Daily Archives: 25 March 2026

UN chief warns Iran war ‘out of control,’ world staring down barrel of wider conflict

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United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres holds a press briefing outlining his priorities for 2026 at the United Nations headquarters in New York, United States, on January 29, 2026. Selçuk Acar – Anadolu Agency]

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned on Wednesday that the Iran war has spun beyond all boundaries, declaring the conflict “out of control,” cautioning that the world faces the prospect of a far broader confrontation, Anadolu reports.

“More than three weeks on, this war is out of control,” Guterres told reporters at a news conference at UN headquarters in New York, adding that “the conflict has broken past the limits even leaders thought imaginable.”

“The world is staring down the barrel of a wider war, a rising tide of human suffering, and a deeper global economic shock,” he said, stressing that it “has gone too far.”

Calling for an end to the military escalation, Guterres said. “It is time to stop climbing the escalation ladder and start climbing the diplomatic ladder, and return to full respect of international law.”

Pointing to the key parties involved in the war, he said, “My message to the United States and Israel is that it is high time to end the war as human suffering deepens, civilian casualties mount, and the global economic impact is increasingly devastating.”

Guterres urged Iran to end attacks on the Gulf countries, arguing that they “are not parties to the conflict.”

Highlighting the economic ripple effects of the war, Guterres said, “The prolonged closure of the Strait (of Hormuz) is choking the movement of oil, gas, and fertilizer at a critical moment in the global planting season.”

Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical artery for global goods and energy trade, had been largely disrupted by escalating tensions in the Gulf following US and Israeli attacks on Iran and Tehran’s retaliation.

READ: Hebrew media: Iran sets five conditions to end war with US and Israel

The strait, which connects Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Kuwait, Qatar, Iraq, and Iran to global markets, handles roughly 25% of global oil trade, about 20% of liquefied natural gas trade, and nearly 30% of fertilizer trade.

The UN chief turned his attention to Lebanon and said, “Israel must stop its military operations and strikes in Lebanon, which are hitting civilians the hardest,” adding, “The Gaza model must not be replicated in Lebanon.”

In efforts to de-escalate tensions, Guterres further announced the appointment of Jean Arnault of France as his “personal envoy to lead the UN efforts on the conflict and its consequences.”

Arnault was the UN chief’s personal envoy on Afghanistan and regional issues in 2021.

When asked for details about Arnault’s role, Guterres said he “will be doing everything possible to support all the efforts for mediation, all the efforts for peace, to be in contact with all the parties” in the Middle East.

Guterres emphasized the need for diplomacy and full respect for international law, expressing hope that the parties involved in the Iran war will reach “an understanding to end this horrible conflict.”

“Because the consequences of the conflict, that is totally out of control at the present moment, are absolutely devastating,” he added.

The region has been shaken since the US and Israel launched a joint offensive on Iran on Feb. 28, so far killing more than 1,300 people, including then-Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

Iran has retaliated with drone and missile strikes targeting Israel, along with Jordan, Iraq, and Gulf countries hosting US military assets, causing casualties and damage to infrastructure while disrupting global markets and aviation.

READ: Iraqi factions announce carrying out 23 military operations targeting US bases

This work by Middle East Monitor is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Orcas discuss rotting brain. Front Orca says "Wish someone would lock him up".
Orcas discuss rotting brain. Front Orca says “Wish someone would lock him up”.
Donald Trump warns against following the https://onaquietday.org blog, says that it's easy atm, she only needs to report war crimes supporting Israel's genocidal expansion.
Donald Trump warns against following the https://onaquietday.org blog, says that it’s easy atm, she only needs to report war crimes supporting Israel’s genocidal expansion.
Keir Starmer explains that UK is participating defensively in Trump and Israel's criminal war for Israel's genocidal expansion in Iran and states that he supports Zionism "without qualification". Keir Starmer said "I said it loud and clear – and meant it – that I support Zionism without qualification.” here: https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/keir-starmer-interview-i-will-work-to-eradicate-antisemitism-from-day-one/
Keir Starmer explains that UK is participating defensively in Trump and Israel’s criminal war for Israel’s genocidal expansion in Iran and states that he supports Zionism “without qualification”. Keir Starmer said “I said it loud and clear – and meant it – that I support Zionism without qualification.” here: https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/keir-starmer-interview-i-will-work-to-eradicate-antisemitism-from-day-one/

Continue ReadingUN chief warns Iran war ‘out of control,’ world staring down barrel of wider conflict

Strait of Hormuz situation ‘will not return to the past,’ Iran says amid escalating Mideast tensions

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Naval units from Iran and Russia carry out to simulation of rescue a hijacked vessel during the joint naval drills held at the Port of Bandar Abbas near the Strait of Hormuz in Hormozgan, Iran on February 19, 2026. [Iranian Army/Handout – Anadolu Agency]

The situation in the Strait of Hormuz will not return to its previous state, an Iranian military spokesman said on Wednesday, asserting Tehran’s control over maritime access as tensions in the Middle East continue to escalate, Anadolu reports.

In remarks carried by Iran’s Mehr News Agency, Ebrahim Zolfaghari, spokesperson for the Iranian military’s Khatam Al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, said new rules governing transit through the strategic waterway have been established, stressing that passage would depend on Iran’s authorization.

“The situation in the strait will not return to the past,” the spokesman said, adding that “permission for transit will be determined by us.”

He added that “the fire beneath oil prices has been ignited, and its level is in our hands,” describing it as one of several variables in the confrontation.

READ: Hebrew media: Iran sets five conditions to end war with US and Israel

Zolfaghari said that “the resistance of our people and the power of our armed forces are increasing moment by moment,” while asserting that adversaries have become “grounded” and are showing increasing signs of weakness.

The US and Israel have been carrying out airstrikes on Iran since Feb. 28, killing more than 1,340 people so far, including then-Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Iran has retaliated with drone and missile strikes targeting Israel, along with Jordan, Iraq, and Gulf countries hosting US military assets, causing casualties and damage to infrastructure while disrupting global markets and aviation.

READ: Japan denies US claim it will deploy naval forces to Strait of Hormuz

This work by Middle East Monitor is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Orcas discuss rotting brain. Front Orca says "Wish someone would lock him up".
Orcas discuss rotting brain. Front Orca says “Wish someone would lock him up”.
Donald Trump warns against following the https://onaquietday.org blog, says that it's easy atm, she only needs to report war crimes supporting Israel's genocidal expansion.
Donald Trump warns against following the https://onaquietday.org blog, says that it’s easy atm, she only needs to report war crimes supporting Israel’s genocidal expansion.
Keir Starmer explains that UK is participating defensively in Trump and Israel's criminal war for Israel's genocidal expansion in Iran and states that he supports Zionism "without qualification". Keir Starmer said "I said it loud and clear – and meant it – that I support Zionism without qualification.” here: https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/keir-starmer-interview-i-will-work-to-eradicate-antisemitism-from-day-one/
Keir Starmer explains that UK is participating defensively in Trump and Israel’s criminal war for Israel’s genocidal expansion in Iran and states that he supports Zionism “without qualification”. Keir Starmer said “I said it loud and clear – and meant it – that I support Zionism without qualification.” here: https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/keir-starmer-interview-i-will-work-to-eradicate-antisemitism-from-day-one/

Continue ReadingStrait of Hormuz situation ‘will not return to the past,’ Iran says amid escalating Mideast tensions

Tehran says US, Israel planning to occupy one of Iran’s islands

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Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf in Tehran, Iran on November 30, 2025. [Ahmet Serdar Eser – Anadolu Agency]

Iran’s parliament speaker accused the US and Israel on Wednesday of planning to occupy one of the country’s islands, with support from one country in the region, Anadolu reports.

“Based on some data, the enemies of Iran, with the support of one of the countries in the region, are preparing an operation to occupy one of Iran’s islands,” Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf said in a post on US social media company X.

He, however, did not name this regional country.

Qalibaf said that all “enemy movements” are being monitored by Iran’s armed forces.

“If they take any step, all vital infrastructure of that regional country will be targeted without restrictions by relentless attacks,” he threatened.

The US and Israel have been carrying out airstrikes on Iran since Feb. 28, killing more than 1,340 people so far, including then-Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Iran has retaliated with drone and missile strikes targeting Israel along with Jordan, Iraq and Gulf countries hosting US military assets, causing casualties and damage to infrastructure while disrupting global markets and aviation.

READ: Strait of Hormuz situation ‘will not return to the past,’ Iran says amid escalating Mideast tensions

Orcas discuss rotting brain. Front Orca says "Wish someone would lock him up".
Orcas discuss rotting brain. Front Orca says “Wish someone would lock him up”.
Donald Trump warns against following the https://onaquietday.org blog, says that it's easy atm, she only needs to report war crimes supporting Israel's genocidal expansion.
Donald Trump warns against following the https://onaquietday.org blog, says that it’s easy atm, she only needs to report war crimes supporting Israel’s genocidal expansion.
Keir Starmer explains that UK is participating defensively in Trump and Israel's criminal war for Israel's genocidal expansion in Iran and states that he supports Zionism "without qualification". Keir Starmer said "I said it loud and clear – and meant it – that I support Zionism without qualification.” here: https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/keir-starmer-interview-i-will-work-to-eradicate-antisemitism-from-day-one/
Keir Starmer explains that UK is participating defensively in Trump and Israel’s criminal war for Israel’s genocidal expansion in Iran and states that he supports Zionism “without qualification”. Keir Starmer said “I said it loud and clear – and meant it – that I support Zionism without qualification.” here: https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/keir-starmer-interview-i-will-work-to-eradicate-antisemitism-from-day-one/

Continue ReadingTehran says US, Israel planning to occupy one of Iran’s islands

Trump prefers peace but ready to ‘unleash hell’ in Iran: White House

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White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt speaks at the White House Press Briefing room in Washington DC., United States, on March 10, 2026. [Celal Güneş – Anadolu Agency]

US President Donald Trump favors a peaceful resolution with Iran but is prepared to escalate sharply if Tehran fails to accept the “reality of the current moment,” the White House said Wednesday, Anadolu reports.

Washington postponed planned strikes on Iranian power plants and energy infrastructure after “productive conversations” in the last three days, spokesperson Karoline Leavitt told reporters.

She said if Iran fails to accept that it has “been defeated militarily,” Trump will ensure the country is “hit harder than they have ever been hit before.” She added that the president “does not bluff and he is prepared to unleash hell.”

Leavitt also warned Tehran against “miscalculation,” claiming its last miscalculation had cost Iran its senior leadership, navy, air force and air defense system. Any further violence, she said, would be the result of Iran refusing to accept defeat and come to a deal.

She said the administration does not consider congressional authorization “necessary” for strikes against Iran, and acknowledged no specific timeline exists for the first oil tanker to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, though officials are working to realize it “as quickly as” possible.

Leavitt said the US has destroyed more than 140 Iranian naval vessels, including nearly 50 mine layers, in “the largest elimination of a Navy on the face of the planet in a three-week period since World War II.”

She added that during the weekend, the US dropped several 5,000-pound bombs on an underground facility used to store anti-ship cruise missiles and mobile missile launchers positioned along the Strait of Hormuz coastline.

Trump, Leavitt added, wants to see a Iranian leadership that is “much more favorable” to Washington, willing to cooperate with the US and no longer chanting “Death to America!”

READ: Strait of Hormuz situation ‘will not return to the past,’ Iran says amid escalating Mideast tensions

Talks continue despite Iran’s reported rejection

Asked about Iranian state television reports that Tehran rejected a US 15-point plan to end the war, Leavitt said talks have not broken down. “They have not. Talks continue. They are productive, as the president said on Monday, and they continue to be,” she said.

On the reported plan, Leavitt urged caution, saying she had seen a plan “floated in the media” but that the White House had never confirmed it. “There are elements of truth to it, but some of the stories I read were not entirely factual,” she added.

The US has reportedly sent Iran a 15-point plan, outlining steps on Tehran’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs, as well as maritime security in the Strait of Hormuz. Iran rejected the proposal, saying any ceasefire would occur on its terms and timeline, and outlined five conditions for ending the war, including a complete halt to “aggression and assassinations.”

On possible face-to-face talks, including reports of a potential meeting in Pakistan, Leavitt said nothing should be considered official until formally announced by the White House, cautioning against getting “ahead of our skis” on any talks planned for the weekend.

She also dismissed claims by former counterterrorism director Joe Kent, who alleged the US had shifted its red line from preventing a nuclear weapon to preventing nuclear enrichment to justify the war. She said Kent “resigned in disgrace,” calling his assertions “ridiculous and laughable,” and saying his accusations carry “zero credibility.”

The US and Israel have struck Iran since Feb. 28, killing more than 1,300 people, including then-Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, prompting Iranian retaliatory strikes across the region and a severe disruption to global oil flows.

READ: Hebrew media: Iran sets five conditions to end war with US and Israel

Orcas discuss rotting brain. Front Orca says "Wish someone would lock him up".
Orcas discuss rotting brain. Front Orca says “Wish someone would lock him up”.
Donald Trump warns against following the https://onaquietday.org blog, says that it's easy atm, she only needs to report war crimes supporting Israel's genocidal expansion.
Donald Trump warns against following the https://onaquietday.org blog, says that it’s easy atm, she only needs to report war crimes supporting Israel’s genocidal expansion.
Keir Starmer explains that UK is participating defensively in Trump and Israel's criminal war for Israel's genocidal expansion in Iran and states that he supports Zionism "without qualification". Keir Starmer said "I said it loud and clear – and meant it – that I support Zionism without qualification.” here: https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/keir-starmer-interview-i-will-work-to-eradicate-antisemitism-from-day-one/
Keir Starmer explains that UK is participating defensively in Trump and Israel’s criminal war for Israel’s genocidal expansion in Iran and states that he supports Zionism “without qualification”. Keir Starmer said “I said it loud and clear – and meant it – that I support Zionism without qualification.” here: https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/keir-starmer-interview-i-will-work-to-eradicate-antisemitism-from-day-one/

Continue ReadingTrump prefers peace but ready to ‘unleash hell’ in Iran: White House

Gulf countries, Jordan condemn Iranian attacks, affirm right to self-defense

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Smoke rises after Iranian-sourced unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) carried out an attack on a fuel depot at Kuwait International Airport in Kuwait City, Kuwait on March 25, 2026. [Stringer – Anadolu Agency]

The Gulf countries and Jordan on Wednesday strongly denounced Iranian attacks as a “flagrant violation” of their sovereignty and territorial integrity, affirming their full right to self-defense, Anadolu reports.

In a joint statement, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Jordan said attacks carried out by Iran or its proxies constitute “a violation of international law, international humanitarian law, and the United Nations Charter.”

They particularly cited attacks launched by Iran-backed armed groups in Iraq as “a breach of international laws and conventions,” and “a blatant violation” of UN Security Council 2817, which demands Iran cease all assaults and threats against neighboring countries.

The statement called on the Iraqi government to take “the necessary measures” to halt attacks by armed groups against neighbors “in order to preserve fraternal relations and prevent further escalation.”

READ: Iran calls for regional “security union” independent of United States, Israel

Signatories reaffirmed their full right to self-defense “against these criminal attacks,” and to take all necessary measures “to preserve their sovereignty, security, and stability.”

They also condemned acts and activities “that undermine the security and stability of the region’s countries, planned by sleeper cells loyal to Iran and terrorist organizations linked to Hezbollah.”

Regional escalation has continued to flare since the US and Israel launched a joint offensive on Iran on Feb. 28, killing so far over 1,340 people, including then-Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

Tehran has retaliated with drone and missile strikes targeting Israel, along with Jordan, Iraq, and Gulf countries hosting US military assets, causing casualties and damage to infrastructure while disrupting global markets and aviation.

READ: Trump prefers peace but ready to ‘unleash hell’ in Iran: White House

This work by Middle East Monitor is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Orcas discuss rotting brain. Front Orca says "Wish someone would lock him up".
Orcas discuss rotting brain. Front Orca says “Wish someone would lock him up”.
Donald Trump warns against following the https://onaquietday.org blog, says that it's easy atm, she only needs to report war crimes supporting Israel's genocidal expansion.
Donald Trump warns against following the https://onaquietday.org blog, says that it’s easy atm, she only needs to report war crimes supporting Israel’s genocidal expansion.
Keir Starmer explains that UK is participating defensively in Trump and Israel's criminal war for Israel's genocidal expansion in Iran and states that he supports Zionism "without qualification". Keir Starmer said "I said it loud and clear – and meant it – that I support Zionism without qualification.” here: https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/keir-starmer-interview-i-will-work-to-eradicate-antisemitism-from-day-one/
Keir Starmer explains that UK is participating defensively in Trump and Israel’s criminal war for Israel’s genocidal expansion in Iran and states that he supports Zionism “without qualification”. Keir Starmer said “I said it loud and clear – and meant it – that I support Zionism without qualification.” here: https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/keir-starmer-interview-i-will-work-to-eradicate-antisemitism-from-day-one/

Continue ReadingGulf countries, Jordan condemn Iranian attacks, affirm right to self-defense