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March 14: Denying interest in ceasefire, Trump suggests US could hit Iran’s Kharg Island again ‘just for fun’

Child moderately injured, 2 lightly hurt in Iranian missile attack on Eilat * Trump hopes ‘many countries’ send warships to Hormuz * Herzog offers support to Dutch Jewish leaders after recent attacks

US President Donald Trump speaks to reporters before he boards Air Force One, March 13, 2026, at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, for a trip to Florida. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
An IDF artillery unit deployed in northern Israel fires toward southern Lebanon on March 14, 2026. (Jalaa Marey/AFP)
An impact site in Eilat after an Iranian missile targeted Eilat, March 14, 2026. (Israel Police)
The scene where a missile fired from Iran caused damage overnight in Shoham, central Israel, March 14, 2026. (Jonathan Shaul/Flash90)
Smoke rises from the direction of an energy installation in the Gulf emirate of Fujairah on March 14, 2026. (AFP)
Damage at the scene where a missile fired toward Israel caused damage in Hazor HaGlilit, northern Israel, March 14, 2026. (Michael Giladi/Flash90)
A police car parked outside a Jewish school in Amsterdam, where an explosion was reported overnight, March 14, 2026. (Stéphanie HAMEL / AFP)
A photograph shows the site of an overnight Israeli airstrike that targeted Beirut's southern suburbs, on March 14, 2026. (AFP)
Israeli security and rescue forces at the scene where a missile fired from Iran caused damage in Shoham, March 13, 2026. (Flash90)
Emergency personnel and residents gather at the site of an Israeli airstrike that targeted an apartment building in the southern Lebanese town of Haret Saida, on the outskirts of Sidon, on March 14, 2026. (Mahmoud Zayyat/ AFP)

The Times of Israel liveblogged Saturday’s events as they unfolded.

Trump says Iran’s Kharg Island ‘totally demolished,’ but US may strike it again ‘just for fun’

Still from US footage of strikes on Iran's Kharg Island, March 13, 2026. (US Centcom); inset: US President Trump speaks with reporters outside the White House, on March 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

US President Donald Trump says that the United States may carry out more strikes on Iran’s Kharg Island oil export hub, saying that while Tehran appears ready to make a deal to end the conflict, “the terms aren’t good enough yet.”

He says the US strikes had “totally demolished” most of Kharg Island, but tells NBC News that “we may hit it a few more times just for fun.”

The island, which lies about 30 kilometers (19 miles) off the Iranian mainland and 500 kilometers (300 miles) northwest of the Strait of Hormuz, is the export terminal for 90% of Iran’s oil shipments.

Australia says three more Iranian footballers have dropped asylum bids, are returning home

Three Iranian women footballers granted asylum in Australia have changed their minds and decided to return home to Iran, Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said Sunday.

“Overnight, three members of the Iranian Women’s Football Team made the decision to join the rest of the team on their journey back to Iran,” Burke said in a statement.

One other team member seeking refuge had a change of heart earlier in the week and left the country, leaving a total of three out of seven asylum seekers from the squad still in Australia.

Netanyahu trying to arrange call with Ukraine’s Zelensky, reportedly to discuss Iranian drones

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office reached out to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to request a phone call, an Israeli official tells The Times of Israel.

The official does not say what Netanyahu wishes to discuss.

According to Ynet, Netanyahu wants to discuss cooperating on countering Iranian drones, which Ukraine has been facing for years.

UAE rejects Iranian claim that US strike on Kharg Island was launched from its territory

The United Arab Emirates hits back at Iran over accusations that a US strike on Kharg Island — an oil hub handling about 90% of Iran’s exports — originated from the Gulf state, saying Tehran’s policy is confused and lacks wisdom.

In a post on X, Anwar Gargash, diplomatic adviser to the UAE president, says the country has the right to defend itself but “continues to prioritize reason and logic.”

Crew of US refueling plane who died in crash included Alabama father of 3 young kids

In this photo provided by the US Air National Guard, US Air Force Capt. Alex Klinner, operations flight commander for the 99th Air Refueling Squadron, completes another lap during the Shell 77 Memorial Run at Sumpter Smith Joint National Guard Base, Birmingham, Alabama, on May 2, 2025. (Paul Mann/US Air National Guard via AP)

A pilot from Alabama had just been promoted to major in January and had been deployed less than a week when his refueling aircraft crashed in Iraq this week, killing him and five others, his brother-in-law says.

Alex Klinner, 33, leaves behind three small children: 7-month-old twins and a 2-year-old son, his brother-in-law, James Harrill, says while confirming his death.

“It’s kind of heartbreaking to say: He was just a really good dad and really loved his family a lot — like a lot,” Harrill says.

Also on the aircraft was an Ohio man whose loved ones remembered him for his smile, his parents say.

The Pentagon hasn’t yet revealed the identities of the six, but families have begun saying who died.

Herzog offers support to Dutch Jewish leaders after recent attacks

A police car parked outside a Jewish school in Amsterdam, where an explosion was reported overnight, March 14, 2026. (Stéphanie HAMEL / AFP)

Following attacks on an Amsterdam Jewish school last night and a synagogue in Rotterdam early Friday morning, President Isaac Herzog held calls with leaders of the Dutch Jewish community tonight to offer support and solidarity.

An overnight blast damaged the only Orthodox school in the Netherlands, but did not cause any injuries, in what Amsterdam mayor Femke Halsema called a “deliberate attack against the Jewish community.”

Earlier in the day, four young men were arrested on suspicion of setting off an explosion outside a synagogue in Rotterdam that caused a brief blaze and damage to the building.

President Herzog spoke with Chanan Hertzberger, Chairman of the Centraal Joods Overleg (CJO); Chris den Hoedt, Chairman of the Jewish Community of Rotterdam; Rabbi Yehuda Vorst, Rabbi of the Rotterdam Synagogue; and Professor Chaim (Herman) Loonstein, Head of the Board of Cheider in Amsterdam. Also participating in the conversation was Israel’s ambassador to the Netherlands, Zvi Aviner Vapni.

“It is totally unacceptable that the historic Jewish community of the Netherlands, which was devastated during the Holocaust and today is a thriving center of Jewish life, continues to be threatened by violent antisemitism,” Herzog says.

The rise in antisemitic violence across Europe, including the attack on a synagogue in Belgium last week, is “deeply concerning and demands a strong and unequivocal response,” Herzog adds. “I call on the Dutch authorities to intensify their efforts to combat antisemitism, incitement, and terror against the Jewish community.”

Lebanon to form delegation for potential talks with Israel; France denies having a ceasefire plan

Lebanon is preparing to form a delegation to negotiate with Israel in a bid to stop the war with Iran-backed Hezbollah, an official tells AFP, adding that there is still no Israeli commitment to the initiative.

“Negotiations are on the table and preparations are underway to form a delegation, but… neither the timing nor the location has been determined, with Paris and Cyprus being considered,” the official says, adding: “We also need an Israeli commitment to a truce.”

An Axios report on Saturday cited sources as saying the French government had drafted a plan to end the war in Lebanon that would require the government in Beirut to officially recognize Israel.

France’s foreign ministry, however, says there is “no French plan” to stop the fighting in Lebanon.

“France has supported the Lebanese authorities’ openness to direct talks with Israel and has offered to facilitate them,” says a ministry statement sent to AFP.

“But it is for the parties, and only the parties, to set the agenda for these talks,” it adds.

Kuwait says several drones struck radar system at international airport

Several drones struck Kuwait’s international airport and hit its radar system but didn’t injure anyone, the country’s civil aviation authority says.

“Kuwait International Airport was targeted by several drones this evening, which struck its radar system,” the authority says. “Thankfully, no injuries were recorded.”

Trump calls for other countries to help US in securing Strait of Hormuz

US President Donald Trump urges allied countries to help ensure the safe passage of oil through the Strait of Hormuz amid Iran’s efforts to block it.

“Countries of the world that receive oil through the Hormuz Strait must take care of that passage, and we will help — a lot! The US will also coordinate with those countries so that everything goes quickly, smoothly, and well,” Trump writes on Truth Social.

“The United States of America has beaten and completely decimated Iran, both militarily, economically, and in every other way, but… This should have always been a team effort, and now it will be — It will bring the World together toward harmony, security, and everlasting peace!” he adds.

Lebanese media reports fresh Israeli strikes in Hezbollah’s Beirut stronghold

Lebanese media reports new Israeli airstrikes in Beirut’s southern suburbs.

Earlier, the IDF reiterated an evacuation warning for the area, a Hezbollah stronghold, ahead of strikes on the terror group’s sites.

Iranian FM insists there is ‘no problem’ with new supreme leader

Iran’s foreign minister says there is “no problem” with the Islamic Republic’s new supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei, who US officials say was wounded.

Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi tells MS NOW’s Ayman Mohyeldin “there is no problem with the new supreme leader. He sent his message yesterday, and he will perform his duties.”

Iranian officials have previously confirmed reports that the new leader is wounded but have given no further details.

Khamenei, 56, has not been seen in public since the airstrike that killed his father and predecessor as supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, and several key family members.

Araghchi also calls for neighboring countries to expel US forces from the Middle East.

The US security umbrella in the region “has proven to be full of holes and inviting rather than deterring trouble,” the top diplomat posts on X, adding that Iran called on its neighbors “to expel foreign aggressors.”

Jerusalem teacher suspended after being arrested alongside friend who graffitied colors of Palestinian flag in West Bank

Graffiti depicting the colors of the Palestinian flag, sprayed over a Star of David and map of Israel, at a bus stop in the West Bank on March 2, 2026. (Israel Police)

The Education Ministry has suspended an English teacher from her job for at least two weeks, after she watched her friend spray-paint the colors of the Palestinian flag on a protective concrete block at a West Bank bus stop, Haaretz reports.

Dana Hirschfeld, who lives and teaches in Jerusalem, was arrested with her friend shortly after the latter painted the colors — green, red, black and white — over a blue Star of David and map of Israel including the West Bank and Gaza.

In footage from the incident on March 2, the teacher is seen sitting in the driver’s seat while her friend vandalizes the block. The pair then exchange seats, with Hirschfeld moving to the passenger’s seat as her friend takes the wheel.

The two were nabbed at a gas station south of Jericho, police said at the time. They were interrogated for five hours at a police station in the West Bank, according to Haaretz.

The video of the incident spread on social media, after being shared primarily by right-wing activists and news accounts, and found its way to Hirschfeld’s school, sparking uproar from staff, parents and even former students.

“I bought security cameras that we installed in the house and prepared my children for the possibility that far-right activists might come to us… This is a huge family crisis. I’m afraid to leave the house,” she tells the outlet.

Hirschfeld’s lawyer has sent a letter to the Education Ministry demanding that her suspension be canceled. It is in effect for two weeks, with the possibility that the suspension will be extended another 16 days.

The teacher’s appeal notes that she has no criminal record, has been working for 17 years in the education system, is a mother to three children and wife to a soldier who spent 300 days of the war in reserves.

It is seen as unlikely an indictment will be filed against Hirschfeld since she did not take part in spray-painting the concrete block.

IDF says troops killed gunman who fired at them in south Gaza

The IDF says troops killed a Palestinian gunman who opened fire on them in the southern Gaza Strip earlier today.

Soldiers of the Paratroopers Brigade were conducting clearing operations of Hamas infrastructure in the Rafah area when they identified the armed terror operative.

According to the military, the operative opened fire on the paratroopers, who then returned fire and killed him. No soldiers were hurt, the army says.

In another incident on Friday in the Khan Younis area, the IDF says it carried out a strike against two armed Hamas operatives, both of whom were killed.

French ceasefire plan for Lebanon said to require Lebanese recognition of Israel

An IDF artillery unit deployed in northern Israel fires toward southern Lebanon on March 14, 2026. (Jalaa Marey/AFP)

France has drawn up a proposal to end the fighting in Lebanon between Israel and Hezbollah that would require Lebanon’s government to recognize Israel, Axios reports.

Citing sources familiar with the matter, the news site says Lebanon’s government has accepted the proposal as a basis for talks, while the US and Israel are both reviewing it.

According to the report, the French plan calls for Jerusalem and Beirut to hold direct talks — which Paris and Washington would back — on a “political declaration” that the sides would agree upon within a month. The sources quoted by Axios say France wants the negotiations to be held in Paris, with the talks initially featuring senior diplomats before advancing to senior political figures.

Outlining the plan, the report says that along with recognizing Israel, Lebanon would vow to respect its sovereignty and territorial integrity, while both countries would also stress their commitment to the UN Security Council resolution ending the 2006 Second Lebanon War and the ceasefire deal reached in November 2024 after more than a year of fighting between Hezbollah and Israel.

Lebanon’s government would also reportedly be committed under the plan to preventing any attacks on Israel from Lebanese territory and to disarming Hezbollah and banning the terror group’s military activity. Meanwhile, Israeli forces would withdraw from areas captured during the current war within a month, while the Lebanese army redeploys in Southern Lebanon, with UNIFIL and a group of countries selected by the UN Security Council tasked with verifying Hezbollah is disarmed.

The report says that Lebanon will be required to declare its willingness to hold talks with Israel on a permanent non-aggression pact, with an agreement ending the formal state of war between the countries since the Jewish state’s founding in 1948 to be signed in two months.

Once the deal is signed, the IDF would then pull back from the five positions it has held in southern Lebanon since 2024. Axios reported the last stage of the French proposal calls for demarcating the Israel-Lebanon and Lebanon-Syria borders by year’s end.

IDF demolishes home of Palestinian terrorist involved in deadly 2024 shooting attack

Smoke and dust rise as the IDF destroys the home of Azmi Nader Abu Halill, who was involved in a deadly 2024 shooting attack, in the southern West Bank town of Dura on March 14, 2026. (Hazem Bader/AFP)

IDF troops demolished the home of a Palestinian terrorist involved in a deadly shooting attack in the West Bank in 2024, the military says.

On December 11, 2024, two Palestinian terrorists opened fire on a bus traveling from the Beitar Ilit settlement to Jerusalem, as it passed a junction by the West Bank town of al-Khader.

Yehoshua Aharon Tuvia Simha, 12, was killed, and several others were wounded in the attack.

The IDF says it operated in the town of Dura this morning and demolished the home of Azmi Nader Abu Halil, one of the gunmen.

The home of the second terrorist, Ezz Aldin Malluh, was demolished last year.

As a matter of policy, Israel demolishes the homes of Palestinians accused of carrying out deadly terror attacks.

 

Trump rebuffed ceasefire talks while Iran demanding halt to strikes before any truce — sources

US President Donald Trump’s administration has rebuffed efforts by Middle Eastern allies to start diplomatic negotiations aimed at ending the Iran war that started two weeks ago with a massive US-Israeli air assault, according to three sources familiar with the efforts.

Iran, for its part, has rejected the possibility of any ceasefire until US and Israeli strikes end, two senior Iranian sources tell Reuters, adding that several countries had been trying to mediate an end to the conflict.

The lack of interest from Washington and Tehran suggests both sides are digging in for an extended conflict, even as the widening war inflicts civilian casualties and Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz sends oil prices soaring.

IDF says ground troops killed dozens of Hezbollah operatives during ‘targeted raids’ in south Lebanon

IDF troops of the 7th Armored Brigade operate in southern Lebanon, in a handout photo issued by the military on March 12, 2026. (Israel Defense Forces)

Dozens of Hezbollah operatives have been killed as ground troops conduct “targeted raids” in southern Lebanon, the military says.

Last week, troops of the 7th Armored Brigade, under the 36th Division, began an operation in the Rab al-Thalathine area, with the IDF saying it aims to locate and clear the Lebanese village of Hezbollah infrastructure and operatives.

The IDF says that during the “targeted raids,” the troops have killed dozens of Hezbollah operatives and destroyed numerous sites belonging to the terror group, including weapon depots, a command center, and observation posts.

The military says the Northern Command is meanwhile continuing preparations to receive additional troops in the coming week.

On Friday, the IDF said reinforcement would include the 98th Division with two brigade-level combat teams and additional combat engineering battalions. The Golani Brigade was also sent to the Northern Command earlier this week, and is now ready for deployment, the army says.

Kuwait reports injuries and damage after drones target airbase used by US

Two drones targeted an airbase in Kuwait housing US military staff, injuring Kuwaiti personnel and causing damage, the Gulf state’s defense ministry says.

“Three members of the armed forces sustained minor injuries” after the attack on Ahmed Al-Jaber Air Base, spokesperson Colonel Saud Al-Atwan says in a statement. The base is near Camp Arifjan, a major US facility.

Education minister says most students will continue remote learning as some schools to reopen Monday

Following today’s risk assessment by the Home Front Command, Education Minister Yoav Kisch says that some schools will be allowed to reopen Monday while students in most of Israel will continue learning remotely.

“In light of the security situation, the vast majority of the education system will operate through remote learning only,” Kisch says in a statement. “This is a targeted and phased reopening — responsible and controlled — tailored to the differences between local authorities and the map of threats, and allowing about 24 hours of advance preparation.”

The areas designated by the Home Front Command as “yellow,” or lesser risk, include the Beit Shean Valley, Jordan Valley, West Bank, Dead Sea area, West Lachish, Gaza border communities, Western Negev, Southern Negev, and Arava.

Only schools with shelters will be allowed to reopen.

As of today, the army has not specified when the next assessment will be shared.

US embassy in Iraq tells American citizens to immediately leave the country

US citizens should leave Iraq immediately, the US embassy in Baghdad says in an updated security alert, following an overnight missile attack on the embassy’s building.

“US citizens choosing to remain in Iraq are strongly encouraged to reconsider in light of the significant threat posed by Iran-aligned terrorist militia groups,” the embassy says.

No injuries reported after latest Iranian missile attack, the sixth so far today

No injuries are reported in Iran’s latest ballistic missile attack on Israel, the sixth today.

The missile was likely intercepted, according to initial military assessments. Sirens had sounded in northern Israel and in the north of the West Bank.

Iran has fired a small number of missiles at Israel today in six salvos.

IDF says working to improve accuracy of early warning system for Iranian missiles

The IDF Home Front Command says it is working on making its early warning system for Iran’s ballistic missile attacks more accurate.

The early warning is issued shortly after the IDF detects a missile launch from Iran, though at that stage it is hard to predict exactly where it will land, and therefore the pre-alert usually applies to a wide area. Sirens generally sound in a more limited area; by that point, the missile’s trajectory is clearer.

Following work over the past two weeks amid the war, the Home Front Command is set to issue early warnings in smaller areas before sirens sound.

This means fewer civilians will have a situation where they receive an early warning and no sirens sound in their town.

The Home Front Command aims to reduce the number of civilians who face this issue by 30-50%.

IDF to let schools reopen in areas deemed less at risk from Iran and Hezbollah attacks

Illustrative: An empty classroom at a school in Tzfat, northern Israel, on August 31, 2025. (David Cohen/Flash90)

The IDF Home Front Command is easing wartime restrictions in parts of the country that are under less of a threat of Iran’s ballistic missiles or Hezbollah’s rocket attacks, allowing schools to reopen there.

Following a fresh assessment, the Home Front Command says that from Monday at 6 a.m., the activity scale in the Beit Shean Valley, Jordan Valley, West Bank, Dead Sea area, West Lachish, Gaza border communities, Western Negev, Southern Negev, and Arava, will be adjusted from “limited activity” to “partial activity.”

This means that in those areas, educational institutions will be able to operate, provided there is an adequate shelter that can be reached in time. Gatherings of up to 100 people indoors and 50 people outdoors are also permitted, under the same conditions.

The Home Front Command says the threat of Iran’s and Hezbollah’s attacks on those areas is significantly less than in other areas of the country, which also leads to fewer sirens throughout the day. However, military officials stress that this does not mean that there will not be any attacks or sirens in those areas.

In the rest of the country, the activity scale remains at “limited activity,” and restrictions remain in place, which prohibit educational activities. Also, under those guidelines, gatherings of 50 people are permitted, provided a shelter can be reached in time, and workplaces can operate under the same conditions.

IDF reports another Iranian ballistic missile attack; sirens due to sound in the north

The IDF has detected a new ballistic missile launch from Iran.

Sirens are expected to sound in northern Israel in the coming minutes.

Palestinian reportedly killed, 3 others wounded in northern West Bank settler attack

Palestinian media outlets report that a 25-year-old Palestinian was killed and three others were wounded in a settler attack near the village of Qusra, close to Nablus in the northern West Bank.

According to the reports, settlers arrived in the area and attacked Palestinians. Three were wounded by gunfire, including one who later reportedly died of his wounds, while a fourth Palestinian was injured while being beaten.

The man is the seventh Palestine reportedly killed by settlers in the last three weeks.

Iran’s FM threatens strikes on assets of US firms in Mideast if energy facilities hit

Iran will target the facilities of American companies in the region if its energy facilities are attacked in the US-Israeli war against the Islamic Republic, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi says.

“Iran will respond to any attack on its energy facilities,” state television quotes him as saying after US attacks on military infrastructure on Iran’s crude oil export hub of Kharg Island.

“If Iranian facilities are targeted, our forces will target American companies’ facilities in the region, or companies in which the US holds shares,” he warns, while vowing that Tehran will “act cautiously to ensure that densely populated areas are not targeted.”

IDF says Air Force jet was nearly shot down over Iran during war

An Israeli Air Force F-16I takes off for strikes in Iran, in an image published by the military on March 12, 2026. (Israel Defense Forces)

An Israeli Air Force fighter jet was almost shot down over Iran amid the war, the military says.

According to the IDF, an attempt was made to shoot down the jet, and it was “close to being hit.”

The attempted interception of the plane “failed due to the alertness and professionalism of the pilot,” the military says, adding that the sortie “was completed successfully.”

The incident was investigated by the IAF, and lessons were learned, the military adds.

IDF says 2 senior Iranian intel officers killed in Tehran airstrike

Two senior Iranian intelligence officers were killed in an Israeli airstrike in Tehran on Friday, the IDF announces.

The strike targeted a facility of the intelligence directorate of the Khatam-al Anbiya Central Headquarters, also known as Iran’s military emergency command.

According to the military, the strike killed Abdollah Jalali-Nasab and Amir Shariat, two top officers in Khatam-al Anbiya’s intelligence directorate.

The IDF says that the pair had been appointed as acting heads of the unit, after Salah Asadi, chief of intelligence in the emergency headquarters, was killed in the opening strikes of the war on February 28.

“The two were senior intelligence commanders and were key figures in the Iranian intelligence community. In addition, the two were close to the top leadership of the Iranian terror regime,” the IDF adds.

Drone sirens sound in Galilee and Golan Heights

Sirens sound in the Galilee and Golan Heights amid an apparent Hezbollah drone attack.

The alerts are activated in Safed, Kiryat Shmona, and numerous surrounding communities, warning of a suspected drone infiltration.

IDF says it hit over 200 targets in Iran in past day, including missile launchers

The Israeli Air Force struck over 200 targets in western and central Iran in the past day, the military says.

The targets included dozens of ballistic missile launchers, including some that were armed and primed for attacks on Israel, according to the IDF.

Additionally, the IAF struck air defense systems, missile launch sites, and sites used to store weapons, the military says.

The IDF says it has focused many of its strikes on Iranian missile launchers, “to reduce as much as possible the scope of fire toward Israeli territory.”

Rocket sirens sound in northern city of Safed

Sirens sound in the northern city of Safed amid a rocket attack from Lebanon.

Hezbollah has carried out sporadic rocket and drone attacks on northern Israel today, with no reports of injuries.

Israel and Lebanon expected to hold direct talks in coming days, Haaretz reports

Israel and Lebanon are expected to hold direct talks in the coming days, the Haaretz newspaper reports on Saturday, citing two sources with knowledge of the matter.

US President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner will be involved in the talks that may be held in Paris or in Cyprus, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s confidant Ron Dermer leading the Israeli delegation, Haaretz says.

Iran threatens to target US company facilities in region if its energy sites are hit

Iran vows to attack facilities of US companies in the region if its energy infrastructure is targeted.

In comments reported by state media, Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi says Iran will act with caution to avoid targeting populated areas.

US raises flag over embassy in Venezuela after 7-year hiatus

The US flag has been raised above its embassy in Venezuela for the first time in seven years, following the US capture of authoritarian leader Nicolas Maduro and the restoration of diplomatic relations.

“A new era has begun. We’re staying with Venezuela,” the US Charge d’Affaires Laura Dogu, the embassy’s most senior diplomat, writes in a post on X with a photo of the Stars and Stripes being raised outside the embassy.

Dogu writes that she and her team raised the flag “exactly seven years after it was removed” on March 14, 2019, two months after Caracas severed ties over Washington’s refusal to recognize Maduro’s flawed re-election in 2018.

Sirens sound near Haifa amid rocket attack from Lebanon

The alerts are activated in the Krayot suburbs of the coastal city.

Since March 2, when Hezbollah began attacking Israel in response to the killing of Iran’s late supreme leader Ali Khamenei, the terror group has launched around 100 rockets a day on average, according to the IDF.

UN chief says ‘diplomatic avenues’ available to stop war in Lebanon

UN chief Antonio Guterres says on a visit to Beirut that diplomatic channels remain open to end the war between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah and urges the international community to support Lebanon.

“There is no military solution, only diplomacy, dialogue and full implementation of the UN Charter and Security Council resolutions. The diplomatic avenues are available, including through my special coordinator for Lebanon… and through key member states,” he says.

Lebanon was dragged into the Middle East war last week when Hezbollah attacked Israel in response to the killing of Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in US-Israeli strikes.

“We are doing everything we can now to bring about an immediate de-escalation and the cessation of hostilities,” Guterres tells reporters.

Footage shows impact in central Israel after missile attack

Footage shows an impact, possibly a cluster bomb munition from an Iranian missile, in central Israel a short while ago.

A number of impact sites in central Israel were reported, with no injuries.

Reports of impacts but no injuries in latest Iranian missile attack

There are no immediate reports of injuries in Iran’s latest ballistic missile attack on Israel, the fifth since midnight, medics say.

Rescue forces are responding to reports of several impacts in central Israel. It is not immediately clear if the reports refer to direct missile impacts, sub-munitions from a possible cluster bomb warhead, or other falling fragments following an interception.

A small number of missiles were launched in the attack, setting off sirens across central Israel and in the south.

Condition of child hurt in Eilat downgraded to moderate; 2 lightly injured

In an update from Eilat, Yoseftal Medical Center says the 12-year-old injured in the missile attack earlier is considered to be in moderate condition, while two other people are lightly hurt.

Yoseftal says six other people arrived at the hospital suffering from anxiety.

The injured are receiving medical treatment in the emergency room.

IDF detects another ballistic missile launch from Iran

The IDF has detected another ballistic missile launch from Iran.

Sirens are expected to sound in central and southern Israel in the coming minutes.

This comes after a small number of missiles targeted central Israel, the Jerusalem area, and Eilat in the past hour.

Trump hopes ‘many countries’ will send warships to Strait of Hormuz; meantime US will be ‘bombing the hell out of the shoreline’

US President Donald Trump says that “hopefully” many countries will send warships to the Strait of Hormuz area.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump says he hopes that China, France, Japan, South Korea, Britain and others will send ships to the area.

Meantime, he warns, the US “will be bombing the hell out of the shoreline” and will “soon get the Hormuz Strait open, safe and free.”

Sirens sound in Western Galilee in apparent Hezbollah attack

Sirens sound in the Western Galilee amid an apparent Hezbollah attack.

The alerts are activated in Nahariya and several surrounding communities, warning of a suspected drone infiltration and rocket fire.

IDF says IRGC commander killed in Lebanon strike

The IDF says it killed another commander in Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in a strike in Lebanon this week.

The strike on Wednesday killed Hisham Abd al-Karim Yassin, who the IDF says served as a “key commander” in Hezbollah’s communications unit and in the Palestine Corps of the Quds Force, the IRGC’s extraterritorial arm.

The military says the communication unit is responsible for “maintaining communication continuity” within Hezbollah, and it oversees “the development, maintenance, and use of communication systems” used by the terror group.

Yassin was involved in assisting Hezbollah rebuild its capabilities, and he “worked to advance Iranian entrenchment in Lebanon,” the IDF adds.

Child moderately injured, two lightly hurt in Iranian missile attack on Eilat

An impact site after an Iranian missile targeted Eilat, March 14, 2026 (Video screenshot; sed in accordance with Clause 27a of the Copyright Law)

Three people were injured in Eilat, including a child moderately hurt, following Iran’s latest ballistic missile attack.

A 12-year-old boy was hospitalized in moderate condition while two other people were lightly hurt. All were hurt by shrapnel. The child was initially assessed to be in serious condition.

At least three impact sites were reported in the city, possibly submunitions from a cluster bomb warhead or other falling fragments. The IDF says it is investigating the circumstances.

Footage posted online shows one of the suspected cluster bomb munition impacts.

Home Front Command search and rescue soldiers were dispatched to the scenes, where they are carrying out an assessment alongside rescue services and assisting with clearing the scene, the army says.

Jerusalem was also targeted in the missile attack.

Son of ousted shah says ready for Iran transition ‘under my leadership’

Iran's former crown prince and now key opposition figure Reza Pahlavi attends a discussion during the 62nd Munich Security Conference (MSC) on February 13, 2026 in Munich, southern Germany. (Alexandra BEIER / AFP)

The exiled son of Iran’s last shah, who was ousted by the 1979 revolution, says he is ready to lead a transition “as soon as the Islamic Republic falls.”

In a message on his social media channels, US-based Reza Pahlavi says he has already been working to select individuals both inside and outside Iran to serve on what he calls a “Transitional System.”

Pahlavi leads one of several opposition movements based outside Iran, but his prominence grew after January protests against the clerical system, with some demonstrators calling for a return of the monarchy.

Pahlavi says that Saeed Ghasseminejad, senior Iran and financial economics advisor at the US-based think tank Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD), which is staunchly critical of the Islamic Republic, had been leading the process to select members of a transitional body.

“Capable individuals both inside and outside the country have been identified and evaluated to lead various sections of the Transitional System,” he says.

“The Transitional System, under my leadership, will be ready to assume governance of the country as soon as the Islamic Republic falls, and in the shortest possible time, establish order, security, freedom, and the conditions for Iran’s prosperity and flourishing,” he adds.

Pahlavi has yet to win the support of US President Donald Trump, who has questioned his ability to lead Iran and noted he has not been in the country for decades. Trump has instead suggested he favors an internal power shift similar to the Venezuela model, though how that could play out in Iran remains unclear.

Medics responding to reports of impacts in Eilat after Iranian missile attack

Medics are responding to reports of impact sites in the southernmost city of Eilat following Iran’s latest ballistic missile attack.

It is not immediately clear if the impacts are the result of falling fragments following an interception or sub-munitions from a possible cluster bomb warhead.

Hamas civil defense says Israeli strikes kill six in past day

Palestinian boys pray during the last Friday noon prayer of the Muslim holy fasting month of Ramadan, outside the Al-Talbani Mosque, destroyed by the Israeli military in Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip, March 13, 2026. (Bashar Taleb / AFP)

Hamas’s civil defense agency says that Israeli strikes have killed six people over the past 24 hours, the latest bout of violence in the territory against the backdrop of the US-Israel war with Iran.

In a pre-dawn strike, two policemen and a civilian were killed in the southern city of Khan Younis, the agency reports.

A strike on a group of civilians yesterday evening in eastern Gaza City killed three people, whose bodies were taken to the territory’s main Shifa hospital, the agency says.

The Israeli military does not offer an immediate response.

Violence has continued in the Palestinian territory despite a ceasefire since October 10, and even as Israel continues its air campaign against Iran since February 28.

Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.

Jerusalem sirens sound as additional missile launch detected; early warning issued in Eilat

As sirens sound in the Jerusalem area, an early warning is issued in Israel’s southernmost city of Eilat as another ballistic missile launch is detected by the IDF.

Missile launch detected from Iran, sirens expected in Jerusalem area, central Israel

Shortly after telling civilians they can leave bomb shelters, the IDF has detected another ballistic missile launch from Iran.

Sirens are expected to sound in Jerusalem and other areas of central Israel in the coming minutes.

No injuries in latest Iran missile strike on central Israel

No injuries are reported in Iran’s latest ballistic missile attack on Israel, the third since midnight.

The missile was allowed to hit an open area, in accordance with the IDF’s protocols. Sirens had sounded across central Israel.

A large explosion was heard.

Missile launch detected from Iran, sirens expected in central Israel

A ballistic missile attack from Iran has been detected by the IDF.

Sirens are expected to sound in central Israel in the coming minutes.

Lebanon says Israeli strikes have killed 26 paramedics since March 2

A destroyed healthcare center building in the aftermath of an Israeli strike in the southern Lebanese town of Burj Qalawiya, March 14, 2026. (Kawnat HAJU / AFP)

Lebanon’s health ministry says that Israeli strikes have killed 26 paramedics and wounded 51 others since the conflict erupted between Israel and Hezbollah.

It comes after Lebanese authorities said an overnight Israeli strike killed 12 doctors, paramedics and nurses working at a healthcare center in the southern town of Burj Qalawiya, following another strike on the town of Sawaneh that left two paramedics affiliated with Hezbollah and its ally Amal dead.

The ministry statement also accuses Israel of repeatedly “targeting ambulance crews while they were performing rescue duties,” after the IDF accused Hezbollah of using ambulances militarily.

Israel says ‘antisemitism epidemic raging’ in Netherlands after blast outside Jewish school

A police car parked outside a Jewish school in Amsterdam, where an explosion was reported overnight, March 14, 2026. (Stéphanie HAMEL / AFP)

Israel’s foreign ministry says that “an antisemitism epidemic is raging” in the Netherlands, after an overnight blast outside a Jewish school in Amsterdam.

“The Dutch government needs to do much more to fight antisemitism,” the ministry says in a social media post.

Police: Israeli, two Palestinians wounded after settlers open fire in West Bank

A shepherd Israeli settler prays as he takes a flock of sheep for an evening graze outside the Palestinian village of Battir in the West Bank on February 12, 2026. (ilia YEFIMOVICH / AFP)

An Israeli and two Palestinians were wounded during a clash near the West Bank settlement of Ma’ale Amos earlier today, police say.

According to a police statement, the incident began after several Palestinians allegedly attacked and threw stones at an Israeli shepherd grazing sheep in the area, prompting an IDF unit to be dispatched to the scene.

During the incident, two settlers opened fire. One Israeli was wounded during the shooting, along with two Palestinians, who were evacuated by the Red Crescent for medical treatment.

Troops who arrived at the scene worked to disperse the confrontation and restore order.

Police say three Palestinians suspected of involvement in the attack were arrested, while the two settlers who opened fire were detained for questioning, and their weapons were seized.

According to the official Palestinian news agency Wafa, two additional Palestinians were beaten during the incident. The report also alleges that settlers stole roughly 100 sheep belonging to a local Palestinian resident.

Police say officers and forensic investigators are collecting evidence at the scene as the investigation continues.

US struck more than 90 Iranian military targets on Kharg Island in overnight attack, CENTCOM says

United States forces struck dozens of targets in a large-scale precision strike on Kharg Island in Iran last night, the US Central Command says.

“US Forces successfully struck more than 90 Iranian military targets,” CENTCOM says.

IDF repeats call for civilians to evacuate Beirut’s southern suburbs

People walk along a street blocked by the rubble of a building destroyed in an Israeli airstrike in Dahiyeh, Beirut's southern suburbs, Lebanon, March 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

The IDF again calls on Lebanese civilians to evacuate Beirut’s southern suburbs, a Hezbollah stronghold known as the Dahiyeh.

“Out of concern for your safety, we urge you to evacuate immediately and not return to these neighborhoods until further notice,” says army spokesman Col. Avichay Adaree.

The IDF has struck dozens of Hezbollah targets in the Dahiyeh in recent days, and has repeatedly called on Lebanese civilians to evacuate the area.

IDF strikes Iranian space research center, air defense factory in Tehran

The IDF says it destroyed an Iranian space research center and a factory used to manufacture air defense systems during a wave of strikes in the Tehran area last night.

As part of the wave of strikes, the Israeli Air Force hit “dozens of Iranian terror regime infrastructure sites” in Iran’s capital, the military says.

Among the targets was Iran’s primary space research center, which the military says “contained strategic laboratories used for research and development of military satellites for various purposes, including surveillance, targeting, and directing fire toward targets across the Middle East.”

Additionally, the IDF says it struck several sites used by Iran to produce air defense systems, including a “central factory.”

It says the strike “significantly degrades the Iranian terror regime’s ability to rehabilitate its aerial defense array.”

No injuries reported in latest Iranian ballistic missile attack

No injuries are reported in Iran’s latest ballistic missile attack on Israel, the first in over 10 hours.

The missile was likely intercepted, according to initial military assessments. Sirens had sounded in Israel’s southernmost city of Eilat.

Iran has allowed some Indian vessels to pass the Strait of Hormuz, envoy says

Liberia-flagged tanker Shenlong Suezmax, carrying crude oil from Saudi Arabia, that arrived clearing the Strait of Hormuz, is seen at the Mumbai Port in Mumbai, India, March 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool)

Iran has allowed some Indian vessels to sail through the Strait of Hormuz, Tehran’s Ambassador to India Mohammad Fathali says, ​confirming a rare exception to the blockade that has disrupted global energy supplies.

Fathali did not confirm the number of vessels that have been provided safe passage. He was speaking at broadcaster India Today’s conclave in New Delhi.

Since the United States and Israel launched a bombing campaign on Iran, Tehran has largely halted ​traffic through the strait, which runs past its coast and through which around 20 percent of global oil ​and seaborne liquefied natural gas is supplied.

IDF detects incoming Iran missile attack targeting southern Israel

After a lull of over 10 hours, a new ballistic missile attack from Iran has been detected by the IDF.

Sirens are expected to sound in the Eilat area of southern Israel in the coming minutes.

Katz: War with Iran ‘escalating,’ entering ‘decisive stretch’

Defense Minister Israel Katz attends a conference of the Ofek pre-military academies is held at Binyanei HaUma (Jerusalem International Convention Center) in Jerusalem, on February 5, 2026. (Flash90)

Defense Minister Israel Katz says the war against Iran is “escalating” and now entering a “decisive stretch that will continue as long as necessary.”

“Only the Iranian people can put an end to this through a determined struggle, until the fall of the terror regime and the saving of Iran,” he adds.

The remarks, published by his office, were made during an assessment Katz held this morning with IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir and the military’s top brass.

France ready to facilitate ceasefire discussions between Israel and Lebanon, Macron says

French President Emmanuel Macron delivers a speech next to the submarine 'Le Temeraire' at the nuclear submarines' Navy base of Ile Longue in Crozon, France, March 2, 2026. (Yoan Valat/Pool Photo via AP)

France is ready to facilitate ceasefire discussions between Israel and Lebanon in Paris, French President Emmanuel Macron says in a post on X.

He says that the Lebanese leadership is open to direct discussions with Israel and calls on Israel to “seize this opportunity to launch ceasefire discussions, to find a lasting solution and to allow the Lebanese authorities to put in place their engagements for Lebanon’s sovereignty.”

Macron calls on Israel to stop its offensive and on Hezbollah to stop its actions.

“Everything must be done to stop Lebanon from descending into chaos,” he says.

After Friday airstrikes, IDF says over 110 Hezbollah command centers hit since escalation

Emergency personnel and residents gather at the site of an Israeli airstrike that targeted an apartment building in the southern Lebanese town of Haret Saida, on the outskirts of Sidon, on March 14, 2026. (Mahmoud Zayyat/ AFP)

The Israeli Air Force destroyed several Hezbollah command centers during waves of strikes in southern Lebanon and in Beirut yesterday, the IDF says.

According to the military, Hezbollah operatives were operating at the command centers to advance attacks on Israel.

Since hostilities escalated earlier this month, the IDF says more than 110 Hezbollah command centers have been struck.

Iran threatens US-linked facilities in UAE after strikes on Iranian islands

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps says 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 reports.

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

Earlier today, Bloomberg News reported that some oil loading operations in the port of the UAE’s Fujairah, outside the Strait of Hormuz, had been suspended after a drone attack and fire.

No injuries reported from Hezbollah rocket, drone attacks on northern Israel

People inspect the damage at the scene where a missile fired toward Israel caused damage in Hazor HaGlilit, northern Israel, March 14, 2026. (Michael Giladi/Flash90)

No injuries are reported amid sporadic Hezbollah attacks on northern Israel today.

Sirens warning of rocket fire and suspected drone infiltrations have sounded in the Galilee multiple times this morning.

Since March 2, when Hezbollah began attacking Israel in response to the killing of Iran’s late supreme leader Ali Khamenei, the terror group has launched around 100 rockets a day on average, according to the IDF.

Top US general warned Trump before war that Iran could close Strait of Hormuz — report

Illustrative: This handout photo taken on March 11, 2026, and released by the Royal Thai Navy, shows smoke rising from the Thai bulk carrier 'Mayuree Naree' near the Strait of Hormuz after an attack. (Handout / ROYAL THAI NAVY / AFP)

US Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine warned President Donald Trump before the United States entered the war with Iran that Tehran could try to close the Strait of Hormuz in retaliation, The Wall Street Journal reports, citing sources familiar with the matter.

Caine told the president in several briefings that US officials had long believed Iran might attempt to block the critical shipping lane using naval mines, drones and missiles if conflict erupted, according to the report.

Trump reportedly acknowledged the risk but decided to move forward with the military campaign, telling advisers he believed Tehran would likely capitulate before taking such a step, and that the US military would be capable of reopening the waterway if necessary.

During the ongoing fighting, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards have all but closed the Strait of Hormuz, which borders Iran and through which 20 percent of global oil supplies pass.

Since the start of March, 20 commercial vessels, including nine oil tankers, have been attacked or reported incidents, according to the UK Maritime Trade Operations agency.

The strategy is aimed at harming the global economy in order to exert pressure on the United States.

Iranian police arrest 54 supporters of exiled crown prince over alleged riot plot — state media

Iran’s state-aligned Fars News Agency reports that police arrested 54 supporters of crown prince Reza Pahlavi within 72 hours, adding that they were allegedly planning riots in the country.

The outlet says that 11 individuals belonging to what it describes as the “monarchist faction” were “neutralized” during the operations.

Authorities also detained two additional suspects accused of spying for Israel and the United States and photographing “important sites,” according to the report.

Some Fujairah oil operations suspended after drone attack and fire — report

Some oil loading operations in the port of the UAE’s Fujairah, outside the Strait of Hormuz, have been suspended after a drone attack and fire this morning, Bloomberg News reports, citing people familiar with the matter.

IDF accuses Hezbollah of ‘extensive military use’ of ambulances, medical facilities

Illustrative: A man runs next to an ambulance arriving at the site of an Israeli airstrike that targeted a building in Beirut, Lebanon, November 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

The IDF says the Hezbollah terror group is making “extensive military use” of ambulances and medical facilities in Lebanon.

“We warn that the military use of medical facilities and ambulances must stop immediately, and we stress that if this approach does not stop, Israel will act in accordance with international law against any military activity carried out by the Hezbollah terror organization using those facilities and ambulances,” says army spokesman Col. Avichay Adraee.

Yesterday, an Israeli strike on a healthcare center in southern Lebanon killed at least 12 medical personnel, according to Lebanon’s health ministry. Another strike reportedly killed two paramedics affiliated with Hezbollah and its ally Amal.

IDF publishes footage of strike on Hezbollah operatives loading rockets in Lebanon

The IDF publishes footage showing what it says were Hezbollah operatives loading rockets into a weapons depot in southern Lebanon and the subsequent strike on the site.

According to the military, troops identified the operatives yesterday as they brought rockets into a storage facility in the area of the village of Majadel. Within minutes, the air force carried out a strike on the depot, killing the operatives.

The IDF says it will “continue to act with force” against Hezbollah, after the Iran-backed group joined the ongoing fighting against Israel in support of the Islamic Regime.

IDF footage shows Hezbollah operatives loading rockets into a weapons depot in southern Lebanon and a subsequent strike on the site, March 14, 2026. (Israel Defense Forces)

Islamic extremist group claims responsibility for Amsterdam Jewish school attack

The Islamic Movement of the Companions of the Right claims responsibility for this morning’s attack on a Jewish school in Amsterdam, publishing a video that appears to show the detonation of an incendiary device.

The newly formed extremist group has also been linked to several other antisemitic attacks in recent days, including a similar explosion yesterday outside a synagogue in Rotterdam that caused a brief fire and damage to the building, in which four suspects were arrested by Dutch police.

Explosion damages Jewish school in Amsterdam — report

An explosion damaged a Jewish school in Amsterdam early this morning, in what the city’s mayor describes as a deliberate attack against the Jewish community, Dutch news agency ANP reports.

The explosion only caused limited damage, Mayor Femke Halsema tells ANP.

The incident comes a day after Dutch police said they had arrested four men on suspicion of setting off an explosion outside a synagogue in Rotterdam that caused a brief blaze and damage to the building.

It marks at least the ninth Diaspora synagogue targeted so far this month.

Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.

Israeli strike hits north Beirut suburb — local media

An Israeli strike hit an apartment building in a northern Beirut suburb that had also been targeted a day earlier, Lebanese media reports.

An AFP correspondent saw rescue workers at the scene and damage, including a hole, in a building in the Bourj Hammoud area, outside Iran-backed Hezbollah’s strongholds in the capital’s southern suburbs.

The same building was struck yesterday without causing casualties.

North Korea fired some 10 ballistic missiles toward sea, Seoul military says

North Korea fired around 10 unidentified ballistic missiles toward the Sea of Japan, Seoul’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) confirms, following earlier reports of a projectile launch by Pyongyang and days after the regime warned of “terrible consequences” over the ongoing annual South Korea-US military exercises.

Seoul’s military detected “around ten unidentified ballistic missiles launched from the Sunan area in North Korea toward the East Sea at around 1:20 p.m.,” the JCS says in a statement.

Iranian media reports no damage to Kharg oil infrastructure after US strike

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

Fars News Agency, citing sources on the ground, reports 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.

Trump had threatened in a social media post to target oil infrastructure on the island, a crucial hub for Iran, if Tehran continued to block the strategic Strait of Hormuz.

Rocket sirens sound in northern border town

Sirens sound in the northern border community of Margaliot, warning of incoming rocket fire, amid continued attacks by Lebanon’s Hezbollah on Israeli communities near the border.

In first since war’s outbreak, Hamas urges Iran not to target Arab neighbors

While condemning the “American-Zionist aggression” against Iran, Hamas urges the Islamic Republic not to target its Arab neighbors in the closest thing to criticism from the Gaza-based terror group since the beginning of the war.

“While affirming the right of the Islamic Republic of Iran to respond to this aggression by all available means in accordance with international norms and laws, [Hamas] calls upon the brothers in Iran to avoid targeting neighboring countries,” Hamas says in a statement.

Hamas had been avoiding condemning its main financial backer since the beginning of the war, instead only calling out the US and Israeli strikes that began the conflict.

IDF issues evacuation warning for Iranians in Tabriz ahead of planned strikes

The IDF issues an “urgent warning” to Iranians in the Tabriz area, ahead of a planned airstrike.

“In the coming hours, the IDF will operate in the area, as it has in recent days across Tehran, to strike military infrastructure of the Iranian regime,” the military says in a post on its Farsi-language X account.

“For your safety and well-being, we ask that you immediately leave the area indicated on the map,” the statement adds.

North Korea fires unidentified projectile toward sea, Seoul says

SEOUL — South Korea’s military says it detected North Korea firing at least one projectile toward its eastern sea.

South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff doesn’t immediately say whether the weapon was ballistic or how far it flew.

The launch comes as the United States and South Korea conduct their annual springtime joint military exercises.

The North has long described the allies’ drills as invasion rehearsals and often uses them as a pretext to dial up its own military demonstrations or weapons testing.

Drone sirens blare in towns along Lebanon border

Drone infiltration alerts are activated in a number of Western Galilee towns that neighbor Lebanon.

Trump claims Iran ‘totally defeated and wants a deal — but not one that I’d accept’

In a new social media post, US President Donald Trump touts the American military’s operations against Iran, which he asserts “is totally defeated and wants a deal — but not a deal that I would accept.”

Missile hits helipad inside US embassy compound in Baghdad, Iraqi security officials say

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

Associated Press footage shows 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.

There is no immediate comment from the US Embassy in Baghdad. On Friday, the embassy renewed its Level 4 security alert for Iraq, warning that Iran and Iran-aligned militia groups have previously carried out attacks against US citizens, interests and infrastructure, and “may continue to target them.”

Sirens sound in Kiryat Shmona amid rocket attack

Warning sirens sound in the northern city of Kiryat Shmona, amid continued attacks by Lebanon’s Hezbollah on Israeli communities near the border.

Rocket warning sirens sound in several towns near Lebanon

Warning sirens are activated in several communities close to Lebanon, indicating a Hezbollah attack.

Member of Iran-backed Kataeb Hezbollah said killed in strike on car in Baghdad

An airstrike hit a vehicle in Iraq’s capital Baghdad on Saturday, killing a member of an Iran-backed group, two security sources tell AFP.

“A member of the Hashed al-Shaabi was killed,” one of the security sources says, referring to a former paramilitary group now integrated into the regular army, which also encompasses brigades from Iran-backed armed groups.

A Hashed al-Shaabi official tells AFP the strike killed one person, saying the victim was a member of the powerful Iran-backed Kataeb Hezbollah.

Iran threatens to attack energy infrastructure after US strikes island it exports oil from

The Iranian armed forces say that any attack on Iran’s oil and energy infrastructure will lead to attacks on energy infrastructure owned by oil companies cooperating with the United States in the region, Iranian media reports.

The warning comes after President Donald Trump said that the United States destroyed military targets on Iran’s main oil hub of Kharg Island. The island serves as the export terminal for 90% of Iran’s oil shipments.

IDF says search and rescue forces at scene of reported missile impact in north

The IDF announces that search and rescue forces from its Home Front Command are working with other emergency responders at a site in northern Israel where a missile impact was reported.

There is no immediate word on casualties. Photos from the town show several severely damaged cars.

It’s not immediately clear where the projectile was fired from, with the impact occurring as both Iran and Hezbollah attacked Israel.

Sirens also heard in several central Israel communities amid Iranian missile fire

Alerts are also activated in several communities in the center of the country due to the Iranian ballistic missile fire toward Israel.

Iranian ballistic missile fire and Hezbollah rockets trigger sirens across north

Warning sirens blare in communities across northern Israel amid another ballistic missile attack from Iran and as its Lebanese proxy Hezbollah fires rockets.

Trump says US Navy will soon begin escorting ships through Strait of Hormuz

US President Donald Trump speaks to reporters before he boards Air Force One, March 13, 2026, at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, for a trip to Florida. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

US President Donald Trump says the US will soon begin escorting ships through the Strait of Hormuz to protect them from Iranian attack, as his administration searches for ways to ease high oil prices fueled by the US-Israeli war on Iran.

Asked when the US Navy will start escorting tankers through the Strait of Hormuz, Trump tells reporters, “It will happen soon.”

He is also asked if US and Israeli objectives in the Iran war might be a little different in terms of ending the fighting.

“Well, they might be a little different, I guess, they are a different country than we are,” Trump says.

Iranian missile strike damaged 5 US refueling planes at Saudi airbase — WSJ

Five US Air Force refueling planes were struck and damaged on the ground at Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia, the Wall Street Journal reports, citing two US officials.

The planes, which were hit during an Iranian missile strike on the Saudi base in recent days, were damaged but not fully destroyed and are being repaired, the Journal says, adding that no one was killed in the strikes.

Trump says US ‘obliterated every military target’ on Iran’s Kharg Island, oil infrastructure spared for now

This handout image taken by the European Space Agency, captured by the Copernicus Sentinel-2 satellite, shows a view of Iran's Kharg Island, which hosts the country's main crude export terminal and is responsible for the overwhelming majority of its oil shipments to the world, about 30 kilometers south of the mainland in the north of the Gulf, on March 7, 2026. (European Space Agency/AFP)

US President Donald Trump announces that American forces “totally obliterated every MILITARY target in Iran’s crown jewel, Kharg Island.

“For reasons of decency, I have chosen NOT to wipe out the Oil Infrastructure on the Island. However, should Iran, or anyone else, do anything to interfere with the free and safe passage of ships through the Strait of Hormuz, I will immediately reconsider this decision,” Trump writes on Truth Social.

“Iran has NO ability to defend anything that we want to attack — There is nothing they can do about it!” he declares.

“Iran will NEVER have a nuclear weapon, nor will it have the ability to threaten the United States of America, the Middle East or, for that matter, the world!”

Trump urges Iran’s security forces to lay down their arm “and save what’s left of their country, which isn’t much!”

Asked during a Fox News Radio interview — which was recorded Thursday night and aired Friday morning — whether he is thinking about seizing the island, the president says it’s “not high on the list” but also he could “change my mind in seconds.”

The question appears to touch a nerve, eliciting scorn as Trump calls it a question that shouldn’t be asked.

“Who’d ask a question like that, and what fool would answer it?” he says. “Let’s say I was going to do it or let’s say I wasn’t going to do it, why would I tell you?”

Attacker shot himself after getting stuck in car he rammed into Michigan synagogue — FBI

Jennifer Runyan, the special agent in charge of the FBI's Detroit field office, gives an update during a news conference about the Temple Israel synagogue case, March 13, 2026, in West Bloomfield Township, Michigan. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

The man accused of ramming his vehicle into a synagogue and setting it ablaze in a suburb of Detroit, Michigan, died from a “self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head,” an FBI official tells reporters.

The suspect, identified as 41-year-old Ayman Mohamad Ghazali, was originally born in Lebanon, and media reports indicate his relatives were killed in Israeli strikes there days ago — with some reports saying his brothers were members of the Hezbollah terror group.

However, Detroit area FBI special agent in charge Jennifer Runyan warns reporters it would be “irresponsible” to “speculate” on his motive at this time.

Ghazali crashed into Temple Israel on Thursday afternoon, got his vehicle stuck in a hallway and started firing his gun through the windshield, says Runyan. An armed security officer then shot at Ghazali through the vehicle’s back window, before Ghazali used his own weapon to fatally shoot himself, she adds.

Runyan clarifies that while security fired at Ghazali he ultimately shot himself to death when he couldn’t get out of the vehicle because it was wedged in the hallway.

The vehicle’s engine caught fire, and officials later found large quantities of commercial grade fireworks and several jugs of a liquid believed to be gasoline.

Drone sirens activated in Lebanon border communities

Air raid sirens sound in Israeli communities near the border with Lebanon due to a suspected drone infiltration.

Lebanon reports 12 medical personnel killed in Israeli strike on healthcare center

An Israeli strike on a primary healthcare center in southern Lebanon killed at least 12 medical personnel, the Lebanese health ministry says as the war between Israel and Hezbollah rages on.

In a statement, the ministry says it “mourns the healthcare workers in Burj Qalawiya who were killed in an Israeli airstrike that targeted the town’s primary healthcare center,” adding that “12 doctors, paramedics and nurses on duty at the center were killed, and one healthcare worker was injured” while rescue operations are still ongoing.

The ministry says the attack was “the second against the health sector in a few hours,” following a strike on Sawaneh that killed two paramedics affiliated with Hezbollah and its ally Amal.

There is no immediate comment from the Israel Defense Forces.

Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.

Qatar announces evacuation of ‘several key areas’ amid Iranian attacks

A photograph shows Doha's skyline on March 10, 2026. (AFP)

Qatar’s interior ministry says it is evacuating a number of areas as Iran presses its retaliatory air campaign against Gulf countries.

The ministry says in a statement it’s “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 receive phone alerts telling them to “evacuate the area immediately… to the nearest safest place as a temporary precaution.”

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