Israel vs Iran War News Live Updates: Iranian navy ‘launches strikes’ on US forces in Abu Dhabi, Bahrain

Iranian media have quoted the IRGC’s navy chief, Admiral Alireza Tangsiri, as saying Iranian naval forces launched “several consecutive waves” of attacks against US forces in two military bases in the region.

He listed them as Abu Dhabi’s al-Dhafra and Bahrain’s Sheikh Isa.

The targets, Tangsiri claimed, included patriot radar systems, planes and aircraft fuel storage tanks.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has said the US, despite "bullying India" to end Russian oil imports, is now begging them to buy crude from Moscow, two weeks after its war with Iran.

"The US spent months on bullying India into ending oil imports from Russia," said Araghchi on Friday in a post on social media platform X.

"After two weeks of war with Iran, White House is now begging the world - including India - to buy Russian crude," he added.

This comes after, on March 5, the US issued a 30-day waiver allowing India to buy Russian oil, having previously imposed heavy sanctions related to the war in Ukraine.

Iran's Revolutionary Guards said Saturday that US ⁠interests ​in the United Arab ​Emirates, including ​ports, docks ⁠and military locations, ‌are legitimate targets after US forces attacked ⁠Iranian ⁠islands, Iranian state media ⁠reported.

In ‌its statement, ​the IRGC ‌urged residents in ‌the UAE ​to ​evacuate ports, ​docks, and ​US military ⁠shelters to avoid civilian casualties.

Some oil loading operations have been suspended in the United Arab Emirates' ⁠Fujairah emirate, ​a major bunkering hub, two industry sources said, after a fire broke ​out ​there on Saturday.

The ⁠fire occurred after debris fell during ‌the interception of a drone, but no injuries were reported, the emirate's media office said.

Civil defence forces are handling ⁠the ⁠incident to contain the fire, it added
Authorities did ⁠not ‌provide any ​information about the reported ‌suspension of operations.

Bloomberg News earlier reported that ‌some ​oil-loading operations ​in ​the port of Fujairah, outside the ​Strait of Hormuz, had been ⁠suspended after a drone attack and fire.

A fire broke out due to falling debris in Fujairah, the emirate's media office confirmed on Saturday.

The incident followed the successful interception of a drone by air defences and did not result in any injuries.

Fujairah Civil Defence teams are currently responding to the incident to bring it under control.

Akasa Air will levy fuel surcharges ranging from Rs 199 to Rs 1,300 on domestic and international flight tickets from March 15 due to the spike in jet fuel prices amid the West Asia conflict.

Air India, Air India Express and IndiGo have started levying similar charges on domestic and international flight tickets.

In a statement on Saturday, Akasa Air said it would levy a fuel surcharge on each flight, with the amount varying based on the flight duration.

"Akasa Air will introduce a fuel surcharge ranging from INR 199 to INR 1300 on our domestic and international routes, for all bookings that are made with effect from 00:01 hrs on March 15, 2026," it said.

Japan said it will release stockpiled oil and cap prices as the US-Israeli war on Iran threatens global energy supplies.

Japan imports about 95 per cent of its crude oil from the Middle East, making the country particularly vulnerable to instability in key shipping routes such as the Strait of Hormuz.

In the fishing town of Misaki, south of Tokyo, rising fuel costs are already putting pressure on fishermen and seafood businesses.

Local restaurant managers and fishing crews say higher fuel prices could force them to raise prices or risk shutting down operations.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi Saturday accused the Congress party of attempting to create panic in the country at a time when global conflicts are intensifying, saying the opposition party had failed to act responsibly in the national interest.

Addressing a gathering in Silchar, Modi said the government was working to shield citizens from the fallout of ongoing conflicts around the world.

#watch| Silchar, Assam: PM Narendra Modi says, "Nowadays, conditions of war prevail all around the world.

Our government is making every possible effort to ensure that the citizens of our country face the fewest hardships possible.

Our objective is to minimise the impact of this…pic.twitter.com/gQlE3iivDF
“Nowadays, conditions of war prevail all around the world.

Our government is making every possible effort to ensure that the citizens of our country face the fewest hardships possible.

Our objective is to minimise the impact of this war on the nation’s citizens,” the prime minister said.

Modi added that at such a critical juncture, it was expected that Congress would behave like a responsible political party, but alleged that it had failed to do so.

“The Congress is making every attempt to create panic within the country, hoping the nation gets entangled in difficulties, so that they can subsequently heap endless abuse upon Modi,” he said.

Modi further alleged that certain global forces were uncomfortable with India’s rapid development and claimed that Congress was increasingly becoming a “puppet” in the hands of such forces.

“The forces across the globe that are unable to digest India’s rapid development — the Congress is increasingly becoming a mere puppet in the hands of these very forces,” he said.

Amir Hatami, commander-in-chief of the Iranian army, has warned that the killing of 104 crew members from the IRIS Dena, one of the country’s newest warships, in the Indian Ocean upon returning from a military exercise, “will not go unanswered”.

“The crew of the Dena destroyer had completed a peaceful mission and were targeted while on their way back to Iran,” he was quoted as saying by Iran’s IRNA news agency, adding that the sailors were attacked despite not being engaged in a direct battle.

“The name of Dena and the sacrifice of its crew will remain a symbol of courage and dedication in Iran’s naval history,” Hatami said.

“The army will defend Iran’s maritime borders and strengthen its naval power with even greater determination.”
Hamas said it supports Iran’s right to respond to what it called US-Israeli aggression “by all available means in accordance with international norms and laws,” but urged Tehran not to target neighbouring countries.

The Palestinian militant group also called on regional nations to cooperate to stop the aggression and preserve “bonds of brotherhood” among them, reported Al Jazeera.

At least four people have been killed in an Israeli air raid on Taamir Haret Saida in the country’s south, the Lebanese News Agency has said.

No oil infrastructure was damaged in US strikes on Kharg Island, Iranian media reported.

Fars News Agency, citing sources on the ground, reported that there has been no damage to oil facilities after US President Donald Trump said the US bombardment of the island had destroyed military targets.

An airstrike hit a house in Iraq’s capital, Baghdad, early Saturday, killing at least one person, according to a security official and another affiliated with the Iranian-backed armed groups in the country.

The strike in Baghdad’s Karrada district also wounded two people, they said, speaking on condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to speak to the press.

In a statement, the Iraqi military condemned the strike as “a blatant violation of all humanitarian values and a disregard for international conventions.”
The strike happened before a missile attack hit the US Embassy compound in Baghdad.

President Donald Trump said US forces on Friday "obliterated" targets on Iran's Kharg Island, which is home to the primary terminal that handles the country's oil exports.

The speaker of the Iranian Parliament had warned that such strikes would provoke a new level of retaliation.

Meanwhile, an American official said 2,500 more Marines and an amphibious assault ship are being sent to the Middle East nearly two weeks into the war with the Islamic Republic.

Members of the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit are now on their way from their home port in Okinawa, Japan, alongside the USS Tripoli, which is an amphibious assault ship.

That’s the vessel from which these Marines would deploy “in theatre”, whether it’s for responding to a crisis or perhaps being deployed to take over some part of Iranian territory.

Essentially, they’re being called the first ground troops being deployed in to the US-Israel war on Iran, even though Marines are both on land and on sea.

What we’re to make of this is that the US is very slowly increasing its military posture in terms of prosecuting the war, and that it is not intending to wrap things up any time soon.

Sri Lanka has repatriated the remains of 84 Iranian sailors who were killed when their frigate was sunk by a US submarine, an official said.

Last week on Wednesday, Sri Lanka said it had recovered 84 bodies of Iranian sailors after the US submarine attack sank the Iranian frigate IRIS Dena off Galle on the island's southern coast.

The ship was returning to Iran from Visakhapatnam, India, where it had participated in a naval fleet review exercise.

"Human remains were sent by the Iranian embassy on Friday - all 84", a foreign ministry spokesman said.

Iran is considering allowing oil tankers to pass through the Strait of Hormuz if cargo is traded in Chinese yuan, according to an unnamed Iranian official, reported by CNN.

This proposal is part of Iran's plan to manage tanker traffic through the strategic waterway amid the Israeli-US war.

Currently, most global oil sales are conducted in US dollars, but sanctioned Russian crude has been increasingly traded in roubles or yuan.

The Israeli military has issued an evacuation warning for a designated industrial area in Tabriz, in northwestern Iran, saying it will “conduct operations in this area in the coming hours”.

The warning, issued on social media, tells citizens to “immediately evacuate”.

US president Donald Trump said Friday that Iran has been “totally defeated” in the US-Israeli military campaign against the country and wanted a deal he would not accept, despite Iranian officials pledging to continue the fight.

"The Fake News Media hates to report how well the United States Military has done against Iran, which is totally defeated and wants a deal - But not a deal that I would accept!” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform, without elaborating.

President Donald Trump said the US destroyed military sites on an island vital to Iran’s oil network and warned that its oil infrastructure could be next if Iran continues to interfere with the passage of ships through the Strait of Hormuz.

Trump said US forces on Friday “obliterated” targets on Iran’s Kharg Island, which is home to the primary terminal that handles the country’s oil exports.

The speaker of the Iranian Parliament had warned that such strikes would provoke a new level of retaliation.

A missile struck a helipad inside the US Embassy compound in Baghdad, two Iraqi security officials said.

Associated Press footage showed a column of smoke rising Saturday morning over the embassy compound.

The sprawling embassy complex, one of the largest US diplomatic facilities in the world, has been repeatedly targeted by rockets and drones fired by Iran-aligned militias.

The Associated Press news agency is reporting that Iraqi officials say a helipad at the US embassy in Baghdad was hit by a missile.

Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Defence said the latest drone to be intercepted and destroyed was in the east of the country.

US President Donald Trump spoke to reporters before boarding Air Force One, saying the war with Iran will last "as long as it's necessary" and that Iran's military has been "decimated".

He previously stated the war would end with Iran's unconditional surrender, meaning their navy, air force, and most of their military would be "gone", putting the US in a position of dominance.

Trump also acknowledged differences in objectives with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, but emphasized the unmatched power of the United States.

Qatar’s defence ministry said its military had “intercepted” two missile attacks targeting the country, in statements posted on social media on Saturday.

Earlier, the interior ministry said in a statement it was “evacuating several key areas as a temporary precautionary measure, within the framework of ensuring public safety until the danger has passed”.

In Doha’s central Musheireb district some residents received phone alerts telling them to evacuate the area immediately.

European leaders are criticizing the US decision to temporarily ease sanctions on Russian oil purchases.

European Council President Antonio Costa calls it "very concerning" as it impacts European security and could increase Russia's resources for its war in Ukraine.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warns the move could give Russia $10bn, undermining peace efforts.

French President Emmanuel Macron disagrees with lifting sanctions, citing the Strait of Hormuz shutdown.

Germany's Chancellor Friedrich Merz labels the decision "wrong", while Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney insists on maintaining sanctions on Russia.

US President Donald Trump threatened to order strikes on the petroleum infrastructure of Iran's Kharg Island oil hub unless Tehran stopped attacking vessels in the vital Strait of Hormuz, a warning that could further roil markets already coping with a historic disruption in supply.

Trump paired his ultimatum with a social media post saying the United States had "totally obliterated" military targets on the island, the export terminal for 90% of Iran's oil shipments, which lies about 300 miles (483 km) northwest of the strait.

A drone hit the US embassy in Baghdad on Saturday, with an official confirming the attack, which comes after two Iran-backed fighters were killed in strikes on the capital.

The attack is likely linked to escalating tensions between the US and Iran, with Iran-backed groups targeting US interests in the region.

White House AI czar David Sacks said on Friday the US should "declare victory and get out" of its war on Iran, a rare instance of a prominent figure in Donald Trump's administration calling for an exit from the ⁠Iran ​conflict.

"This is a good time to declare victory and get out," Sacks, Trump's crypto and AI czar, said ​in ​an appearance on the "All-In Podcast."
⁠Sacks said the US had degraded Iran's military capabilities.

"I agree that we ‌should try to find the off-ramp," he added.

"If escalation doesn't lead anywhere good, then you have to think about, well, how do you de-escalate?

De-escalation, I think, involves reaching some sort of ceasefire ⁠agreement or some ⁠sort of negotiated settlement with Iran," he said.

The US and ⁠Israel ‌attacked Iran on February 28.

​Iran and its ally in ‌Lebanon, Hezbollah, have responded with strikes on Israel and other countries in the ‌Middle East.

About 2,500 US Marines are being deployed to the Middle East as American and Israeli strikes keep pounding Iran and the Islamic Republic keeps attacking Persian Gulf shipping and energy infrastructure.

As Iranian threats choke global oil shipments, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said “we have been dealing with it and don’t need to worry about it.

Tensions escalate in the Middle East with multiple developments: