Trump Seeks Warships To Open Hormuz Strait
US Prez says Iran military is 100% destroyed
Washington, March 14: US President Donald Trump stepped up calls to reopen the vital Strait of Hormuz, saying war ships will “hopefully” be sent to the area near Iran’s coast to help commercial vessels sail through safely. His comments on Truth Social — which didn’t provide a timeline — came hours after he ordered a strike on military sites on Kharg Island, from which Iran exports almost all its oil, upping the ante in a Middle East war that’s raged for more than two weeks. As he urged nations to send ships to the strait, he added that “the United States will be bombing the hell out of the shore line, and continually shooting Iranian Boats and Ships out of the water. One way or the other, we will soon get the Hormuz Strait OPEN, SAFE, and FREE!” The president said military facilities on the Persian Gulf island had been “obliterated,” adding that he chose not to hit oil infrastructure “for reasons of decency.”
He threatened to do just that should Iran “do anything to interfere with the Free and Safe Passage of Ships through the Strait of Hormuz.” “Many Countries, especially those who are affected by Iran’s attempted closure of the Hormuz Strait, will be sending War Ships, in conjunction with the United States of America, to keep the Strait open and safe,” he wrote in his latest post. He gave little detail beyond saying he hoped China, France, Japan, South Korea and the UK would also send war ships. He stated that even though Iran’s military was “already destroyed 100%,” it was “easy” for Tehran to continue threatening ships with drones, mines and shortrange missiles.
Live Updates
- 14 March 2026 4:06 PM IST
Macron urges Israel to hold 'direct talks' with Lebanon
French President Emmanuel Macron on Saturday said Lebanon was ready to engage in "direct talks" with Israel and offered to host negotiations in Paris."The Lebanese government has signalled its willingness to engage in direct talks with Israel," he said on X, adding that "all sections of society must be represented in these talks.""France is ready to facilitate these talks by hosting them in Paris," Macron said, adding he had spoken to the president and prime minister of Lebanon, a former French protectorate."Everything must be done to prevent Lebanon from descending into chaos," Macron added."Hezbollah must immediately halt its reckless course. Israel must abandon plans for a large-scale offensive and cease its massive air strikes."Lebanon was drawn into the Middle East war last week when Iran-backed Hezbollah attacked Israel in response to the killing of Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in US-Israeli strikes.Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem said on Friday his group was ready for a long confrontation with Israel. - 14 March 2026 3:31 PM IST
Iran urges UAE residents to stay away from ports
Iran's military warned Saturday that it considers ports in the United Arab Emirates to be legitimate targets and urged residents to avoid them, in a statement carried by state TV.Tehran "considers it its legitimate right to defend its national sovereignty and territory by striking American enemy missiles located in ports, docks and US military hideouts" in the UAE, the military's central operational command, Khatam Al-Anbiya, said.The statement urged civilians to "evacuate" port areas. - 14 March 2026 3:17 PM IST
Israeli strike hits another bridge in southern Lebanon
Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency says an Israeli airstrike damaged a key bridge in south Lebanon, cutting the road between the southern city of Nabatiyeh and the town of Marjayoun.
Saturday’s strike was the third in the same area hours apart. It came a day after two other major bridges were struck in southern Lebanon.
Israel’s military says it is sending more forces to the front along the border with Lebanon. Israel has said that Hezbollah had used the bridges to move north and south of the Litani River. - AP
- 14 March 2026 3:09 PM IST
Bahrain says Iran fired 10 drones and three missiles
Bahrain’s Defense Ministry said Iran fired 10 drones and three missiles on Saturday.
That has brought the total number of missiles and drones fired at Bahrain during the two-week war to 124 and 203, respectively.
- 14 March 2026 3:08 PM IST
White House now begging world, including India, to buy Russian oil: Iran Minister
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has said the US, despite "bullying India" to end Russian oil imports, is now begging them to buy crude from Moscow, two weeks after its war with Iran."The US spent months on bullying India into ending oil imports from Russia," said Araghchi on Friday in a post on social media platform X."After two weeks of war with Iran, White House is now begging the world - including India - to buy Russian crude," he added.This comes after, on March 5, the US issued a 30-day waiver allowing India to buy Russian oil, having previously imposed heavy sanctions related to the war in Ukraine. - 14 March 2026 3:03 PM IST
Iran threatens to attack UAE cities
Iran’s military command threatened Saturday to attack cities in the United Arab Emirates, claiming they were used by U.S. forces to launch strikes on Iran’s Abu Musa and Kharg islands.
According to Iran’s state television, the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters said, without providing evidence, that U.S. forces launched attacks on the Islamic Republic from “ports, docks and hideouts within” cities in the Emirates.
It called on people to evacuate “ports, docks and locations where U.S. forces are sheltered in UAE cities.”
- 14 March 2026 2:51 PM IST
Iran says museums and historic sites damaged in war
Iran's cultural heritage and tourism ministry said Saturday at least 56 museums and historic sites across the country have been damaged, as the Middle East war entered its 15th day.In Tehran, US-Israeli strikes damaged the UNESCO-listed Golestan Palace in the early days of the conflict, local media reported.The palace complex is one of the oldest sites in the Iranian capital and once served as the residence of the Qajar dynasty.The ministry said Tehran has recorded the highest number of damaged monuments, with 19 suffering varying levels of harm.The vast Naghsh-e Jahan Square, a 17th-century architectural jewel in the heart of the central Iranian city of Isfahan, has also been damaged.In the port of Siraf, in Bushehr province, several houses were hit in the historic quarter, home to many century-old buildings.UNESCO, the UN's culture agency, told AFP on Friday it was concerned about hundreds of historic sites in Iran, Israel and Lebanon that have been damaged or threatened by the war. - AFP - 14 March 2026 2:50 PM IST
Hamas calls on Iran to stop attacks on Arab countries
The Palestinian militant group also urged regional countries to “cooperate and stop” the U.S. and Israeli assault on Iran.
“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, the movement calls upon the brothers in Iran to avoid targeting neighboring countries,” Hamas said in a statement Saturday, its first since the war began on Feb. 28.
The group, which maintains close ties with Iran and Qatar, said stopping the war is in the interest of the region.
Hamas is part of the so-called Axis of Resistance, which includes Iranian-backed militant groups in the Middle East. - AP
- 14 March 2026 1:24 PM IST
Modi Accuses Congress of Spreading Panic Amid War Crisis
Narendra Modi on Saturday accused the Indian National Congress of acting as a “puppet” of global forces that, he said, are unable to accept India’s rapid development. He alleged that the opposition party was attempting to create panic in the country amid rising global tensions.
