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China says it is in contact with all sides on Hormuz tensions

Mar 16, 2026, 07:19 GMT+0

China said it was in communication with all sides over the situation in the Strait of Hormuz after US President Donald Trump called on other countries to join efforts to secure the waterway and keep it open, the Chinese foreign ministry said.

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Iran’s lion-and-sun flag at center of FIFA row before 2026 World Cup
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Iran’s lion-and-sun flag at center of FIFA row before 2026 World Cup

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INSIGHT

Iran factions clash over interim US deal as Trump weighs final call

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SPECIAL REPORT

Witnesses describe gunfire, blocked exits and deadly market fire in Rasht

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INSIGHT

How four Khamenei family names map the Islamic Republic’s inner circle

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Amnesty says Iran using war to intensify repression

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  • Iran factions clash over interim US deal as Trump weighs final call
    INSIGHT

    Iran factions clash over interim US deal as Trump weighs final call

  • Names of some Iran protest victims vanish from Tehran cemetery database

    Names of some Iran protest victims vanish from Tehran cemetery database

  • How four Khamenei family names map the Islamic Republic’s inner circle
    INSIGHT

    How four Khamenei family names map the Islamic Republic’s inner circle

  • Witnesses describe gunfire, blocked exits and deadly market fire in Rasht
    SPECIAL REPORT

    Witnesses describe gunfire, blocked exits and deadly market fire in Rasht

  • Iran’s lion-and-sun flag at center of FIFA row before 2026 World Cup

    Iran’s lion-and-sun flag at center of FIFA row before 2026 World Cup

  • Iran’s partial internet return exposes rift inside ruling system

    Iran’s partial internet return exposes rift inside ruling system

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Airstrikes in central Iran kill five, injure seven, official says

Mar 16, 2026, 06:32 GMT+0

Strikes on residential areas in Iran’s Markazi province killed five people and wounded seven others early on Monday, the deputy governor of Markazi province told semi-official Mehr news agency.

A missile strike around 4:30 am hit an area in a village near the city of Arak, killing four people, with the toll possibly rising, he was quoted as saying.

Another building in the city of Mahallat was struck, killing one person and injuring seven.

In the nearby city of Khomein, the Imam Reza school was hit, causing damage to nearby homes but no casualties.

Japan has made no decision on escorting ships in Middle East, PM says

Mar 16, 2026, 06:01 GMT+0

Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said on Monday that Tokyo had made no decision to dispatch naval vessels to escort ships in the Middle East and was still examining what it could do on its own and within its legal framework.

Takaichi is due to travel to Washington this week for talks with US President Donald Trump, and she said the Iran war will be on the agenda.

"We have not made any decisions whatsoever about dispatching escort ships. We are continuing to examine what Japan can do independently and what can be done within the legal framework," Takaichi told the parliament.

Explosions and security deployments reported across Iran

Mar 16, 2026, 05:33 GMT+0
Explosions and security deployments reported across Iran
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Explosions, fighter jet activity and heavy security deployments were reported in several Iranian cities on Sunday night and early Monday, according to eyewitness accounts sent to Iran International.

In Karaj, near Tehran, the Aghigh complex was hit around 2:50 am and nearby streets were later sealed off by Revolutionary Guards forces. Fighter jets had operated several times over the city around 2:45 am, rattling windows in nearby buildings as five loud explosions were heard in the Golshahr and Mehrshahr areas.

In the capital Tehran, witnesses reported a large presence of security forces around Chaharbagh mosque in the Jannatabad area, where checkpoints were set up near the Hemmat highway on-ramp.

In the southern port city of Bandar Siraf, the sound of fighter jets was heard on Sunday night and, about a minute later, the city’s maritime base was struck. Witnesses said the first blast was very intense and a second strike followed about five minutes later.

Six loud explosions were reported around 3:20 am in Jam in the southern Bushehr province, with white smoke covering parts of the sky. Witnesses also reported the presence of IRGC forces and ammunition at the Podol-Lamzan outpost in the southern port city of Bandar Lengeh.

Iran's Red Crescent says clinic, aid post damaged in strikes

Mar 16, 2026, 04:56 GMT+0

The Iranian Red Crescent Society said the latest air raids on Tehran damaged one of its clinics and an aid relief post, posting footage online that appears to show broken glass and damaged equipment scattered across the floor in a facility.

The report came after Israel announced a new wave of attacks on Tehran early hours of Monday local time.

Several hospitals and other health facilities across Iran have been damaged since US-Israeli strikes began on February 28.

Trump cites fear of crackdown for lack of Iran uprising

Mar 16, 2026, 04:48 GMT+0

President Donald Trump said he believes there has been no uprising in Iran because people fear violent repression by the authorities.

Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump described Iran’s leadership as “thugs” and said protesters had been warned they would be “shot and killed” if they took to the streets.

“So I can fully understand why they’re not doing it,” he said.