"If Iran does not fully open the Strait of Hormuz without threats within 48 hours, the United States will strike and destroy its various power plants , starting with the largest!" This is Donald Trump 's ultimatum to Tehran, delivered in a post on Truth.

But Iran quickly responded: "We will target all energy, IT, and water desalination infrastructure belonging to the US and the regime." The Iranian Revolutionary Guards also set six conditions for ending the war , including ensuring the conflict will not recur, closing US military bases in the region, and paying compensation to the Tehran government.

Meanwhile, the raids continue: the IDF continues to attack Iranian territory, while the Islamic Republic launches missiles towards Israel and targets in the Gulf countries.

News for Sunday, March 22, 2026:

11:06 PM – Iran launches new missile attack on central Israel

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has detected a new ballistic missile attack from Iran. Alarm sirens are expected to sound in central Israel in the next few minutes, The Times of Israel reports.

10:24 PM – IDF: "Seven soldiers wounded in Lebanon and northern Israel."

Seven Israel Defense Forces (IDF) soldiers were slightly injured in a series of incidents today in southern Lebanon and northern Israel, the army said. The Times of Israel reports.

8:51 PM – Kallas meets with the foreign ministers of Iran, Türkiye, and Qatar

EU High Representative Kaja Kallas held separate talks today with her counterparts from Turkey, Qatar, and South Korea on the war in the Middle East, attacks on energy infrastructure, and the urgent need to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. EU sources reported this, noting that Kallas also spoke with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. "These talks are part of the EU's ongoing efforts to explore diplomatic avenues moving forward. New threats of attacks on critical civilian infrastructure risk affecting millions of people across the Middle East and beyond," the sources explained.

7:17 PM – Trump slams Herzog: "A liar and a pathetic man, he refused to pardon Netanyahu."

Donald Trump harshly attacked Israeli President Isaac Herzog, calling him "a liar, weak, and pathetic" for not pardoning Benjamin Netanyahu. In an interview with Israel's Channel 14, the US president claimed that Herzog had agreed to pardon the Israeli prime minister "but never did." "He's a weak person and a pathetic man for not doing so. He's not a leader," the tycoon attacked. "Bibi should focus on the war, not this nonsense."

6:37 PM – "Unprotected": Protests in the West Bank over women killed by missiles

West Bank residents are deeply resentful following the deaths of four women last night and this morning after being hit by a fragmentation missile launched by Iran while visiting a beauty salon. Residents, as reported by the newspaper Al Quds, dispute the fact that their villages and towns have become the scene of indirect clashes, yet they lack even the most basic civil defense measures. Residents have criticized the lack of early warning systems capable of alerting them before explosive devices fall, emphasizing that the lack of sirens exacerbates the death toll due to a lack of preparedness to deal with emergencies. In most areas of the West Bank, infrastructure is severely inadequate, and residential buildings are unable to withstand shrapnel or nearby explosions. Residents also complain about the complete absence of public shelters or fortified rooms, which leaves civilians directly vulnerable to any military escalation in the area, as tragically demonstrated by the deaths of four Palestinian women from Beit Awa, near Hebron.

2:50 PM – More missiles from Iran towards Israel

Iranian state broadcaster IRIB reports that a new wave of missile attacks against Israel has begun. The BBC reports that the news has been confirmed by the IDF. The Israeli military says it is working to intercept the threat and that an early warning has been sent to mobile phones in the affected areas.

2:30 PM – Axios: "U.S.-Iran negotiations may be possible under very strict conditions."

Donald Trump's envoys, Jared Kushner, and Steve Witkoff, are forming a team to negotiate with Iran at the president's behest. Axios reported this. There have been no direct contacts between the US and Iran in recent days, but Egypt, Qatar, and the United Kingdom have acted as intermediaries for the exchange of messages, the sources emphasize. Egypt and Qatar have informed the US and Israel that Iran is interested in starting negotiations, albeit under very strict conditions. For its part, the United States has set six conditions, from a five-year halt to its missile program to a complete halt to uranium enrichment.

2:09 PM – 400 Iranian missiles aimed at Israel: 92% intercepted

Iran has launched more than 400 ballistic missiles at Israel since the start of the US-Israeli attacks in late February, an Israeli military (IDF) spokesman said, adding that 92 percent of them were intercepted.

1:52 PM – Airlines lost $53 billion in flights

The world's 20 largest publicly traded airlines have lost about $53 billion in value since the US-Israeli war against Iran began on February 28.

writes the Financial Times.

12:46 PM – Netanyahu: "Iran can now strike Europe, too."

"If you want proof that Iran is endangering the entire world, the last 48 hours have provided it," Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said. "They launched an intercontinental ballistic missile against Diego Garcia. It has a range of 4,000 kilometers. I've always said that. Now they have the capacity to reach deep into Europe." And again: "What more proof do you need to convince you that this regime, which threatens the entire world, must be stopped?"

12:27 PM – The Pope: "Dismay over the war in the Middle East"

"I continue to follow with dismay the wars in the Middle East and other parts of the world. We cannot remain silent in the face of the suffering of the people, the helpless victims of this conflict. The death and pain inflicted on innocent people are a scandal to humanity and a cry to God." Pope Leo XIV said this during the Angelus, renewing his request "to persevere in prayer for an end to hostilities and for the dignity of every human person to be respected."

11:40 a.m. – "Transit through the Strait of Hormuz imposes a $2 million toll."

Some ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz are subject to a "$2 million tax," Iranian MP Alaeddin Boroujrdi claimed on Iranian state television, the BBC reports. A "new regime of government" is being imposed in the Strait, and "war has costs," the politician said, adding that this demonstrates "the authority and rights enjoyed by the Islamic Republic of Iran."

11:00 AM – Iranian missiles towards Israel

Alarm sirens in central Israel following an Iranian missile attack. The alerts are concentrated mainly around Tel Aviv and the areas north and east of the city. This is reported by

Times of Israel.

10.20am – British submarine in the Arabian Sea

According to the Daily Mail, a Royal Navy nuclear-powered submarine has been deployed to the Arabian Sea. The Tomahawk-equipped HMS Anson left Perth, Western Australia, on March 6 and is believed to be positioning itself in the northern Arabian Sea.

10:00 AM – Iran: "Six conditions to end the war"

Iran has set six conditions for ending the war with the United States and Israel: ensuring the conflict will not be repeated, closing U.S. military bases in the region, paying compensation to Iran, ending the war against all Iranian-affiliated regional groups, implementing a new legal regime for the Strait of Hormuz, and prosecuting and extraditing anti-Iranian media workers. This was reported by the Tasnim news agency, an affiliate of the IRGC.

9:30 a.m. – Baghdad, rockets and drones hit US center at airport

Eight overnight attacks targeted a U.S. diplomatic and logistics center at Baghdad International Airport. An Iraqi security official reported that the attacks, "carried out until dawn with rockets and drones, targeted the U.S. center," and that "some rockets fell near the base." A police source reported that a rocket launcher was found in a Baghdad neighborhood near the airport.

9:00 AM – Iran: "US raids on energy sites? Say goodbye to electricity throughout the region."

Following Donald Trump's ultimatum to the Islamic Republic, Iran's Mehr news agency threatened that even a limited attack on Iran's electricity infrastructure would plunge the entire region into darkness. "Say goodbye to electricity," the state-affiliated outlet wrote, stating that "with the slightest attack" on the Islamic Republic's energy infrastructure, "the entire region will be plunged into darkness." Mehr also published a map of major power plants in the Persian Gulf countries, including sites in the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Kuwait, stating that 70% to 80% of the region's major power plants are built along the Persian Gulf coast and are within range of Iranian missiles.

8:30 a.m. – Hezbollah attack in Israel: one victim

One person was killed in an alleged Hezbollah attack in the northern Israeli border community of Misgav Am, near the Blue Line dividing Israel and Lebanon. The attack from Lebanon was reportedly carried out with anti-tank missiles.

7:10 a.m. – IDF launches new offensive in Iran and Lebanon

The Israel Defense Forces conducted new strikes overnight "against Iranian regime targets in the heart of Tehran." The offensive also took place in Lebanon : "IDF soldiers eliminated more than ten Hezbollah terrorists who posed an immediate threat to our forces." This is what the Israeli armed forces themselves announced through their own channels.

6:50 AM – Iran Raid on Gulf Countries

Three ballistic missiles have been identified in the Riyadh area, Saudi Arabia. The Saudi Ministry of Defense announced the news, explaining that "one missile was intercepted, while two others fell in an uninhabited area." Alarm was also raised overnight in the United Arab Emirates: "Our air defenses," the country's Ministry of Defense explained in a statement, "are responding to missile and drone threats from Iran."

WAR IN THE MIDDLE EAST: ALL THE NEWS

(Unioneonline)

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