Iran claims strike hit close to nuclear power plant

The Atomic Energy Organization of Iran said a strike hit the grounds of the Bushehr nuclear power plant on the Persian Gulf Tuesday local time.

The organization said “no financial, technical, or human damage occurred and no part of the plant was harmed”, per the Associated Press.

Rachel Dobkin18 March 2026 00:30

US targets Iranian missile sites near Strait of Hormuz

The United States military said Tuesday that it targeted sites along Iran's coastline near the Strait of Hormuz because Iranian anti-ship missiles posed a risk to international shipping there.

US Central Command said it had “successfully employed multiple 5000-pound deep penetrator munitions on hardened Iranian missile sites” along the coastline near the Strait.

”The Iranian anti-ship cruise missiles in these sites posed a risk to international shipping in the strait,” it wrote in a statement on X.

Maira Butt18 March 2026 00:05

German minister: unrealistic to expect controlled regime change in Iran

Germany's Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said on Tuesday that it is not realistic to expect controlled regime change in Iran.

“There will be no military solution. And to have a controlled regime change, is, I would say, a hypothetical idea, which is not realistic,” he said, speaking alongside his French counterpart in Berlin at an event hosted by the ZEIT media group.

“So chaos in Iran, as bad as the regime is, is also not in our interest and not in the interest of the region and, of course, in the interest of the people living in Iran.”

Maira Butt17 March 2026 23:59

Two people killed in Israel following rocket fire

Two people have been killed with severe shrapnel injuries in Israel after rocket fire on Tuesday, according to the national ambulance service MDA.

Maira Butt17 March 2026 23:45

Iranian regime likely to remain in power despite two weeks of attacks, US intelligence suggests

While dozens of top Iranian military and intelligence leaders have been killed in the war, including the Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, officials believe that the regime is still clinging onto control.

As the war enters a third week, at least 2,000 people have been killed with no end in sight despite widespread damage to Iran’s military installations and naval capability.

A "multitude" of intelligence reports provide "consistent analysis that the regime is not in danger" of collapse, a source close to US intelligence told The Washington Post. Rather, they said it "retains control of the Iranian public”.

Maira Butt17 March 2026 23:40

Khamenei believed son Mojtaba was not bright enough to take power, says US intelligence

Ali Khamenei had misgivings about his son becoming leader as he was perceived to be “not very bright” and “unqualified” for the role, reported CBS news.

Issues in the younger Khamenei’s personal life were also contributing factors, according to an intelligence report circulated among President Trump and his senior advisers and shared with the TV network.

Maira Butt17 March 2026 23:20

Trump claims US military operations 'way ahead of schedule'

President Donald Trump has reflected on the US war with Iran as the raging conflict enters its third week. He said that Tehran would have had nuclear weapons by now if America and Israel had not intervened.

“We took a little bit of a journey a little bit over the last two weeks, because we thought we had to do something about very bad people that want to have nuclear weapons,” he told reporters on Tuesday.

“We can't allow that. They would have had it if we didn't send the b2 bombers in. They would have had it seven months ago, a couple of weeks after that, and we can't let that happen so we did a little excursion, and it's, we're way ahead of schedule.

“As you probably noticed, and we've had. There's no we knocked out their navy their air force their anti aircraft, equipment, their radar, and their leaders, t's been, it's been amazing. Militarily, but it's something that had to be done. Unfortunately, I say we don't do it with glee.”

Maira Butt17 March 2026 23:05

Watch: Iranian state TV confirms death of security chief Ali Larijani

Maira Butt17 March 2026 22:50

US orders all its embassies to review security after Baghdad compound hit by strikes in Iran war: report

The United States has ordered all its embassies and other diplomatic posts to review their “security posture” after a compound in Baghdad was struck as the Iran war rages, according to a new report.

In an internal message sent Tuesday, which was reviewed by The Washington Post, the State Department ordered its diplomatic posts all over the world to gather Emergency Action Committees and review security due to “the ongoing and developing situation in the Middle East and the potential for spill-over effects.”

At least three drones targeted the US embassy in Iraq’s capital Tuesday, according to the Associated Press. Two of the drones were intercepted, but a third crashed inside the embassy compound, two Iraqi security officials told the AP.

Maira Butt17 March 2026 22:35

US to ease Venezuela sanctions in bid to release oil amid Iran blockade

The United States will ease sanctions against Venezuela in a bid to release more oil into global supply amid the Iranian blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, according to Bloomberg News.

Plans could be announced as early as this week, include issuing more individual licenses allowing foreign companies to work in Venezuela without violating US sanctions, people familiar with the matter told the publication.

Millions of barrels of oil are currently being held up at the vital chokepoint. Nato allies declined to offer support to President Donald Trump after he called on them to help reopen the waterway.

Maira Butt17 March 2026 22:15