Iran live updates: White House calls on other nations to secure Strait of Hormuz

Dubai officials earlier said a drone impact had started a fire near the airport.

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Last updated: Monday, March 16, 2026 6:10PM GMT
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President Donald Trump announced "major combat operations" against Iran on Feb. 28, with massive joint U.S.-Israel strikes attack targeting military and government sites, officials said.

Iranian state television confirmed that Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was among those killed in Tehran on the first day of strikes. His son Mojtaba Khamenei was chosen on Sunday to succeed him.

Iran is responding to the operation with missile and drone attacks targeting Israel, regional U.S. bases and multiple Gulf nations. Israel is also intensifying its long-running strike campaign against the Iran-backed Hezbollah militia in Lebanon.

Smoke rises on the skyline after an explosion in Tehran, Iran, Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026.
Smoke rises on the skyline after an explosion in Tehran, Iran, Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026.

ByJessica Gorman ABCNews logo
Mar 16, 2026, 7:08 PM GMT

Dubai airport begins 'gradual' resumption of flights after drone impact

Dubai International Airport began resuming some flights on Monday morning after a drone impact had sparked a fire nearby, airport and city officials said.

"Dubai Airports confirms the gradual resumption of some flights to and from Dubai International (DXB) to selected destinations, following the temporary suspension implemented as a precautionary measure," a Dubai Airports spokesperson said, according to an alert on the airport's website.

An Emirates Boeing 777 stands at the gate at Dubai International Airport as another prepares to land on the runway in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Aug. 17, 2022.
An Emirates Boeing 777 stands at the gate at Dubai International Airport as another prepares to land on the runway in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Aug. 17, 2022.

The Dubai Media Office said hours earlier that authorities were responding to an incident involving a drone near the airport. Firefighters had been battling a blaze, the office said.

"Dubai Civil Defence teams have successfully contained the fire resulting from impact to one of the fuel tanks in the vicinity of Dubai International Airport," the office said early on Monday on social media. "No injuries have been reported."

Some flights were diverted to Al Maktoum International Airport, the office said.

ByKevin Shalvey and Tom Soufi Burridge ABCNews logo
Mar 16, 2026, 11:17 AM GMT

Israel launches 'limited and targeted' ground operations in Lebanon, IDF says

The Israel Defense Forces launched "limited and targeted" ground operations in southern Lebanon, Israel said on Monday, saying the military was targeting "key Hezbollah strongholds."

A bulldozer clears debris from the rubble of buildings destroyed in an Israeli airstrike, in Dahiyeh, Beirut's southern suburbs,, Lebanon, Monday, March 16, 2026.
A bulldozer clears debris from the rubble of buildings destroyed in an Israeli airstrike, in Dahiyeh, Beirut's southern suburbs,, Lebanon, Monday, March 16, 2026.

"This activity is part of broader defensive efforts to establish and strengthen a forward defensive posture, which includes the dismantling of terrorist infrastructure and the elimination of terrorists operating in the area, to create an additional layer of security for residents of northern Israel," the IDF said on social media.

Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani, an IDF spokesperson, said in a briefing that Israeli troops were on Monday operating in new areas farther into southern Lebanon. A week ago the IDF said it had taken five "hardened positions" in Lebanon along Israel's northern border with the country.

Shoshani said Hezbollah, an Iranian proxy, has fired around 1,000 rockets and drones at Israel over the past two weeks. He said Hezbollah was "expanding" its attacks into Israel and the IDF needed to respond.

He reiterated Israel's political goal that Hezbollah "cannot be an armed group" and echoed a phrase previously heard from Israel's political leadership, saying that "one way or another" Israel is committed to achieving that goal.

Mar 16, 2026, 1:19 AM GMT

Trump calls Strait of Hormuz 'something that we don't need'

As the war in Iran enters its third week, President Donald Trump told reporters on Air Force One Sunday night that he is talking to countries about policing the Strait of Hormuz, saying he is looking at "about seven," but declined to give specifics on which countries they may be.

Trump also said that the Strait of Hormuz is "something that we don't need," arguing that other countries should step in and assist because it affects them more than the U.S.

"I really am demanding that these countries come in and protect their own territory, because it is their territory. It's the place from which they get their energy, and they should come and they should help us protect it," the president said.

Trump also suggested the U.S. not assist at all.

"You could make the case that maybe we shouldn't be there at all because we don't need it. We have a lot of oil people with the number one producer anywhere in the world," he said.

-ABC News' Meghan Mistry and Emily Chang

Mar 16, 2026, 12:54 AM GMT

Trump reportedly tells NATO allies it will be 'very bad' if they don't help unblock Strait of Hormuz

As President Donald Trump continues to urge countries to assist with the escalating crisis in the Strait of Hormuz, he reportedly issued a warning to NATO on Sunday, saying it will be "very bad" for the global alliance if they do not respond or comply.

"If there's no response or if it's a negative response, I think it will be very bad for the future of NATO," he reportedly told the Financial Times in a phone interview.

The president has spent the weekend insisting that because other countries, particularly Europe and China, are dependent on the oil that flows through the Strait, they should be responsible for assisting with the escalating oil crisis.

"It's only appropriate that people who are the beneficiaries of the Strait will help to make sure that nothing bad happens there," Trump said.

The president also floated postponing his trip to Beijing to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping, which a White House official previously told ABC is currently scheduled for March 31 to April 2. He did not say how long he may delay the trip.

Trump told the FT that he would "like to know" if China would help with unblocking the Strait of Hormuz before the summit takes place.

-ABC News' Emily Chang and Meghan Mistry