US-Iran war March 2026
One page that accretes the verified record as the story develops. Every fact keeps its date and its sources.
Iran warns of 'more painful' response to US attacks as economic pressure mounts
The Trump administration launched sweeping sanctions in late August targeting Iran's access to digital assets, advanced technology procurement, gold reserves, commercial aviation and shipping.
CENTCOM said the attacks were in retaliation for ballistic missiles the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps launched toward two Navy warships.
Ghalibaf said Iran faces severe economic pressures including exchange rate fluctuations, inflation, unemployment, and market management challenges.
Iran warns of faster, heavier response to US attacks
The Strait of Hormuz has been effectively closed since the war began.
A 60-day ceasefire between the US and Iran formally expired last month.
US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said the US would destroy and sink Iranian oil tankers if Iran shoots at US ships.
“It's simple: if Iran shoots at US ships, we will destroy (and sink) their oil tankers.”
Analysis: US-Iran tanker war and where the conflict is headed
Iranian lawmaker Hassan Ghashghavi said the attacks on US warships were part of an existential war with America.
A Reuters/Ipsos survey conducted in late August found that 31 percent of Americans back the war while 63 percent are against it.
The same Reuters/Ipsos polling suggested Trump's approval rating dropped to 33 percent from 40 percent since the fighting began.
Iran war live updates: IRGC claims attacks on oil tankers and U.S.-linked ships
The US military says it struck and destroyed three Iranian crude oil tankers.
The IRGC says it attacked three US-affiliated vessels and three oil tankers using an “unauthorised” route in the Strait of Hormuz.
The US military says its strikes on the tankers were in retaliation for attacks on US warships.
Iran war live updates: Trump says conflict is 'small potatoes' for U.S.
Iran's Revolutionary Guard fired ballistic missiles at a U.S. aircraft carrier and guided-missile destroyer.
The United States, Britain, France and Germany drafted a resolution to refer Iran to the U.N. Security Council for failure to comply with nuclear nonproliferation obligations.
A spokesperson with Iran's joint military command warned that strikes against U.S. military ships would be more severe if the U.S. continues to interfere with Iranian shipping.
Iran war live updates roundup
Brigadier-General Alireza Elhami is Iran's air defence commander.
Alireza Elhami said that the threat is not over and that Iran is ready for any kind of confrontation.
Trump said the US may target Iran's Pickaxe Mountain 'very soon'.
“ready for any kind of confrontation”
US strikes three Iranian oil tankers after warships targeted
Crude oil exports from the Middle East during August were down 39 percent from the January and February baseline of 18.5 million barrels per day, according to TankerTrackers.
Iran's Ministry of Foreign Affairs called the US attacks on Iranian ships illegal and a war crime contrary to the United Nations Charter.
The three tankers were hit at different locations: one off Kharg Island, one near Jask, and one in the Gulf of Oman.
“Although most may recover in the coming months, Iran’s exports of 1.68mbpd (baseline number) may likely remain at zero for the foreseeable future; depending on any agreement,”
US strikes three Iranian oil tankers after Navy warships targeted
Irib reported that the crews aboard the two attacked tankers in the Gulf of Oman were taken to shore in lifeboats.
Approximately 90% of Iran's crude oil comes through Kharg Island.
The Strait of Hormuz previously carried about 20% of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas supplies.
EU joins US sanctions push on Iran; South Korea weighs Hormuz deployment
U.S. Central Command said it has redirected 87 commercial vessels, disabled three and boarded two to ensure total compliance.
The European Union formally joined the U.S.-led sanctions campaign against Iran known as 'Operation Economic Outcast.'
The South Korean government denied local media reports that a decision has already been made.
Trump downplays war on Iran as 'small potatoes'
Trump claimed the US controls the Strait of Hormuz.
A Reuters-Ipsos poll found that nearly six in ten US adults disapproved of the military strikes on Iran.
Vance said major combat operations lasted six weeks.
“We’re not fighting right now. There’s no fighting. We’re taking out a lot of oil. We control the Hormuz Strait. We control it very strongly.”
Vance says he would not call US-Iran conflict a war
The US-Iran conflict had caused the deaths of 18 US service members as of the time of reporting.
Congressman Ro Khanna, a Democrat from California, described Vance's comment as 'gaslighting'.
The Iranian Red Crescent reported that four people, including a child, were killed at a wedding celebration in southern Iran.
Vance says Iran military action is not a 'war' amid election season
The U.S.-Iran conflict is 6 months old.
Vice President JD Vance rejected the use of the word 'war' to describe the U.S. fighting with Iran.
Congressional elections are scheduled for November 3.
Roundup: Iran war live updates — US rules out talks until ship attacks stop
Iranian Minister of Petroleum Mohsen Paknejad said that the country's oil industry continues to circumvent the blockade imposed by US forces.
The US has ruled out Iran talks until ship attacks stop.
Mohsen Paknejad described the situation as difficult but manageable.
US sanctions Turkish bank accused of enabling Iran
Treasury has taken few actions to implement the plan since its Aug. 24 launch.
The U.S. Treasury Department on Friday announced sanctions against a small Turkish investment bank and two of its subsidiaries.
Golden Global Bank is Turkey's 35th-largest bank, with 2025 assets roughly equivalent to $517 million in today's dollars, according to TheBanks.eu.
US-Iran conflict and its impact on US midterms
The US midterm elections are scheduled for November 3.
The Washington Post reported that senior Army, Navy and Air Force leaders warned Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth that continuing the war at its current pace is unsustainable.
Reuters reported that senior White House officials are considering whether to intensify military operations against Iran after the November 3 vote.
Military families reflect on service members killed and injured in Iran war
18 U.S. service members have been killed during the Iran war, for a total of 808 casualties.
Hicks is still recovering from the attack and his family said he is struggling with short-term memory loss and PTSD.
Sgt. 1st Class Cory Hicks was injured in the Port Shuaiba attack and suffered internal injuries, shrapnel wounds, facial fractures and a traumatic brain injury.
JD Vance says Trump and US military prevented energy crisis during Iran war
Iraq has proposed building a new pipeline through Syria to the Mediterranean, estimated to cost at least $15 billion and take about four years to complete.
Yemen's Presidential Leadership Council Chairman Rashad al-Alimi said his government will not allow Iran or the Iran-backed Houthis to take control of the Bab al-Mandab Strait.
Vance said during a White House briefing that he would not call the conflict a war and that there was no active shooting at the time.
US-Iran conflict: how it could end, expert views
A Memorandum of Understanding signed by the US and Iran in June meant to result in a permanent ceasefire and a deal within 60 days has expired.
The US and Israel started a conflict with Iran in February.
Dr Aniseh Bassiri Tabrizi said Iran is waiting for the US to go back to the MoU or to offer some sort of concession.
Wars in Ukraine and Iran becoming enmeshed (opinion)
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said he believes there will be a "new dynamic in the peace efforts".
U.S. CIA Director John Ratcliffe visited Moscow to warn Russia against any escalation, according to media reports.
President Zelenskyy urged airlines to avoid Russian airspace.
Vance refuses to put timeline on Iran conflict
The Trump administration has taken negotiations off the table after June’s failed Memorandum of Understanding agreement.
Vice President JD Vance said he will not put an "artificial timeline" on the war with Iran.
U.S. Central Command said American forces completed a wave of strikes against targets inside Iran on Tuesday.
US commerce secretary erroneously said no Americans died in Iran war
Iran's Red Crescent said four people were killed and 67 wounded when a US strike hit a wedding ceremony near the coast of the strait of Hormuz.
A UMass-Amherst poll in late August found that 54% of Americans disapprove of the war initiated by the US and Israel.
Venezuelan officials put their overall death toll at 47 in the Venezuela operation.
Airstrike kills four at Iran wedding; Vance and US investigate missile involvement
Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei declared the strike a 'war crime.'
Iranian state media reported a fifth person, a 22-year-old woman, died in hospital shortly after the strike.
The Iranian Red Crescent Society said shrapnel from a missile hit a wedding ceremony at a home in Sirik, killing at least four people and wounding 67 others.
Trump calls media 'treasonous scum' over Iran war munitions reports
According to CSIS, large portions of offensive weapons stockpiles including Tomahawk missiles, JASSMs, and PrSMs have been used in the war.
Trump said in August that reports of munitions shortages were "treasonous statements" and promised whoever leaked the information would be "hunted down" and that "long term jail sentences will be sought."
Trump has asked federal broadcast regulators to pull licences for media outlets in response to their coverage.
Iran attacks Kuwait with missiles and drones after US strikes
The European Union decided to join what Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent called 'Operation Economic Outcast.'
Vice President JD Vance said Iran's ability to control the Strait of Hormuz is 'effectively gone.'
Iran's Foreign Ministry said a Qatari government document supports Tehran's claim that its recent strikes in Qatar targeted U.S. military facilities rather than civilian areas.
Lutnick apologizes for claiming no American deaths from Iran war
Lutnick wrote that he was thinking about the Venezuelan military operation, where no service members died.
Lutnick said he misspoke and had confused the war in Iran with the administration's prior invasion of Venezuela.
Lutnick said in a CNBC interview, "the way the president is playing Iran, right, there haven’t been American deaths."
Human rights activist warns Iran prefers conflict to suppress internal uprising
Vice President JD Vance stated that Iran has continued to target commercial ships in the strait in violation of an agreement not to do so.
Dr. Majid Sadeghpour stated that U.S. officials offered guarantees to Tehran that provided a pathway to peace for Iran.
U.S. forces have launched airstrikes against Iran in recent days following a brief pause in hostilities.
Oil prices little changed after Iran fires missiles at Kuwait
The international Brent benchmark broke $97 earlier in the session.
U.S. oil prices gained more than 9% during the week.
About 20 million barrels per day of crude and products passed through the Strait of Hormuz before the war started on Feb. 28.
Iran Red Crescent urges ICC probe into US strike on wedding party
The Iranian Red Crescent Society asked the International Criminal Court to investigate a missile attack by the United States that hit a wedding party in Kuhestak.
Iran’s Ministry of Health said at least 18 people were killed in Tuesday’s strikes.
Neither the US nor Iran are party to the ICC’s Rome Statute.
China's support for Iran shows limits as US pressures Tehran
Kerri Bitsoff, a former senior official at the US Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control, described China's relationship with Iran as more of a customer relationship than an alliance.
Iranian crude accounts for only about 2 percent of China's overall energy mix.
China's major state-owned refiners Sinopec and PetroChina have shunned Iranian oil for years, leaving the trade to independent 'teapot' refiners.
Opinion: Wars in Ukraine and Iran becoming enmeshed
The Russian economy has been damaged by Ukrainian strikes against Russian oil refineries and logistics hubs.
According to reports, Ratcliffe warned his Russian counterparts against attacks on NATO territory, urged them to curb support for Iran, argued that escalation in Ukraine would backfire, and pressed for a deal with Ukraine to end the war.
A cargo jet may have struck a second drone shortly after takeoff from Leipzig-Halle airport, forcing an abrupt landing.
Iran attacks bases in Jordan and UAE after US strike
The US launched its first strikes on Iran in a month, hitting sites on Larak Island.
The US says missiles Iran fired at bases hosting US forces in Jordan were shot down.
Iran says it attacked US bases in Jordan and US military targets at the Al Minhad base in UAE.
Economic winners and losers of US-Israel war on Iran
The United States and Israel launched a war on Iran approximately six months before the article's publication.
Linda Bilmes of Harvard Kennedy School estimated that the total budgetary costs of the war will likely reach $1 trillion.
Coal prices were set at $131.85 per tonne in July, compared with $102.20 in the previous year.
Iran attacks Jordan and UAE after US bombs Larak Island
Iran's army said dozens of drones were launched at US military assets at the Al Menhad airbase in the UAE.
The UAE's air force intercepted a drone over its territorial waters approaching from Iran.
US Central Command said the US took limited, precise action against IRGC minelaying forces posing an imminent threat in the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran retaliates against US forces after strikes in oil route — roundup
Donald Trump stated that something would be 'big, big trouble' for America.
A US carrier joined operations to support security in the Middle East.
Iran retaliated against US forces following American strikes in a key oil route.
Iran war live updates (August 30)
Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi stated that the Strait of Hormuz remains closed and Tehran is in no rush to reopen it.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps of Iran stated that it maintains firm control over the Strait of Hormuz and accused US leaders of making false statements about the passage to manipulate energy prices.
Retrospective Assessment of Military Strikes on Iran
Al Jazeera published an article assessing the strikes on Iran on 30 Aug 2026.
The Al Jazeera article examines what the strikes on Iran achieved six months after they occurred.
Commentary on US Economic Policy Towards Iran
Mohsen Rezaei, head of Iran's supreme national security council, called participation in the US economic campaign an act of war.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian stated that Iran should seek peace while it can negotiate from a position of power and dignity.
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent labeled the US administration's economic campaign against Iran as Operation Economic Outcast.
“Why would I want to blow up the global financial system?”
US Military Conducts Airstrike on Iran's Lark Island
A US official stated that the strikes targeted launchers prepared to fire rockets carrying mines toward the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps reported that the attack resulted in the death and injury of several soldiers.
The United States struck Lark Island in southern Iran, marking its first attack against the country since late July.
“This act will be responded to by the sons of Islamic Iran and will result in punishment of the aggressor,”
Analysis of Military Strikes on Gulf Energy Infrastructure Amid Regional Conflict
A drone strike targeted the Abqaiq processing complex on July 27.
An explosion at the Barzan gas project in Qatar killed at least 13 people in June.
According to ACLED, Iran and allied groups carried out at least 172 attacks on nonmilitary infrastructure in GCC nations after February 28.
“Oil and gas facilities, power plants and water desalination plants are likely to remain key targets for Iran because disruption to these sectors can increase economic pressure on Gulf states, while disruption to global energy supplies increases prices and pressure on the US during periods of escalation.”
Analysis of Domestic Political Impacts of Middle East Conflict
Donald Trump designated a new round of sanctions against Tehran as "Economic D-Day".
The United States signed a memorandum of understanding with Iran in June without Israel's participation.
A recent Ipsos poll indicated that fewer than one in three Americans supported the war on Iran.
“I think [Netanyahu is] in favour of the economic ‘D-Day’ measures, not because he believes they’ll be decisive or that Iran will capitulate in talks, but because he’s hoping they’ll drive Trump’s frustration and put re-escalation back on the agenda, and that this time, things will look different,”
Somali piracy surges as US-Iran war impact ripples outwards
Omar Mahmood is a senior Somalia analyst for the International Crisis Group.
Vice-Admiral Ignacio Villanueva Serrano is the operation commander for the European Union's naval force that protects shipping off Somalia's coast.
Local officials blamed the drone strikes on Turkey, saying the Lutuf was carrying Turkish weapons.
Iranian Americans Mark Six Months of US-Iran Conflict Amid Internal Divisions
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said upcoming US measures will target a network created by Iran to evade sanctions.
Arezo Rashidian is a monarchist activist aligned with Reza Pahlavi.
Washington opted not to impose major new measures against Iran, focusing instead on expanding and enforcing existing sanctions.
“Why would you want the United States to be involved in a war or have any military action in Iran, given what we’ve seen in the last 20 years with Iraq, with Afghanistan, with Libya?”
Iran war live: IRGC asserts strait control, US enforces blockade
Tensions remain high in the Strait of Hormuz.
The IRGC claims decisive control over the Strait of Hormuz.
The US-Iran conflict has reached its six-month mark.
Iran war live updates (August 29)
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi accused the U.S. government of misleading its people through the media for their own gain.
President Trump's investment accounts have continued to purchase and sell stock holdings in oil and natural gas companies while he oversees the U.S. war with Iran, according to his financial disclosure filings through the second quarter of 2026.
American diplomats and at least some of their family members are beginning to return to U.S. embassies in the Middle East after many were ordered to leave their posts during the early days of the war with Iran.
Treasury moves to sanction UAE branch of Egyptian bank over Iran ties
Bessent said that entities that facilitate transactions and are part of the ecosystem turning Iranian oil into money and repression will be targeted.
Bessent said on Monday that Treasury would make a major announcement of a financial institution being sanctioned by the end of that week.
The Treasury Department moved to sanction the UAE branch of an Egyptian bank over its financial ties to Iran.
US Navy blockade slashes Iran oil exports as administration shifts to economic warfare
Trump said the Strait of Hormuz is functioning with 10 million barrels of oil exiting the waterway on Tuesday.
The U.S. conducted a dozen waves of airstrikes against Iran in July.
President Donald Trump reimposed a naval blockade on July 14 in retaliation for Iran attacking oil tankers transiting the Hormuz Strait.
Iran prepares conditions to open Strait of Hormuz
Latest Kpler data showed that only five ships crossed Hormuz on Tuesday, compared to approximately 130 ships that used to transit the waterway before the war broke out in February.
The U.S. on Monday announced an 'economic D-Day' campaign against Tehran, threatening countries that do business with Iran.
Admiral Brad Cooper, commander of U.S. Central Command, said Centcom forces helped facilitate the transit of approximately 1,500 commercial vessels and 750 million barrels of crude oil over the past several months.
Six months of war on Iran
The US-Israeli war on Iran reached the six-month mark.
Al Jazeera's Marah Rayan produced a segment explaining how the war unfolded.
Trump statement: do business with America or terrorist Iran
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced the so-called "D-Day" sanctions of Operation Economic Outcast.
In the lead-up to Operation Epic Fury, one major Iranian bank had collapsed and five others were in trouble.
The article states that Trump has proffered a deal under which Iran would renounce its nuclear program and cease projecting hostile power beyond its borders.
Iran war live updates roundup
US President Donald Trump told Al Jazeera that both economic and military action “are effective”.
Qatar's Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani will arrive in Tehran on Thursday.
Donald Trump said the negotiations with Tehran are to end the US-Israel war on Iran.
Six-month assessment of US-Iran war
US media have reported the Pentagon's internal cost estimate at $80 billion to $100 billion.
At least 3,527 people are confirmed killed in Iran since the war began.
The Pentagon says 757 US personnel have been wounded.
Six months of the Iran war told through Trump's social media posts
On February 28, Trump posted that Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was dead.
On July 10, Trump wrote that the ceasefire with Iran was over.
US President Donald Trump published at least 319 posts mentioning Iran on Truth Social between February 28 and August 25.
“There may come a point when we are no longer able to be reasonable, and will be forced to militarily complete the job that we very successfully started. If that happens, the Islamic Republic of Iran will no longer exist! President DJT”
Iran attacks commercial ship in Strait of Hormuz amid US military buildup and Patriot missile stock concerns
Chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell denied claims of U.S. munition shortages.
NATO says Europe's first Patriot missile production facility is expected to open in Germany in September.
CIA Director John Ratcliffe went to Moscow to warn Russia not to attack, as reported by The Wall Street Journal.
Iran war six-month analysis: regional transformation
Iran's crude oil loadings for export dropped to about 260,000 barrels per day in August 2026, down more than 80% from 1.7 million bpd in August 2025.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent launched "Operation Economic Outcast," a sanctions campaign aimed at severing all of Iran's economic ties worldwide.
Mojtaba Khamenei called for gradually phasing out the U.S. dollar from playing a pivotal role in Iran's economy.
How 95% drop in Hormuz traffic changed global shipping
About 80 percent of world trade by volume moves by sea at some point.
The Strait of Hormuz carried more than one-third of global seaborne crude oil before the war.
Kuwait saw the steepest fall in daily port calls, dropping by 86 percent.
Regional powers seek off-ramp from Iran war and other Middle East developments
Pakistan's military announced on Thursday that it agreed to assist Kuwait's military with training, capacity building and border management.
Israel's Foreign Ministry is removing two Dutch diplomats from the Gaza ceasefire coordination center.
Israel's Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said the decision to remove Dutch diplomats was in response to anti-Israel measures by the Dutch government, including a ban on trade of Israeli products from the West Bank.
“should help create more favorable conditions for economic recovery, investment, and broader international engagement with Syria.”
Republicans face midterm verdict as Iran war drags on longer than Trump promised
More than one-third of Republicans say the war with Iran has not been worth fighting.
Republican Rep. Ryan Mackenzie represents a U.S. House district that includes Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.
Democratic U.S. Sen. Angela Alsobrooks blamed higher prices on the war during a meeting with older adults in western Maryland.
Iran and Qatar hold Hormuz talks amid hopes for US dialogue
US President Donald Trump told Al Jazeera he was not in a hurry to resume negotiations with Iran to end the war in the Middle East.
Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Qatar's Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani discussed a proposed framework that includes the creation of a temporary shipping corridor through the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran and Qatar discussed a possible joint project to clear the Strait of Hormuz of mines.
Al Jazeera retrospective: six months of Iran war through Trump's social media posts
On January 28, Trump announced that a massive armada was heading to Iran.
On February 28, Trump posted that Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was dead.
Between February 28 and August 25, Donald Trump published 319 posts mentioning Iran on Truth Social.
Qatari PM and other officials visit Iran to de-escalate tensions amid tanker attack
Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz to shipping in early March.
Iran stated the Strait of Hormuz will not reopen until the US lifts sanctions and unfreezes Iran's assets.
Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani visited Tehran on Thursday for talks about de-escalating tensions.