war

Israel unleashed another barrage on Tehran this morning, hours after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared Iran was being "decimated," even as fresh attacks rattled Gulf states. The Iranian capital, pummeled on an almost daily basis since a joint U.S.-Israeli operation ignited the war on 28 February, was struck in raids the Israeli military said were "targeting infrastructure of the Iranian terror regime". The strikes followed Mr Netanyahu’s assertion that the conflict, approaching its fourth week, had wiped out the…

Katya AdlerEurope EditorThursday March 19, 2026 Turbulence in the Middle East has sent a fresh shudder through Europe’s energy system, stirring memories of past shocks that rattled the European Union. Seven months after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the President of the European Commission rose in the European Parliament to charge Moscow with distorting the EU’s energy market. "They prefer to flare the gas than to deliver it," proclaimed Ursula von der Leyen, as spiralling energy…

Wednesday March 18, 2026 Iran confirmed Tuesday that Ali Larijani — a senior security power broker and a pillar of conservative politics within the Islamic Republic — was killed in an Israeli strike. He was 67. After U.S. and Israeli strikes late last month that killed Iran’s supreme leader and broadened the conflict, Larijani was widely viewed as the de facto manager of state affairs. Israel announced earlier Tuesday that it had killed Larijani; Tehran waited several hours before acknowledging his death. He had been tapped…

WFP warns Middle East war could push 45 million into hunger The U.N. World Food Programme warned that if the Middle East war continues through June, price shocks could push an additional 45 million people into acute hunger. By Ali MusaWellness Desk – Health & Nutrition Monitoring. Carl Skau, deputy executive director of the World Food Programme (WFP), said the outlook was dire as the agency contends with rising costs and disrupted supply chains. He delivered the warning at a press conference in Geneva. “If the Middle…

US has spent $12bn on Iran war, White House economic chief says, as Pentagon signals escalation Kevin Hassett gives latest cost since Feb. 28 joint US-Israel strikes; Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth says bombing of Iran is “about to surge dramatically” Standfirst: The Trump administration faces growing questions over the war’s price tag and purpose. Markets remain on edge over possible Strait of Hormuz disruptions, while Senate Democrats warn of “mission creep.” The United States has spent $12bn on its war against Iran since…

European Union energy ministers will meet today to weigh options for curbing energy costs, as Brussels drafts emergency plans to blunt the impact of surging oil and gas prices triggered by the Iran war and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. The European Commission is preparing a package to shield households and businesses from soaring bills, according to EU officials familiar with the talks. Measures under consideration include targeted state support for energy-intensive industries, temporary cuts to national taxes and…

U.S. strikes hit Iran’s Kharg Island, hub for 90% of its oil exports, raising risk to global crude flows U.S. forces carried out large-scale precision strikes overnight on Kharg Island, the Gulf outpost that handles almost all of Iran’s crude exports, hitting more than 90 military targets, according to U.S. Central Command and President Donald Trump. Kharg, a 20-square-kilometer island about 30 kilometers off Iran’s mainland and roughly 500 kilometers northwest of the Strait of Hormuz, hosts the country’s largest oil…

To produce a publish-ready article at AP standards, please provide the raw source material for “As it happened: Strikes hit Tehran as war continues.” You can paste transcripts, wire copy, official statements, field notes, or bullet-pointed updates. Include time stamps and attribution for each key fact so I can verify chronology and sources. Essential details needed: • Exact date and local time of the strikes in Tehran; specify time zone. • Locations/neighborhoods or strategic sites affected; any satellite or on-the-ground…

Erdogan vows to keep Turkey out of regional war as Ankara says it intercepted Iranian missile ANKARA, Turkey — President Recep Tayyip Erdogan pledged Friday that Turkey will not be drawn into the escalating conflict between a U.S.-Israeli alliance and Iran, even as Ankara said it intercepted another Iranian missile that entered Turkish airspace. Speaking at a Ramadan fast-breaking dinner, Erdogan disclosed that Turkish defense systems had downed a third Iranian ballistic missile crossing into the country’s airspace. He said…

Fire aboard USS Gerald R. Ford injures two; carrier remains operational in Red Sea RED SEA — Two U.S. sailors sustained non-life-threatening injuries after a fire broke out Thursday aboard the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford, the U.S. Navy said, adding the ship remains fully mission capable as it continues operations in the Red Sea. In a statement, the Navy said the blaze started and was contained in the Ford’s main laundry facility and was not combat-related. The sailors were treated and are in stable condition. “There…