US‑Israel war on Iran, Day 23: Trump gives Iran 48 hours to reopen Strait of Hormuz; Qatar helicopter crashes
Iran strikes near Israel’s nuclear research centre as US‑Israel attacks continue
Donald Trump warned the US could “obliterate” Iranian power plants if the Strait of Hormuz is not reopened within 48 hours. Iran fired a missile toward Dimona in southern Israel, injuring dozens near a nuclear site, while tensions rose after a strike on Iran’s Natanz nuclear facility. Missiles were also launched toward the US-UK base on Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean, widening the regional confrontation. Follow this live blog for updates on strikes, diplomacy and the conflict’s impact.
The Omani Foreign Ministry has confirmed that a group of citizens returning from the Islamic Republic of Iran has safely arrived home.
The repatriation process was carried out through coordinated land and air travel, in collaboration with Oman’s diplomatic missions in Tehran and Ankara, as part of an approved plan, Oman News Agency (ONA) reported.
The Ministry said it continues to monitor the situation around the clock, working closely with overseas missions to ensure the safety and security of Omani citizens abroad.
Several blasts could be heard from Jerusalem on Sunday, AFP journalists said, after the Israeli military warned of incoming missile fire from Iran towards central Israel.
Israel's Magen David Adom emergency medical service said there were no immediate reports of casualties.
Iran's official IRNA news agency said on Sunday that a drone attack targeted a military base near the Baghdad International Airport.
The "military base, located near Baghdad International Airport, has again been the target of drone strikes," IRNA wrote, referring to a compound that was used in the past by the US military.
Kuwait Airways will restart flights to and from Cairo via Dammam Airport in Saudi Arabia on Thursday, March 26, operating four times a week (Saturdays, Sundays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays).
Passengers will travel by company buses from Kuwait to Dammam and must have a Saudi transit visa.
Royal and Business Class passengers can use a limousine service to Khairan Mall, where all travelers must collect boarding passes 24 hours before departure. Bus departures to the Nuwaiseeb border close eight hours before the flight.
The Israeli army says it has detected a new missile launch from Iran aimed at Israeli territory.
According to the military, air defence systems are actively working to intercept the incoming threat and protect civilian areas
Sri Lanka raised fuel prices by 25 percent, the second increase in two weeks, as the country prepared for more impact from the war in the Middle East.
Regular petrol was increased to 398 rupees ($1.30) per litre, up from 317 rupees, while diesel, the fuel commonly used for public transport, rose by 79 rupees to 382.
Last week, the government ordered an eight percent increase in retail fuel prices and introduced rationing to limit consumption.
Qatar’s Ministry of Interior has confirmed that specialised teams are conducting search and rescue operations in the country’s territorial waters following a helicopter crash.
The Ministry of Defence reported the incident, while QNA noted that rescue efforts are underway to locate any survivors and secure the crash site.
Details about the cause of the crash have not yet been released. Authorities continue to monitor the situation closely.
Amid the global supply chain crisis, a large cargo ship carrying liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) from the US has arrived at the Mangalore Port in the country.
Pyxis Pioneer cargo ship carrying LPG from the US state of Texas, successfully docked at the port.
Before the ship from the US, named Aqua Titan, reached India, another vessel carrying Russian crude oil also reached Mangalore, reports media.
This particular vessel was stationed about 18 nautical miles away from the port. The single-point mooring system will be used to transfer the oil to the pipeline system and take it to MRPL.
The Russian crude oil arrived after the US issued a temporary general license, permitting the sale of Russian crude oil already stranded at sea as of March 12.
Iran warned early Sunday that any strike on its energy facilities would prompt attacks on US and Israeli energy and infrastructure assets in the region, according to a statement carried by Iran’s state media and semiofficial outlets, citing an Iranian military spokesperson.
“If Iran’s fuel and energy infrastructure is attacked by the enemy, all energy and information technology infrastructure and desalination plants belonging to the United States and the Israeli entity in the region will be targeted,” the statement said.
The threat came after US President Donald Trump threatened to strike Iranian power plants if Iran didn’t fully reopen the Strait of Hormuz in 48 hours.
Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Defence confirmed multiple interceptions of missiles and drones targeting the kingdom.
In the Eastern Region, authorities destroyed five drones during recent attacks.
Three ballistic missiles were launched toward the Riyadh Region. One missile was intercepted, while the other two fell in unpopulated areas.
Officials reported no casualties or damage from the attacks.
The Ministry reiterated that all necessary measures are in place to protect civilians and critical infrastructure.
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Iranian missile strikes on two southern Israeli towns wounded more than 100 people on Saturday, medics said, after Israeli air defence systems failed to intercept the projectiles.
The two direct hits tore open the fronts of residential buildings and carved craters into the ground.
Magen David Adom first responders said 84 people were wounded in the town of Arad, 10 of them seriously, hours after 33 were wounded in nearby Dimona.
Iranian state TV said the missile attack on Dimona, which houses a nuclear facility, was a "response" to an earlier strike on its own nuclear site at Natanz.
Fire engines with their lights flashing were at the scene along with dozens of members of the emergency services.
The Israeli military said it would investigate the failed interception.
UAE air defences are actively responding to missile and drone threats from Iran. Authorities have advised residents to move to the nearest secure building, avoid windows, doors, and open areas, and await official instructions. They emphasised the importance of staying in safe locations, following official channels for real-time updates, and remaining vigilant as the situation develops.
Qatar has launched a search and rescue operation after a helicopter crashed into its territorial waters following a technical malfunction.
In a statement issued on Sunday, the Qatari Ministry of Defence said the aircraft experienced a mechanical fault while carrying out a routine mission, resulting in the crash at sea.
Specialised teams in Qatar are currently conducting search and rescue operations within the country’s territorial waters, according to a statement from the Qatari Ministry of Interior, according to the Qatar News Agency.
Coordination between high-readiness units remains ongoing as they navigate the designated search areas to ensure a comprehensive response.
Saturday’s Israeli strikes come after dozens of people were injured in Israel by Iranian missile strikes targeting two areas not far from the country’s main nuclear research center.
The US president issued the ultimatum in a social media post while he spent the weekend in Florida.
He said he’s giving Iran exactly 48 hours to open the vital waterway or face a new round of attacks. He said the US would destroy “various POWER PLANTS, STARTING WITH THE BIGGEST ONE FIRST!”
Trump faces increasing pressure to secure the strait as oil prices soar.
If Iran doesn’t FULLY OPEN, WITHOUT THREAT, the Strait of Hormuz, within 48 HOURS from this exact point in time, the United States of America will hit and obliterate their various POWER PLANTS, STARTING WITH THE BIGGEST ONE FIRST!US President Donald Trump
The Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs renewed the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s unequivocal condemnation of the blatant Iranian attacks against the Kingdom, the states of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), and a number of Arab and Islamic countries.
In a statement carried by Saudi Press Agency (SPA), the ministry said that the continued targeting by Iran of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia—its sovereignty, civilian objects, civilians, economic interests, and diplomatic premises within the Kingdom—constitutes a flagrant violation of all relevant international conventions, the principles of good neighborliness and respect for states’ sovereignty, the Beijing Agreement, and United Nations Security Council Resolution 2817 (2026).
It also contradicts the principles of Islamic brotherhood and the values and tenets of the Islamic faith that the Iranian side continuously invokes, thereby confirming that such statements are not reflected in its actions.
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Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Defence announced today the interception and destruction of 11 drones in the airspace of the Eastern Region.
The announcement was made in a statement by Major General Turki Al-Malki, Spokesperson of the Ministry, carried by the Saudi Press
The Kingdom of Bahrain announced that its air defence systems have successfully intercepted and destroyed 143 missiles and 244 drones that targeted its territory since the start of the Iranian aggression.
The General Command of the Bahrain Defence Force, in a statement carried by the Bahrain News Agency (BNA), affirmed 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.
It stressed that these indiscriminate and malicious attacks represent a direct threat to regional peace and security.
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