US-Israel-Iran War LIVE: Trump Warns NATO Of 'Very Bad Future' If Allies Don't Help With Strait Of Hormuz

President Donald Trump urged NATO partners and China to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz, the critical conduit for crude that Iran has effectively closed, as major economic players began releasing oil reserves on Monday (March 16) to ward off supply disruptions.

Global oil prices have surged by 40 to 50% after Iran choked off the waterway and attacked energy and shipping industry targets in the Gulf in retaliation for the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran.

Source: AFP

The ‌disruption to energy markets caused by the Iran war is an “abject lesson” in the risks of relying ⁠on fossil fuels, and underscores the case for governments to wean their economies off oil and gas, the UN climate secretary will ‌tell EU policymakers on Monday (March 16).

Source: Reuters

The Iranian Red Crescent Society says the latest air raids on Tehran have damaged one of its clinics and an aid relief post.

Footage posted online by the group showed broken glass and damaged equipment strewn on the floor. This follows reports of several explosions in the city after Israel announced it had launched a new wave of attacks on Tehran.

Several hospitals and other health facilities have been damaged by strikes across Iran since the US-Israel attacks began on February 28.

Saudi Arabia has intercepted more than 60 drones since midnight, according to a tally of Defence Ministry figures released on Monday (March 16).

The Saudi Defence Ministry posted a series of statements on X describing the interception of a total of 61 drones in the east of the country in the early hours of Monday (March 16) morning.

Source: AFP

A fifth member of Iran’s women’s national football team has withdrawn her asylum claim and left Australia for Iran, the latest in a series of reversals involving players who had initially sought refuge during the Women’s Asian Cup tournament.

That leaves just two Iranian women still in Australia on humanitarian visas following a flurry of activity by immigration officials after the team’s exit from the tournament.

The women were granted asylum after claiming a fear of persecution if they returned to their war-stricken homeland following the players’ refusal to sing Iran’s national anthem during the opening match against South Korea. The action sparked backlash from hardliners back home, including one state media presenter who called them “wartime traitors.”

The Dubai Emirates flight was redirected and returned to Thiruvananthapuram Airport following tensions in the UAE airspace.

Flights were temporarily suspended at Dubai’s airport, previously one of the world’s busiest, after a “drone-related incident” sparked a fire nearby, city authorities said on Monday.

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has ordered the arrest of 35 individuals, including 19 Indians, for posting videos on social media that contained misleading or fabricated content amid the Middle East war that began late last month after US-Israeli forces launched airstrikes on Iran. 

Authorities in the UAE said the suspects will face an expedited trial after a probe revealed they used digital platforms to circulate manipulated footage and narratives linked to ongoing regional tensions.

Dubai Police have announced temporary road closures on Airport Road and the Airport Tunnel, urging drivers to use alternative routes while emergency operations continue.

Earlier, the Dubai Media Office said civil defence teams had “successfully contained the fire resulting from impact to one of the fuel tanks in the vicinity” of Dubai International Airport.

The surviving crew of the Thai-flagged Mayuree Naree dry bulk vessel, which was struck by “two projectiles” near the Strait of Hormuz, have returned to Bangkok.

Photos published by the Associated Press news agency showed several of the Thai crew members emerging from the Suvarnabhumi International Airport in the Thai capital.

Three crew members were ⁠reported missing and were believed to be trapped in the engine room following the attack.

The Thai news outlet Khaosod English earlier reported that the crew members of the ship were rescued by the Omani navy.

U.S. President Donald Trump on Sunday (March 15) accused Iran of using artificial intelligence as a “disinformation weapon” to misrepresent its wartime successes and support.

“AI can be very dangerous, ‌we have to be very careful with it,” Mr. Trump said to reporters on Air Force One shortly ⁠after he made a post on his Truth Social platform where he accused Western media outlets without evidence of “close coordination” with Iran to spread AI-generated “fake ‌news.” 

Source: Reuters

Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi has spoken with his US counterpart Pete Hegseth, reiterating Tokyo’s position about the importance of maintaining peace and stability in the Strait of Hormuz and the Middle East, according to the NHK broadcaster.

During the call, Hegseth briefed Koizumi on the latest situation in the region, and assured him that the war on Iran would bring no changes to the presence of US forces in Japan.

In a statement, the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) says that its “peacekeepers were fired upon, likely by non-state armed groups, on three separate occasions while conducting patrols around their bases in Yatar, Dayr Kifa, and Qallawiyah.” “The fire in Yatar hit as close as five meters from the peacekeepers

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu posted a video of himself getting a cup of coffee and chatting with his aide, after rumours that he was dead or injured were aired by Iranian ⁠state media and spread online in Iran.

Multiple rockets and drones hit the Baghdad International Airport -  which houses a US diplomatic facility. At least five people have been wounded, reported news agency AFP.

A Liberian-flagged ship, Smyrni, carrying 1.35 lakh metric tonne crude oil for the Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) reached Mumbai on Sunday, becoming the second India-bound ship to safely navigate across the Strait of Hormuz amid the escalating war in the Middle East.