EXPLAINER
Dubai contained a hearth close to its airport and quickly suspended flights, whereas Trump claimed Iran needs to barter.
Revealed On 16 Mar 2026
Israel launched a brand new wave of assaults on Tehran because the US-Israel war on Iran entered its seventeenth day on Monday.
Escalations proceed within the Gulf area, the place authorities suspended flights at Dubai worldwide airport after a drone incident sparked a hearth close by. Dubai-based Emirates introduced later that it was resuming restricted flights, with a number of deliberate routes cancelled for the day.
Saudi Arabia additionally reported intercepting drones. Assaults additionally continued in Iraq and Lebanon.
In the meantime, in a social media put up, United States President Donald Trump, with out offering proof, accused Iran of being a “grasp of media manipulation” by utilizing synthetic intelligence (AI) to unfold disinformation about its warfare good points.
Here’s what we learn about what occurred previously 24 hours:
In Iran
- Israel introduced that it launched a brand new wave of strikes in Tehran. After this, Iran’s Mehr information company reported that Iran was responding to “hostile targets within the skies” over Tehran.
- The Iranian Pink Crescent Society mentioned the most recent Israeli raids broken one in every of its clinics and an support aid put up.
- Throughout an interview with CBS Information on Sunday, Iranian Overseas Minister Abbas Araghchi dismissed Trump’s declare that Tehran needs truce talks. “No, we by no means requested for a ceasefire, and we have now by no means requested even for negotiation. We’re able to defend ourselves so long as it takes,” he mentioned.
- The spokesperson for Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), Brigadier-Basic Ali Mohammad Naini, informed an area broadcaster that many of the IRGC’s weapons cache stays intact. He mentioned the missiles used within the ongoing warfare are from a “decade in the past” and that Iran has not but fired the missiles produced because the 12-day warfare with Israel.
- Iranian authorities arrested 18 folks accused of working for Iran Worldwide, the satellite tv for pc information channel Tehran has accused of getting ties to Israel, in response to state-funded broadcaster Press TV.
- As of Sunday, 1,444 folks had been killed in Iran, whereas 18,551 have been injured.
Within the Gulf
- Authorities in Dubai reported {that a} fireplace erupted after a drone-related incident within the neighborhood of the Dubai airport. Authorities mentioned a gas tank was affected, and the fireplace had been contained. Flights on the airport had been quickly suspended however then resumed a restricted schedule on Monday.
- Saudi Arabia mentioned it intercepted 37 drones in its east on Monday. Riyadh didn’t say the place the drones got here from.
- Bahrain, Kuwait and Qatar additionally reported drone interceptions on Sunday.
- Saudi state media reported that Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan mentioned the most recent regional developments throughout a cellphone name, affirming that the GCC international locations will proceed to exert all their efforts to defend their territories.
Within the US
- Trump, on board Air Power One, mentioned the US was hitting Iran’s drone factories. “Iran has little or no firepower left. We’ve got decimated their manufacturing functionality,” he mentioned.
- In a Reality Social put up, Trump wrote Iran is “Militarily ineffective and weak” and that they’re utilizing AI as a “disinformation weapon”. He added: “They confirmed phony ‘Kamikaze Boats’, taking pictures at varied Ships at Sea, which seems fantastic, highly effective, and cruel, however these Boats don’t exist.”
In Israel
- Native media reported that air raid sirens had been activated in central Israel early on Monday as a missile was fired from Iran, however the projectiles landed in an open space, and no casualties had been reported. Later, sirens blared within the south of Israel.
In Iraq, Lebanon and Jordan
- An Iraqi safety supply informed Al Jazeera that an air raid hit the headquarters of the pro-Iranian Well-liked Mobilisation Forces (PMF) within the Jurf al-Sakhar space. Three folks had been injured on this assault.
- Iraqi safety sources informed Al Jazeera that the nation’s air defences responded to drones close to the US Embassy in Baghdad and the Balad airbase within the Salah al-Din governorate.
- Israel launched new waves of raids on southern Lebanon. The Israeli navy mentioned it was launching restricted floor operations towards Hezbollah. The dying toll in Lebanon has risen to 850, together with greater than 100 kids.
- The United Nations Interim Power in Lebanon (UNIFIL) mentioned non-state armed teams fired upon three of its patrols on Sunday afternoon.
