Live: Israel says it will control bridges and area south of Lebanon’s Litani River
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Nine in ten Israeli Jews support the war on Iran, a survey by Tel Aviv University’s Institute for National Security Studies (INSS) has found.
The poll shows sustained Israeli public support for the operation with a "majority backing regime change", Israeli publication Jewish News Syndicate reported.
The report said that among the 805 Jewish respondents, 68% said they were "pleased with the results of the military operation" and 54% of all respondents said the "campaign should continue until the overthrow of the ayatollah".
Saudi Arabia’s defence ministry says its forces have intercepted and destroyed three drones in the eastern region of the country in the past two hours.
We have reported earlier that Saudi air defences also intercepted one missile targeting Riyadh.
The US military announced it has targeted a turbine engine production site in north-central Iran’s Qom province, saying that it was used for drone and aircraft components linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps.
In a post on X, Centcom said “the Qom Turbine Engine Production Plant produced gas turbine engines for attack drones and aircraft components used by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps”.
The Qom Turbine Engine Production Plant produced gas turbine engines for attack drones and aircraft components used by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. The photo dated on March 6, 2026 shows the plant before U.S. airstrikes and the second photo shows the plant three days… pic.twitter.com/wCxiE7Qnka
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) March 23, 2026
A strike on a broadcast station in southern Iran killed at least one person, state television reported on Monday.
"The 100-kilowatt AM transmitter of the Persian Gulf Radio and Television Centre was attacked by the American-Zionist terrorist army," the state-run Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting reported.
"In this attack, which was against international laws, one of the centre's security colleagues was martyred and another person was injured."
The United States is reportedly planning a weeks-long operation to force Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, Times of Israel reported, as officials signal a prolonged phase of the conflict.
The report comes amid escalating attacks and growing pressure to restore access to the key oil shipping route.
Israel’s ambassador to the United States, Yechiel Leiter, said the war should continue until Iran’s leadership is weakened to the point it has “no power” left.
“Our focus has to be on degrading this regime… so they no longer pose a threat,” he said, adding that change could come through a popular uprising by the Iranian people.
“I think that we need boots on the ground, but they’ve got to be Iranian boots, and I think they’re coming,” he said, comparing the situation to the collapse of the Soviet Union and of Romania’s communist government in the late 1980s.
International Energy Agency (IEA) director, Fatih Birol, speaking at the National Press Club in Canberra, said the global economy is facing a “major, major threat” as the energy crisis deepens amid the Middle East conflict.
He said the situation combines elements of past oil shocks and gas disruptions.
“This crisis… is now two oil crises and one gas crash put all together,” Birol said, adding that “no country will be immune” if it continues.
He said dozens of energy facilities have been heavily damaged and that the IEA is consulting governments on potentially releasing more strategic oil reserves if needed.
Iran’s parliament speaker, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, warned that financial entities linked to funding the US military could be considered “legitimate targets,” in remarks posted on social media.
“US treasury bonds are soaked in Iranians’ blood… Purchase them, and you purchase a strike on your HQ and assets,” he said, adding, “We monitor your portfolios. This is your final notice.”
Alongside military bases, those financial entities that finance the US military budget are legitimate targets. US treasury bonds are soaked in Iranians' blood. Purchase them, and you purchase a strike on your HQ and assets.
— محمدباقر قالیباف | MB Ghalibaf (@mb_ghalibaf) March 22, 2026
We monitor your portfolios. This is your final notice.
The Iranian Red Crescent Society (IRCS) said emergency teams were deployed to a residential area in Urmia after an air strike caused significant damage to buildings.
Footage showed walls and windows blown out as rescue workers searched through debris.
“Air strike on a residential area in Urmia and the efforts of Red Crescent relief workers to provide aid to the injured compatriots,” the group said.
It was not immediately clear how many people were wounded in the area, which lies close to the borders of Turkey and Iraq.
🚨فوری؛ هماکنون
— جمعیت هلالاحمر ایران (@Iranian_RCS) March 23, 2026
حمله هوایی به یک منطقه مسکونی در ارومیه و تلاش امدادگران هلال احمر برای امدادرسانی به هموطنان آسیبدیده pic.twitter.com/7VsBvaQ7zk
Saudi Arabia said it intercepted a ballistic missile launched toward the Riyadh region, while another missile fell in an uninhabited area, according to the defence ministry.
The incident comes amid continued missile threats targeting Gulf states.
The United Arab Emirates said its air defences were also responding to missile and drone attacks from Iran for the second time since dawn.
Authorities did not immediately report casualties as regional defences remained on high alert.
Emergency teams from the Iranian Red Crescent Society searched through the rubble of a heavily damaged building for survivors and recovered bodies, as relatives and loved ones looked on and sobbed in distress.
Emergency teams from the Iranian Red Crescent Society searched through the rubble of a heavily damaged building for survivors and recovered bodies, as relatives and loved ones looked on and sobbed in distress. pic.twitter.com/kInVoUbaMN
— Middle East Eye (@MiddleEastEye) March 22, 2026
Powerful explosions described as “unprecedented” were reported across eastern Tehran, with Iranian air defence systems activated, according to Al Jazeera Arabic.
The blasts were heard in multiple locations, including densely populated areas, as residents reported large-scale detonations.
The Israeli military said it had launched a “wave of extensive strikes targeting” Iranian government infrastructure in the capital. Iranian media reported explosions near major roads and neighbourhoods.
Fars news reported that at least two locations near the Shahid Babaei Expressway in the capital, as well as the Garmdareh area in the eastern outskirts of the city, were among those hit.
It said that a “tremendous sound of explosion” was also heard at the intersection of Hafez and Jomhouri Streets, a densely populated area with a mix of government offices, commercial areas, and residential buildings.
Asian markets fell sharply on Monday as fears over the economic impact of the Middle East war rattled investors and pushed oil prices above $110 a barrel.
Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index dropped 3.3 percent, while Shanghai stocks fell 2.2 percent in early trading.
Currencies also came under pressure, with South Korea’s won sliding to a 17-year low of about 1,510 per dollar.
The Japanese yen weakened to around 159.5 per dollar, nearing record lows, as rising energy costs and geopolitical uncertainty weighed on regional markets.
Powerful explosions were reported across central, southern and eastern Tehran, with Iranian air defence systems activated throughout the capital, according to Al Jazeera Arabic.
The blasts come amid ongoing attacks targeting multiple locations in Iran.
In Khorramabad, west of Tehran, footage showed residents searching through debris of a destroyed building following an air attack.
The strike appeared to trigger a blackout in the area, with people using torches amid the damage.
Libya’s Grand Mufti Sheikh Sadiq al-Ghariani called on Muslims to support Iran amid the ongoing war with the United States and Israel, warning that foreign military presence in Arab countries brings instability.
Speaking in remarks reported by local media, he framed the war in religious terms.
“There is no concept of neutrality in the Quran… supporting Muslims is a religious duty,” al-Ghariani said.
He added that global powers would “have to pay the price,” urging Muslims to draw lessons from the conflict and seek strength through faith, adding that Muslims should "take heed of these developments and seek dignity only through obedience to God and His Prophet".
The International Atomic Energy Agency warned the situation in the Middle East is “dangerous,” with Director General Rafael Grossi saying the current crisis is worse than the oil shocks of the 1970s.
He said reopening the Strait of Hormuz would be the ideal solution to ease mounting global energy pressures.
Grossi said consultations are underway with governments and that more oil reserves could be drawn if necessary, while noting fuel shortages are “a growing problem in Asia.”
“We hope to find a solution to this situation as soon as possible,” he added, stressing the need for urgent action.
