03/18/2026March 18, 2026Saudi Arabia hosts foreign ministers’ meeting to discuss regional security, stability
Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Ministry has said the kingdom is hosting a consultative meeting of foreign ministers from a number of Arab and Islamic countries in Riyadh on Wednesday.
Those attending plan to discuss ways to support regional security and stability amid the Iran war, the ministry said.
Reuters news agency cited a diplomatic source from Turkey as saying that representatives from Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Pakistan, Qatar, Syria, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates would take part.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan is planning to travel on to other countries in the region after his trip to Riyadh on Wednesday. Reuters reported that Fidan would underline the need for a negotiated and peaceful end to the war, which if continued risks lasting damage to ties between countries in the region.
NATO member Turkey had offered its services as a mediator between the US and Iran prior to the start of bombardment at the end of February. It has condemned US and Israeli attacks as a violation of international law but also criticized Iran’s attacks on Gulf states as unacceptable since the war broke out.
https://p.dw.com/p/5Ac8T
Skip next section Swedish citizen executed in Iran, Sweden’s foreign minister says
03/18/2026March 18, 2026Swedish citizen executed in Iran, Sweden’s foreign minister says
A Swedish citizen was executed in Iran on Wednesday, Sweden’s Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard said in a statement.
“The death penalty is an inhumane, cruel and irreversible punishment. Sweden, together with the rest of the EU, condemns its application in all circumstances,” she said.
She said that the person, whom she did not name, was arrested in Iran in June last year while Iran and Israel were engaged in a 12-day war.
Sweden had repeatedly raised the case with Iranian officials, Stenergard said, adding that the legal proceedings leading up to the execution did not meet the standards of due process.
Also on Wednesday, Iranian authorities announced the execution of a man convicted of spying for Israeli intelligence. It is unclear whether it is the same case as that mentioned by the Swedish minister.
Iran has one of the highest rates of execution in the world, with more than 1,000 people executed in the country last year.
https://p.dw.com/p/5AcIR
Skip next section Ukraine’s Zelenskyy: Putin is hoping for long war in Iran
03/18/2026March 18, 2026Ukraine’s Zelenskyy: Putin is hoping for long war in Iran
Zelenskyy also spoke to some members of the House of Commons during his trip to LondonImage: Jonathan Brady/AP Photo/picture alliance
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said that the war in Iran is benefiting Russian President Vladimir Putin, saying that his counterpart in Moscow was probably hoping the conflict would drag on.
He cited several reasons for this evaluation.
“For Putin, a long war in Iran is a plus,” Zelenskyy said in an interview with the BBC. “In addition to energy prices, it means the depletion of US reserves, and the depletion of air defense manufacturers. So we [Ukraine] have a depletion of resources.”
Zelenskyy said there would “definitely” be a deficit of Patriot missiles and this would pose a “challenge” for Kyiv.
“America produces 60-65 missiles per month,” he said. “Imagine, 65 missiles per month is about 700-800 missiles per year. And on the first day in the Middle East war, 803 missiles were used.”
Zelenskyy said the war in Iran was the “one reason” why negotiations between Russia and Ukraine brokered by the US and others were “constantly postponed” at present.
Zelenskyy was in London for talks with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer also attended by NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte on Tuesday, before moving on to Madrid on Wednesday.
The Ukrainian president also told the BBC he would welcome a meeting between Starmer and US President Donald Trump, following recent tension between the pair over the bombardment of Iran, “so that they have a common position.”
https://p.dw.com/p/5Ac5J
Skip next section Iran women’s team heads home via eastern Turkey03/18/2026March 18, 2026Iran women’s team heads home via eastern TurkeyHuman rights groups have warned that the players could face punishment or have their families targeted if they do not return to IranImage: Ali Ihsan Ozturk/AFP
The Iranian women’s national soccer team has arrived in eastern Turkey and is heading toward the Iranian border, where they are expected to continue home overland.
Among the group were several players who withdrew their asylum bids in Australia after their silent protest at the Asian Cup drew international attention and fears of reprisals.
The squad landed at Istanbul Airport Tuesday night and continued to the eastern town of Igdir. From there, they are en route to the Gurbulak‑Bazargan crossing.
The crossing lies nearly 900 kilometers (550 miles) from Tehran. Iranian airspace remains closed due to the ongoing war.
https://p.dw.com/p/5Abos
03/18/2026March 18, 2026Germany’s Wadephul: Regime change is ‘desirable’ in Iran but it must come from within
Barrot attended the German cabinet meeting in Berlin on Wednesday as a guestImage: Maryam Majd/Getty Images
German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul, during a press conference with his French counterpart Jean-Noel Barrot in Berlin, said regime change is “desirable” in Iran.
“Given the brutality and ruthlessness of this regime, it is desirable that regime change occur,” Wadephul said.
“I just believe that this has to develop from within the country, and fortunately there are positive attempts at this,” the foreign minister said.
https://p.dw.com/p/5AbyG
Skip next section Natural gas facilities attacked in south — Iranian state media
03/18/2026March 18, 2026Natural gas facilities attacked in south — Iranian state media
Asaluyeh, seen here in 2019, is home to several natural gas refineries and other facilitiesImage: Vahid Salemi/AP/picture alliance
Facilities linked with Iran’s huge offshore South Pars natural gas field came under attack on Wednesday, Iranian state media reported, without giving details on who had carried out the assault.
State television and the state-run IRNA news agency reported that facilities at Asaluyeh in southern Bushehr province were targeted.
The offshore gas field is shared with Qatar, which Tehran has repeatedly attacked as it carries out strikes in several Gulf countries in response to the US-Israeli offensive.
Although it was not clear whether the attack on the gas facilities was by the US or Israel, the former has been operating mainly in southern Iran.
https://p.dw.com/p/5AbyM
Skip next section Russia’s Kremlin condemns killing of Iranian leaders
03/18/2026March 18, 2026Russia’s Kremlin condemns killing of Iranian leaders
The Kremlin has condemned the killing of top Iranian officials in US-Israeli airstrikes, a day after Iran confirmed the death of security chief Ali Larijani in an attack in Tehran.
“We unequivocally condemn any actions aimed at harming the health of, or indeed murdering or eliminating, members of the leadership of sovereign and independent Iran, as well as those of other countries,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.
” We condemn such actions,” Peskov added.
A number of Iranian leaders and military commanders, including the country’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, have been killed in strikes by US or Israeli forces since the two countries launched their joint assault on Iran on February 28.
On Wednesday, Israel’s defense minister Israel Katz claimed that his country’s forces had also killed Iran’s Minister of Intelligence Esmail Khatib a day earlier.
Russia has strongly criticized the US-Israeli air strikes against Iran, a close partner, and has called for an immediate ceasefire and negotiations.
There are also unconfirmed reports that it has been helping Iran by sharing intelligence to aid the targeting of US forces in the region.
https://p.dw.com/p/5AbWG
Skip next section What to know if you’re just joining us
03/18/2026March 18, 2026What to know if you’re just joining us
Here is a summary of the day’s events so far:
Israel’s defense minister claims that Iranian Intelligence Minister Esmail Khatib has been killed in a strike by Israeli forces
Iran launches missiles with multiple warheads at Israel in retaliation for Tuesday’s assassination of security chief Ali Larijani, with two killed in Tel Aviv
The UN’s nuclear watchdog says Iran has reported a hit by a ‘projectile’ on its Bushehr nuclear power plant complex
The US says it used ‘bunker-buster’ bombs against Iranian missile sites along the strategic Strait of Hormuz
Lebanon’s Health Ministry says at least 12 people have been killed in Israeli airstrikes on central Beirut
Missile alerts were heard across Dubai as Iran continues its retaliatory air strikes across the Gulf region
https://p.dw.com/p/5Abh0
Skip next section Iranian Intelligence Minister Khatib is dead, Israeli defense minister says
03/18/2026March 18, 2026Iranian Intelligence Minister Khatib is dead, Israeli defense minister says
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz has announced that Iranian Intelligence Minister Esmail Khatib has been killed.
Khatib is a close ally of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei Image: Iranian Presidency/ZUMA/picture alliance
Iran has not yet confirmed Khatib’s death.
Khatib’s killing would be the latest assassination of a high-level Iranian official by Israel, after the deaths of Iran’s top security official, Ali Larijani, and the head of the paramilitary Basij unit, Gholamreza Soleimani.
Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was also assassinated on the first the day of joint US-Israeli military campaign on February 28.
https://p.dw.com/p/5AbV2
Skip next section NATO to deploy Patriot missile system at Turkey’s Incirlik base
03/18/2026March 18, 2026NATO to deploy Patriot missile system at Turkey’s Incirlik base
The NATO alliance will deploy another US-made Patriot missile defense system at the Incirlik Air Base in southern Turkey, a Turkish Defense Ministry official said. It comes after three ballistic missiles from Iran were shot down in Turkish airspace.
“In addition to national-level measures taken to ensure the security of our airspace and our citizens, another Patriot system, commissioned by Allied Air Command in Ramstein/Germany is being deployed in Adana, in addition to the existing Spanish Patriot system stationed there,” the ministry said.
US troops and personnel from other NATO nations are stationed at the Incirlik base Image: picture alliance/dpa/F. Bärwald
The Patriot surface-to-air missile system is used to intercept airborne ballistic missiles.
Turkey has not harshly criticized Iran over ballistic missiles in its airspace but said it is seeking clarification from Iranian authorities regarding the matter. Turkey, however, has warned Iran that it has the right to respond to the missiles.
Iran, meanwhile, has denied launching the missiles towards Turkey and has claimed that the launches are a “false flag” operation from Israel.
https://p.dw.com/p/5Aavo
Skip next section Death toll from Israel’s Beirut strikes rises — Lebanese Health Ministry
03/18/2026March 18, 2026Death toll from Israel’s Beirut strikes rises — Lebanese Health Ministry
This building in the Bachoura district was completely destroyedImage: Mohamed Azakir/REUTERS
The Lebanese Health Ministry has updated the death toll from Israeli strikes on central Beirut on Wednesday morning, saying at least 12 people were killed and 41 were injured.
The strikes hit the Basta and Zuqaq al-Blat neighborhoods, it said.
The central Bachoura district was also hit, with an entire building destroyed.
The attacks come as Israel steps up its offensive against the Iran-backed militia Hezbollah.
They were carried out after Hezbollah fired rockets into northern Israel overnight.
https://p.dw.com/p/5AavG
Skip next section Israel attempts to assassinate Iran’s intelligence minister, reports say
03/18/2026March 18, 2026Israel attempts to assassinate Iran’s intelligence minister, reports say
Khatib is a cleric with a background in Islamic jurisprudenceImage: Vahid Salemi/AP Photo/picture alliance
Israel tried to kill Iranian Intelligence Minister Esmaeil Khatib on Tuesday, Israeli outlets Haaretz, the Jerusalem Post and Times of Israel reported.
The Jerusalem Post reported that an unnamed source “was optimistic that the strike had been successful.”
Khatib has served as minister of intelligence since August 2021. He is close to now-deceased Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed in an Israeli strike at the beginning of the war.
https://p.dw.com/p/5AaiU
Skip next section Man executed on charges of spying for Israel’s Mossad — Iranian judiciary
03/18/2026March 18, 2026Man executed on charges of spying for Israel’s Mossad — Iranian judiciary
A man has been executed in Iran on charges that he spied for Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency, the Iranian judiciary has said via its Mizan news agency.
Iran alleges that the man, who was reportedly arrested during the 12-day war between Israel and Iran in June, “provided images and information on sensitive locations” to Israel.
Tehran has arrested several people suspected of spying for Israel since the war in June last year. Unconfirmed reports suggest more than 10 have been executed.
Iran has long been criticized by human rights group for its frequent executions, which critics say are often used as a tool to suppress dissent.
According to the United Nations, more than 1,000 people were executed in the country last year.
https://p.dw.com/p/5AakR
Skip next section Iraq restarts limited oil exports via Turkey, authorities say
03/18/2026March 18, 2026Iraq restarts limited oil exports via Turkey, authorities say
Ceyhan is a major hub for Middle Eastern and Central Asian oil and natural gasImage: picture-alliance/dpa
Iraq has announced that it has resumed some oil exports via Turkey after they were heavily impacted by the disruption to shipping in the Strait of Hormuz caused by the Iran war.
The state-owned North Oil Company said it “has begun operating the Sarlo pumping station to resume pumping and exporting Kirkuk oil to the port of Ceyhan with an initial capacity of 250,000 barrels per day.”
The resumption came “after a disruptive period that posed a significant challenge to the oil sector,” and in agreement with Iraq’s autonomous Kurdistan Region, through which the pipeline to Ceyhan runs.
Before the current war erupted on February 28, Iraq shipped most of its oil — around 3.5 million barrels per day — through the strait from its southern fields in Basra.
Crude oil sales make up 90% of Iraq’s budget revenues.
As much as a fifth of the world’s global crude oil and liquefied natural gas is normally shipped through the Strait of Hormuz, which has been closed by Iran in response to the offensive against it by the US and Israel.
https://p.dw.com/p/5AaSB
Skip next section Missile alerts in Dubai amid wave of attacks across Gulf
03/18/2026March 18, 2026Missile alerts in Dubai amid wave of attacks across Gulf
Missile alerts sounded across Dubai early Wednesday as Iran continued its retaliatory air strikes across the Gulf region.
The Dubai Media Office said explosions heard overnight were the result of successful “air interception operations,” adding that no casualties were reported.
Attacks were also reported in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain and Qatar. Saudi authorities said a ballistic missile targeting Prince Sultan Air Base was intercepted.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said that a projectile caused a small fire near an Australian base in the UAE, near Dubai. Albanese said there were no injuries.
Meanwhile, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Iranian strikes are targeting locations where US forces were present.
“Wherever there were American forces gathering, wherever there were facilities belonging to them, they were targeted,” Araghchi told Qatari broadcaster Al Jazeera.
“It is possible some of these places were near urban areas,” Araghchi added.
https://p.dw.com/p/5AaS9