Israel saying a barrage of latest strikes on western Iran on Sunday, whereas the U.S. protection division launched the names of six service members who died when their army refueling plane crashed.
Iran’s regional Gulf neighbors have continued to face assaults, with Saudi Arabia saying it had taken down 26 Iranian drones over its territory and the United Arab Emirates reporting a missile assault. Air raid sirens sounded in Bahrain and in Israel, in Tel Aviv.
In Tehran, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps vowed to “pursue” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, saying it might then “kill him,” in line with Iran’s state-affiliated Mehr information company.
In the meantime President Trump informed NBC Information he wasn’t certain whether or not Iran’s new supreme chief Mojtaba Khamenei was nonetheless alive, saying “so far no-one’s been able to show him.” Protection Secretary Pete Hegseth mentioned Friday Khamenei – who was appointed per week in the past after Israeli strikes killed his father at the start of the conflict – had been wounded.
Trump additionally informed the community that a number of U.S. allies had responded to his name for assist to defend the very important financial waterway, the Strait of Hormuz, although he did not identify them and none have publicly agreed to help.
Listed here are extra detailed updates in regards to the battle:
Six deceased U.S. service members recognized
The Protection Division recognized six American service members who died on March 12 when their KC-135 refueling airplane crashed over Western Iraq.
The Pentagon has mentioned the lack of the Stratotanker plane was brought on by neither hostile nor pleasant hearth, and mentioned the incident is underneath investigation. An Iranian proxy group claimed duty.
A bulldozer clears particles from the rubble of buildings destroyed in an Israeli airstrike in Dahiyeh, Beirut’s southern suburbs, Lebanon, Sunday, March 15, 2026.
Hassan Ammar/AP
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Hassan Ammar/AP
Three of the deceased have been from the MacDill Air Pressure Base in Florida and named as Maj. John A. Klinner, 33, of Auburn, Ala.; Capt. Ariana G. Savino, 31, of Covington, Wash.; and Tech. Sgt. Ashley B. Pruitt, 34, of Bardstown, Ky.
The opposite three have been assigned to Rickenbacker Air Nationwide Guard Base, Columbus, Ohio. They have been: Capt. Seth R. Koval, 38, of Mooresville, Ind.; Capt. Curtis J. Angst, 30, of Wilmington, Ohio; and Tech. Sgt. Tyler H. Simmons, 28, of Columbus, Ohio.
The crash brings the U.S. army loss of life toll to 13, seven of whom have been killed by enemy hearth. Eight U.S. service members have been severely injured, in line with the Pentagon.
IDF launches contemporary assaults on Iran, Lebanon
“The IDF has just begun a wave of extensive strikes targeting infrastructure of the Iranian terror regime in western Iran,” the Israeli Protection Forces posted on their official X account on Sunday.
The IDF additionally mentioned it had struck Hezbollah targets in Lebanon on Saturday, noting: “The Air Force struck in the Al-Qataraani area several launch sites of the terrorist organization Hezbollah, from which the organization’s terrorists planned to carry out launches in the immediate time frame.”
“The headquarters of the ‘Radwan Force’ unit of the terrorist organization Hezbollah in Beirut were attacked and destroyed,” it mentioned.
Allies non-committal on Trump’s request for help
President Trump on Saturday urged international powers to ship warships to the Strait of Hormuz. Iran has been blocking the important thing delivery route, the place a lot of the world’s oil provides usually go.
“Hopefully China, France, Japan, South Korea, the UK, and others, that are affected by this artificial constraint, will send Ships to the area so that the Hormuz Strait will no longer be a threat by a Nation that has been totally decapitated,” he wrote on Fact Social.
To this point, no nation has dedicated to Trump’s name. The UK’s Protection Ministry has mentioned it’s exploring its choices.
For the reason that begin of the conflict, Iran has blocked some oil tankers and attacked cargo vessels making an attempt to go by means of the strait, which has led to an enormous spike in world oil costs.
Practically a fifth of the world’s oil provide usually passes by means of this very important oil export route.
The waters off Iran’s coast have change into a strategic battleground within the conflict and the US bombed army targets on Iran’s Kharg Island Saturday.
Trump mentioned the U.S. would possibly hit the island once more quote “just for fun” if Iran continues interfering with ships passing by means of the Strait of Hormuz.
Arezou Rezvani in Erbil, within the Kurdistan area of Iraq, and Kate Bartlett contributed to this report.
