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15 people killed in Israeli and US attack on Isfahan as Iranian government launches retaliatory attacks on Israel and Gulf states.
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Published March 15, 2026
As the conflict enters its 16th day, the United States and Israel attacked the Iranian city of Isfahan early Sunday morning, killing at least 15 people.
Sirens rang across central Israel on Sunday as Iran fired a barrage of missiles in retaliation against the country. Tehran continues to attack Gulf states.
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Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump called for the formation of a naval coalition to keep the Strait of Hormuz open, insisting that Tehran “wants a deal”.
Here’s what we know about what happened in the past 24 hours.
in iran
A residential area in Shiraz, the capital of Fars province, was attacked. Tasnim news agency reported this morning that “the Zionist American criminal regime attacked residential and impoverished areas in the city of Shiraz in acts of terrorism and anti-humanity.” An attack on the industrial city of Isfahan in central Iran left 15 people dead and several others injured. Twenty people were arrested in northwestern Iran for attempting to cooperate with Israel, the Tasnim newspaper reported, citing a statement from the prosecutor’s office in West Azerbaijan. They are accused of transmitting location details of Iranian military and security assets to Israel. Revolutionary Guards’ 50th wave of attacks: The Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps announced it has launched a “50th wave” of operations against US military bases in the region. The operation was “conducted against U.S. Terrorist Forces bases” in the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Kuwait. Regarding the Kharg attack: Foreign Minister Abbas Aragushi said the US used a cruise missile fired from the UAE near Dubai. He added that the Iranian government could retaliate, which would be dangerous for the region. New Supreme Leader: Araghchi said there was “no problem” with the new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, after a US official earlier claimed that he was injured and “may be disfigured”. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards have warned the United States to move its industry out of the Middle East and urged citizens to stay away from factories in which American companies have a stake, following a strike that killed several civilian workers at a non-military factory in Iran, according to Iranian state media. Regarding the Strait of Hormuz: Revolutionary Guards Naval Commander Alireza Tansiri said Iran has not yet closed the strait and the vital waterway is “only being controlled.” Iranian damage: Tehran’s governor reported that at least 10,000 homes were “damaged or completely destroyed” by US and Israeli attacks. More than 1,400 people have been killed since Israel and the United States began the war on February 28. Earlier, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth claimed that at least 15,000 “enemy targets” had been attacked since the war began, with more than 1,000 per day. Iran has confirmed that its top military official, Brigadier General Abdullah Jalali Nasab, was killed in an Israeli attack. Added to this was the killing of Iranian military chief of staff Abdulrahim Mousavi. Aziz Nasirzadeh, Minister of Defense and Deputy Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces; and Mohammad Pakpour, commander-in-chief of the Revolutionary Guards.
in the gulf countries
Saudi Arabia: The Ministry of Defense announced that four drones were intercepted in the Riyadh metropolitan area. The attack killed at least two people and injured 12 others since Iran launched retaliatory strikes. Earlier, the ministry announced that six ballistic missiles fired at Saudi Arabia’s Al-Khalj province had been destroyed, as well as two drones intercepted in the Eastern Province. UAE: The Revolutionary Guards announced that it launched 10 missiles and several drones against US forces at Al Dhafra Air Base in the UAE, according to a statement carried by Iranian news agencies. On Saturday, a Jordanian citizen was injured in a plume of black smoke that fell from debris from a drone intercept at the port of Fujairah, just outside the Strait of Hormuz. Abu Dhabi has accused Iran of “moral bankruptcy” following Iranian claims that the US attack on the strategic Khalgh Island originated from the UAE. Bahrain: Bahrain’s Ministry of Interior announced that sirens have been activated and residents are urged to remain calm and move to the nearest safe location. Police arrested six people on suspicion of posting videos and spreading false information about Iran’s attack on Iran, the report said. At least two people have been killed and dozens injured in Iranian attacks so far. Kuwait: Kuwaiti authorities report that two missiles hit the area around Ahmad Al Jaber Air Base, injuring three soldiers. A drone attacked facilities at Kuwait International Airport, damaging part of the radar system. QATAR: The Gulf state intercepted all four ballistic missiles and a drone launched by Iran, the Ministry of Defense announced on Saturday.
in the US
What the president said: President Trump told NBC News in a phone interview that Iran “wants a deal” but isn’t ready for one “because the terms aren’t good enough yet.” He also reiterated that he is working with other countries on plans to secure passage through the Strait of Hormuz. Regarding the new Supreme Leader: Mojtaba Khamenei questioned whether he was “alive” following earlier claims by Hegseth that his “appearance may have been disfigured”. Trump said the US attack on Iran’s key island of Kharg had “completely destroyed” much of the island, but added: “We might do a few more strikes just for fun.” On the Strait of Hormuz: He called on allies and countries dependent on Gulf oil, including China, to send warships to the Strait to protect ships. However, no country has confirmed this. In response, Japan said the hurdles for such action were “too high.” The Trump administration also warned that news organizations could have their broadcast licenses revoked for critical coverage of the war against Iran, accusing the media of “distortion.” On negotiations: He claimed Iran had reached a peace deal, but Reuters reported that the Trump administration has rejected efforts by Middle East allies to start diplomatic talks aimed at ending the war. Iran rejects the possibility of a ceasefire until the US and Israeli attacks end. Support for war in the U.S.: According to a new Quinnipiac University poll, 53 percent of U.S. voters oppose an attack, and nearly three-quarters of those surveyed say they do not support sending U.S. ground forces to Iran.
in israel
According to the Times of Israel, Israel’s Ministry of Health said 108 people were injured and taken to hospital in the past 24 hours as a result of the conflict with Iran. Air raid sirens sounded throughout Israel throughout the night and into the morning, as missile and rocket fire from Iran and Lebanon’s Hezbollah continued, and falling debris sparked a fire in the city of Holon. Fragments of an Iranian missile fell in an area near Tel Aviv in central Israel after air defense systems intercepted the incoming projectile. Israel informed the United States this week that it is critically short of anti-ballistic missiles as the conflict with Iran escalates, US news website Semaphore reported.
in lebanon
Hezbollah is fighting to stop Israeli military advances in towns in southern Lebanon, as Israeli airstrikes and shelling hit several towns. The group said it targeted Israeli soldiers near al-Khazan Hill in the border town of Odaise and near the Fatima Gate in Kfar Qira in southern Lebanon, and fired missiles at Israeli artillery positions in the settlement of Dishon. Lebanon’s emergency services say Israeli attacks on two towns in southern Israel have killed at least five people, including a child, and injured seven others. Another Israeli airstrike killed an entire family, including two children, in Qantara, southern Lebanon. Since the US and Israeli attacks on Iran began on February 28, Israeli attacks have killed 826 people and displaced more than 800,000 people in the country. The director-general of the World Health Organization announced that a total of 14 health workers have been killed in attacks in southern Lebanon over the past 24 hours.
Iraq and Jordan
The U.S. Embassy in Baghdad said Saturday that all American citizens “should leave Iraq now.” It added: “Americans who choose to remain in Iraq are strongly encouraged to reconsider in light of the significant threat posed by Iranian-aligned terrorist militias.” Iraq’s Ministry of Justice announced that the area around Baghdad’s International Prison and Central Airport Prison has come under repeated attacks in recent days. A drone attack caused a fire at the Ranac refinery on the outskirts of Erbil. Iraqi authorities announced that they had suspended operations to assess the damage. Jordan’s military said it intercepted 79 of the 85 missiles and drones launched by Iran targeting “key locations” in the kingdom during the second week of the Middle East war. At least 14 people were injured in the Iranian attack in Jordan.
