Iran Targets UK-US Base as Its Nuclear Site is Hit Again
One of the missiles failed in flight, and the other was targeted by an interceptor fired from a US warship, though it was not clear if the missile was hit
CAIRO (AP) — Iran targeted a joint U.K.-U.S. base in the Indian Ocean, and Iran's main nuclear enrichment site was struck again, as the war in the Middle East entered its fourth week.
Iran's attack on the Diego Garcia air base — about 2,500 miles (4,000 kilometers) away — suggested Tehran has missiles that can go farther than it had previously acknowledged, or that it had used its space program for an improvised launch.
Iran’s capital saw heavy airstrikes overnight and into the morning, residents said, as thousands of worshippers converged on Tehran’s grand mosque to mark the end of the holy month of Ramadan.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said attacks would “increase significantly" next week. He spoke shortly after fragments from an Iranian missile slammed into an empty kindergarten near Tel Aviv.
The war shows no sign of abating as its effects are felt far beyond the Middle East, raising food and fuel prices .
The U.S. and Israel have offered shifting rationales for the war, from hoping to foment an uprising that topples Iran’s leadership to eliminating its nuclear and missile programs and its support for armed proxies in the region. There have been no public signs of an uprising, while internet restrictions in Iran complicate communications.
With little information coming out of Iran, it is not clear how much damage its arms, nuclear or energy facilities have sustained in the U.S. and Israeli strikes that began Feb. 28 — or even who is truly in charge . Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei has not been seen in public since being named to the role.
Iran attempts to hit Diego Garcia air base U.K. officials did not give details of the strike that targeted the Diego Garcia base Friday, which was unsuccessful. Britain’s Ministry of Defense called Iran’s “lashing out across the region and holding hostage the Strait of Hormuz” a threat to British interests and allies.
It’s unclear how close the missiles came to the island. Iran previously asserted that it has limited its missile range to below 2,000 kilometers (over 1,200 miles).
But military experts said Iran may have used its space launch vehicle for an improvised firing.
“If you’ve got a space program, you’ve got a ballistic missile program,” said Steve Prest, a retired Royal Navy commodore.
Britain has not participated in U.S.-Israeli attacks on Iran but has allowed U.S. bombers to use its bases to attack Iran’s missile sites. On Friday, the U.K. government said U.S. bombers could use Diego Garcia to attack sites used to target ships in the Strait of Hormuz.
Israel denies responsibility for attack on Natanz Iran’s official news agency, Mizan, said there was no leakage after the strike on the Natanz nuclear facility , nearly 220 kilometers (135 miles) southeast of Tehran.
The U.N. nuclear watchdog has said the bulk of Iran’s estimated 970 pounds (440 kilograms) of enriched uranium is elsewhere, beneath the rubble at its Isfahan facility, with a lesser amount at Natanz. The International Atomic Energy Agency said on X it was informed by Iran about the strike and was looking into it.
Israel’s military said it was “not aware” of a strike by it there.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said such strikes posed a “real risk of catastrophic disaster throughout the Middle East.”
The Natanz facility was hit in the first week of the war and several buildings appeared damaged, according to satellite images. Natanz also was targeted in the 12-day war last June.
Global pressure increases on the Strait of Hormuz As Iran targets energy facilities in the region while threatening shipping on the Strait of Hormuz, the United Arab Emirates joined 21 other countries including the U.K., Germany, France and Japan in expressing "readiness to contribute to appropriate efforts to ensure safe passage.”
The Trump administration announced it is lifting sanctions on Iranian oil that was already loaded on ships as of Friday and will end the pause on April 19. Restrictions include sales involving anyone in North Korea or Cuba.
The decision does not increase the flow of oil production, a central factor in surging prices . Iran has evaded U.S. sanctions for years, suggesting that much of what it exports already reaches buyers.
The head of U.S. Central Command, Adm. Brad Cooper, asserted that Iran’s ability to attack vessels on the strait had been “degraded." He said multiple 5,000-pound bombs were dropped earlier in the week on an underground facility along Iran’s coast that was used to store anti-ship cruise missiles and mobile missile launchers.
The U.S. is deploying three more amphibious assault ships and roughly 2,500 additional Marines to the Middle East, an official told The Associated Press. Two other U.S. officials confirmed that ships were deploying, without saying where they were headed. All three spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the military operations.
Gulf countries reported more attacks. A missile alert sounded Saturday night in Dubai. Saudi Arabia said it downed 20 drones over a couple of hours in its east, home to major oil installations.
More than 1,300 people have been killed in Iran during the war. In Israel, 15 people have been killed by Iranian missiles and four others have died in the occupied West Bank. At least 13 U.S. military members have been killed, along with civilians in Gulf nations.
Israeli troops and Hezbollah militants clash in Lebanon Israel's military said its forces were conducting a “targeted ground operation” Saturday with the support of Israeli aircraft and at least four militants were killed. Hezbollah said its fighters clashed with Israeli troops in the southern village of Khiam.
Israeli strikes targeting Hezbollah in Lebanon have killed more than 1,000 people and displaced more than 1 million, according to the Lebanese government. Hezbollah's civilian assets also have been targeted.
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Lawless reported from London and Mednick reported from Tel Aviv, Israel.
WASHINGTON: Iran recently fired two ballistic missiles toward the joint US-UK military base at Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean, The Wall Street Journal reported Friday, citing US officials.
Live Updates
- 21 March 2026 8:27 PM IST
Congress looks for Trump’s exit plan as the Iran war drags on
Trump took the United States to war without a vote of support from Congress, but lawmakers are increasingly questioning when, how and at what cost the war with Iran will come to an end.
Three weeks into the conflict, the toll is increasing: At least 13 U.S. military personnel have died, and more than 230 wounded. A $200 billion Pentagon request for war funds is pending at the White House. Allies are under attack, oil prices are spiking and thousands of U.S. troops are deploying to the Middle East with no endgame in sight.
“The real question is: What ultimately are we trying to accomplish?” Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., told The Associated Press. “I generally support anything that takes out the mullahs,” he said. “But at the end of the day, there has to be a kind of strategic articulation of the strategy, what our objectives are.” — AP
- 21 March 2026 8:26 PM IST
Israel says its not responsible for Natanz nuclear site attack
The Israeli military denied that Israel was responsible for a strike that hit Iran’s Natanz nuclear enrichment facility. An official Iranian news agency reported on Saturday that the site was damaged in an airstrike but there was no radiation leakage. The Israeli military said it wasn’t aware of Israeli strikes in that region.
The denial came as Israel’s Defense Minister Israel Katz said in a video statement that next week, “the intensity of the attacks” by Israel and the United States against Iran’s ruling theocracy will “increase significantly.” — AP
- 21 March 2026 6:52 PM IST
US military says Iran threat to Hormuz 'degraded'
WASHINGTON, United States: The US military said Saturday that Iran's ability to threaten the Strait of Hormuz has been "degraded" by the bombing this week of an underground facility where it stored cruise missiles and other weaponry.
"We not only took out the facility, but also destroyed intelligence support sites and missile radar relays that were used to monitor ship movements," Admiral Brad Cooper, commander of US Central Command said in video message posted on X.
"Iran's ability to threaten freedom of navigation in and around the Strait of Hormuz is degraded as a result, and we will not stop pursuing these targets," he added. — AFP
- 21 March 2026 6:38 PM IST
Israel threatens a surge in attacks as Iran fires missiles farther than ever
CAIRO: Israel’s defense minister threatened a surge in attacks against Iran on Saturday and Britain condemned Iran for targeting a joint U.K.-U.S. base in the Indian Ocean as the war in the Middle East entered its fourth week.
The Iranian attack on the Diego Garcia air base — located about 2,500 miles (4,000 kilometers) from Iran — suggested Tehran has in its stockpile missiles that can go farther than it had previously acknowledged.
Also on Saturday, Iran’s Natanz nuclear enrichment facility was hit in an airstrike, an official Iranian news agency reported, saying there was no radiation leakage.
Israel's Defense Minister Israel Katz said in a video statement that next week, “the intensity of the attacks” by Israel and the United States against Iran’s ruling theocracy will “increase significantly.”
He spoke shortly after fragments from an Iranian missile slammed into an empty kindergarten near Tel Aviv. Israeli army spokesman Nadav Shoshani posted a video on X of the kindergarten building; no casualties were reported as the place was empty at the time.
Overnight and into the morning, Tehran, Iran's capital, saw heavy airstrikes, residents said. In Iraq, a drone struck the intelligence service headquarters in Baghdad, killing an officer. No group immediately claimed responsibility for that attack.
Saudi Arabia said it downed 20 drones in just a couple of hours in the country’s eastern region, home to major oil installations. No injuries or damage were reported.
The attacks — and threats of more to come — indicate the Iran war shows no sign of abating. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told Japan’s Kyodo news service on Friday that Iran wanted “not a cease-fire, but a complete, comprehensive and lasting end to the war.”
Mixed messages U.S. President Donald Trump said on Friday he was considering “winding down” military operations in the Mideast even as the U.S. was sending three more amphibious assault ships and roughly 2,500 additional Marines to the region.
Trump’s post on social media followed an Iranian threat to attack recreational and tourist sites worldwide.
It also came after another climb in oil prices plunged the U.S. stock market, and was followed by a Trump administration announcement it was lifting sanctions on Iranian oil already loaded on ships, a move aimed at wrangling soaring fuel prices.
Iran's attempt to hit Diego Garcia air base in the Indian Ocean U.K. officials have not given details of the attempted strike on the ocean air base on Friday, which was unsuccessful.
Britain's Ministry of Defense said Saturday that Iran’s “lashing out across the region and holding hostage the Strait of Hormuz, are a threat to British interests and British allies.”
Britain has not participated in U.S.-Israeli attacks on Iran, but has allowed American bombers to use U.K. bases to attack Iran’s missile sites.
On Friday, the British government said U.S. bombers can also use U.K. bases, including Diego Garcia, in operations to prevent Iran attacking ships in the Strait of Hormuz. Iran targeted the base before that U.K. statement.
Attack on Iran's Natanz Iran's official news agency Mizan said there was no leakage after Saturday's strike on the Natanz nuclear facility, nearly 220 kilometers (135 miles) southeast of Tehran.
The facility, Iran's main uranium enrichment site, was hit in the first week of the war and several buildings appeared damaged, according to satellite images. The U.N. nuclear watchdog — the International Atomic Energy Agency — had said “no radiological consequence” were expected from that earlier strike. Natanz had also been targeted in the 12-day war last June.
On Saturday, the IAEA said on X it was informed by Iran about the Natanz strike and about there being no increase in off-site radiation levels. The agency said it was looking into the incident.
Trump says US near completion of its goals The U.S. and Israel have offered shifting rationales for the war, from hoping to foment an uprising that topples Iran’s leadership to eliminating its nuclear and missile programs . There have been no public signs of any such uprising and no end to the war in sight.
On social media, Trump said, “We are getting very close to meeting our objectives as we consider winding down our great Military efforts in the Middle East.”
That seemed at odds with his administration’s move to bolster its firepower in the region and request another $200 billion from Congress to fund the war.
The U.S. is deploying three more amphibious assault ships and roughly 2,500 additional Marines to the Mideast, an official told The Associated Press. Two other U.S. officials confirmed that ships were deploying, without saying where they were headed. All three spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the military operations.
Days earlier, the U.S. redirected another group of amphibious assault ships carrying another 2,500 Marines from the Pacific to the Middle East. The Marines will join more than 50,000 U.S. troops already in the region.
Trump has said he has no plans to send ground forces into Iran but also has asserted that he retains all options.
Iran threatens attacks beyond the Middle East Iran’s top military spokesperson, Gen. Abolfazl Shekarchi, warned Friday that “parks, recreational areas and tourist destinations” worldwide will not be safe for the country’s enemies. — AP
- 21 March 2026 6:32 PM IST
36 Iranian drones and missiles launched at Jordan in war’s third week
Jordan’s military said on Saturday this week’s attacks, which involved at least 14 missiles, left a child injured.
That brought the total number of wounded to 24 since war’s Feb. 28 start.
Over the last three weeks, a total of 240 missiles and drones have been fired at Jordan, the military said. — AP
- 21 March 2026 5:29 PM IST
Iran says strike hit key nuclear facility as Mideast war enters week 4, US sends more troops
Dubai: Iran's Natanz nuclear enrichment facility was hit in an airstrike Saturday, an official Iranian news agency reported, saying there was no radiation leakage, as Israeli defence minister warned of an upcoming surge in attacks on Iran as the war in the Middle East entered its fourth week.
Israel Katz, the defense minister, said in a video statement that next week, "the intensity of the attacks" by Israel and the United States against Iran's ruling theocracy will "increase significantly".
He spoke shortly after fragments from an Iranian missile slammed into an empty kindergarten near Tel Aviv. Israeli army spokesman Nadav Shoshani posted a video on X of the kindergarten building; no casualties were reported as the place was empty at the time.
Overnight and into the morning, Tehran, Iran's capital, saw heavy airstrikes, residents said. In Iraq, a drone struck the intelligence service headquarters in Baghdad, killing an officer. No group immediately claimed responsibility for that attack.
US President Donald Trump said on Friday he was considering "winding down" military operations in the Mideast even as the United States was sending three more amphibious assault ships and roughly 2,500 additional Marines to the region.
Trump's post on social media followed an Iranian threat to attack recreational and tourist sites worldwide.
The mixed messages from the US came after another climb in oil prices plunged the US stock market, and was followed by a Trump administration announcement it was lifting sanctions on Iranian oil already loaded on ships, a move aimed at wrangling soaring fuel prices.
Iran strikes a joint US-UK base in the Indian Ocean
Britain meanwhile condemned "Iran's reckless attacks" after its military fired missiles at the UK-US air base on the island of Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean on Friday.
UK officials have not given details of the attempted strike, which was unsuccessful. It's unclear how close the missiles came to the base, which is about 2,500 miles (4,000 kilometres) from Iran.
The Ministry of Defence said Saturday that Iran's "lashing out across the region and holding hostage the Strait of Hormuz, are a threat to British interests and British allies".
Britain has not participated in US-Israeli attacks on Iran, but has allowed American bombers to use UK bases to attack Iran's missile sites.
On Friday, the British government said US bombers can also use UK bases, including Diego Garcia, in operations to prevent Iran attacking ships in the Strait of Hormuz. Iran targeted the base before that UK statement.
Attack on Iran's Natanz nuclear site
Iran's official news agency Mizan said there was no leakage after Saturday's strike on the Natanz nuclear facility, nearly 220 kilometres southeast of Tehran.
The facility, Iran's main uranium enrichment site, was hit in the first week of the war and several buildings appeared damaged, according to satellite images. The UN nuclear watchdog - the International Atomic Energy Agency - had said "no radiological consequence" were expected from that earlier strike. Natanz had also been targeted in the 12-day war last June.
On Saturday, the IAEA said on X it was informed by Iran about the Natanz strike and about there being no increase in off-site radiation levels. The agency said it was looking into the incident.
Trump says US near completion of its goals
The US and Israel have offered shifting rationales for the war, from hoping to foment an uprising that topples Iran's leadership to eliminating its nuclear and missile programmes. There have been no public signs of any such uprising and no end to the war in sight.
On social media, Trump said, "We are getting very close to meeting our objectives as we consider winding down our great Military efforts in the Middle East".
That seemed at odds with his administration's move to bolster its firepower in the region and request another USD 200 billion from Congress to fund the war.
The US is deploying three more amphibious assault ships and roughly 2,500 additional Marines to the Mideast, an official told The Associated Press. Two other US officials confirmed that ships were deploying, without saying where they were headed. All three spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the military operations.
Days earlier, the US redirected another group of amphibious assault ships carrying another 2,500 Marines from the Pacific to the Middle East. The Marines will join more than 50,000 US troops already in the region.
Trump has said he has no plans to send ground forces into Iran but also has asserted that he retains all options.
Iran threatens attacks beyond the Middle East
Iran's top military spokesperson, Gen. Abolfazl Shekarchi, warned Friday that "parks, recreational areas and tourist destinations" worldwide will not be safe for the country's enemies. The threat renewed concerns that Tehran may revert to using militant attacks beyond the Middle East as a pressure tactic.
Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei praised Iranians' steadfastness in the face of war in a written statement read on Iranian television to mark Nowruz. Khamenei has not been seen in public since he became supreme leader following Israeli strikes that killed his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and reportedly wounded him.
With little information coming out of Iran, it was not clear how much damage its arms, nuclear or energy facilities have sustained in the punishing US and Israeli strikes, which began February 8 - or even who was truly in charge of the country. But Iran's attacks are still choking off oil supplies and raising food and fuel prices far beyond the Middle East.
Israel continues wave of strikes against Hezbollah militants
The Israeli military said early Saturday that it began a wave of strikes targeting Iran-backed Hezbollah militants in Beirut's southern suburbs.
Smoke was seen rising, fires broke out and loud explosions were heard across parts of central Beirut, hours after the Israeli army renewed evacuation warnings for seven neighbourhoods.
Israeli strikes targeting Hezbollah in Lebanon have killed more than 1,000 people and displaced more than 1 million, according to the Lebanese government.
More than 1,300 people have been killed in Iran during the war. In Israel, 15 people have been killed by Iranian missiles and four others have died in the occupied West Bank. At least 13 US military members have been killed. — AP
- 21 March 2026 4:34 PM IST
US deploys more troops to Mideast as Trump considers ‘winding down’ military operations
Iran said its Natanz nuclear facility was hit in an airstrike Saturday but there has been no radiation leakage.
President Donald Trump said his administration was considering “winding down” military operations in the Middle East even as the United States announced it was sending more warships and Marines to the region and Iran threatened to attack tourist sites worldwide.
The mixed U.S. messages came after another climb in oil prices plunged the U.S. stock market, and was followed by a Trump administration announcement that it will lift sanctions on Iranian oil loaded on ships, a move aimed at wrangling soaring fuel prices.
The war, meanwhile, has shown no signs of abating.
Israel said Iran continued to fire missiles at it early Saturday, while Saudi Arabia said it downed 20 drones in just a couple of hours in the country’s eastern region, which is home to major oil installations. The defense ministry said there were no injuries or damage.
The death toll has risen to more than 1,300 people in Iran, more than 1,000 people in Lebanon, 15 in Israel and 13 U.S. military members in the region. Millions of people in Lebanon and Iran have been displaced.
Here is the latest:
UN Atomic agency says no reported increase in radiation levels at Natanz nuclear facility The International Atomic Energy Agency said in a social media post Saturday that Iran has informed it of the attack on its Natanz nuclear facility.
The IAEA said it was looking into the report, adding that “no increase in off-site radiation levels reported.”
Russia says it remains Iran's loyal friend and reliable partner Russian President Vladimir Putin said in a message Saturday congratulating Iranians on the new year festival Nowruz that he wished them to “overcome these severe trials with dignity.” The Kremlin press service also quoted Putin as sayin that “Moscow remains Tehran’s loyal friend and reliable partner.”
UAE reports missile and drone attacks The United Arab Emirates' Defense Ministry said Saturday that it has responded to three ballistic missiles and eight drones.
Iran says airstrike targets its Natanz nuclear facility Iran's official news agency Mizan said Saturday's airstrike on the country's Natanz nuclear facility did not result in any radiation leakage.
Natanz, Iran’s main enrichment site, was hit in the first week of the war and several buildings appeared damaged, according to satellite images.
The United Nations’ nuclear watchdog said that “no radiological consequence” was expected from that earlier strike.
The nuclear facility, located nearly 220 kilometers (135 miles) southeast of Tehran, had been targeted by Israeli airstrikes in the 12-day war between Iran and Israel in June 2025, and by the United States.
Israel says Iranian missile fragments strike a kindergarten in central Israel, no casualties Israeli army spokesman Nadav Shoshani on Saturday posted a video on X showing a damaged building that he said was a kindergarten.
He said it was hit by fragments of an Iranian missile. There are no reports of casualties.
Iraq says attack on its intelligence headquarters has killed an officer In a statement, the National Intelligence Service described Saturday's drone strike as a “terrorist attack” and vowed to bring those responsible to justice.
Earlier Saturday, Gen. Saad Maan, head of the Iraqi Security Media Cell said the drone targeted Service's headquarters in Baghdad’s Mansour area.
No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack.
South Korea says it’s talking with Tehran on securing energy routes South Korea says it’s also in talks with Iran after Iran’s foreign minister said Teheran may allow Japanese vessels to pass the Strait of Hormuz.
South Korea’s Foreign Ministry said Saturday in a statement it was having “multifaceted” talks with Iran and other related nations to find ways to “protect our citizens and secure energy transport routes.”
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told the Kyodo news agency Friday that Tehran is ready to facilitate the passage of Japanese vessels through the Strait of Hormuz and that negotiations with Tokyo are ongoing.
Iran's president says his country doesn't have “any dispute” with its neighbors Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian posted on social media Saturday that the "only beneficiary of our differences is the Zionist entity,” referring to Israel.
Iran holds funeral services for intelligence minister, Revolutionary Guard spokesperson Iran held a funeral service Saturday for Minister of Intelligence Esmail Khatib in the holy city of Qom, a center of Shiite Muslim shrines and scholarship, the Islamic Republic’s state-run media reported.
Khatib was killed in an Israeli strike last week. He was one of the top Iranian officials killed in the war including the country’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
A funeral procession was also held Saturday for Revolutionary Guard spokesperson Ali Mohammad Naini, who was killed a day earlier in an Israeli strike, according to Iran’s state-run media.
Iran’s state TV and other semiofficial outlets aired footage showing funeral prayers they said were for Naini.
Sirens sound in Israel Sirens sounded in Israel Saturday morning as the military said it was responding to a missile attack from Iran.
Israel strikes targets in Tehran and Beirut The Israeli military said early Saturday it was striking targets in Tehran.
The announcement came shortly after the military said it had begun a wave of strikes targeting Hezbollah positions across the southern suburbs of Beirut, Lebanon.
Hours earlier, the army renewed evacuation warnings for seven neighborhoods in Beirut’s suburbs, prompting some residents to fire gunshots to alert families who had returned to flee.
No casualties were immediately reported.
United Airlines prepares for oil to reach $175 a barrel The airline’s CEO said the company is also preparing for oil to not return to $100 a barrel until the end of next year.
Scott Kirby said in a message to United employees on Friday that jet fuel prices that have more than doubled in the last three weeks already would cost the airline $11 billion a year if they remain where they are now.
The price of Brent crude has zigzagged from roughly $70 per barrel before the Iran war began to as high as $119.50 this week.
Of United’s worst-case assumption, Kirby said, “I think there’s a good chance it won’t be that bad, but ... there isn’t much downside for us to preparing for that outcome.” — AP
- 21 March 2026 4:08 PM IST
Israel defence minister warns strikes on Iran to increase 'significantly'
JERUSALEM: Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz warned that the United States and Israel would intensify their strikes on Iran in the coming week starting Sunday.
"This week, the intensity of the strikes to be carried out by the IDF and the US military against the Iranian terror regime and the infrastructure on which it relies will rise significantly," Katz said in a statement issued by the defence ministry on Saturday. — AFP
- 21 March 2026 2:00 PM IST
Indian Refiners Look to Buy Iranian Oil After US Eases Sanctions
Indian refiners plan to resume buying Iranian oil while refiners elsewhere in Asia are examining such a move after Washington temporarily removed sanctions to alleviate an energy crunch caused by the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran, traders said on Saturday. - 21 March 2026 12:19 PM IST
Iran Offers Safe Passage to Japanese Vessels in Hormuz
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has said that the country is ready to facilitate the safe passage of Japanese vessels through the Strait of Hormuz, with ongoing negotiations between the two nations. In a telephonic interview with Kyodo News, Araghchi confirmed that the strategic waterway remains open. However, he noted that restrictions have been imposed on vessels from countries involved in attacks against Iran, while others may receive assistance amid rising security concerns.
