Iran on Sunday (March 15, 2026) warned nations towards getting concerned in its conflict with the US and Israel, after President Donald Trump urged world powers to escort oil tankers by the Strait of Hormuz chokepoint within the Gulf.
Tehran additionally despatched a stern message to its Arab neighbours, telling them that the Islamic republic has what its Overseas Minister known as “ample proof” that U.S. bases on their territories had been getting used to launch assaults.
“This conflict will finish after we are sure that it’ll not be repeated and that reparations can be paid,” Iranian Overseas Minister Abbas Araghchi advised Arabic-language information platform Al-Araby Al-Jadeed.
“We skilled this final 12 months: Israel attacked, then the US,” he mentioned, recalling Israel’s 14-day air conflict in June final 12 months, which briefly drew in U.S. forces for an evening of strikes on Iranian nuclear websites.
Power costs have soared internationally since Iran responded to the brand new US-Israeli marketing campaign by threatening transport crusing although the Strait of Hormuz, which normally sees passage of 20 p.c of world oil and gasoline exports to the worldwide market.
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Mr. Trump responded on Saturday (March 14, 2026) by urging “China, France, Japan, South Korea, the UK and others” to ship ships to escort tankers, whereas the US navy will proceed to pound drone, boat and missile launch websites in Iranian territory north of the strait.
However the nations he listed have given solely guarded responses, and Araghchi, in a name with French counterpart Jean-Noel Barrot, warned them to “chorus from any motion that would result in escalation and growth of the battle”.
The U.Okay. Ministry of Defence was non-committal, saying “we’re at the moment discussing with our allies and companions a variety of choices to make sure the safety of transport within the area”.
Britain’s Minister for Power Safety, Ed Miliband, advised the BBC the “plan now needs to be to de-escalate the battle… We’re speaking to our allies. There are alternative ways through which we are able to make maritime transport doable.”
South Korea mentioned it was monitoring Mr. Trump’s remarks on social media, whereas the coverage chief of Japan’s ruling occasion, Takayuki Kobayashi, mentioned the bar for sending Japanese navy ships to the area below present legal guidelines was “extraordinarily excessive”.
International oil costs have surged by 40% as Iran has choked off the very important sea passage and attacked vitality and transport business targets in its Gulf neighbours. The strikes had been in retaliation for the U.S. and Israeli air marketing campaign that killed its supreme chief, triggering a conflict throughout the Center East.
As world markets reel, Mr. Trump has doubled down, telling NBC Information in a weekend interview that he thought Tehran was eager to come back to the desk however that the US battle on to power higher phrases.
He mentioned he may, once more, bomb targets on Iran’s oil hub, Kharg Island, “only for enjoyable”.
“Iran desires to make a deal, and I don’t wish to make it as a result of the phrases aren’t adequate but,” Mr. Trump advised NBC Information.
Iran’s new supreme chief, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, has — in a written assertion — vowed to maintain Hormuz closed.
However Mr. Trump dismissed this and recommended his foe won’t even be in management, saying: “I don’t know if he’s even alive. To date, no one has been in a position to present him.”
Tehran cafes reopen
Regardless of the hardline speak from all sides, residents of Tehran had been in a position to go about their work week in essentially the most regular environment for the reason that begin of the conflict on February 28.
Site visitors was busier than final week and a few cafes and eating places had reopened.
One resident whizzed down the road on an electrical hoverboard, and greater than a 3rd of stalls within the Tajrish bazaar, a well-liked purchasing hub within the north of the capital, had reopened, 5 days earlier than Nowruz, the Persian New Yr.
Some consumers queued at ATMs to withdraw money. On-line operations at Financial institution Melli, one of many nation’s largest, had been paralysed in current days.
Gamers drop asylum bids
The captain of the Iranian ladies’s soccer workforce, which performed within the Asian Cup in Australia, has withdrawn her bid for asylum, state media mentioned Sunday.
That made her the fifth member of the delegation to alter her thoughts, leaving simply two in search of sanctuary.
The captain, Zahra Ghanbari, was on her means again to Iran through Malaysia, the IRNA information company mentioned.
Rights teams have repeatedly accused Iranian authorities of pressuring athletes overseas by threatening kinfolk or with the seizure of property in the event that they defect or make statements towards the Islamic republic.
Greater than 1,200 individuals have been killed by U.S. and Israeli strikes, in line with Iranian well being ministry figures that would not be independently verified.
The U.N. refugee company says as much as 3.2 million individuals have been displaced in Iran.
The Pentagon says greater than 15,000 targets in Iran have been hit by US and Israeli forces.
Printed – March 15, 2026 06:14 pm IST
