Iran – Israeli/US War LIVE Updates March 14 -2026: US Strikes Obliterated Iranian Targets on Kharg Island says, Donald Trump

Iraq’s Ministry of Oil has told our colleagues at Al Jazeera Arabic that it is working to find alternatives amid the stoppage of oil exports through the Strait of Hormuz.

Around one-fifth of the world’s oil supplies transit through the waterway, which is effectively closed.

Maintenance work is ongoing to rehabilitate the oil pipeline between Iraq’s city of Kirkuk and the Turkish oil hub of Ceyhan, the ministry added, without elaborating further on its potential plans.

Welcome to VoM News. If you have just joined us, here are the latest developments in the ongoing Iran war:

• Donald Trump said United States forces bombed Iranian military targets on Kharg Island, warning that the island’s oil infrastructure could be targeted next if tensions escalate.
• Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) warned that US “hideouts” in the United Arab Emirates are “legitimate targets” following the attacks on Kharg Island.
• Iraq is exploring alternatives to export oil after disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz, through which about one-fifth of global oil supply normally passes.
• Japan has asked Australia to increase LNG production to help stabilise energy supplies amid the Middle East crisis.
• The Israeli Defense Forces said it detected missiles launched from Iran, with interception efforts under way.
• Iranian officials say oil exports from Kharg Island remain uninterrupted, despite US strikes on military installations there.
• Emmanuel Macron, President of France, has offered to host ceasefire talks between Lebanon and Israel in Paris.
• A missile strike hit a defence unit near the US Embassy in Baghdad, raising fresh security concerns in Iraq.
• Bahrain says it has intercepted 124 missiles and 203 drones since the start of the conflict.
• Rising tensions have pushed Brent crude oil prices above $100 per barrel, rattling financial markets in the United States.

Stay with VoM News for continuous updates on the Middle East conflict.

Emmanuel Macron, President of France, has said his country is ready to host ceasefire negotiations between Lebanon and Israel as regional tensions continue to escalate..... READ MORE 

Japan asks Australia for increased LNG output to ensure energy security

Japan’s Industry Minister Ryosei Akazawa has asked ⁠Australia, Japan’s ⁠biggest supplier of liquefied natural gas (LNG), to boost output in light of the Middle East crisis.

Japan relies ⁠on the Middle East for about 11 percent of its LNG imports, with 6 percent shipped via the Strait of ⁠Hormuz.

“For this unprecedented situation, the affordable and stable LNG supply from ⁠Australia is the lifeline of energy ⁠security in Japan and this region,” Akazawa told Australian Resources Minister Madeleine King during their bilateral meeting.

“We would like to sincerely ask for your ⁠continued contribution to stable supply, including the possibility of increasing production as much as possible,” ⁠Akazawa said. Australia supplies about 40 percent of Japan’s LNG imports.

The request comes as about a fifth of global LNG supply ‌is offline after Qatar decided to shut down gas production due to the ongoing conflict, disrupting energy supplies from the Middle East. Last week, Qatar’s Energy Minister Saad al-Kaabi said it could take months to return to normal deliveries.

Oil exports from Kharg island remain uninterrupted, Iranian official says

An Iranian official has told Iranian news agencies that exports from Kharg island are “fully under way” and that oil companies’ activities on the site continue without interruption.

The statement, carried by the IRNA and Tasnim news agencies, comes after the US said it bombed military installations on the island, warning the area’s critical oil facilities could be next if Iran continues to block the Strait of Hormuz.

Kharg island is where more than 90 percent of Iran’s oil is exported from.

Iranian Red Crescent says 36,500 civilian units damaged in US-Israel attacks

The Iranian Red Crescent Society (IRCS) says more than 36,500 civilian units have been damaged across the country since the start of joint US-Israel attacks.

“Most of these are residential units and public service centers,” it added.

Zeidon Alkinani, Middle East politics lecturer at Georgetown University in Qatar, has told Al Jazeera that the US attack on Iran’s Kharg island appears to mark a shift from a military conflict to an economic war.

“The economic implications and consequences from the conflict that happened over the past two weeks have been directly impacted by the war, and now it seems like the economic pressure is being strategically put by both sides, each openly trying to eliminate one another’s influential economic outlets in the region,” he said.

Alkinani added that both sides are deliberately increasing pressure to push the other towards either restraint or entering negotiations.AJZ

At least 112 people have been killed so far in US-Israel attacks on Iran’s Kurdistan province, according to a local official quoted by the Tasnim news agency.

Head of the Kurdistan Provincial Emergency Department, whose name was not provided by Tasnim, also said at least 969 people were injured in the attacks.

Twenty-seven people are currently hospitalised in standard wards, while five are in intensive care units, the official said. AJZ

Welcome to VoM News. If you have joined late, here is the latest recap from the Iran war:

• Nationwide internet blackout in Iran has entered its third week, according to the monitoring group NetBlocks.

• Analysts say the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit of the United States Marine Corps is deploying from Japan to the Middle East, raising speculation about possible ground operations in Iran.

• At least 56 cultural sites across Iran — including museums and historic monuments — have been damaged in US-Israeli attacks, according to Iran’s Culture Ministry.

• Reports say six members of the same family, including a six-month-old baby, were killed in an air strike on a residential building in Eyvan.

• Amir Hatami, commander-in-chief of the Iranian army, warned that the deadly attack on the warship IRIS Dena that killed 104 sailors “will not go unanswered”.

• Hezbollah claimed multiple rocket and missile attacks on Israeli towns including Kiryat Shmona, Metula, and a base near Safad.

• An Israeli air raid killed at least four people near Sidon in southern Lebanon, according to Lebanese media.

• Saudi Arabia said its air defences intercepted a drone in the eastern region, amid continued missile and drone attacks across the Gulf.

• Residents in Doha, Qatar reported overnight explosions as air defences intercepted missiles during escalating regional attacks.

• Iranian officials warn that strikes on Kharg Island — a key oil export hub — could trigger wider economic and energy disruptions worldwide.

Stay with VoM News for continuous updates on the Middle East conflict.

The United States Department of State has announced a $10 million reward for information related to Mojtaba Khamenei, the new supreme leader of Iran, as tensions escalate in the Middle East following ongoing military clashes.....Read More 

Kharg Island is one of the most strategically important locations in Iran, particularly for its energy sector and global oil trade. The island lies in the northern Persian Gulf, close to the Iranian port city of Bushehr, and serves as the main hub for Iran’s oil exports.

The island plays a crucial role in Iran’s economy because a large majority of the country’s crude oil shipments move through it before reaching international markets...READ MORE 

Military escalation involving Iran, Israel, and the United States represents one of the most consequential geopolitical risks facing the global economic system. The Persian Gulf region lies at the heart of global energy supply and maritime trade, making any large-scale conflict there capable of producing systemic economic shocks....Read More

India’s two largest carriers – Air India and IndiGo – have announced additional fuel surcharge fees for passengers as global oil prices surge amid the conflict involving Iran.

In a statement, Air India said aviation turbine fuel (ATF) – which accounts for nearly 40 percent of an airline’s operating costs – has seen a sharp rise in prices since early March 2026 due to supply disruptions. The airline said ticket fares could increase by up to $90 to offset the higher fuel costs.

IndiGo has also announced a fare hike, saying ticket prices could rise by up to about $30 to manage the increased cost of aviation fuel.

Authorities in the United Arab Emirates have arrested 10 people of different nationalities for posting videos on social media showing the country under attack, according to the state-run Emirates News Agency.

The clips included both real and fabricated footage, such as videos claiming to show the UAE deploying air defence systems or being hit by projectiles, as well as AI-generated content depicting fake explosions, fires and attacks on major landmarks.

The public prosecutor said publishing such material – whether authentic or fabricated – spreads confusion, threatens public security and provides “hostile media” with content to undermine confidence in the government.

According to WAM, those accused face a minimum sentence of one year in prison and a fine of 100,000 dirhams (about $27,000) for spreading misleading information and causing public alarm.

The Wall Street Journal has reported that five US Air Force refuelling planes were damaged in recent days while on the ground at an airbase in Saudi Arabia.

According to the WSJ, citing unnamed US officials, the aircraft were damaged in an Iranian attack. It did not say when the attack occurred.

US Central Command declined to comment on the report.