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Issued on: 16/03/2026 – 03:30Modified: 16/03/2026 – 03:53
President Donald Trump speaks to reporters aboard Air Force One, March 15, 2026. © Mark Schiefelbein, AP
US President Donald Trump said Sunday that the United States was in discussions with Iran as the war enters its third week but that Tehran was not ready for a deal to end it. Follow our liveblog for the latest updates.
16/03/2026 – 03:53Trump accuses Iran of using AI to spread disinformation
US President Donald Trump on Sunday accused Iran of using artificial intelligence as a “disinformation weapon” to misrepresent its wartime successes and support.
“AI can be very dangerous, we have to be very careful with it,” Trump said to reporters on Air Force One shortly after he made a post on his Truth Social platform where he accused Western media outlets without evidence of “close coordination” with Iran to spread AI-generated “fake news.”
16/03/2026 – 03:50Trump eyes ‘Hormuz coalition’, seizure of Iran’s Kharg Island oil hub, Axios reports
US President Donald Trump is working to assemble a coalition of countries to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and is hoping to announce it later this week, Axios reported on Sunday citing four sources.
16/03/2026 – 03:43Flights temporarily suspended at Dubai’s airport following nearby drone incident
Flights were temporarily suspended at Dubai’s airport, previously one of the world’s busiest, after a “drone-related incident” sparked a fire nearby, city authorities said on Monday.
The incident impacted a fuel tank, the Gulf financial hub’s media office said, later adding authorities had extinguished the blaze that broke out.
The office said no injuries had been reported.
“Dubai Civil Aviation Authority announces the temporary suspension of flights at Dubai International Airport as a precautionary measure to ensure the safety of all passengers and staff,” Dubai’s media office posted on X.
16/03/2026 – 03:41Japan says ‘not considering’ maritime security ops after Trump Hormuz call
Japan said Monday it was “not considering” maritime security operations after US President Donald Trump called for other countries to send warships to help protect the Strait of Hormuz.
“In the current Iran situation, we are not at the moment considering issuing a maritime security operation,” Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi told parliament.
16/03/2026 – 03:41Iran says Israeli strikes on Tehran fuel depots constitute ‘ecocide’
Iran’s foreign minister said on Monday that Israeli strikes on Tehran fuel depots constituted “ecocide” due to the long-term risks to residents’ health.
“Israel’s bombings of fuel depots in Tehran violate international law and constitute ecocide,” Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi posted on X.
“Residents face long-term damage to their health and well-being. Contamination of soil and groundwater could have generational impacts,” the post added.
16/03/2026 – 02:47Trump says NATO faces ‘very bad’ future if allies don’t help open Hormuz
President Donald Trump said Sunday that NATO faces a “very bad” future if US allies fail to help open the Strait of Hormuz, the critical oil transport conduit effectively shut by Iran in the Mideast war.
In a brief interview with The Financial Times, Trump said that as the United States has aided Ukraine in the war with Russia, he expects Europe to help on the Strait of Hormuz, whose closure has sent energy prices soaring around the world.
“If there’s no response or if it’s a negative response I think it will be very bad for the future of NATO,” said Trump, who over the years has criticized the alliance as freeloading on US largesse.
French President Emmanuel Macron said Sunday he had told Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian it was “unacceptable” to target French interests, after an Iranian-designed drone killed a French soldier in Iraq‘s Kurdistan region. The Trump administration plans to announce as early as this week that multiple countries have agreed to form a coalition that will escort ships through the Strait of Hormuz, the Wall Street Journal reports, citing US officials. Iran has arrested 500 people accused of sharing information with enemies, said the Islamic Republic’s police chief.
(FRANCE 24 with AP, AFP and Reuters)