Photo- Israel has claimed that Ali Larijani (R) , secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, and Gholamreza Soleimani (L) , commander of the Basij militia have been killed. Iran confirmed the killings a day later on March 18, 2026
- Iran confirms the killings of its security chief, Ali Larijani, and Basij force commander Gholamreza Soleimani after Israel said it carried out both assassinations.
- Iran launches more strikes on central Israel, with at least two people reported killed from severe shrapnel wounds.
- Bahrain, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates report intercepting missiles and drones as Iranian attacks across the Gulf continue.
- US President Donald Trump rails against NATO countries for refusing to send their navies to the Strait of Hormuz, as the director of the National Counterterrorism Center, Joe Kent, resigns over the war on Iran.
Other developments
Iran intensified attacks against U.S. assets in the Middle East and Israel on Wednesday in apparent retaliation against the killing of the country’s security chief Ali Larijani overnight, as the weeks-long conflict shows no signs of abating.
Iran has also launched several explosive drones at the U.S. embassy in Baghdad, triggering sirens with an explosion heard near the diplomatic compound, Reuters reported. Separately, Tehran also fired a projectile near an Australian airbase in the United Arab Emirates, according to Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese — no personnel were injured.
Israeli forces have carried out an attack on the town of Al Aqibya in the Saida district of south Lebanon. The attack on Al Aqibya came moments after a strike on the nearby town of Qanarit. Earlier, the Lebanese Ministry of Health reported that six people were killed in Israeli attacks on Beirut and 11 others killed and nine wounded in Israeli raids on southern and eastern areas of the country.
The UAE Ministry of Defense says the country’s air defences are “currently responding to incoming missile and drone threats from Iran”. The announcement came four hours after another alleged attack from Iran.
The UAE Ministry of Defense says the country’s air defences are “currently responding to incoming missile and drone threats from Iran”. The announcement came four hours after another alleged attack from Iran.
A day before he was killed , Larijani complained that not one Muslim country sided with Iran in this war
