UN Agency Says Status Of New Iran Nuclear Site Unknown
The United nation's nuclear watchdog says it does not know the status of a new Iranian uranium enrichment facility in Isfahan, as inspectors have yet to access the underground site.
Rafael Grossi, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), said a planned visit was canceled after the complex was struck at the start of the 12-day war with Israel in June, leaving uncertainty over whether the facility is operational or still under construction.
Iran notified the UN agency of the site the same month, but Grossi said key questions remain about whether centrifuges have been installed there.
Separately, Iran told the IAEA that a projectile struck near the Bushehr nuclear power plant on March 17 without causing damage. The agency also confirmed strikes earlier this month on Iran’s Natanz enrichment facility.
Based on reporting by Reuters
Israel Says 3 Planes Severely Damaged At Ben Gurion Airport
Three private planes parked at Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv suffered "severe" damage after they were hit by debris from intercepted Iranian missiles, the Israel Airports Authority (IAA) said on March 18.
Reuters reports that the IAA said the damage had occurred over the past few days, but it not provide details about the aircraft owners.
Since the US-Israeli conflict with Iran began on February 28, flights at Israel’s main airport have been halted, with only repatriation flights operating.
Iranian Emergency Workers Search For Survivors Trapped Under Rubble
- By RFE/RL
Emergency workers from the Iranian Red Crescent Society search for survivors trapped under the rubble following ongoing US-Israeli air strikes on Iran. Daily attacks on Tehran have left rescue teams scrambling to deal with the deadly aftermath. Iran has responded with attacks across the region, including on civilian areas.
Iran Confirms Death Of Intelligence Minister
Iranian President Masud Pezeshkian has confirmed the death of the country's intelligence minister Esmail Khatib, whom Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said had been killed in an overnight strike on March 18.
Acknowledging Khatib's demise in an X post on March 18, which also named the head of Iran's security chief, Ali Larijani, and the country's defense minister, Aziz Nasirzadeh, who died in earlier attacks, Pezeshkian said that their "cowardly assassination," had "left us in mourning."
Earlier, the White House said Khatib's death was "a good thing’ for the US."
Trump’s chief spokesperson, Karoline Leavitt, told Fox News on the morning of March 18 that Khatib had been a “known terrorist.”
“Of course, this man is no longer with us here on earth,” she said. “And that’s a good thing for the United States. And it’s a good thing for the American people who have long been threatened by this rogue terrorist regime.”
Iran Vows Retaliation After South Pars Strike As Qatar Warns On Energy Risks
Iran has threatened to retaliate after a reported strike on the South Pars gas field, warning it could target energy infrastructure in response. A spokesman for Iran’s Khatam al-Anbiya central headquarters, the country's central command, said Tehran would “severely strike the origin of this aggression,” calling it legitimate to hit the attacker’s “fuel, energy, and gas infrastructure.”
Qatar also condemned the strike. Foreign Ministry spokesman Majed Al-Ansari described the targeting of facilities linked to South Pars -- which Qatar jointly operates with Iran -- as a “dangerous and irresponsible step,” warning that attacks on energy infrastructure threaten global energy security, regional stability, and the environment.
Estonia Calls For Unity As US-Allied Divide Grows Over Hormuz Crisis
WASHINGTON -- Estonian Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur has called for unity between the United States and its European allies as US President Donald Trump signals frustration with NATO members after several resisted his calls to help Washington during its military action in Iran.
The dispute, driven by a deepening confrontation with Iran and rising global energy prices, is quickly becoming a broader test of transatlantic cohesion -- and of how the alliance responds to crises beyond its traditional scope.
Trump voiced frustration on March 17 after most NATO allies reportedly declined requests to deploy naval assets, including minesweepers and escorts, to secure commercial shipping through the narrow waterway, which carries roughly one-fifth of global maritime energy supplies.
Pevkur told RFE/RL that Tallinn is ready to discuss options with the United States and other allies, emphasizing that cooperation, not division, is critical.
"We are ready to discuss what the options are to solve the situation in the Middle East and also to ensure free trade," he said in an interview in Washington on March 17.
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VIDEO: Iran Strikes Tel Aviv In Retaliation For Killing Of Security Chief
Iran has launched more strikes at Israel in retaliation for the killing of security chief Ali Larijani, confirmed on March 17, targeting Tel Aviv with numerous missiles.
At least two people were killed, according to Israeli officials, bringing the death toll in Israel to at least 14. In Iran, meanwhile, more than 3,000 people have died since US-Israeli air strikes began on February 28, according to rights group HRANA.
To read the full report, click here.
Iran's Key South Pars Gas Field Hit by Air Strikes
The South Pars gas field in Assaluyeh, Iran -- the world's largest known source of natural gas -- was targeted by air strikes and caught fire, Iranian television reported on March 18.
The Iranian Broadcasting Corporation (IRCC) quoted the deputy governor of Bushehr Province as saying parts of the gas facilities located in the Pars Special Economic Energy Zone, a massive industrial hub, in Assaluyeh were targeted by projectiles fired by the United States and Israel.
The governor of Assaluyeh also told Iranian media that "several phases in South Pars" were targeted and "have been taken out of service to control and prevent the spread of the fire."
The Fars News Agency, affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, also reported that tanks and facilities in "various phases of the third, fourth, fifth, and sixth refineries" had been targeted.
The South Pars gas field is jointly operated by Iran and Qatar. The refineries located in Assaluyeh are responsible for processing gas extracted from the field.
The complex includes 13 refineries that inject an average of more than 600 million cubic meters of gas into Iran's national grid daily, providing about 70 percent of the country's consumption. South Pars plays a pivotal role in providing domestic energy and feedstock for Iran's petrochemical industries.
UAE Air Defense Intercepts 13 Iranian Missiles And 27 Drones
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) announced that the country's air defense systems intercepted 13 ballistic missiles and 27 drones launched by Iran on March 18.
According to the UAE's Defense Ministry, the country has intercepted 327 ballistic missiles, 15 cruise missiles, and 1,669 drones since the start of the war with the United States and Israel on February 28.
During this period, two Emirati soldiers, as well as six civilians of Pakistani, Nepalese, Bangladeshi, and Palestinian nationalities, have been killed.
The ministry said that since the beginning of Iran's attacks on the UAE, 158 other people have been wounded, with injuries ranging from mild to moderate and severe.
The UAE announced that among the injured were nationals of Iran, the UAE, Egypt, Sudan, Ethiopia, the Philippines, Pakistan, Iran, India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, the Republic of Azerbaijan, Yemen, Uganda, Eritrea, Lebanon, Afghanistan, Bahrain, Comoros, Turkey, Iraq, Nepal, Nigeria, Oman, Jordan, Palestine, Ghana, Indonesia, Sweden, and Tunisia.
The UAE has also called the Islamic republic's numerous attacks on the country "blatant aggression."
The Defense Ministry wrote on X that it remains "fully prepared and ready to confront any threat" and "will deal decisively with any attempt to undermine the country's security."
Iran's Top Intelligence Official 'Eliminated,' Says Israel
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said the country's military killed Iranian Intelligence Minister Esmail Khatib in an overnight strike on March 18.
While there has been no confirmation from Iran regarding Khatib's death, Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said he was "eliminated" in a targeted strike in Tehran.
"Khatib played a significant role during the recent protests throughout Iran, both with regards to the arrest and killing of protestors," IDF statement published on Telegram.
Katz added that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the Defense Ministry had previously authorized the Israeli military to target any senior Iranian official without requiring additional approval.
If confirmed, Khatib's death would be one of dozens of Iranian senior officials killed in joint US-Israeli military efforts against Iran.