US-Israel war on Iran: What’s happening on day 26 of attacks?

Iran, Israel, the Gulf faced new missiles and drones. The US has signalled military escalation and openness to a deal.

The war launched by the United States and Israel against Iran continues, even as efforts to reach a diplomatic solution increase and there are conflicting claims about possible negotiations.

Strikes and missile attacks have been reported in Iran, Israel and across the Gulf. At the same time, the US has signalled both military escalation and openness to a deal. The conflict continues to roil global energy markets, especially because of disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz.

Here is what we know:

In Iran

• Ongoing conflict and strikes: US and Israeli attacks on Iran are continuing. A recent raid in southern Tehran killed at least 12 people and wounded 28, while additional explosions in eastern Tehran reportedly destroyed a school and several residential buildings.
• Conflicting reports on negotiations: Trump says negotiations with Iran are under way to end the war, claiming Tehran has agreed never to seek nuclear weapons and hinting at a “present” related to oil, gas and the Strait of Hormuz.
• Not a new concession: Iran has long said it does not seek nuclear weapons. It has repeatedly insisted it has no plans for a nuclear weapons programme. The former supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, had in 2003 issued a fatwa against nuclear weapons.
• Proposed 15-point peace plan: Multiple media reports say Washington has delivered a 15-point plan to Iran to end the conflict, reportedly facilitated by Pakistan’s army chief, Syed Asim Munir.
• Domestic confusion: Al Jazeera’s Mohammed Vall reports “total confusion” among Iranians over US claims of diplomacy, as the reality on the ground remains focused on bombardment, missile launches and defence.
• Iran’s war aims: Analyst Negar Mortazavi said Tehran wants to end the war on its “own terms” and establish enough deterrence to ensure the conflict does not resume once it ends.
• Hormuz transit: Iran says “non-hostile vessels” can transit the Strait of Hormuz, according to a statement to the International Maritime Organization.

War Diplomacy

• Islamabad talks offer: Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said Islamabad is prepared to host negotiations to stop the US-Israeli war with Iran.
• China, France urge talks: China’s top diplomat Wang Yi told Iran that “talking is always better than fighting,” while French President Emmanuel Macron urged Tehran to engage in good-faith negotiations to end the war.

In the Gulf

• Kuwait airport fire and interceptions: A drone attack hit a fuel tank at Kuwait International Airport, which sparked a fire. Kuwait’s Civil Aviation Authority initiated emergency procedures and reported that the damage was limited to property, with no casualties.
• Saudi Arabia intercepts missiles: The Saudi Ministry of Defense reported multiple attacks against the Eastern Province, home to many of the country’s biggest and most important oil facilities, including at Ras Tanura, Ghawar and Abqaiq. Saudi forces shot down at least 32 drones and a ballistic missile in the eastern region over the past 11 hours.
• Casualties in Bahrain: The attacks have also resulted in casualties within Bahrain. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) reported that an Iranian attack in Bahrain killed a Moroccan civilian who was working alongside the UAE’s armed forces.

In the US

• Trump says Iran gave US ‘gift’: Trump said he was upbeat about a negotiated deal with Iran after its surviving leadership gave him a “very big present” related to the Strait of Hormuz, “worth a tremendous amount of money”.
• US to deploy 82nd Airborne: The US is planning to send some 3,000 soldiers from its elite 82nd Airborne Division to the Middle East to support operations against Iran, US media reported.
• Sanctions and oil pressure: The US has eased some sanctions on Iranian oil due to global demand pressures caused by the war, but economist Steve Hanke warned the move could undermine the global sanctions regime.

In Israel

• Missiles target Israel: Israel’s military warned late Tuesday that Iran had fired missiles towards the country and that anti-missile defences were active, following a day of more than a dozen missile alerts.
• ‘Security zone’: Israel said its military will seize control of an area 30km (19 miles) into Lebanon as a “security zone”, as it presses its fight against Iran-backed Hezbollah.
• Diverging diplomatic tracks: Israel’s UN Ambassador Danny Danon said Israel is not part of US-Iran talks and that military operations will continue until Iran’s nuclear and missile capabilities are eliminated.

In Lebanon and Iraq

• Casualties in Lebanon: The Lebanese Ministry of Public Health and Disaster Risk Management Unit report that at least 1,072 people have been killed and 2,966 wounded since the offensive escalated on March 2, with 33 deaths in the last 24 hours alone.
• Ground invasion threat: Lebanese officials warn Israel may launch a ground invasion south of the Litani River, while Israel has ordered mass evacuations in Beirut’s southern suburbs as it intensifies strikes on Hezbollah targets.
• Hezbollah retaliation: Hezbollah says it is attacking Israeli soldiers and infrastructure in southern Lebanon and the occupied Golan Heights with rockets, artillery and drones in response to Israel’s offensive.
• International reaction: Canada condemned Israel’s plans to occupy territory in southern Lebanon, saying Lebanese sovereignty must be respected, while also calling on Hezbollah to stop attacks and disarm.
• Iraq’s war balance: The country is struggling to balance its reliance on both the US and Iran. Following a suspected US attack on a paramilitary base in Anbar that killed 15 people, the Iraqi government granted Iran-backed paramilitary groups the right to respond to US attacks.
• Attacks on US interests: The Islamic Resistance in Iraq claims to have launched 23 operations against “enemy bases” over the past 24 hours.
• Iraq summons US, Iran diplomats: Iraq said it would summon the US charge d’affaires and the Iranian ambassador after deadly strikes blamed on their countries.

Oil, energy markets and Hormuz

• Global market disruptions: The regional instability in the Gulf is causing significant ripple effects across global markets. According to US economist Steve Hanke, the conflict has restricted the free flow of critical goods from the Gulf, such as helium and fertiliser.
• Energy policy and fossil fuel reliance: Ketan Joshi, an independent energy analyst, suggests that current suggestions for people to ration fuel or work from home are “just the beginning” and could become enforced rules because governments urgently need to reduce their short-term dependency on complex global fossil fuel supply chains.
• Sri Lanka switches off lights: Sri Lanka ordered street lights, neon signs and billboard lighting to be switched off as part of measures to cut energy consumption by 25 percent and tackle supply shortages.
• Philippines declares energy emergency: President Ferdinand Marcos Jr declared a national energy emergency, as rising fuel prices triggered strike threats and the government moved to secure fuel and essential goods supplies.