Israeli safety forces and rescue groups examine the crater left by an Iranian missile in Arad, southern Israel, Sunday, March 22, 2026.
Ohad Zwigenberg/AP
disguise caption
toggle caption
Ohad Zwigenberg/AP
After warning of retaliatory assaults on U.S. and Israeli infrastructure, Iran on Saturday night time launched missiles at two southern Israeli cities that lie near the nation’s foremost nuclear analysis middle.
The Israel Protection Forces stated about 180 individuals had been injured, some severely. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu referred to as it “a really tough night” for the nation, in a publish on X.
Additionally in a single day, President Trump gave Iran 48 hours to reopen an important waterway, the Strait of Hormuz, saying if Tehran fails to take action “America will hit and obliterate their numerous POWER PLANTS, STARTING WITH THE BIGGEST ONE FIRST!” Roughly a fifth of the world’s oil transited by the strait final 12 months — and Iran’s willingness to assault the transport vessels has just about halted visitors.
The president has vacillated in current days between saying the battle is “winding down,” whereas additionally deciding to stage new U.S. floor forces close to the area and persevering with to strike Iranian targets.
On Sunday, the speaker of the Iranian parliament stated in a publish on X that if the US and Israel goal his nation’s energy crops, Iran will deem very important infrastructure websites throughout the Gulf area as respectable targets.
Earlier, Iran stated the Strait of Hormuz stays open to everybody besides “Iran’s enemies.”
Listed here are extra updates on day 23 of the battle:
Iran assaults close to Israeli nuclear facility
Dimona and Arad in southern Israel had been hit by Iranian missiles Saturday night time, in assaults Iranian media reported had been aimed on the nation’s foremost nuclear analysis middle.
Authorities refuse to verify or deny Israel has nuclear weapons.
The Iranian missiles managed to get previous Israel’s subtle air protection methods and pictures from the websites of the strikes confirmed giant craters and destroyed buildings.
Israel’s Ministry of Well being stated within the metropolis of Arad round 116 individuals had been injured, whereas in Dimona 64 had been injured.
Nuclear watchdog the Worldwide Atomic Power Company stated it had not “obtained any indication of injury to the nuclear analysis middle Negev” in Dimona. Nevertheless, the physique’s Director Basic Rafael Mariano Grossi careworn that “most army restraint must be noticed, specifically within the neighborhood of nuclear amenities.”
The assaults got here shortly after Iran vowed to go after U.S. and Israeli infrastructure if its amenities got here beneath assault. Final week, Israel attacked Iran’s nuclear website at Natanz.
Iran’s state-affiliated Tasnim information company confirmed the missile assaults on Arad and Dimona had been in retaliation for the assault on Natanz.
Trump amps up threats over Strait of Hormuz
President Trump stated in a publish on Reality Social Saturday night time that he would “obliterate” Iran’s energy crops if the nation does not open the Strait of Hormuz.
He demanded Iran open the strait in 48 hours — or by Monday night.
Because the battle with Iran enters its fourth week the strait stays successfully shut. Iran continues to hit ships and tankers making an attempt to go by, and the value of oil has risen significantly.
The Trump administration requested allies to ship warships to guard tankers — however different international locations had been unwilling to take part.
Iran says it is just stopping “enemy” international locations from passing by.
“Diplomacy stays Iran’s precedence. Nevertheless, an entire cessation of aggression in addition to mutual belief and confidence are extra necessary,” stated Iran’s consultant to the UN’s Worldwide Maritime Company Ali Mousavi, in accordance with the semi-official Mehr information company.
He added that Israeli and US assaults in opposition to Iran had been on the “root of the present scenario within the Strait of Hormuz.”
Gulf continues to be hit by battle fallout
Within the Gulf, Saudi Arabia stated it had intercepted certainly one of three Iranian missiles fired at it in a single day and the United Arab Emirates stated it was responding to Iranian drones and missiles.
Talking from Saudi Arabia the place leaders from Arab and Muslim international locations are assembly, Turkey’s overseas minister warned the Gulf could also be pressured to retaliate in opposition to Iran. To date, Gulf international locations have expelled Iranian diplomats however not intervened militarily within the battle.
“In gentle of Iran’s persevering with flagrant assaults in opposition to Saudi Arabia, the dominion has knowledgeable the army attache, his deputy and three different members of Iran’s embassy in Riyadh that they’re thought-about persona non grata and will depart the dominion inside 24 hours,” Riyadh stated in a press release.
Individually, Qatar’s Ministry of Inside introduced a army helicopter had crashed in territorial waters and 6 of the seven on board had been discovered lifeless. It didn’t give the reason for the crash.
An Iranian worshipper prays throughout a ceremony to carry out Eid al-Fitr prayers marking the tip of the holy fasting month of Ramadan whereas holding a toddler on the Imam Khomeini Grand Mosque in Tehran, Iran, Saturday, March 21, 2026.
Vahid Salemi/AP
disguise caption
toggle caption
Vahid Salemi/AP
US-Israel strikes proceed to pummel Iran
The Israel Protection Forces continued to strike Iran in a single day, the place authorities say greater than 1,300 civilians have been killed because the begin of the battle.
Iran’s web blackout additionally entered its fourth week, in accordance with monitoring group NetBlocks, which stated: “the measure provides to the wartime misery of tens of millions of civilians who lack impartial sources of knowledge and alerts.”
Israel additionally carried on with its bombardment of Lebanon and its capital Beirut with strikes.
Admiral Brad Cooper of U.S. Central Command stated the U.S. had up to now struck over 8,000 army targets up to now within the battle, together with 130 Iranian vessels, in what he referred to as “the most important elimination of a navy over a three-week interval since World Warfare II.
“My operation evaluation continues to be that Iran’s fight functionality is on a gradual decline,” he stated.
G7 international locations name for protected passage in Strait of Hormuz
Final week, Iran unsuccessfully tried to strike airbase Diego Garcia, a joint U.S.-U.Ok. outpost within the Indian Ocean.
On Saturday, the international locations of the G7 — Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the UK and the USA of America — launched a press release condemning Iran’s assaults on its regional neighbors within the Gulf.
“We reaffirm the significance of safeguarding maritime routes, and security of navigation, together with within the Strait of Hormuz and all related vital waterways, in addition to the protection and safety of provide chains and the soundness of vitality markets,” the assertion stated.
Japan, in the meantime, stated Sunday it might ship demining specialists to the Strait of Hormuz if a ceasefire is reached.
Carrie Kahn in Tel Aviv, and Emily Feng in Istanbul, Julia Simon in Los Angeles and Kate Bartlett in Johannesburg contributed to this report.
