LIVE: Next Days Will Be Decisive: Hegseth as US Drops Bomb on Isfahan
A portion of Iran’s highly enriched uranium is believed to be entombed there — something America has suggested it could seize with ground forces
The next days of the Iran war will be "decisive," Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth -- who revealed he had visited US troops in the Middle East over the weekend -- said Tuesday.
"The upcoming days will be decisive. Iran knows that, and there's almost nothing they can militarily do about it," Hegseth told a news conference, his first in nearly two weeks.
US attacks Iranian nuclear site while Tehran hits oil tanker off the Dubai coast: The video of a massive explosion shared without comment early Tuesday by U.S. President Donald Trump appears to be of a major strike conducted outside of the central Iranian city of Isfahan.
The Baluch advocacy group HalVash shared the same video and others from the ground outside of Isfahan. Fire-tracking satellites from NASA suggest the explosions happened near Mount Soffeh, an area believed to have military positions.
The videos show massive fireballs and secondary explosions common with ammunition igniting in a blaze.
Iran has not formally acknowledged the attack.
Isfahan is home to one of three uranium enrichment sites bombed by the U.S. in the 12-day between Iran and Israel in June. A portion of Iran’s highly enriched uranium is believed to be entombed there — something America has suggested it could seize with ground forces.
A likely strike by the United States hit the central Iranian city of Isfahan early Tuesday, sending a massive fireball into the sky, and Tehran struck a fully loaded Kuwaiti oil tanker in the Persian Gulf.
Authorities brought the fire under control and extinguished it, the Dubai Media Office said. All 24 crew members are safe, and no injuries have been reported, the office said.
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center, run by the British military, reported the strike, saying the vessel was 31 nautical miles (57 kilometers) northwest of Dubai.
The attacks were testament to the intensity of the monthlong war the U.S. and Israel launched against Iran, which has maintained its chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz, closing off the vital waterway for global energy shipments, sending oil prices skyrocketing and roiling world markets.
It said an unknown projectile struck their tanker on the starboard side, causing a fire on the vessel. No environmental impact has been reported, the center said.
Live Updates
- 31 March 2026 4:55 PM IST
Egyptian president briefs Russia leader in call
Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi briefed Russian leader Vladimir Putin about Egypt’s efforts to de-escalate in the region during a phone call Tuesday, according to el-Sissi’s office.
He said Russia is able to help put an end to the war, a statement from the office said.
- 31 March 2026 4:54 PM IST
Gasoline and diesel prices jump in UAE
The United Arab Emirates set sharply highly gasoline and diesel fuel prices on Tuesday for the coming month, with gasoline going up by over 30% and diesel jumping up more than 70%.
The UAE government sets the price monthly in line with international pricing, which has spiked over the Iran war and Tehran maintaining its chokehold over the Strait of Hormuz.
- 31 March 2026 4:05 PM IST
Malaysian ships to be spared from Iran's Hormuz tolls: minister
Malaysian tankers permitted to pass through the Strait of Hormuz will be exempt from paying any prospective tolls imposed by Iran, Transport Minister Anthony Loke said on Tuesday.
Iranian state media reported on Monday that a parliamentary commission had approved plans to impose tolls on vessels transiting the vital waterway that Tehran has effectively closed due to the Middle East war.
- 31 March 2026 3:35 PM IST
Israel says 10 soldiers have died in Lebanon since invasion
Israel’s military spokesperson says 10 soldiers have died fighting in Lebanon since the start of the Israeli invasion, including four deaths announced Tuesday.
As of Friday, the military said 261 troops had been injured, 22 seriously, in fighting since the start of the latest war.
- 31 March 2026 3:10 PM IST
Italy denies United States the use of Sigonella base
Italian Defence Minister Guido Crosetto on Monday (local time) denied the United States the use of Sigonella base. The denial came after Italy came to know of the flight plan of some US air assets, which involved landing at Sigonella before heading to West Asia, according to Italian newspaper La Repubblica.
- 31 March 2026 2:51 PM IST
Strikes in central Iran hit 'military sites': Iranian media
Iranian media reported Tuesday that initial investigations indicated strikes in central Iran had hit some "military sites", without specifying the locations.
"Initial investigations indicate that some military locations in Isfahan were targeted," the Fars news agency quoted Akbar Salehi, a security official at the governor's office in Isfahan province, as saying.
The official also said the extent of the damage and any casualties were not immediately clear.
- 31 March 2026 2:33 PM IST
Chinese ships transit Strait of Hormuz
Three Chinese vessels recently passed through the Strait of Hormuz “through coordination with relevant parties,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said.
“We appreciate the assistance provided by the relevant parties,” she said without naming them.
She repeated China’s call for an immediate ceasefire, saying the strait is a vital corridor for goods and energy trade.
- 31 March 2026 1:07 PM IST
No oil leak after Kuwait tanker attack in Dubai port
According to media reports, authorities in Dubai have confirmed no oil leaked from a tanker set on fire after an Iranian drone strike
- 31 March 2026 12:55 PM IST
Iran’s foreign minister claims Gulf Arab attacks target US
Iran’s foreign minister early Tuesday insisted that Tehran’s attacks on the Gulf Arab states only target U.S. forces, even after assaults have hit civilian targets throughout the region.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi’s comments, addressed to Saudi Arabia, come as growing Gulf Arab anger has those states encouraging America to continue to prosecute the war.“Iran respects the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and considers it a brotherly nation,” Araghchi wrote on X, sharing a photo purportedly showing damage to an American aircraft at Prince Sultan Air Base in the kingdom. “Our operations are aimed at enemy aggressors who have no respect for Arabs or Iranians, nor can provide any security. ... High time to eject U.S. forces.” - 31 March 2026 12:10 PM IST
Iranian media reports that power has been restored to parts of eastern Tehran after damage from airstrikes
