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  • Iran war latest: Iran vows revenge after security chief killed – as Trump responds to senior official’s resignation over conflict – Sky News

    Iran war latest: Iran vows revenge after security chief killed – as Trump responds to senior official’s resignation over conflict – Sky News

    Iran war, day 19 – what to know

    We’re updating this post as developments happen.

    • State media has confirmed the death of Iran’s powerful security chief Ali Larijani after Israel earlier said he had been killed in an overnight strike on Monday;
    • Iranian army chief Amir Hatami has threatened “decisive and regrettable” action in response to the killing, while Iran’s foreign minister said repercussions of the war “will hit all”;
    • Israel also claimed it killed the head of the IRGC’s Basij paramilitary force – and Iranian state media has reported this is true;
    • Iran’s deputy foreign minister told international affairs editor Dominic Waghorn in Tehran that US boots on the ground would be a “reckless” move and that Iran would fight for as long as is needed;
    • Asked about that interview, Trump told Sky News he’s “not really afraid of anything” – and told reporters the US is “not ready to leave yet” but will “in the near future”;
    • But the conflict doesn’t have total support within Trump’s administration, with a senior counterterrorism official quitting and blaming “pressure” from Israel;
    • At least six people have been killed in Israeli airstrikes on Beirut overnight on Tuesday, while two people have been killed in Iranian strikes on Tel Aviv;
    • Iranian media had earlier said Tehran launched a wave of missiles at Israeli forces operating in and around the border with Lebanon in the fight against the Iranian-backed militia Hezbollah;
    • That comes as Israel said it launched ground operations in Lebanon – a move that the UK and its allies say they are “gravely concerned” by;
    • Iran continues to target other Israeli and US sites in the Middle East, including the American embassy in Baghdad;
    • The US military says it has targeted Iranian missile sites near the Strait of Hormuz
    • It comes after Trump called on US allies to help secure the strait – which Iran’s Speaker said won’t be reopened – as the price of oil remains above the significant $100 milestone;
    • After warning NATO faces a “very bad” future if allies do not help to secure the strait, he said today the US doesn’t need the alliance’s help and “never did”;
    • An Iranian nuclear power plant was hit by a projectile overnight on Tuesday, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency. 

    Iran war day 18: Videos from the ground

    Missiles launched towards Israel from Iran, military says

    The Israeli military claims to have recently detected missiles fired from Iran towards Israel.

    “Defence systems are operating to intercept the threat. In the last few minutes, the Home Front Command has issued a preliminary directive directly to mobile phones in the relevant areas.”

    It comes after Israeli emergency responders said two people had died following a missile attack near Tel Aviv overnight.

    Naval escorts could make tankers a target, UN maritime chief warns

    By Paul Kelso, business and economics correspondent

    Naval escorts will not guarantee safe passage for oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz and could even present a target for Iran as it attempts to leverage control of the vital shipping lane, the head of the International Maritime Organisation has warned.

    Speaking at the start of a two-day emergency meeting of the UN maritime agency’s governing council in London, secretary-general Arsenio Dominguez told Sky News “de-escalation” was the only sustainable way to restore the flow of shipping.

    The Strait of Hormuz, in normal circumstances the conduit for a fifth of global oil demand, has effectively been closed for more than two weeks since the US-Israeli offensive against  Iran. 

    Tehran responded to the assault by attacking tankers and other energy infrastructure, paralysing traffic and triggering a price shock on global energy markets. 

    US President Donald Trump has called on allies including the UK to provide naval support for tankers to reopen the shipping lane, but Dominguez warned that would not be enough to restore the flow of oil, cargo, fertilisers and food to and from the Gulf.

    “The reality is that a ship can still be targeted even with an escort vessel next to it, and it doesn’t really provide the guarantees, not even on insurance or to the seafarers, that trade can continue to come back. It’s not a long-term sustainable solution,” he said.

    Asked if he was concerned that a naval convoy could present a target, he replied “absolutely”, and said it was unlikely that traffic would resume without a formal ceasefire.

    “I can’t see that because it’s too risky, and I will not be calling on anyone to take the risk to send innocent ships and innocent seafarers in particular through the Strait of Hormuz when there are no guarantees from all the parties involved that it is safe to do so.

    We need to de-escalate the situation. It’s the only solution. And this is why we meet here at IMO. We actually believe and trust multilateralism and dialogues. And that’s how we find solutions.”

    The emergency meeting was called by members of the IMO’s 40-strong Council, which includes the UK and the USA, as well as Gulf states that have faced retaliation from Iran, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar.

    Representatives of Iran and Israel, will be present as observers at the meeting in London, which takes place at the IMO’s headquarters on the south Bank of the Thames opposite the Palace of Westminster.

    Describing the Iranian attacks on shipping as “cowardly”, Dominguez said that commercial vessels and their crews had been put at unacceptable risk.

    “Shipping should have never been put in this situation. Those are very cowardly attacks on a sector that doesn’t take part in these geopolitical conflicts,” Dominguez said. “The reality is that everybody’s affected, not just the countries in the region.”

    Iran executes man accused of spying for Israel – report

    Iran has executed a man accused of spying for Israel, according to the Iranian judiciary’s Mizan news agency. 

    It reported that the man, identified as Kurosh Keyvani, was found “guilty of providing Israel’s ​spy agency, Mossad, with pictures and information about ​sensitive locations ​in Iran”. 

    In pictures: The impact of Israeli strikes in Beirut

    New images show the impact of Israeli strikes in the Lebanese capital of Beirut overnight. 

    Damaged buildings and vehicles can be seen as emergency personnel visit affected sites. 

    At least six people were killed in the strikes, according to Lebanon’s health ministry.

    It said 24 others were wounded after two Israeli strikes – part of a broader wave of strikes on Beirut – hit residential apartments in the city’s Basta and Zokak Al-Blat neighbourhoods. 

    Watch: Aftermath of Tehran airstrike

    Sky’s Dominic Waghorn visits a city block near a security organisation which was destroyed in a large airstrike.

    Iranian authorities say 40 people were killed at the site in East Tehran.

    Global repercussions of Middle East war ‘will hit all’, says Iran’s foreign minister

    Iran’s foreign minister has warned that a “wave of global repercussions” from the war in the Middle East “has only begun and will hit all”. 

    In a social media post accompanied by a copy of the resignation letter of Joe Kent, director of the US National Counterterrorism Center, Abbas Araghchi encouraged more western officials to speak out against the war. 

    Araghchi wrote: 

    “A rising number of voices—incl European and US officials—exclaim that the war on Iran is unjust. More members of the international community should follow suit.

    “[A] wave of global repercussions has only begun and will hit all—regardless of wealth, faith, or race. Our foe is one.”

    For context: Kent quit his role as one of Donald Trump most senior counterterrorism officials on Tuesday, saying he “cannot in good conscience” support the Iran war and claimed the country posed “no imminent threat” to the US. 

    Iranian army commander vows revenge for killing of security chief

    Iran has threatened “decisive and regrettable” action in response to the killing of the country’s security chief Ali Larijani on Tuesday. 

    The Iranian army commander-in-chief, Amir Hatami, vowed that “the blood of this exalted martyr and other esteemed martyrs will be avenged,” according to state media. 

    Larijani’s death appeared to have initially been denied by Iran after a note was posted which it claimed he had written. 

    It was in response to Israel’s earlier announcement that Larijani had been killed in a strike overnight on Monday. 

    Iran also confirmed the killing of Basij commander Gholamreza Soleimani. 

    Iranian projectile hits near Australian military base in UAE

    An Iranian projectile has landed near an Australian military base in the UAE, causing minor damage and a small fire. 

    Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese confirmed the incident, saying the weapon struck a road outside the Al Minhad Air Base near Dubai early this morning. 

    Albanese said: 

    “I can confirm that no Australian personnel were injured and everyone is absolutely safe at this point in time. 

    “There was minor damage to an accommodation block and a medical facility due to a small fire that was created as a result of that projectile hitting on a road leading up to that base.” 

    Six dead and dozens injured in Israeli strikes on Beirut

    Israeli strikes on Beirut have killed at least six people, according to Lebanon’s health ministry. 

    It said 24 others were wounded after two Israeli strikes hit residential apartments in central Beirut’s Basta and Zokak Al-Blat neighbourhoods early on Wednesday.  

    “Human remains have been recovered from the site, and the identities of the victims will be determined once DNA testing is completed,” the ministry added. 

    The Israeli military had earlier issued an evacuation warning, and the attack was ‌part of a broader wave of Israeli strikes on Lebanon on Wednesday. 

  • Trump Ditches Appeal for Help in Iran War, Slamming Allies – Yahoo Finance

    Trump Ditches Appeal for Help in Iran War, Slamming Allies – Yahoo Finance

    Hadriana Lowenkron

    6 min read

    (Bloomberg) — US President Donald Trump abandoned his effort to recruit partners for the war with Iran and scolded allies who openly rejected his appeals, even as he repeated claims the conflict would end soon.

    The US and Israel nonetheless kept up their attacks with little clarity on when operations would end, with Israel saying it had killed Iran’s security chief, Ali Larijani, in an overnight operation. Trump threatened to expand strikes on Kharg Island, Iran’s main export hub, while Gulf countries continued to face attacks from Iran-sent drones.

    Most Read from Bloomberg

    Larijani’s death marks one of the most high-profile killings of an Iranian official since Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei on the first day of the war. Iranian state media confirmed the death of Larijani, a key pillar of the country’s wartime leadership, though didn’t give any details about the circumstances.

    Yet as the conflict continued, there was little sign that European and Asian nations planned to heed Trump’s call to join the fray, even in more limited roles confined to attempting to end the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

    The near shutdown of the key shipping lane has wreaked havoc on global energy markets and kept oil hovering around $100 a barrel.

    Germany, France, Canada, Greece and Norway are among those that have explicitly ruled out participating in the US-Israeli operations. Their refusals have exposed the consequences of Trump’s cavalier approach toward the US’s longstanding alliances. Trump also called out Japan, Australia and South Korea in a social media post earlier Tuesday that stated the US didn’t need the help of anyone.

    The US president on Tuesday scolded NATO allies in particular, denouncing their “foolish mistake” not to get involved. “I’ve long said I wonder whether or not NATO would ever be there for us,” Trump said at the White House. “This was a great test because we don’t need them, but they should have been there.”

    Trump also sought to drive home his stated reasons for starting the war, citing the need to disarm a potent nuclear threat and claiming, without providing evidence, that Iran was just two weeks away from acquiring a weapon that they would have used “very gladly.”

    He also sent more mixed signals about when the US would wind down major military operations, saying “we’re not ready to leave yet, but we will be leaving in the near future.”

  • Japan’s Takaichi Visits Trump as Hormuz Warship Standoff Simmers – Bloomberg.com

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  • Trump confirms meeting with China’s Xi Jinping delayed as war on Iran rages – Al Jazeera

    Trump confirms meeting with China’s Xi Jinping delayed as war on Iran rages – Al Jazeera

    US President Donald Trump delays his trip to Beijing due to Iran war while also seeking China’s help to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

    US President Donald Trump has confirmed he is delaying plans to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the end of the month, as the US-Israeli war on Iran continues to consume most of Washington’s focus.

    “We are resetting the meeting,” Trump told reporters at the White House on Tuesday. “We’re working with China. They were fine with it.”

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    Trump’s comments that he wants to remain in Washington come as the war against Iran extends into its third week and the Strait of Hormuz remains closed to almost all global shipping.

    “Because of the war, I want to be here. I have to be here,” Trump said.

    Trump was scheduled to visit Beijing from March 31 to April 2. The president said he now plans to visit in “about five weeks” or towards the end of April. His last state visit to China was in 2017, during his first term.

    China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Tuesday that the US and China “remain in communication” about Trump’s plans to visit.

    Trump and Xi were expected to discuss a range of issues, from trade tariffs and Chinese export controls on rare earth minerals and magnets, to the US relationship with Taiwan and Chinese fentanyl exports.

    The US-China trade war was put on pause in October when Xi and Trump signed a truce following a meeting in South Korea, and both sides have been working on a more comprehensive trade agreement to resolve their dispute.

    While China and Xi were in Trump’s crosshairs at the start of his second term last year, the president’s tone towards both has softened since his meeting with the Chinese leader in South Korea.

    “I look forward to seeing President Xi; he looks forward to seeing me, I think,” Trump said from the White House. “We have a very good relationship with China. It’s much different than it was in the past.”

    Trump has also signalled that he is seeking China’s help to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, which has been largely blocked by Tehran since the US and Israel launched their war on Iran 19 days ago.

    The waterway is a critical conduit for global trade and Middle East oil exports, and the price of oil has fluctuated significantly due to its closure and constricting fuel supplies.

    Trump told The Financial Times that China was among the group of countries that should lobby Tehran to reopen the strait.

    Trump previously accused Tehran and Beijing of belonging to the “Axis of Autocracy” due to their close economic ties, as China is Iran’s largest trading partner. China has also supplied Tehran with critical technology to support electronic warfare, some of which has been on display in recent weeks.

    If the strait remains closed and the war continues, Trump could still see himself on the back foot when his meeting with Xi next takes place, said Ali Wyne, senior researcher of US-China relations at the International Crisis Group.

    Proponents of the Trump administration’s foreign policy had hoped that Operation Epic Fury, as the US campaign on Iran has been named, “would enhance President Trump’s negotiating posture vis-a-vis President Xi by underscoring his willingness to take dramatic, unexpected actions”, Wyne said.

    “The gambit, however, has quickly boomeranged. Facing the severest oil supply shock in history, Trump is now exhorting Xi to help him reopen the world’s most vital waterway, the Strait of Hormuz,” he said.

  • Day 18 of Middle East conflict — top Iranian leaders killed, Trump administration official quits – CNN

    Day 18 of Middle East conflict — top Iranian leaders killed, Trump administration official quits – CNN

    • Source: CNN ” data-fave-thumbnails=”{“big”: { “uri”: “https://media.cnn.com/api/v1/images/stellar/prod/ali-larijani-iran-official-digvid.jpg?c=16×9&q=h_540,w_960,c_fill” }, “small”: { “uri”: “https://media.cnn.com/api/v1/images/stellar/prod/ali-larijani-iran-official-digvid.jpg?c=16×9&q=h_540,w_960,c_fill” } }” data-vr-video=”false” data-show-html=”” data-byline-html=”

    ” data-timestamp-html=”

    Updated 12:20 AM EDT, Wed March 18, 2026

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    Who is Iran’s top security official, Ali Larijani?

    02:31 • Source: CNN

    Who is Iran’s top security official, Ali Larijani?

    02:31

    • Top officials killed: Iran has vowed revenge for the killing of one of its most powerful decision-makers, Ali Larijani, who died in an Israeli strike Tuesday. The head of Basij, Iran’s feared paramilitary force, has also been killed.

    • Strikes continue: At least two people died in an Iranian ballistic missile attack in central Israel. The US, meanwhile, dropped 5,000-pound guided bombs on Iranian missile sites along the Hormuz strait. There have also been renewed attacks at the US Embassy in Baghdad.

    • Marines on their way: A US warship believed to be carrying Marines and sailors to the Middle East was nearing the Malacca Strait off Singapore as it made its way to the region, maritime tracking data showed Tuesday.

    • Intel official resigns: A senior US intelligence official appointed by President Donald Trump abruptly announced his resignation, citing misgivings about the administration’s war with Iran. Trump called his resignation a “good thing.”

    Multiple locations in central Israel have been struck by falling debris, Israeli police said, after a new wave of missiles launched from Iran were detected.

    “Officers from the Tel Aviv district, Border Police fighters and bomb disposal teams are currently dealing with several locations where items of weaponry have fallen within the district,” a police spokesperson said just before 5 a.m. local time on Wednesday.

    Video from emergency services showed debris in a residential street and a vehicle on fire.

    No casualties have been reported, police said, adding that officers were working to isolate impact sites.

    Two people were killed in central Israel earlier on Wednesday morning, after another Iranian missile strike.

    A wave of displacement unfolds from the city of Tyre toward the north following evacuation orders and strike threats issued by the Israeli military on Tuesday night.

    At least 17 people were killed and dozens injured by Israeli strikes across Lebanon Tuesday night as Israel’s military said it was launching attacks across the country.

    Beirut: In the Lebanese capital six people were killed and 24 injured in two Israeli strikes, according to The Ministry of Public Health’s Emergency Operations Center. Remains were also recovered from the scene and their identities will be determined after DNA testing is completed.

    Southern Lebanon: An airstrike on the town of Haboush in the Nabatieh district killed three and injured one, according to the ministry. Search operations are still underway to remove debris and locate eight missing people. Four Syrian nationals were also killed in a separate attack in the nearby town of Jebchit.

    Beqaa Valley: Four people were killed and seven injured in an Israeli attack on Baalbek in Lebanon’s northeast.

    Israel said it had launched strikes targeting Hezbollah’s “rocket launching cells and launchers,” in a statement on Tuesday.

    At least 850 people have been killed in Lebanon and more than 1 million have been internally displaced since the conflict began, according to Lebanese authorities.

    Earlier on Wednesday, two people were killed in central Israel after an Iranian ballistic missile attack.

    • Source: CNN ” data-fave-thumbnails=”{“big”: { “uri”: “https://media.cnn.com/api/v1/images/stellar/prod/118072-telavivstrike-clean-thumb.jpg?c=9×16” }, “small”: { “uri”: “https://media.cnn.com/api/v1/images/stellar/prod/118072-telavivstrike-clean-thumb.jpg?c=9×16″ } }” data-vr-video=”false” data-show-html=”” data-byline-html=”

    ” data-timestamp-html=”

    Updated 12:20 AM EDT, Wed March 18, 2026

    ” data-check-event-based-preview data-is-vertical-video-embed=”false” data-network-id data-publish-date=”2026-03-18T02:58:08.278Z” data-video-section=”world” data-canonical-url=”https://www.cnn.com/2026/03/17/world/video/deadly-iranian-missile-strike-targets-tel-aviv-digvid-vrtc” data-branding-key data-video-slug=”deadly-iranian-missile-strike-targets-tel-aviv-digvid-vrtc” data-first-publish-slug=”deadly-iranian-missile-strike-targets-tel-aviv-digvid-vrtc” data-video-tags data-breakpoints=”{“video-resource–media-extra-large”: 660}” data-display-video-cover=”true” data-vertical-orientation=”true” data-details>

    Deadly Iranian missile strike targets Tel Aviv

    CNN cameras captured what appeared to be a cluster munition in the skies over central Israel. CNN’s Jeremy Diamond reports on the ground in Tel Aviv.

    00:55 • Source: CNN

    Deadly Iranian missile strike targets Tel Aviv

    00:55

    A member of the military closes the door of a transfer vehicle during a dignified transfer of the remains of  a U.S. Army Sergeant on March 9.

    President Donald Trump will attend a dignified transfer at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware tomorrow afternoon, according to a schedule released by the White House.

    Ohio Governor Mike DeWine said tonight that he and his wife will also attend the transfer “to pay our respects” to the three Ohio service members killed when their refueling aircraft crashed in western Iraq last week. A total six US service members died in the crash, which the US military said was “not due to hostile fire or friendly fire.”

    Earlier this month, Trump attended the dignified transfer of six US Army Reserve soldiers who were killed in an Iranian drone strike in Kuwait. He was joined by first lady Melania Trump and Vice President JD Vance as well as top military officials.

    Missiles launched from Iran toward Israel appear in the sky over Tel Aviv during an attack on Wednesday, March 18.

    Iran has vowed revenge for the killing of its top national security advisor Ali Larijani.

    Sardar Mousavi, the commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ Aerospace Force, announced a “rapid strike,” saying “tonight, the enemy’s sky will become more spectacular for you,” according to Iranian state media.

    The IRGC later said it had launched “intense” attacks against Israel “in retaliation” for Larijani’s killing.

    Commander-in-chief of Iran’s army, Maj. Gen. Amir Hatami, said Iran’s response to Larijani’s death will be “decisive and regrettable,” adding that “the blood of this exalted martyr and other esteemed martyrs will be avenged,” according to the state-affiliated Tasnim news agency.

    Maj. Gen. Ali Abdollahi, the commander of Iran’s Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, said US President Donald Trump “must wait for our surprises” and that the armed forces’ response will be “more devastating than the actions and imagination of the enemy, and this path will continue until his surrender,” Tasnim reported.

    Senior Iranian advisor, Ali Akbar Velayati, said Iran will “deliver a strong blow to the sinister face of global arrogance,” referring to the US and Israel, Tasnim reported.

    A fire burns outside the grounds of the US Embassy headquarters in Baghdad's fortified

    Drone and rocket attacks resumed around the United States Embassy in Baghdad early Wednesday morning local time, a local security official told CNN.

    The attacks caused some damage around the embassy, which is located in the fortified Green Zone in central Baghdad, according to the official.

    Security officials also told CNN that two rockets targeting the embassy were brought down.

    The embassy and other US-linked sites have faced a series of drone and rocket attacks since the US and Israel began a military campaign against Tehran nearly three weeks ago.

    In early March the embassy ordered all of its non-essential staff to leave due to security concerns.

    The US military dropped 5,000-pound guided bombs designed to penetrate targets deep underground on Iranian missile sites along the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday, US Central Command announced on X.

    “Hours ago, US forces successfully employed multiple 5,000-pound deep penetrator munitions on hardened Iranian missile sites along Iran’s coastline near the Strait of Hormuz,” CENTCOM said. “The Iranian anti-ship cruise missiles in these sites posed a risk to international shipping in the strait.”

    A US official said the munitions were the GBU-72 Advanced 5K Penetrator, a bomb released by US aircraft for the first time in 2021. The GBU-72 “was developed to overcome hardened deeply buried target challenges,” an Air Force release said in 2021. In a video posted on Facebook on 2023 from Nellis Air Force Base, airmen described the munition as “nothing like anything we have right now.”

    “This is a GPS-guided kit, instead of laser guided, so rain, shine, snow — it’ll hit target,” Air Force Staff Sgt. Zachary Schaeffer said in the 2023 video.

    The Strait of Hormuz has been effectively closed due to threats from Iran to target ships from the US, Israel and their allies. Adm. Brad Cooper, commander of CENTCOM, said Monday that the US would “continue to rapidly deplete Iran’s ability to threaten freedom of navigation in and around the Strait of Hormuz.”

    Two people were killed in an Iranian ballistic missile attack in central Israel, according to Israel’s emergency response service.

    Paramedics from Magen David Adom (MDA) arrived at the scene in the city of Ramat Gan and declared the death of a man and a woman who suffered severe shrapnel injuries. Video from MDA showed a partially destroyed building and a street covered with debris from the impact.

    CNN cameras captured what appeared to be a cluster munition in the skies over central Israel, with impact sites reported at Tel Aviv’s Savidor train station, as well as the nearby cities of Petah Tikva, Rosh HaAyin and Kafr Qasim. The video appeared to show dozens of bomblets disbursing in the sky before making impact.

    Shrapnel from the missile also hit the city of Beni Brak just north of Tel Aviv and injured one person lightly, MDA said

    Israel’s Ambassador to the United Nations Danny Danon appears on CNN on Tuesday, March 17.

    Israel’s Ambassador to the United Nations Danny Danon has said there are alternative leaders in Iran who could open the door to diplomacy.

    Asked whether Israel has identified any Iranian leaders it would be willing to negotiate with, Danon declined to name individuals but made clear such figures exist.

    But Danon added that any diplomatic path would depend on a change in leadership direction.

    “But if there will be an opening and we will see someone who is actually willing to change course, you know, we believe in diplomacy and we understand that the next stage, after we retarget this regime, will be using diplomacy and peaceful measures,” he said.

     Joe Kent, right, looks on as Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Pérez speaks during a debate on Monday, October 7, 2024, in Portland, Oregon.

    National Counterterrorism Center director Joe Kent met with Vice President JD Vance on Monday, laying out why he intended to step down from his intelligence job over concerns about the war in Iran and presenting his resignation letter, according to two White House officials and a person familiar with the matter.

    The meeting came one day before Kent posted the letter publicly to X in a remarkable public break with the White House.

    The person familiar with the meeting said Vance and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard were in the room as Kent laid out his reasoning for resigning, and the White House officials said Vance encouraged Kent to speak with Susie Wiles, Trump’s chief of staff, before formally submitting his letter.

    One of the White House officials told CNN Kent did ultimately speak with Wiles before announcing his resignation publicly.

    The meeting is notable given Gabbard, Vance and Kent all have expressed similar anti-interventionist views in the past.

    Vance’s office declined to comment. The White House pointed CNN to Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt’s statement earlier Tuesday criticizing Kent and pushing back on his assertion that there was no imminent threat that necessitated US strikes in Iran. CNN has reached out to the Office of the Director of National Intelligence for comment.

    The Washington Post first reported on the meeting between Vance and Kent.

    Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization said a “hostile projectile” struck the site of the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant in western Iran on Tuesday, but reported no casualties and no damage to the facility.

    In a statement carried by Iranian media, the organization said the country’s Nuclear Safety Center had confirmed the incident and found that it caused “no financial, technical, or human damage,” adding that “no part of the power plant was damaged.”

    The organization said the projectile struck the plant’s grounds at around 7 p.m. local time but did not say which country was behind the attack.

    “Such actions are against all international regulations on immunity of nuclear facilities from military attacks and can have irreparable consequences for the entire region, including the countries bordering the Persian Gulf,” the statement said.

    The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said Iran had informed it about the strike and that it had caused no damages or injuries.

    The nuclear watchdog said its Director General Rafael Grossi “reiterates (his) call for maximum restraint during the conflict to prevent risk of a nuclear accident.”

    CNN has reached out to the Israeli army and the US Department of Defense for comment.

    Israel said it was working to intercept a new salvo of missiles launched from Iran.

    Air raid sirens have been heard in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. CNN teams in both cities witnessed flashes in the night sky, including what appeared to be a cluster munition missile over Tel Aviv.

    Israeli fire and rescue teams were on their way to several impact sites in the greater Tel Aviv area, authorities said.

    CNN’s Cyril Theophilos, Abeer Salman and Dana Karni contributed to this report.

    The US Embassy in Baghdad came under attack for a second day in a row on Tuesday, according to Iraqi security officials.

    The renewed attacks came as the Iraqi army vowed to track down the “outlaw groups” behind the violence.

    “Once again, outlaw groups have carried out a criminal act of aggression by targeting the headquarters of the United States Embassy in the capital, Baghdad, this evening,” the Iraqi army statement said.

    “This criminal act, condemned and rejected by the state, constitutes a blatant terrorist assault on Iraq’s sovereignty and authority,” the statement added, vowing to track down “the perpetrators and bring them to justice so that they receive their fair punishment.”

    Security officials said the embassy compound was targeted by at least four projectiles, including two drones, with at least one landing in the vicinity of the compound. Earlier Tuesday, air defense systems intercepted another projectile aimed at the embassy, the officials said.

    In a separate incident, two projectiles were fired at a US diplomatic facility near Baghdad International Airport. Air defense systems were activated in response, but officials said they could not immediately provide further details on the outcome or any damage.

    The Islamic Resistance in Iraq – an umbrella group comprising several Iran-backed militias – claimed on Tuesday that it had carried out 47 attacks using dozens of drones and rockets against US-linked sites inside and outside Iraq. CNN cannot independently verify the group’s claim.

    Tehran has confirmed that its top security official Ali Larijani, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, has been killed. The council said Larijani, who had emerged as one of the most important figures in Iran in recent months, died alongside several others, including his son and security personnel.

    It comes after the Israeli military said it killed Gholamreza Soleimani in a targeted strike on Monday, saying his death was “an additional significant blow to the regime’s security command-and-control structures.”

    Catch up on the latest:

    • More strikes: Israel said on Tuesday it continued striking Hezbollah targets across Lebanon, including what it said were “weapon storage facilities, launchers and launching sites, terrorists, and structures belonging to the organization.” Also, The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it would continue to target anyone who “poses a threat to the state of Israel,” including Iran’s new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei.
    • Help from Ukraine: Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Tuesday that 200 Ukrainian air defense experts are currently in the Middle East helping to counteract Iranian drone attacks.
    • Evacuation order: A new evacuation order issued by the Israeli military has sparked an exodus of people from the coastal Lebanese city of Tyre and surrounding villages and refugee camps, with photos shared on social media showing large traffic jams of cars on roads leading out of the city.
    • Conversations out of Tehran: Tehran is in discussions with eight countries outside the Middle East over its offer to grant safe passage to oil traded in the Chinese currency, an Iranian security source told CNN.
    • A State Department order: The US State Department on Tuesday ordered all diplomatic posts to “immediately” review their security postures amid the volatile situation in the Middle East “and the potential for spill-over effects,” according to a diplomatic cable sent worldwide and seen by CNN.

    CNN’s Ivana Kottasova, Catherine Nicholls, Tala Alrajjal, Morgan Rimmer, Lauren Fox, Dana Karni, Frederik Pleitgen, Mohammed Tawfeeq, Eugenia Yosef, Tal Shalev, Dana Karni, Jennifer Hansler, Mostafa Salem, Emily R. Condon, Nadeen Ebrahim contributed reporting.

    A family riding together on a motorbike pass a building destroyed by Israeli attacks in Tyre, Lebanon, on March 17.

    A new evacuation order issued by the Israeli military has sparked an exodus of people from the coastal Lebanese city of Tyre and surrounding villages and refugee camps, with photos shared on social media showing large traffic jams of cars on roads leading out of the city.

    “Hezbollah’s terrorist activities are forcing the (Israel Defense Forces) to act against it with force. The IDF does not intend to harm you,” the IDF’s spokesperson Col. Avichay Adraee said in a post on X.

    Israel issued an evacuation warning for Tyre last week, but some residents of Lebanon’s fourth largest city defied the orders and stayed.

    • Source: CNN ” data-fave-thumbnails=”{“big”: { “uri”: “https://media.cnn.com/api/v1/images/stellar/prod/larj.jpg?c=16×9&q=h_540,w_960,c_fill” }, “small”: { “uri”: “https://media.cnn.com/api/v1/images/stellar/prod/larj.jpg?c=16×9&q=h_540,w_960,c_fill” } }” data-vr-video=”false” data-show-html=”” data-byline-html=”

    ” data-timestamp-html=”

    Updated 12:20 AM EDT, Wed March 18, 2026

    ” data-check-event-based-preview data-is-vertical-video-embed=”false” data-network-id data-publish-date=”2026-03-17T22:08:32.504Z” data-video-section=”world” data-canonical-url data-branding-key data-video-slug=”top-security-official-ali-larijani-state-tv-iran-latam-intl” data-first-publish-slug=”top-security-official-ali-larijani-state-tv-iran-latam-intl” data-video-tags data-breakpoints=”{“video-resource–media-extra-large”: 660}” data-display-video-cover=”true” data-details>

    Iranian state TV announces the death of top security official Ali Larijani

    00:51 • Source: CNN

    Iranian state TV announces the death of top security official Ali Larijani

    00:51

    Tehran has confirmed that its top security official Ali Larijani, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, has been killed.

    The Supreme National Security Council of Iran announced the death of Larijani in a statement early Wednesday local time, describing him as having been killed and “martyred” following a lifetime of public service.

    It comes after Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said Larijani had been “eliminated” Monday night.

    The council said Larijani, who had emerged as one of the most important figures in Iran in recent months, died alongside several others, including his son and security personnel.

    The statement praised Larijani’s long political career, describing him as a figure who “until the very last moments of his life” worked toward the advancement of Iran and called for unity in the face of external threats.

    Earlier Tuesday, Iran also confirmed the head of its Basij paramilitary force, Gholamreza Soleimani, had been killed in what it called “a terrorist attack by the American-Zionist enemy.”

    Funerals for both Larijani and Soleimani will be held on Wednesday, according to Iran’s semi-official Mehr news agency.

    Iran’s Fars news agency said President Masoud Pezeshkian expressed “deep sorrow and regret” at Larijani’s death.

    “I saw nothing from him but benevolence, insight, companionship, and foresight,” Fars quoted him as saying. “Undoubtedly, it is very difficult to compensate for this loss.”

    Director of the National Counterterrorism Center Joseph Kent testifies before the House Committee on Homeland Security in the Cannon House Office Building on December 11, 2025 in Washington, DC.

    Joe Kent’s resignation as director of the National Counterterrorism Center over the Iran war has split key voices in the MAGA movement.

    Candace Owens and Megyn Kelly, two right-wing media figures who have broken with President Donald Trump on issues in recent months, posted in support of Kent’s move.

    Owens took to X to say that Kent is “an American hero, patriot and veteran” while “Trump is a shameful President” in a post that also attacked Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Kelly, for her part, reposted Kent’s resignation announcement and at least three other posts highlighting his military and career achievements and that he is a Gold Star husband.

    But just as polls show most Republicans still back Trump on the war, other MAGA media figures are siding with the White House against Kent.

    Conservative host Ben Shapiro used his show to call Kent’s claims that the war started because of Israeli pressure “conspiracy trash.”

    Mark Levin, meanwhile, posted over a dozen times on Tuesday on the topic, accusing Kent of “backstabbing” the administration and mocking media coverage of his resignation. “Sorry if I don’t praise and thank him. He deserves widespread condemnation,” Levin wrote.

    The United Arab Emirates is open to playing a part if there is an international effort to safeguard maritime security in the Strait of Hormuz, a senior official from the country has said.

    Speaking at the Council on Foreign Relations on Tuesday, Anwar Gargash, diplomatic adviser to the UAE president, said Abu Dhabi was focused on avoiding further escalation but remained open to contributing to efforts aimed at ensuring safe navigation through the strategic waterway.

    It comes after a string of American allies balked at a request by US President Donald Trump to send warships to help transport oil through the strait, through which a fifth of the world’s oil ordinarily travels.

    Gargash described the strait as an international passage vital to global trade and energy flows, and said responsibility for its security extended beyond regional states.

    Responding to a question about the UAE’s potential role, he said any contribution would likely form part of a broader international initiative, potentially led by the United States, that should involve countries from Asia, Europe, and the wider region.

    “I don’t see any sort of formal structure plan right now, but the UAE’s thinking is that this is an international waterway … The idea of holding the world hostage, whether on issues of trade or issues on energy, is something that is deplorable, and we all need to move in unison to address that,” Gargash said.

    “So if that is ready, the UAE’s thinking is that rightfully it will be part of any construct in order to achieve that,” he added.

    Gargash said discussions on a collective plan were ongoing.

    US embassy personnel inspect the damage caused by a bombing in Baghdad, Saturday, March 14.

    The US State Department on Tuesday ordered all diplomatic posts to “immediately” review their security postures amid the volatile situation in the Middle East “and the potential for spill-over effects,” according to a diplomatic cable sent worldwide and seen by CNN.

    The directive comes as diplomatic facilities throughout the Middle East have faced retaliation from Iran. The State Department reduced its diplomatic footprint at most of those embassies after the war began. Other US diplomatic posts, including in Canada and Norway, have been targeted following the start of US and Israeli military action against Iran.

    “Given the ongoing and developing situation in the Middle East and the potential for spill-over effects, Under Secretary for Management Jason Evans (M) reiterates the need for continued vigilance and is instructing ALL posts worldwide to immediately convene an EAC to review posts’ security posture,” the cable said. An EAC, or Emergency Action Committee, is responsible for crisis planning and management at each diplomatic post.

    According to the cable, diplomatic posts are to report back that they held the EAC meeting and that “all available threat information” was reviewed.

    The Washington Post first reported on the cable.

    A State Department spokesperson would not comment on the cable itself but said that “every embassy in the region conducted Emergency Action Committees (EACs) that included interagency representatives before Operation Epic Fury began.”

    “We have continually conducted EACs throughout this period,” the spokesperson added.

    “While we do not discuss specific security measures or threat assessments, the Department of State regularly directs its diplomatic posts to convene Emergency Action Committees as part of our ongoing commitment to the safety and security of U.S. personnel and facilities,” they said.

  • Trump administration defends Anthropic blacklisting in US court – Al Jazeera

    Trump administration defends Anthropic blacklisting in US court – Al Jazeera

    The US defence secretary designated the AI company a ‘supply chain risk’ after it refused to remove guardrails on its technology.

    The administration of United States President Donald Trump has said in a court filing that the Pentagon’s blacklisting of Anthropic was justified and lawful, opposing the artificial intelligence company’s high-stakes lawsuit challenging the decision.

    The administration made its comments in a court filing on Tuesday.

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    Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth designated Anthropic, the maker of popular AI assistant Claude, a national security supply chain risk on March 3 after the company refused to remove guardrails against its technology being used for autonomous weapons and domestic surveillance.

    The Trump administration’s filing says Anthropic is unlikely to succeed in its claims that the US government’s action violated speech protections under the US Constitution’s First Amendment, asserting that the dispute stems from contract negotiations and national security concerns, not retaliation.

    “It was only when Anthropic refused to release the restrictions on the use of its products — which refusal is conduct, not protected speech — that the President directed all federal agencies to terminate their business relationships with Anthropic,” the administration’s legal filing said. The filing, from the US Justice Department, said that “no one has purported to restrict Anthropic’s expressive activity”.

    Anthropic’s lawsuit in California federal court asks a judge to block the Pentagon’s decision while the case plays out. Some legal experts say the company appears to have a strong case that the government overreached.

    In a statement, Anthropic said it was reviewing the government’s filing. The company said that “seeking judicial review does not change our longstanding commitment to harnessing AI to protect our national security, but this is a necessary step to protect our business, our customers, and our partners.”

    The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

    Supply chain risk

    Trump has backed Hegseth’s move, which excludes Anthropic from a limited set of military contracts. But it could damage the company’s reputation and cause billions of dollars in losses this year, according to its executives.

    The designation came after months of negotiations between the Pentagon and Anthropic reached an impasse, prompting Trump and Hegseth to denounce the company and accuse it of endangering American lives with its use restrictions.

    Anthropic has disputed those claims and said AI is not yet safe enough to be used in autonomous weapons. The company said it opposes domestic surveillance as a matter of principle.

    In its March 9 lawsuit, Anthropic said that the “unprecedented and unlawful” designation violated its free speech and due process rights, while running afoul of a law requiring federal agencies to follow specific procedures when making decisions.

    The Pentagon separately designated Anthropic a supply chain risk under a different law that could expand the order to the entire government.

    Anthropic is challenging that move in a second lawsuit in a Washington, DC, appeals court.

  • Trump clash with UK over Iran puts King Charles’ US visit at risk – CNN

    Trump clash with UK over Iran puts King Charles’ US visit at risk – CNN

    London  — 

    British Prime Minister Keir Starmer – buttoned-up, lawyerly, reserved – is not a man prone to effusiveness. But when he sat next to US President Donald Trump in the Oval Office last February, he began to speak like his host.

    “This is really special,” said Starmer, as he brandished a letter from King Charles III inviting Trump for a second state visit to Britain. “This has never happened before. This is unprecedented… This is truly historic – an unprecedented second state visit.”

    Starmer’s uncharacteristic gushing showed how his government planned to handle the US president in his second term: play to his penchant for flattery and royalty, and hope to reap rewards – from a lower tariff rate than that slapped on the European Union, to continued US support for Ukraine.

    For some time, that strategy has proven rather effective. But now it appears to have faltered. Although Trump has berated all America’s allies for their reluctance to assist the United States militarily in its war with Iran, he has singled out Starmer with vitriol. “This is not Winston Churchill we’re dealing with,” Trump said on March 3. On Monday, he suggested Britain was no longer “the Rolls-Royce of allies.”

    Given the venom of Trump’s broadsides against Britain, a growing number of lawmakers are questioning whether it would be wise for Charles to visit the US this spring. Although the state visit has not been confirmed, the king has widely been expected to travel to Washington, DC, in April, to celebrate the 250th anniversary of US independence.

    “The last thing that we want to do is have His Majesty… embarrassed,” Emily Thornberry, a Labour member of parliament, said Tuesday. “I think it needs to be thought through very carefully as to whether or not it’s appropriate to go ahead now.”

    “I suspect it would be safer to delay it,” Thornberry said on the BBC’s flagship morning radio program.

    Trump’s feud with Starmer began when Britain initially refused the president’s request to use its military bases in support of the war with Iran, which Starmer understood to be illegal.

    Starmer did, however, join the defense against Iran’s retaliation after British military assets in the Middle East came under attack.

    Since then, Trump has both mocked Starmer’s apparent offers to help and berated him for not doing more.

    Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Trump signed a

    On March 7, when Trump claimed that Britain was “finally giving thought to sending two aircraft carriers to the Middle East,” he told Starmer not to bother. “We don’t need people that join Wars after we’ve already won!”

    On Monday, after Britain and others balked at Trump’s appeal to help secure the Strait of Hormuz, Trump said London’s reluctance to send warships to de-mine the waterway was “terrible.”

    The US president claimed that when he asked Starmer to send assets to help reopen the strait, the prime minister said he would need to discuss the options with his team. Trump said he replied: “You don’t have to worry about a team… you’re the prime minister; you can make a decision… It’s very disappointing.”

    Trump’s disparagement of Starmer has shown the limits of Britain’s strategy of flattery, according to Peter Westmacott, who served as the British ambassador to Washington from 2012 to 2016.

    “Starmer has spent 18 months trying to manage the relationship by not rising to the bait and dealing in private,” Westmacott told CNN. “He doesn’t have a huge ego himself… He tries to use calm and reason and arguments that will appeal to Trump. But it clearly doesn’t always work, and you never know what he will say the next day.”

    Despite his growing rift with Starmer, Trump signaled this week that he is soon expecting to receive King Charles for a state visit. At a news conference at the White House on Monday, Trump said once his “magnificent ballroom” was built, it would be used during visits from foreign heads of state.

    “We have, as an example, the King of the UK – I would say King of England – who is a great guy. He’s coming in very soon,” Trump said.

    The next day at a bilateral Oval Office meeting with Irish Taoiseach Micheál Martin, Trump told reporters that Charles would visit “very shortly.”

    Trump’s unpredictability could affect the British government’s decision on whether to recommend the king press ahead with his state visit. While Downing Street will not want to risk subjecting the monarch to Trump’s frequent rants against Britain, neither will it want to risk angering the president by abandoning the plan.

    Still, said Westmacott, “there could be a moment when the government decides that the risks of going ahead are greater than the risk of causing offense to Donald Trump.” That latter risk would be reduced, he added, “if the two governments were agreed that it made sense to postpone.”

    Asked Tuesday whether the British monarch’s state visit should go ahead, a Downing Street spokesperson declined to discuss future royal engagements and stressed that the details of the visit “haven’t yet been confirmed.”

    Although Starmer has faced criticism both abroad and at home for his perceived abundance of caution over British support for the US war against Iran, many of his domestic opponents have since reversed their positions.

    Nigel Farage, the leader of the upstart Reform UK party and an ally of Trump, initially said: “The gloves need to come off. We need to accept that we’re part of this, with the Americans, with the Israelis.” But after realizing that Trump’s war is intensely unpopular, Farage has since said Britain should not get involved “in another foreign war.”

    Kemi Badenoch, the leader of the opposition Conservative Party, also at first supported joining the US-Israeli offensive. She, too, has since backtracked – and even defended the prime minister from Trump’s attacks.

    “I’m Keir Starmer’s biggest critic. He’s done a lot of things wrong,” Badenoch said Tuesday. “But I also think the words that were coming out of the White House were wrong. It’s very childish, this war of words and these spats. They might think that they’re entertaining, but… it’s just unseemly.”