Trump calls Strait of Hormuz 'something that we don't need'

Trump told reporters that he is talking to countries about policing the Strait.

ByKevin Shalvey, Meredith Deliso, Jon Haworth, and Nadine El-Bawab
Last Updated: March 15, 2026, 9:09 PM EDT

President Donald Trump announced "major combat operations" against Iran on Feb. 28, with massive joint U.S.-Israel strikes attack targeting military and government sites, officials said.

Iranian state television confirmed that Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was among those killed in Tehran on the first day of strikes. His son Mojtaba Khamenei was chosen on Sunday to succeed him.

Iran is responding to the operation with missile and drone attacks targeting Israel, regional U.S. bases and multiple Gulf nations. Israel is also intensifying its long-running strike campaign against the Iran-backed Hezbollah militia in Lebanon.

(Read previous Iran live updates here.)

Watch special coverage on Nightline, "War with Iran," each night on ABC and streaming on Disney+ and Hulu.

Key Headlines

Here's how the news is developing.
Mar 11, 2026, 4:58 PM EDT

Conflict sees significant escalation between Hezbollah, Israel

The ongoing fire between Israel and Hezbollah ramped up significantly Wednesday night.

Hezbollah announced a new operation, notably called al-Asf al-Makool, named in reference to a verse in the Quran that talks about an enemy army defeated by divine intervention.

Dozens of Hezbollah rockets were subsequently fired south, and Israel is responding with its most intense bombardment of the Beirut suburb of Dahyeh since those strikes started nearly a week ago, according to the IDF.

The Israel Defense Forces also issued a new evacuation order from the Israeli military for Dahyeh and ramped up airstrikes across the south in Lebanon.

-ABC News' Ghazi Balkiz, Brandon Baur and Matt Rivers

Mar 11, 2026, 4:50 PM EDT

State Dept scaling down charter flight, ground transport options from the Middle East

The State Department said it would begin scaling down charter flight and ground transport options to help regular American citizens leave the Middle East due to dwindling demand.

Consular officers have reached nearly 9,000 Americans in the UAE about charter flights, but flights departing the country on Wednesday still left with some empty seats, Assistant Secretary for Global Public Affairs Dylan Johnson said in a statement.

More than three dozen of these flights had been carried out, safely transporting thousands from the region, Johnson said.


-ABC News' Shannon K. Kingston

Mar 11, 2026, 4:04 PM EDT

Fire at Abu Dhabi International Airport under control, UAE says

A fire that broke out at Abu Dhabi International Airport after debris fell due to an air defense interception is now under control, according to UAE officials.

The UAE said earlier that it was intercepting missile attacks and incoming drones originating from Iran on Wednesday.

Mar 11, 2026, 3:47 PM EDT

State Department warns Iran could target US oil, energy infrastructure in Iraq

Iran and its proxy groups "may be planning to target U.S.-owned oil and energy infrastructure in Iraq," the U.S. State Department warned Wednesday.

Other critical energy sites in the country have already been hit during the course of the conflict. Iraq's crude oil production has already dramatically dropped in recent days, according the Iraqi Oil Ministry.

"Iran-aligned terrorist militias have also targeted hotels frequented by Americans throughout Iraq, including the Iraqi Kurdistan Region," the State Department said.

-ABC News' Shannon K. Kingston

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