All news: Thursday 19 March 2026

2026 Iranian strikes on Israel

The BAZAN Group refinery in Haifa is struck in an Iranian missile attack, but with "no significant damage", according to Energy Minister Eli Cohen.

2026 Iranian strikes on Saudi Arabia

A drone hits Aramco's SAMREF refinery in ‌the Red Sea port of Yanbu.

2026 Iranian strikes on Kuwait

Iranian Shahed drones strike the Mina al-Ahmadi and Mina Abdullah oil refineries and cause large fires, according to the Kuwait National Petroleum Company.

2026 Strait of Hormuz crisis

The leaders of France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom issue a joint statement condemning the Iranian attacks on commercial vessels and expressing their "readiness to contribute to appropriate efforts to ensure safe passage through the Strait".

2026 Iran war

A U.S. Air Force F-35 fighter jet is hit in Iranian airspace forcing the pilot to make an emergency landing at a regional U.S. airbase.

2026 Iran war

The United States Central Command reports its forces have destroyed a factory in Karaj, Iran, which assembled surface-to-surface missiles for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

2026 Iran war

The United States approves $16.46 billion in military sales to the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait amidst the Iran war.

Chad–Sudan relations

The Chadian government announces that 17 people have been killed at a funeral late Wednesday in the border town of Tiné following a drone attack originating from Sudan.

Mexican drug war

A raid kills eleven Sinaloa Cartel members in Sinaloa, Mexico, with a senior cartel leader being captured along with many weapons. The daughter of El Mayo is initially detained and then released due to the lack of arrest warrants.

Seventeen bodies are recovered from a boat that washed ashore in the Comoros. The victims are believed to be migrants from the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Democratic Republic of the Congo–Rwanda conflict

In a joint statement after talks hosted by the United States, DR Congo and Rwanda say they have "agreed to a series of coordinated steps to de-escalate tensions and advance progress on the ground".

Egypt–Palestine relations

The Rafah Border Crossing between Egypt and the Gaza Strip reopens for limited movement, allowing a restricted number of Palestinian patients to enter Egypt for medical treatment and some people to return to Gaza under coordinated security procedures, following its closure as a security measure amid the 2026 Iran war.

South Africa's genocide case against Israel

Germany withdraws from defending Israel in South Africa's International Court of Justice genocide case against Israel, citing their need to defend themselves in a separate case launched against them by Nicaragua.

2026 Thai general election

The National Assembly of Thailand re-elects Anutin Charnvirakul as prime minister following his Bhumjaithai Party's victory in the recent election.

Economic impact of the 2026 Iran war

KLM says that they will not resume flights to Dammam, Dubai, Riyadh until May 17, citing safety considerations amid the Iran war.

International Criminal Court arrest warrants for Russian leaders

The International Criminal Court at The Hague, Netherlands, rules that Tajikistan has violated the Rome Statute after failing to arrest Russian President Vladimir Putin during his visit to the country in October 2025.

Reactions to the 2025–2026 Iranian protests

Iran executes three men arrested during protests last January by hanging.

An Iranian man and a Romanian woman are arrested by Police Scotland for attempting to enter Royal Navy base HMNB Clyde.

The King Charles III England Coast Path, the world's longest coastal footpath, is formally opened by Charles III.