Israel Says Iranian Security Chief Larijani Killed in Strike
The strikes came hours after air defences thwarted a rocket attack at the embassy and a drone sparked a fire at a luxury hotel
The Israeli defense minister said Tuesday that the Israeli military killed top Iranian security official Ali Larijani in an overnight strike.
Israel Katz made the announcement.
The Israeli military also announced it killed Gholam Reza Soleimani, the head of the Revolutionary Guard’s all-volunteer Basij force.
The killings again strip away top leaders from the Iranian theocracy after the Feb. 28 strike that killed 86-year-old Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei,
What to know:
- A drone and rocket attack targeted the US embassy in Baghdad early Tuesday, while a strike killed four people at a house reportedly hosting Iranian advisors, security officials said, pulling Iraq deeper into the Middle East war. An AFP journalist reported seeing black smoke rising after an explosion in the embassy complex, as well as air defences intercepting another drone.
Live Updates
- 17 March 2026 8:10 PM IST
Poland Declines to Deploy Troops to Iran in Support of Israel, US
“Poland has other responsibilities within NATO,” Prime Minister Donald Tusk said on Tuesday.
“This applies to our land, air and naval forces, which are still, I would say, under development. The naval assets at our disposal must serve the security of the Baltic Sea. And our allies, including the Americans, understand this very well.” - 17 March 2026 7:18 PM IST
Iranian Attacks Reported in Dubai and Israel
A missile alert sounded Tuesday afternoon in Dubai, warning people of incoming Iranian fire.
The Israeli military similarly said it detected an Iranian missile launch targeting their country.Sirens sounded in Jerusalem. - 17 March 2026 6:57 PM IST
UN Food Agency Warns of Record Global Hunger if War Persists
The World Food Program says the Middle East conflict is upending its supply chains like rarely before and could push 45 million more people into acute hunger if the war lasts through June. That would be up from 319 million today.
“This would take global hunger levels to an all-time record. And it’s a terrible, terrible prospect,” WFP deputy executive director Carl Skau told a U.N. briefing in Geneva. - 17 March 2026 6:48 PM IST
Oil Price Surge Triggers Market Slump
U.S. markets inched lower early Tuesday with a retreat in oil prices proving to be short-lived.
U.S. benchmark crude climbed 3.5% to $96.80 per barrel after dipping to about $93 on Monday, just its second decline since the Iran war began a little more than two weeks ago. Brent crude, the international standard, rose 3.2% to $103.43 a barrel. - 17 March 2026 6:42 PM IST
War in the Gulf Poses Serious Risks to Dugongs, Turtles, and Birds
Rrom sea turtles to birds and the gentle dugong, the Persian Gulf's diverse but fragile marine life is threatened by the bombs and oil of the war in the Middle East.
The ecosystem was already under pressure from climate change and maritime traffic before the United States and Israel launched their war on Iran at the end of February, leading to Tehran's region-wide retaliation. - 17 March 2026 6:01 PM IST
Air defenses target incoming fire in Doha, Qatar
An Associated Press journalist in Qatar heard air defenses targeting incoming fire in Doha, the country’s capital, on Tuesday afternoon.
- 17 March 2026 6:00 PM IST
UAE says 10 missiles and 45 drones fired at the country
The United Arab Emirates says its air defenses responded to 10 ballistic missiles and 45 drones Iran fired Tuesday at the Gulf country.
- 17 March 2026 6:00 PM IST
Tanker hit by debris off coast of UAE
A tanker anchored off the eastern coast of the United Arab Emirates was hit by debris early Tuesday morning as the nation came under several waves of Iranian attacks.
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center, run by the British military, reported the incident, saying the vessel was in the Gulf of Oman off Fujairah. It said the tanker sustained “minor structural damage” and no one was hurt.
- 17 March 2026 4:18 PM IST
Albania Parliament declares Revolutionary Guard a terrorist organization
Albania’s Parliament adopted a resolution Tuesday declaring Iran’s Revolutionary Guard a terrorist organization, with 79 lawmakers from Prime Minister Edi Rama’s Socialist Party voting in favor of the measure.
The resolution also labels Iran a state sponsor of terrorism.
Taulant Balla, head of the Socialist parliamentary group, said the resolution aims to denounce state support for terrorism, the use of proxy groups for destabilization and hybrid tactics including cyberattacks on sovereign institutions.
- 17 March 2026 2:33 PM IST
Israel says it has killed the head of the Iran’s Basij force
The all-volunteer force of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard is used to suppress demonstrations in the country. The Israeli military said on Tuesday that it killed Gholamreza Soleimani in a strike on Monday.
Iran did not immediately acknowledge Soleimani’s killing.
