A plane takes off from Rafik Hariri International Airport as smoke rises from the site of an Israeli airstrike in Dahiyeh, Beirut’s southern suburbs, Lebanon, on March 17, 2026.
| Photo Credit: AP
The Israeli military struck Iran and Beirut on Saturday (March 21, 2026) as the U.S. was sending thousands more Marines to West Asia and President Donald Trump accused NATO allies of cowardice over their reluctance to help open the Strait of Hormuz.
Also read: West Asia war updates on March 21, 2026
More than 2,000 people have been killed since the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran on February 28, while Americans appear increasingly concerned at signs the war could expand further as it enters its fourth week.
Israel said it was attacking Hezbollah on Saturday (March 21, 2026) in the Lebanese capital as it steps up airstrikes targeting the Iran-backed militia in the deadliest spill over from the war on Iran since Hezbollah fired on Israel in support of Tehran on March 2.
Israel also launched new attacks on Iran on Saturday (March 21, 2026), including on the capital, Tehran, its military said.
Germany and France ready to help on Hormuz
Vital energy infrastructure in Iran and neighbouring Gulf states has also been attacked, and oil prices have jumped 50% since the war began, threatening global economic shock.
In the U.S., United Airlines said it would cut its scheduled flights by 5% in the second and third quarters, planning for prolonged higher oil prices.
The Strait of Hormuz, a conduit for around a fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas supplies, has been effectively closed to most shipping since the United States and Israel launched the war against Iran.
Mr. Trump on Friday (March 20, 2026) called U.S. allies “cowards” for declining to help open the strait while fighting continued.
Several allies, who were not consulted before the war, have pledged to join “appropriate efforts” to ensure safe passage through the strait, but Germany and France have said fighting must stop first. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said he would speak to Mr. Trump this weekend.
Iran is ready to let Japanese-related vessels pass through the Strait of Hormuz, Kyodo News reported on Saturday (March 21, 2026), citing Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi. Japan gets around 90% of its oil shipments via the strait.
The Trump White House, in an effort to increase supply and lower prices, said it would waive sanctions for 30 days to allow the sale of 140 million barrels of Iranian oil stranded on tankers by the war. The administration had previously eased sanctions on a similar amount of sanctioned Russian oil.
The Israeli military said before its Saturday (March 21, 2026) attacks it had issued evacuation warnings for seven neighbourhoods in the southern suburbs of Beirut. More than 1,000 people have been killed in Lebanon and over 1 million have been displaced in the Israeli attacks.
Mr. Trump said the United States was close to reaching its goals in the war, which include degrading Iran’s military and preventing it from developing a nuclear weapon, and might wind down its military effort.
Published – March 21, 2026 12:48 pm IST
