President Donald Trump has threatened to “obliterate” Iran’s power grid unless Tehran permits traffic through the Strait of Hormuz.
“If Iran doesn’t FULLY OPEN, WITHOUT THREAT, the Strait of Hormuz, within 48 HOURS from this exact point in time, the United States of America will hit and obliterate their various POWER PLANTS, STARTING WITH THE BIGGEST ONE FIRST,” the president wrote on Truth Social on Saturday evening.
Tanker traffic through the waterway — a vital artery of global commerce — has ground to a halt amid Iran’s de facto blockade. As a result, oil prices have surged beyond the $100-a-barrel threshold and the average cost for a gallon of diesel has risen above $5.
On Friday, Trump criticized NATO allies for refusing to help secure the strait, though he later claimed it would soon “open itself” and dismissed the waterway as being of little importance to the U.S.
The war in Iran, launched jointly by the U.S. and Israel on February 28, has now gone on for three weeks. More than 1,500 Iranians have been killed, according to state media, and 13 U.S. servicemembers have died, the Pentagon has said.
Recommended
Trump says he’s considering ‘winding down’ Iran war even as US sends more troops to region
Iran oil attacks trigger 35% gas price spike – and warning of interest rate rises
Trump administration lifts sanctions on Iranian oil at sea as prices soar
How Trump’s Iran war could derail the economy – and the Labour government
Iran ready to cooperate for Gulf maritime safety, IMO representative says
Iran is ready to cooperate with the International Maritime Organisation to improve maritime safety and protect seafarers in the Gulf, the Iranian representative to the UN
maritime agency said, the semi-official Mehr news agency reported on Sunday.Ali Mousavi said the Strait of Hormuz remains open to all shipping except vessels linked to "Iran's enemies", adding that passage through the narrow waterway was possible by coordinating security and safety arrangements with Tehran."
Diplomacy remains Iran's priority. However, a complete cessation of aggression as well as mutual trust and confidence are more important," Mousavi said, adding that Israeli and U.S. attacks against Iran were at the "root of current situation in Strait of Hormuz"
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar22 March 2026 07:00
Teachers, athletes and students arrested in new Iran crackdown during US-Israel war
While the fate of many detainees arrested during the nationwide protests in January – which many consider to have been a “national uprising” – remains unclear, reports received by Independent Persian indicate that a new wave of arrests has begun across various cities in Iran.
Informed sources say that since the start of US and Israeli attacks on the Islamic Republic on 28 February, the scale of arrests has expanded, with thousands detained on security-related charges.
Amirhossein Miresmaeili reports on an increase in security-related arrests in Iran during its conflict with the US and Israel.
Read more here.
Rituparna Chatterjee22 March 2026 06:30
Iran’s missiles are a threat to London, Israel warns
Iran’s missiles are a threat to European cities – including London, Paris and Berlin – after the attack on the UK-US Diego Garcia military base on the Chagos Islands, Israel has warned.
Foreign secretary Yvette Cooper hit out at “reckless Iranian threats” after two ballistic missiles were fired towards the military base. Both were unsuccessful, with one shot down by a US warship and the other failing in flight.
However, The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it was the first time Tehran had launched a long-range missile since the start of the war, and showed it was now capable of reaching cities like London, Paris or Berlin.
Rituparna Chatterjee22 March 2026 06:10
Japanese national detained in Iran released
One of two Japanese nationals detained in Iran has been released and will be returning to Japan, foreign minister, Toshimitsu Motegi, said on Sunday.
Mr Motegi, speaking on a Fuji Television talk show, said the person had been detained since last year and was released on Wednesday.
He said the person took a flight from Azerbaijan which was scheduled to arrive in Japan on Sunday.
Mr Motegi said another Japanese national who was arrested earlier this year is still in custody.
Mr Motegi said the release came after his repeated demands to Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi and that he is "working to win an early release" of the other detainee while communicating with his family and other concerned parties.
The Committee to Protect Journalists has named the person detained in Iran in January as a journalist at Japan's public broadcaster NHK.
The CPJ said the NHK journalist was arrested on 20 Jan by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and was transferred 23 Feb to Evin Prison, quoting unidentified sources citing fear of persecution.
Mr Motegi did not identify either of the people detained and said the released Japanese national was detained in 2025.
Rituparna Chatterjee22 March 2026 06:00
Israeli military conducting strikes in Tehran
The Israeli military said on Sunday that it is conducting strikes in Tehran, hours after attacks on southern Israel.
Late on Saturday, Iranian missiles hit the southern Israeli cities of Dimona and Arad, injuring dozens of people, including children, in separate strikes. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said in a statement early Sunday that they targeted “military installations” and security centres in southern Israel.
Israeli military spokesperson, Brigadier General Effie Defrin, said in a post on X that the country’s air defences were functioning but did not intercept the strikes. “We will investigate the incident and learn from it,” he said.
Israel’s secretive nuclear reactor is about 13km southeast of Dimona. Both cities lie near several military sites, including Nevatim Air Base, one of the country’s largest.
“This has been a very difficult evening in the battle for our future,” Israeliprime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, said in a statement released by his office following the strike on Arad.
“We are determined to continue striking our enemies on all fronts,” the statement said.
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar22 March 2026 04:38
Minister says Japan could consider Hormuz minesweeping if ceasefire reached
Japan could consider deploying its military for minesweeping in the Strait of Hormuz, a vital artery for global oil supplies, if a ceasefire is reached in the US-Israeli war with Iran, foreign minister Toshimitsu Motegi said.
“If there were to be a complete ceasefire, hypothetically speaking, then things like minesweeping could come up,” Motegi said during a Fuji TV programme.
“This is purely hypothetical, but if a ceasefire were established and naval mines were creating an obstacle, then I think that would be something to consider.”
Japan’s military actions are limited under its postwar pacifist constitution, but 2015 security legislation allows the country to use its Self-Defense Forces overseas if an attack — including on a close security partner — threatens Japan’s survival and no other means are available to address it.
Tokyo has no immediate plans to seek arrangements to allow passage through the Strait of Hormuz for stranded Japanese vessels, Motegi said, adding it was “extremely important” to create conditions that allow all ships to navigate the narrow waterway, which carries about a fifth of the world’s oil shipments.
Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araqchi told Japan’s Kyodo news agency on Friday that he had spoken to Motegi about potentially allowing Japanese-linked vessels to pass through the strait.
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar22 March 2026 04:30
Israel cancels in-person classes for two days as a result of missile strikes
Israeli officials have canceled all in-person classes scheduled for Sunday and Monday.
On Saturday, Yoav Kisch, Israel’s minister of education, said that “frontal learning” will not take place for the next two days as a result of ongoing missile strikes.
Brendan Rascius22 March 2026 03:30
Search and rescue underway for crashed Qatari helicopter
The Qatari Ministry of Defense announced on Saturday that a helicopter crashed off the coast following a technical malfunction during a routine operation.
A search and rescue operation is underway, officials said.
Brendan Rascius22 March 2026 03:00
In photos: Building left in ruins after strikes on Tehran
Photos show civilians and rescue workers standing near the remains of a commercial and residential building in Tehran, which was damaged by strikes.
Brendan Rascius22 March 2026 02:30
Israel unleashes barrage of strikes against Tehran
Israel’s military said it launched a barrage of strikes against Tehran on Saturday evening.
In a statement obtained by The Guardian, Israel’s armed forces said they are “currently conducting strikes on Iranian terror regime targets in the heart of Tehran.”
Brendan Rascius22 March 2026 02:15NewerOlder