{"id":496325,"date":"2026-03-26T11:46:10","date_gmt":"2026-03-26T11:46:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/496325\/"},"modified":"2026-03-26T11:46:10","modified_gmt":"2026-03-26T11:46:10","slug":"middle-east-crisis-live-israel-says-it-has-killed-iranian-naval-chief-as-trump-repeats-claim-tehran-begging-for-deal-us-israel-war-on-iran","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/496325\/","title":{"rendered":"Middle East crisis live: Israel says it has killed Iranian naval chief as Trump repeats claim Tehran \u2018begging\u2019 for deal | US-Israel war on Iran"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>IRGC navy commander killed in airstrike, says Israel defence minister<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">The Israeli defence minister, Israel Katz, said the Iranian naval commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), Alireza Tangsiri, has been killed along with other \u201csenior officers of the naval command\u201d in a strike overnight.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Tangsiri was \u201cdirectly responsible for the terrorist operation of mining and blocking the strait of Hormuz\u201d and has been \u201cblown up\u201d, Katz said in a video statement, according to AFP news agency.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Iran has yet to comment.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">If confirmed, Tangsiri would be the latest in a string of senior Iranian officials targeted and killed since Israel and the US began their joint attacks against Iran on 28 February. Among the high profile assassinations are supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and security chief Ali Larijani.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Alireza Tangsiri seated in military uniform. \" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/1888.jpg\" width=\"465\" height=\"291.1175847457627\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"dcr-evn1e9\"\/>Commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) navy, Alireza Tangsiri. Photograph: Tasnim<a href=\"mailto:?subject=Middle East crisis live: Israel says it has killed Iranian naval chief as Trump repeats claim Tehran \u2018begging\u2019 for deal&amp;body=https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/live\/2026\/mar\/26\/iran-war-live-updates-trump-deal-us-military-strikes-israel-lebanon-hezbollah?CMP=share_btn_url&amp;page=with%3Ablock-69c514298f089a55d361b1c2#block-69c514298f089a55d361b1c2\" type=\"button\" class=\"dcr-1mulgdf\">Share<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Updated at\u00a007.30 EDT<\/p>\n<p>Key events<\/p>\n<p>Show key events only<\/p>\n<p>Please turn on JavaScript to use this feature<\/p>\n<p>Iran must respond to US proposal to end war &#8216;before it&#8217;s too late&#8217;, Trump warns<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Donald Trump has again repeated the claim that Iran is \u201cbegging\u201d for a deal to end the war, warning that Tehran \u201cbetter get serious soon, before it is too late\u201d.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Iran has given mixed signals over the prospect of negotiations following reports that the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/trump-administration\" data-link-name=\"in body link\" data-component=\"auto-linked-tag\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Trump administration<\/a> has offered a 15-point ceasefire plan that was presented to Tehran via Pakistan earlier this week. Publicly, Iranian state media has reported that Tehran has rejected the proposal, while privately some media reports suggest Iranian officials are at least reviewing it.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Iran\u2019s foreign minister Abbas Araghchi told state media that his government has not engaged in talks to end the war and that it does not plan on any negotiations. While he acknowledged the US had tried to send messages to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/iran\" data-link-name=\"in body link\" data-component=\"auto-linked-tag\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Iran<\/a> through other nations, he said that was \u201cnot a conversation nor a negotiation\u201d.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Writing on his Truth Social app, Trump said:<\/p>\n<p>double quotation markThe Iranian negotiators are very different and \u201cstrange.\u201d They are \u201cbegging\u201d us to make a deal, which they should be doing since they have been militarily obliterated, with zero chance of a comeback, and yet they publicly state that they are only \u201clooking at our proposal.\u201d WRONG!!! They better get serious soon, before it is too late, because once that happens, there is NO TURNING BACK, and it won\u2019t be pretty!<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"mailto:?subject=Middle East crisis live: Israel says it has killed Iranian naval chief as Trump repeats claim Tehran \u2018begging\u2019 for deal&amp;body=https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/live\/2026\/mar\/26\/iran-war-live-updates-trump-deal-us-military-strikes-israel-lebanon-hezbollah?CMP=share_btn_url&amp;page=with%3Ablock-69c5102e8f0875678d6f8755#block-69c5102e8f0875678d6f8755\" type=\"button\" class=\"dcr-1mulgdf\">Share<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Updated at\u00a007.45 EDT<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">While Nato has not had direct involvement in the escalating conflict in the Middle East, it has shot down Iranian missiles directed at Turkey and many alliance members have pledged \u201cappropriate efforts\u201d to restart shipping through the strait of Hormuz.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Nato allies have largely refused Donald Trump\u2019s call for military action to secure the strait, and have been generally apprehensive in joining a war that they were not consulted on.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Some nations have been critical of the US and Israel\u2019s decision to strike Iran, with Germany being the most vocal. \u201cThis war violates international law,\u201d German president Frank-Walter Steinmeier said on Tuesday. \u201cThere is little doubt that, in any case, the justification of an imminent attack on the US does not hold water.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Nato secretary general, Mark Rutte, has attempted to calm tensions, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/news\/mark-rutte-nato-secretary-general-face-the-nation-transcript-03-22-2026\/\" data-link-name=\"in body link\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">saying he understood Trump\u2019s anger<\/a> and stressed that European countries are \u201ccoming together\u201d to help secure the strait.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"mailto:?subject=Middle East crisis live: Israel says it has killed Iranian naval chief as Trump repeats claim Tehran \u2018begging\u2019 for deal&amp;body=https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/live\/2026\/mar\/26\/iran-war-live-updates-trump-deal-us-military-strikes-israel-lebanon-hezbollah?CMP=share_btn_url&amp;page=with%3Ablock-69c509858f089a55d361b15d#block-69c509858f089a55d361b15d\" type=\"button\" class=\"dcr-1mulgdf\">Share<\/a>Nato has done &#8216;absolutely nothing&#8217; to help US in Iran war, says Trump<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">In an all caps Truth Social post, Donald Trump has railed against Nato allies for doing \u201cabsolutely nothing\u201d to help the US in its military campaign against Iran.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">He wrote:<\/p>\n<p>double quotation markNATO NATIONS HAVE DONE ABSOLUTELY NOTHING TO HELP WITH THE LUNATIC NATION, NOW MILITARILY DECIMATED, OF IRAN. THE U.S.A. NEEDS NOTHING FROM NATO, BUT \u201cNEVER FORGET\u201d THIS VERY IMPORTANT POINT IN TIME!<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"mailto:?subject=Middle East crisis live: Israel says it has killed Iranian naval chief as Trump repeats claim Tehran \u2018begging\u2019 for deal&amp;body=https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/live\/2026\/mar\/26\/iran-war-live-updates-trump-deal-us-military-strikes-israel-lebanon-hezbollah?CMP=share_btn_url&amp;page=with%3Ablock-69c5081c8f0875678d6f870b#block-69c5081c8f0875678d6f870b\" type=\"button\" class=\"dcr-1mulgdf\">Share<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Kat Lay<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">A total stop to hostilities in the Middle East is needed to halt a \u201chealth crisis unfolding in real time\u201d, the World Health Organization\u2019s (WHO) chief in the region has said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Hospitals and other healthcare facilities must be treated as \u201csafe havens\u201d, urged <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/hananbalkhy\" data-link-name=\"in body link\" rel=\"nofollow\">Dr Hanan Balkhy<\/a>, the WHO\u2019s regional director for the Eastern Mediterranean.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">She said officials were updating guidance and preparing in case of any impact on nuclear sites, and that attacks on water desalination plants would be \u201ca disaster\u201d.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">The region\u2019s 22 countries and territories include Iran and the Gulf states, as well as Gaza, Sudan, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/afghanistan\" data-link-name=\"in body link\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Afghanistan<\/a> and Pakistan.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">\u201cThe situation has been quite difficult for some time, but what we\u2019re seeing today is just an actual regional health crisis unfolding in real time in multiple parts of this region,\u201d Balkhy told the Guardian.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">\u201cIt\u2019s not just about lives being lost. It\u2019s about a collapse of access [to healthcare] in many, many dimensions way above and beyond what we would have imagined.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Read the full report here:<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"mailto:?subject=Middle East crisis live: Israel says it has killed Iranian naval chief as Trump repeats claim Tehran \u2018begging\u2019 for deal&amp;body=https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/live\/2026\/mar\/26\/iran-war-live-updates-trump-deal-us-military-strikes-israel-lebanon-hezbollah?CMP=share_btn_url&amp;page=with%3Ablock-69c503a88f0875678d6f86f1#block-69c503a88f0875678d6f86f1\" type=\"button\" class=\"dcr-1mulgdf\">Share<\/a>Israel targets IRGC navy commander in airstrike &#8211; NYT<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Alireza Tangsiri, commander of Iran\u2019s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) navy, was reportedly targeted in an Israeli airstrike this morning in southern Iran, according to the New York Times, citing three Israeli officials.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">The Israeli military targeted Tangsiri while he was in an apartment hideout alongside other IRGC officers, the officials told the newspaper, claiming that the Iranian navy chief has played a key role in shutting down the strait of Hormuz to most international shipping.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Some Israeli media outlets have reported that Tangsiri was killed in a strike in the southern Iranian city of Bandar Abbas, which sits on the coast of the strait of Hormuz and houses the headquarters of the Iranian navy. There has been no official comment from Iran or Israel.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"mailto:?subject=Middle East crisis live: Israel says it has killed Iranian naval chief as Trump repeats claim Tehran \u2018begging\u2019 for deal&amp;body=https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/live\/2026\/mar\/26\/iran-war-live-updates-trump-deal-us-military-strikes-israel-lebanon-hezbollah?CMP=share_btn_url&amp;page=with%3Ablock-69c4fc658f0875678d6f86bc#block-69c4fc658f0875678d6f86bc\" type=\"button\" class=\"dcr-1mulgdf\">Share<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Updated at\u00a005.58 EDT<\/p>\n<p>Iran&#8217;s foreign minister &#8216;taken off Israel&#8217;s hit list at request of Pakistan&#8217; &#8211; report<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Israel has reportedly taken Iran\u2019s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, and the Iranian parliament speaker, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, off its hit list after Pakistan requested the US not to target them, according to Reuters news agency, citing a source from Islamabad with knowledge of the matter.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Araghchi had been heading Iran\u2019s delegation in nuclear talks with the US and is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/2026\/feb\/16\/the-patience-and-the-poker-face-irans-wily-diplomat-set-to-face-the-us-in-nuclear-talks\" data-link-name=\"in body link\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">one of Iran\u2019s most experienced diplomats, <\/a>while Ghalibaf is supposedly seen by some in the White House <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/2026\/mar\/24\/iran-parliament-speaker-mohammad-bagher-ghalibaf-white-house\" data-link-name=\"in body link\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">as a workable partner.<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">\u201cThe Israelis had their coordinates and wanted to take them out, we told the US if they are also eliminated then there is no one else to talk to, hence the US asked the Israelis to back off,\u201d the Pakistani source was quoted as saying by Reuters.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">The Wall Street Journal, which first reported the claim, cited American officials as saying the two Iranian men were removed from the US and Israel\u2019s target list for up to four or five days, as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/donaldtrump\" data-link-name=\"in body link\" data-component=\"auto-linked-tag\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Donald Trump<\/a> attempts to reopen negotiations with Iran. The report did not mention any Pakistani involvement.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">A number of senior Iranian officials have been killed by Israel since the onset of the current war, including supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and security chief Ali Larijani. Israel has vowed to continue hunting down Iran\u2019s leaders, while Trump has acknowledged that many potential interlocutors, including negotiators involved in talks before the war, have been killed in strikes.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">\u201cWe killed all their leadership, And then they met to choose new leaders, and we killed all of them,\u201d he told reporters on Tuesday. \u201cAnd now we have a new group, and we can easily do that, but let\u2019s see how they turn out.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"mailto:?subject=Middle East crisis live: Israel says it has killed Iranian naval chief as Trump repeats claim Tehran \u2018begging\u2019 for deal&amp;body=https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/live\/2026\/mar\/26\/iran-war-live-updates-trump-deal-us-military-strikes-israel-lebanon-hezbollah?CMP=share_btn_url&amp;page=with%3Ablock-69c4f03b8f0875678d6f8653#block-69c4f03b8f0875678d6f8653\" type=\"button\" class=\"dcr-1mulgdf\">Share<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Updated at\u00a005.05 EDT<\/p>\n<p>Markets drop amid doubts over US-Iran peace deal<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">In London, the FTSE 100 share index has dropped by 64 points, or 0.63%, in early trading, to 10,042 points. Mining companies, a gauge of economic growth prospects, are among the top fallers on the index with copper producer Antofagasta down 3.9%.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Jim Reid, market strategist at Deutsche Bank, says:<\/p>\n<p>double quotation markFor markets, the issue is there\u2019s still plenty of doubt about whether a US-Iran deal can be reached, given how Iran have publicly rejected the US on several occasions. So that\u2019s seen markets become increasingly sceptical about positive headlines from the US side, because we haven\u2019t seen similar noises from Iran.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Germany\u2019s DAX dropped by 0.9% at the open in Frankfurt, with France\u2019s CAC 40 down 0.65% in Paris.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">You can follow our business live blog for updates on the financial markets and the world economy here:<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"mailto:?subject=Middle East crisis live: Israel says it has killed Iranian naval chief as Trump repeats claim Tehran \u2018begging\u2019 for deal&amp;body=https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/live\/2026\/mar\/26\/iran-war-live-updates-trump-deal-us-military-strikes-israel-lebanon-hezbollah?CMP=share_btn_url&amp;page=with%3Ablock-69c4ed0e8f0836c671f18953#block-69c4ed0e8f0836c671f18953\" type=\"button\" class=\"dcr-1mulgdf\">Share<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Here are some images on the newswires from the Arab-Israeli town of Kfar Qasim, which came under attack this morning. The Israeli military said air defences shot down missiles launched from Iran, leaving six people injured and causing damage to properties.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">The majority Arab town lies about 12 miles east of Tel Aviv and less than a mile from the \u201cgreen line\u201d that separates Israel from the occupied West Bank.<\/p>\n<p>Israeli rescuers and security personnel survey the site struck by a projectile in the Arab-Israeli city of Kfar Qasim. Photograph: Ilia Yefimovich\/AFP\/Getty ImagesThe Israeli military said air defences responded to missile attacks from Iran that left six people lightly wounded and caused some damage.  Photograph: Ilia Yefimovich\/AFP\/Getty ImagesA man surveys the damage to a car in Kfar Qasim. Photograph: Ilia Yefimovich\/AFP\/Getty Images<a href=\"mailto:?subject=Middle East crisis live: Israel says it has killed Iranian naval chief as Trump repeats claim Tehran \u2018begging\u2019 for deal&amp;body=https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/live\/2026\/mar\/26\/iran-war-live-updates-trump-deal-us-military-strikes-israel-lebanon-hezbollah?CMP=share_btn_url&amp;page=with%3Ablock-69c4e7898f0836c671f18931#block-69c4e7898f0836c671f18931\" type=\"button\" class=\"dcr-1mulgdf\">Share<\/a><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/1774525570_322_Lorenzo_Tondo.jpg\" alt=\"Lorenzo Tondo\" class=\"dcr-lysqes\"\/>Lorenzo Tondo<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">It\u2019s been an intense morning in Jerusalem, with heavy explosions in the sky and non-stop air raid alerts, as any prospect of a peace deal feels more distant than ever.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Iran has launched at least six missiles in the past two hours, including some reportedly carrying cluster munitions. At least six people have been injured. Sirens also sounded across central <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/israel\" data-link-name=\"in body link\" data-component=\"auto-linked-tag\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Israel<\/a> in the early hours of the day.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">According to videos and photos circulating on Telegram, some fragments are said to have struck the outskirts of Jerusalem, though this cannot be independently verified at this stage. Missile debris has also reportedly landed in the Modiin area, about 20 minutes from Jerusalem.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Elsewhere, two people have been killed in Abu Dhabi after debris from an intercepted missile fell on Sweihan Road, according to the emirate\u2019s media office. Three others were injured and several vehicles damaged.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"mailto:?subject=Middle East crisis live: Israel says it has killed Iranian naval chief as Trump repeats claim Tehran \u2018begging\u2019 for deal&amp;body=https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/live\/2026\/mar\/26\/iran-war-live-updates-trump-deal-us-military-strikes-israel-lebanon-hezbollah?CMP=share_btn_url&amp;page=with%3Ablock-69c4e6d28f0836c671f1892d#block-69c4e6d28f0836c671f1892d\" type=\"button\" class=\"dcr-1mulgdf\">Share<\/a>Israeli soldier killed in combat in southern Lebanon, IDF says<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said one of its soldiers was killed during combat in southern Lebanon, amid ongoing fighting with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/hezbollah\" data-link-name=\"in body link\" data-component=\"auto-linked-tag\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Hezbollah<\/a> militants along the border.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">This brings the number of Israeli soldiers killed in southern <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/lebanon\" data-link-name=\"in body link\" data-component=\"auto-linked-tag\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Lebanon<\/a> to three, after the military said two were killed on 8 March.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"mailto:?subject=Middle East crisis live: Israel says it has killed Iranian naval chief as Trump repeats claim Tehran \u2018begging\u2019 for deal&amp;body=https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/live\/2026\/mar\/26\/iran-war-live-updates-trump-deal-us-military-strikes-israel-lebanon-hezbollah?CMP=share_btn_url&amp;page=with%3Ablock-69c4e3f08f0836c671f1891b#block-69c4e3f08f0836c671f1891b\" type=\"button\" class=\"dcr-1mulgdf\">Share<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Authorities in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/israel\" data-link-name=\"in body link\" data-component=\"auto-linked-tag\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Israel<\/a> have provided an update on the Iranian missile attack in the central town of Kfar Qasim, saying six people were \u201clightly injured by blast effects\u201d, increasing an earlier toll of two injured.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">A spokesperson for Israel\u2019s Magen David Adom emergency medical service said paramedics were providing treatment to the wounded.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">The city\u2019s mayor, Haitham Taha, said the blast this morning was caused by cluster munitions. Cluster bombs are designed to release dozens of smaller bombs, called submunitions, over a wide area. Smaller munitions do not always explode immediately, posing a further risk to civilians.<\/p>\n<p>An upturned car at the missile impact site in Kfar Qasim after Iranian missile barrages were launched at Israel amid the US-Israel conflict with Iran. Photograph: Rami Amichay\/Reuters<a href=\"mailto:?subject=Middle East crisis live: Israel says it has killed Iranian naval chief as Trump repeats claim Tehran \u2018begging\u2019 for deal&amp;body=https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/live\/2026\/mar\/26\/iran-war-live-updates-trump-deal-us-military-strikes-israel-lebanon-hezbollah?CMP=share_btn_url&amp;page=with%3Ablock-69c4df458f0836c671f18906#block-69c4df458f0836c671f18906\" type=\"button\" class=\"dcr-1mulgdf\">Share<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Updated at\u00a004.09 EDT<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Two people have been killed by falling debris in Abu Dhabi after a missile was intercepted in the UAE capital, according to local media.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">In a post on X, the official Abu Dhabi Media Office said three others were injured in the incident. It did not say where the missile was launched from or provide the nationalities of the victims.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Since the US-Israeli war on Iran began, at least 10 people have been reported killed in the UAE from Iranian attacks. In its last update on Saturday, the UAE defence ministry said eight people have died, including two members of the armed forces and six civilians of Pakistani, Nepali, Bangladeshi and Palestinian nationalities.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"mailto:?subject=Middle East crisis live: Israel says it has killed Iranian naval chief as Trump repeats claim Tehran \u2018begging\u2019 for deal&amp;body=https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/live\/2026\/mar\/26\/iran-war-live-updates-trump-deal-us-military-strikes-israel-lebanon-hezbollah?CMP=share_btn_url&amp;page=with%3Ablock-69c4db098f0875678d6f85e6#block-69c4db098f0875678d6f85e6\" type=\"button\" class=\"dcr-1mulgdf\">Share<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Updated at\u00a003.34 EDT<\/p>\n<p>Interim summary<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">In case you\u2019re just joining today\u2019s live coverage of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/us-israel-war-on-iran\" data-link-name=\"in body link\" data-component=\"auto-linked-tag\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">US-Israel war on Iran<\/a>, here\u2019s a rundown on the latest. It\u2019s 10.30am in Tehran, 9am in Tel Aviv and Beirut and 3am in Washington DC.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Donald Trump has insisted Iran is still interested in a deal after Tehran dismissed a US ceasefire proposal, countered with a plan of its own and claimed it had no intention to negotiate. The US president later suggested Tehran\u2019s claims were because Iranian negotiators feared being killed by their own side, while the White House said Trump was prepared to \u201cunleash hell\u201d if Iran did not accept defeat.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Israel\u2019s military said on Thursday it had carried out a wave of strikes across Iran, including extensively in the central city of Isfahan. It said Israeli forces \u201ccompleted a wide-scale wave of strikes targeting infrastructure\u201d of the regime.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">China\u2019s foreign minister said a \u201cglimmer of hope\u201d for peace had emerged amid the war, despite Tehran vowing to keep fighting.Wang Yi urged dialogue in separate calls with his Turkish and Egyptian counterparts, suggesting Tehran and Washington had both shown signals they were willing to return to the negotiating table.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel would expand its occupation of southern Lebanon, with what he described as a \u201clarger buffer zone\u201d to push back the threat of Hezbollah. Earlier this week, Bezalel Smotrich, Israel\u2019s far-right finance minister, said Israel should <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/world\/middle-east\/israeli-minister-calls-annexation-southern-lebanon-2026-03-23\/\" data-link-name=\"in body link\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">\u201capply sovereignity\u201d areas in southern Lebanon<\/a>, signalling an expansionist vision that has alarmed critics at home and abroad.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem said negotiations with Israel under fire would amount to \u201csurrender\u201d as the Iran-backed group launched fresh attacks on the country.<\/p>\n<p>Smoke rises from the site of an Israeli airstrike that targeted the southern Lebanese village of Dayr Seryan on Wednesday.  Photograph: AFP\/Getty Images<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Uncertainty over the war has kept oil prices above the $100-a-barrel mark. At 05.30 GMT, the price of Brent crude was hovering around $104 a barrel. Asian stocks were mostly lower.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Two people were lightly hurt from a Iranian cluster bomb hit in the central Israeli city of Kfar Qasim on Thursday morning, the Times of Israel quoted medics as saying. The Israeli military earlier said air defences were responding to Iranian missile attacks and sirens were activated across central Israel, parts of Jerusalem and the occupied West Bank.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">An Iranian envoy said South Korean ships could pass through the strait of Hormuz only after coordinating with Tehran, the Yonhap News Agency reported.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">An Israeli solder was seriously injured in mortar fire in Lebanon, Israel\u2019s military said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Kuwait said it had arrested six people over an alleged <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/hezbollah\" data-link-name=\"in body link\" data-component=\"auto-linked-tag\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Hezbollah<\/a> plot to assassinate leaders in the Gulf state.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Russia is close to completing a phased shipment of drones, medicine and food to Iran, according to western intelligence reports that detail Moscow\u2019s efforts to keep its embattled partner fighting, the Financial Times reported.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"mailto:?subject=Middle East crisis live: Israel says it has killed Iranian naval chief as Trump repeats claim Tehran \u2018begging\u2019 for deal&amp;body=https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/live\/2026\/mar\/26\/iran-war-live-updates-trump-deal-us-military-strikes-israel-lebanon-hezbollah?CMP=share_btn_url&amp;page=with%3Ablock-69c4d51d8f0836c671f188d4#block-69c4d51d8f0836c671f188d4\" type=\"button\" class=\"dcr-1mulgdf\">Share<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Updated at\u00a003.31 EDT<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">With the war in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/iran\" data-link-name=\"in body link\" data-component=\"auto-linked-tag\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Iran<\/a> leading to a near-total internet blackout in the country, activists around the world \u2013 especially in the US \u2013 are mobilising to help Iranians stay connected via Starlink, Agence France-Presse is reporting.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Despite being banned, Elon Musk\u2019s satellite internet system has gained ground in Iran thanks to a network of international activists, multiple people involved in these efforts told the news agency.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">The digital activists\u2019 efforts began in 2022, when mass protests broke out after the death of Mahsa Amini, who was being held by Iran\u2019s police for violating the country\u2019s strict dress code for women.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">\u201cAs of this year, we have more than 300 devices that we have delivered to the country,\u201d said Emilia James of the US-based organization NetFreedom Pioneers. She declined to go into further detail to protect the operation and the users.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Ahmad Ahmadian, executive director of Holistic Resilience, said his organisation purchased Starlink devices in European countries or elsewhere before moving them into Iran via \u201cneighbouring countries\u201d.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">The government cracked down hard on the Starlink terminals in 2025, and those caught using them face imprisonment.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"mailto:?subject=Middle East crisis live: Israel says it has killed Iranian naval chief as Trump repeats claim Tehran \u2018begging\u2019 for deal&amp;body=https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/live\/2026\/mar\/26\/iran-war-live-updates-trump-deal-us-military-strikes-israel-lebanon-hezbollah?CMP=share_btn_url&amp;page=with%3Ablock-69c4d4e48f0836c671f188d2#block-69c4d4e48f0836c671f188d2\" type=\"button\" class=\"dcr-1mulgdf\">Share<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"IRGC navy commander killed in airstrike, says Israel defence minister The Israeli defence minister, Israel Katz, said the&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":496326,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[49,50,51,47,52,48],"class_list":{"0":"post-496325","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-headlines","8":"tag-headlines","9":"tag-news","10":"tag-top-news","11":"tag-top-stories","12":"tag-topnews","13":"tag-topstories"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/496325","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=496325"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/496325\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/496326"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=496325"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=496325"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=496325"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}