Israel Denies Report It Is Running Low On Missile Interceptors
The Israeli military said it is “prepared and ready to handle any scenario” while denying reports that it is running critically low on missile interceptors amid ongoing attacks from Iran and its allies.
The statement came after a media report suggested Israel had warned the United States Israel has warned the United States that its stocks ballistic missile interceptors were being depleted amid its war with Iran.
Israeli officials declined to discuss specific munitions levels but said defense planning had anticipated sustained missile attacks, The Times Of Israel reported.
The issue has drawn attention as the war with Iran enters its third week, with Israel’s air defense systems under heavy strain from frequent missile salvos targeting cities and military infrastructure.
Analysts have warned that prolonged fighting could strain missile defense stockpiles in both Israel and the United States.
User-generated footage has been shared on social media showing a fire at a facility belonging to the Iranian Space Research Center (ISRC)in the Tarasht district of the Iranian capital.
The center in west Tehran -- which is Iran's leading satellite and intelligence mapping research agency -- has reportedly suffered significant damage from Israeli-US strikes.
US Energy Secretary Says Iran War Could End In 'Next Few Weeks'
US Energy Secretary Chris Wright said he anticipates the war with Iran will end within “the next few weeks,” with oil supplies recovering and energy costs likely to fall afterward.
“I think this conflict will certainly come to an end in the next few weeks -- it could be sooner than that,” Wright told the ABC political talk show This Week on March 15. “Once it ends, we’ll see a rebound in supplies and downward pressure on prices.”
Oil prices climbed above $100 per barrel this week amid reports of attacks on ships in the Persian Gulf -- which handles about one-fifth of global oil transport -- and the closure of key oil terminals.
South Korea Says Its Monitoring Trump Call To Send Warships To Hormuz
South Korea said it is "closely monitoring" US President Donald Trump’s call for allied countries to send warships to help protect shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, AFP reported on March 15.
Trump said on social media that “many countries” would deploy naval vessels to keep the key oil route open, naming South Korea and Japan among others.
A South Korean presidential official told AFP that Seoul would “carefully consider the matter in close consultation with the United States” while exploring measures to safeguard energy supply routes.
The comments come as the war with Iran has severely disrupted traffic through the strait, which normally carries about one-fifth of global oil shipments.
Japan also signaled caution about deploying naval forces.
Iranian Foreign Minister Urges France To Avoid Steps That Could Escalate Conflict
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi has reportedly warned in a phone call with his French counterpart that France should “refrain from any action that could escalate or expand the conflict.”
Iranian media reported on March 15 that Araqchi had spoken by phone with French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot as tensions continue to rise across the Middle East.
According to a statement from Iran’s Foreign Ministry, Araqchi told Barrot that the United States and Israel were responsible for insecurity in the region and the Strait of Hormuz, and urged other countries to avoid actions that could widen the conflict.
The comments come amid an ongoing regional crisis that has included Iranian strikes across the Persian Gulf and concerns over disruption to shipping through the strait.
France’s Foreign Ministry has not yet not issued a statement on the conversation.
Araqchi’s comments came a day after US President Donald Trump called on several countries to help keep the Strait of Hormuz open, naming China, France, Japan, South Korea, and the United Kingdom as potential contributors.
F1 Cancels Bahrain, Saudi Grands Prix In April Over Middle East Conflict
Formula 1 said the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix scheduled for April have been called off due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
The decision was made after consultations with the FIA, world motor racing's governing body, and race promoters, and organizers said no replacement races would be scheduled for April.
Support series events for Formula 2, Formula 3, and the F1 Academy will also not be held as planned. Formula 1 President and CEO Stefano Domenicali said the move was difficult but necessary given the regional situation, while FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem said safety remained the top priority.
Officials in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia said they supported the decision and hoped to welcome the championship back when conditions allow.
Report: Israel Running Low On Ballistic Missile Interceptors
Israel has warned the United States that it is running critically low on ballistic missile interceptors amid its war with Iran, unnamed US officials told Semafor, a US-based news website.
The report said Israel entered the conflict with already depleted interceptor stocks following last year’s fighting with Iran, and the pace of Iranian missile attacks has further strained its long-range air defenses.
A US official told Semafor that Washington had anticipated the shortage and that American forces are not facing similar constraints.
It remains unclear whether the United States will provide interceptors to replenish Israel’s supplies.
Analysts have warned that prolonged fighting could strain missile defense stockpiles in both Israel and the United States.
4 Killed In Southern Lebanon As Israel Targets Hezbollah Sites
Overnight Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon killed at least four people, Lebanese authorities and state media said on March 15, as Israel said it was continuing its campaign against the Iran-backed Hezbollah group alongside its broader war with Iran.
Lebanon’s National News Agency reported that a strike hit an apartment in the coastal city of Sidon, killing one person and sparking a fire, while another attack in the nearby village of Al-Qatrani killed three people, according to the health ministry.
Israel’s military said it targeted Hezbollah infrastructure and missile launch sites used to prepare attacks on Israeli territory.
Hezbollah -- regarded as a terrorist organization by both Israel and the United States -- said it fired on Israeli troop positions near the border.
Lebanese officials said more than 800 people have been killed in Israeli strikes since the conflict in the Middle East escalated earlier this month.
Based on reporting by AFP
Explosions Reported In Tehran And Other Cities
The semiofficial Mehr News Agency and several other Iranian media outlets reported hearing explosions in parts of Tehran early on March 15.
According to reports circulating on social media, residents in different parts of the capital said they heard several powerful explosions, some of which were strong enough to cause buildings and windows to shake.
Most of the reports came from southern, southwestern, and central Tehran. Some witnesses also reported seeing drones or fighter jets flying overhead. Power outages were reported in some areas.
According to posts on social media, explosions were also reported in several other locations, including Isfahan, Sanandaj, and Kish Island.
The Fars News Agency also reported that a wrestling hall in the Tehranser district was damaged in an air strike. It further claimed that more than 15 workers were killed in an attack on an industrial area in Isfahan.
RFE/RL's Radio Farda has not been able to independently verify these reports.
Meanwhile, Fars reported that 20 citizens had been arrested on accusations of “sending information about military, police, and security sites” to Israel, and it published videos of what it described as confessions by the detainees.
The agency, which is close to the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, also published a message late March 14 saying “additional volunteers are needed to increase the number of checkpoints.”
Several Gulf Countries Report More Missile And Drone Attacks
Several Persian Gulf countries -- including Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar -- reported fresh missile and drone attacks amid the ongoing war with Iran.
Saudi Arabia’s Defense Ministry said six ballistic missiles were intercepted and destroyed over Al-Kharj Province late on March 14. Officials also said several drones had been intercepted earlier, mostly in the eastern part of the country. The Prince Sultan Air Base, which is also used by US forces, is located in the Al-Kharj area and has been targeted repeatedly since the start of the war.
In Kuwait, the civil aviation authority said the country’s international airport was also targeted by several drone attacks late on March 14 that damaged its radar system, though no injuries were reported. Kuwait also temporarily closed its airspace.
In the United Arab Emirates, air defenses intercepted a drone over the emirate of Fujairah, but falling debris caused a fire. Fujairah’s media office said firefighting operations were ongoing and that a Jordanian citizen suffered minor injuries. The Port of Fujairah is considered one of the region’s key oil storage and transfer hubs.
Qatar’s Defense Ministry said the country was targeted during the day by four ballistic missiles and several drones, all of which were intercepted and destroyed by Qatari armed forces.