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Trump says Iran ‘wants to negotiate badly’, demands help from NATO on Strait of Hormuz

Trump says Iran ‘wants to negotiate badly’, demands help from NATO on Strait of Hormuz
By Ted Regencia, Zaid Sabah, Caolán Magee, Virginia Pietromarchi, Alma Milisic, Nils Adler, Sarah Haider, Mariamne Everett, Elis Gjevori and Umut Uras
Published On 16 Mar 2026

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17 Mar 2026 - 00:00
 (00:00 GMT)

Live coverage continues

We are closing this page, but our 24/7 coverage of the war continues.

Join us for all the latest developments, analyses and reactions here.

16 Mar 2026 - 23:50
 (23:50 GMT)

Here’s what happened today

We will be closing this live page soon, but our nonstop coverage will continue on a new page.

In the meantime, here are some of today’s top developments:

  • Iran’s Revolutionary Guard issued a warning that it will hit US-affiliated industries in the Middle East, urging workers and residents in surrounding areas to evacuate.
  • US President Donald ⁠Trump warned that NATO faces a “very bad future” if allies fail to assist in opening the Strait of Hormuz with naval deployments.
  • Japan, Australia, Germany, Greece, the UK, Italy, the Netherlands, and the European Union ruled out getting involved in the Israel-US war on Iran.
  • Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the Strait of Hormuz is open, but “closed to our enemies”, and denied any contact with US envoy Steve Witkoff.
  • Iran’s Brigadier-General Abolfazl Shekarchi warned against another attack on Kharg Island, days after the US said it struck Iranian military facilities there.
  • About 200 US troops have been injured during the war on Iran, including 10 who are “seriously wounded”, according to US Central Command.
16 Mar 2026 - 23:45
 (23:45 GMT)
Analysis

Is Iran’s war strategy working against the US and Israel?

Analysts say Iran is employing a two-part strategy against the US and Israel: wear the military superpowers out, and export the cost of war.

But is it working?

Our colleagues at AJ+ have talked to Sanam Vakil from the John Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies:

16 Mar 2026 - 23:38
 (23:38 GMT)
Houthi

UAE closes airspace amid Iranian attacks

The UAE’s General Civil Aviation Authority has announced the temporary and full closure of the country’s airspace.

State media said the move was “an exceptional precautionary measure” aimed at ensuring the safety of flights and aircrews, as well as safeguarding the UAE’s territory.

As we reported earlier, the UAE’s Ministry of Defence said it was responding to a new wave of Iranian missile and drone attacks.

16 Mar 2026 - 23:35
 (23:35 GMT)

Saudi and UAE top diplomats coordinate response to regional threats in call

Saudi Arabian Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud held a phone call with UAE Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

According to the Saudi Press Agency, the two ministers reviewed current regional developments in light of the “continued and unjustified” Iranian attacks against Arab Gulf states, and discussed measures to consolidate regional security and stability.

16 Mar 2026 - 23:30
 (23:30 GMT)

‘Architecture for diplomacy exists, but nobody is yet walking through the door’

By Rory Challands

Reporting from Amman, Jordan

The calls for diplomacy may be growing, but there is no real concrete sign of progress on either the Iranian or the Lebanese fronts.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi was blunt on Sunday, telling US media that Iran had never asked for a ceasefire and had never asked for negotiations, while Trump’s White House has rebuffed repeated efforts from Middle Eastern allies to get negotiations going.

So, for the moment, both sides are digging in.

On the Lebanese front, there is a bit more movement, but that’s facing its own obstacles.

There is talk of direct negotiations between Lebanon and Israel in the coming days, with the disarming of Hezbollah being one of the main platforms for that.

The French have put forward some proposals and said that they are willing to host, but the complications there are that the Lebanese parliamentary Speaker Nabih Berri, who is a Shia and who speaks, in some cases, for Hezbollah, has said that there would be no talks until there was a ceasefire.

Meanwhile, the Israeli military is saying that it is not going to stop its campaign against Hezbollah until the group is disarmed.

So, the architecture for diplomacy is there, but in both cases, nobody is yet walking through the door.

16 Mar 2026 - 23:20
 (23:20 GMT)

Iraqi government condemns attacks violating ‘security and stability’

Iraq has condemned a series of “terrorist attacks” that targeted a Baghdad hotel, the US embassy, and a major oilfield in the country’s south, describing them as threats to its “security and stability”.

Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani ordered security forces to “track down and apprehend the perpetrators of these acts and bring them to justice immediately so they receive the punishment they deserve”, according to a statement from his spokesman.

“These criminal acts have serious repercussions for our country, and undermine the government’s efforts towards reconstruction and prosperity,” the statement said.

16 Mar 2026 - 23:15
 (23:15 GMT)
Houthi

UAE says responding to Iranian missile and drone attacks

The UAE’s Defence Ministry says air defences are responding to incoming missiles and drones launched from Iran.

Separately, authorities in Dubai said the sounds heard in various areas of the city are the result of successful interceptions.

16 Mar 2026 - 23:10
 (23:10 GMT)

WATCH: Who is answering Trump’s call for help with Strait of Hormuz?

The US president has criticised the response of allies to his call to help protect shipping in the Strait of Hormuz during the Israel-US war against Iran.

Countries including Germany and the UK have rejected military involvement, warning it could escalate the war. Watch our video report below:

16 Mar 2026 - 23:00
 (23:00 GMT)

IRGC says it carried out attacks on Israel, Qatar’s Al Udeid base

A statement from Iran’s Revolutionary Guard says “the 57th of Operation True Promise 4” has been completed.

The IRGC claimed that it hit targets in Israel, including command, control, and missile defence infrastructure, with missiles.

The statement also claimed that Qatar’s Al Udeid airbase, which hosts US troops, was targeted with missiles and drones.

Qatar’s Defence Ministry said earlier that the country’s air defences successfully intercepted and destroyed 13 out of 14 ballistic missiles launched from Iran today, along with a number of drones. One missile landed in an uninhabited area without causing any losses, the ministry added.

16 Mar 2026 - 22:55
 (22:55 GMT)
Developing

Lebanese army evacuates village following Israeli threats

Lebanon’s National News Agency reports that Israeli forces have entered the outskirts of the village of Aita al-Shaab on the Lebanese-Israeli border as warplanes carried out air attacks on the area.

The Lebanese army moved towards the town of Siddiqin to evacuate remaining families after residents received Israeli calls demanding they leave.

16 Mar 2026 - 22:50
 (22:50 GMT)
Analysis

President Trump still unclear on plan for his war on Iran

By John Holman

Reporting from Washington, DC

Trump was just talking about justifying his attack on Iran, saying it was a month away from a nuclear weapon.

It’s interesting that he cites that as the main reason for going in, and then talks about all the damage that’s been inflicted on Iran. The focus appears to be on ballistic capabilities and other targets.

So it’s interesting this is still mentioned as the prime mission objective for the operation – for this conflict against Iran – but there isn’t necessarily a plan, or him saying there is a plan, or a timeline for going in to get those nuclear weapons.

Many people say doing so would likely mean the United States putting “boots on the ground”.

It also contrasts with what the Iranian foreign minister has been saying in his own interviews. He said during negotiations with the US before the conflict broke out, Iran was offering to dilute its highly enriched uranium, and then the next thing they knew, there was an attack.

Obviously, both sides are making propaganda points at this stage. We can’t independently verify what happened in those negotiations, but there is clearly a difference in rhetoric about what each side was doing and what their intentions were.

16 Mar 2026 - 22:45
 (22:45 GMT)

Senator slams Trump for creating ‘a mess’ in the Middle East

US Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer has criticised President Trump after he suggested China should help ensure shipping security in the Strait of Hormuz during the US-Israeli war on Iran.

“Donald Trump says he’s hoping China will help us clear the Strait of Hormuz. Are you kidding me?” Schumer posted on X.

The Democrat senator accused Trump of creating “a mess” in the Middle East, “and he clearly has no plan for how to end it”.

16 Mar 2026 - 22:40
 (22:40 GMT)

Bahrain says it has intercepted 350 missiles and drones since start of war

The Bahrain Defence Force has announced that its air defence systems have successfully neutralised 129 missiles and 221 drones since the beginning of the war more than two weeks ago.

16 Mar 2026 - 22:30
 (22:30 GMT)

Leaders of Saudi Arabia, Egypt affirm strategic unity amid regional tensions

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi have discussed the dangerous military escalation in the region during a phone call, according to the kingdom’s state media.

The Saudi Press Agency said el-Sisi affirmed Egypt’s condemnation of the repeated Iranian attacks against Saudi Arabia and emphasised his country’s unwavering solidarity and support for the kingdom against any threats to its sovereignty and security.

16 Mar 2026 - 22:25
 (22:25 GMT)

‘Rinse and repeat’: Israelis endure relentless cycle of sirens and shelter life

By Rory Challands

Reporting from Amman, Jordan

People in Israel are getting used to a daily routine of sirens going, running to the shelter, missiles coming in, interceptions, fires starting here and there – and then it’s a kind of rinse and repeat.

In the north of the country, meanwhile, it’s almost around the clock.

They barely get a chance once they come out of the shelters to take a breather before they’re running back to the shelters again. You can imagine how exhausting and draining that is.

The Israeli government is trying to bring in some degree of normalcy. They brought in a traffic light system now, where school restrictions are eased on a colour-coded basis, depending on where in the country they are and whether the threat level is raised or decreased.

But that is being received in a mostly hostile way, and there are local mayors in Israel saying, “Absolutely no way, we’re not ready to open schools in our area.”

Also, there’s an added complication: Many schools in the country don’t have a proper functioning air raid shelter close enough that people can run to when the need arises.

So, things are tricky in Israel – but for the moment, at least, the population and the country at large are still behind this war.

16 Mar 2026 - 22:23
 (22:23 GMT)
Houthi

Israeli attacks on southern Lebanon wound at least 11 people

Israeli air attacks across southern Lebanon have wounded at least 11 people, the Lebanese Ministry of Public Health says.

Lebanon’s National News Agency reported that an Israeli raid on the town of Chaqra in the Bint Jbeil district wounded seven civilians in an initial toll.

Another strike on the nearby town of Srifa left four people wounded, the report said.

16 Mar 2026 - 22:20
 (22:20 GMT)

Rubio designates Iranian American Kamran Hekmati as wrongfully imprisoned by Iran

Secretary of State Marco Rubio has designated 70-year-old Iranian American Kamran Hekmati as wrongfully imprisoned in Iran, his cousin said.

“This designation is an official recognition by the U.S. Government that Kamran is being held on false charges in an effort by the Iranians to leverage the U.S. Government,” Shohreh Nowfar said in a statement.

16 Mar 2026 - 22:15
 (22:15 GMT)

No casualties in drone attack on luxury Baghdad hotel

Iraq’s Interior Ministry says civil defence teams responded immediately after a drone attack sparked a blaze on the roof of the Royal Tulip Al-Rasheed Hotel in the Iraqi capital’s fortified Green Zone.

“Authorities confirmed the incident resulted in no casualties or material damage,” the ministry said.

“Standard legal procedures have been initiated with the ministry reaffirming the readiness of its units to maintain public safety and national stability.”

The attack came shortly after the powerful Tehran-backed Kataib Hezbollah group announced its senior security commander Abu Ali al-Askari had been killed, without providing details on the circumstances of his death.

16 Mar 2026 - 22:10
 (22:10 GMT)

Kuwait arrests 16 people affiliated with Hezbollah over ‘sabotage plot’

Kuwait’s Interior Ministry says it arrested 16 people – 14 Kuwaitis and two Lebanese nationals – affiliated with Hezbollah who allegedly planned a “sabotage plot” in the Gulf nation.

The group “aimed to destabilise the country’s security and recruit individuals to join the terrorist organisation”, the ministry said in a statement, adding that several weapons, camera drones, and Morse-code communication devices were seized.