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.
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was among those killed in Tehran on the first day of strikes and his son Mojtaba Khamenei was chosen to succeed him. Iran is responding with missile and drone attacks targeting Israel, regional U.S. bases and multiple Gulf nations. Iran is also attempting to block some shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz.
Israel is also intensifying its long-running strike campaign against the Iran-backed Hezbollah militia in Lebanon.
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Iran’s internet shutdown surpasses January record, tracker says
The near-total internet blackout in Iran entered its 20th day on Thursday morning, according to NetBlocks, an internet monitor.
"The incident is now the longest recorded shutdown in Iran's history, surpassing the blackout imposed during protests in January," NetBlocks said on social media.
Mar 19, 2026, 3:01 AM EDT
Vessel hit by 'unknown' projectile near Qatari coast, monitor says
A vessel was struck by an "unknown" projectile about 4 nautical miles east off the coast of Ras Laffan, Qatar, the U.K. Maritime Trade Operations Center said in a warning posted early on Thursday.
"All crew are reported safe and well," according to the UKMTO, a marine monitoring organization that works with merchant shipping and military forces in the region.
Iran on Wednesday had launched retaliatory strikes that included the targeting of a liquified natural gas terminal in Ras Laffan, an industrial hub on the Persian Gulf.
A picture of Qatar Energy's operating facilities on March 3, 2026 in Ras Laffan Industrial City, Qatar. Qatar Energy announced a complete halt to liquefied natural gas (LNG) production at its Ras Laffan and Mesaieed facilities on March 2, 2026, after Iranian attacks targeted energy facilities.
Getty Images
The UKMTO warning, which was tagged as "suspicious activity," came several hours after the UKMTO said another vessel was similarly struck about 11 nautical miles east of Khawr Fakken, the United Arab Emirates, causing a fire onboard.
The UKMTO did not publish details about either of the ships struck overnight. It was not immediately clear what type of projectile had struck either vessel.
"Since the start of the hostilities on 28 February, more than twenty incidents involving commercial vessels and offshore infrastructure have been reported across the Arabian Gulf, Strait of Hormuz, and Gulf of Oman," the UKMTO said in an advisory note published on Wednesday.
As the U.S. and Israel have struck Iran this month, Tehran has vowed to close the Strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping channel off its southern coast, to most ships. Iranian officials have claimed to have launched attacks on several ships traveling in or near the strait.
"The incidents involve a wide range of vessel types and flag states, with no consistent pattern of Western ownership linkage," the UKMTO said on Wednesday, "suggesting that the current strike patter reflects a campaign aimed at broad maritime disruption rather than selective vessel targeting."
Mar 18, 2026, 11:07 PM EDT
Trump says Israel will not attack Iranian gas field again unless Iran attacks Qatar
President Donald Trump in a social media post late Wednesday night, called for Israel to not attack the South Pars Gas Field unless Iran again attacks Qatar's liquefied national gas facilities.
“NO MORE ATTACKS WILL BE MADE BY ISRAEL pertaining to this extremely important and valuable South Pars Field unless Iran unwisely decides to attack a very innocent, in this case, Qatar,” Trump said.
Trump said if Iran does so, the U.S. will respond and “massively blow up” the South Pars gas field.
"I do not want to authorize this level of violence and destruction because of the long term implications that it will have on the future of Iran, but if Qatar’s LNG is again attacked, I will not hesitate to do so," Trump said in the post.
Trump began his post saying the U.S. was not made aware in advance of Israel’s attack on South Pars on Wednesday, an escalation in the conflict.
Trump also claimed that Qatar was also not aware Israel would strike the Iranian gas field.
“The United States knew nothing about this particular attack, and the country of Qatar was in no way, shape, or form, involved with it, nor did it have any idea that it was going to happen,” Trump wrote.
Iranian state media said Wednesday that Israel attacked Iran’s South Pars Gas Field, one of the nation’s largest gas resources and a key lifeline for Iran.
Mar 18, 2026, 8:06 PM EDT
Iran war powers resolution once again fails in the Senate
The Senate once again rejected an Iran war powers resolution, the second the chamber has considered this month.
The resolution would direct the removal of United States Armed Forces from hostilities within or against Iran that have not been authorized by Congress. Because the resolution was privileged, it only would have needed the support of 51 senators to advance. Still, the resolution was blocked by a vote of 47-53.
Sen. John Fetterman was the only Democrat to vote against the resolution. Sen. Rand Paul was the only Republican to vote for it.