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<\/p>\n16\/03\/2026 – 12:57Trump suggests he may delay China trip, Bessent says not to pressure on Hormuz Strait but down to ‘logistics’<\/p>\n
US President Donald Trump may delay his China trip due to the Iran war, but Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Monday it\u2019s not to pressure Beijing on the Strait of Hormuz.<\/p>\n
Bessent said any delay to Trump\u2019s trip to Beijing would not be because of disagreements over the Iran war or efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf the meeting for some reason was rescheduled, it would be rescheduled because of logistics,\u201d he said. \u201cThe president wants to remain in D.C. to coordinate the war and traveling abroad at a time like this may not be optimal.\u201d<\/p>\n
Trump has suggested he may delay the much-anticipated visit to China at the end of the month as he seeks to ramp up the pressure on Beijing to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz and calm oil prices that have soared during the Iran war.\u00a0<\/p>\n
16\/03\/2026 – 12:37Middle East war is ‘not NATO’s war’, says Germany’s Merz<\/p>\n
The war in the Middle East started by US-Israeli strikes on Iran has “nothing to do with NATO” and is “not NATO’s war”, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s spokesman said Monday.<\/p>\n
US President Donald Trump on Sunday called for nations including South Korea, France, China and Britain to help ensure safe passage in the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran has declared closed to US and US-allied traffic.<\/p>\n
He later upped the pressure on NATO allies, telling the Financial Times newspaper that the alliance faced a “very bad” future if its members did not do their bit to reopen the strait.<\/p>\n
“NATO is an alliance for the defence of territory” and “the mandate to deploy NATO is lacking” in the current situation, Merz’s spokesman Stefan Kornelius told a regular press briefing.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Germany needed to know from Israel and the United States “at what point the military objectives in Iran will have been achieved”, a foreign ministry spokesman said at the same briefing.<\/p>\n
Merz said Friday that the Middle East war must end “as soon as possible” as the conflict “benefits no-one and harms many economically, including us”.<\/p>\n
16\/03\/2026 – 12:24Italian FM says ‘diplomacy needs to prevail’ for Stait of Hormuz crisis<\/p>\n
\u2060Italian Foreign \u200bMinister Antonio Tajani said on \u200bMonday that diplomacy was the right way<\/p>\n
to solve the crisis \u200bin \u200cthe Hormuz \u2060Strait and there were no \u200cnaval missions Italy is involved in \u2060that could be extended to the area.<\/p>\n
“As far as \u200bHormuz is concerned \u200cI believe diplomacy needs to prevail,” Tajani told reporters on \u200cthe sidelines of a meeting \u200bin Brussels.<\/p>\n
Italy is involved in defensive naval missions in the Red \u200bSea “but I don’t see \u200bany missions that \u200bcan be extended to Hormuz,” he \u200badded.<\/p>\n
US President Donald Trump has called on allies to join a mission to safeguard \u2060shipping in the Hormuz Strait.<\/p>\n
16\/03\/2026 – 12:16UK’s Starmer says there ‘won’t be’ a NATO misson to reopen Hormuz Strait<\/p>\n
British Prime \u200bMinister Keir Starmer said on Monday \u200bthat ongoing work to reopen the Strait of Hormuz would not be \u200ba \u200cNATO mission \u2060but would involve a broad alliance including \u200cGulf partners as well as European \u2060countries and the United States.<\/p>\n
“We are working with others \u200bto come up with \u200ca credible plan for the Straits of Hormuz to ensure that \u200cwe can reopen shipping and passage through \u200bthe Strait. Let me be clear, that won’t be and it’s never \u200bbeen envisioned to be \u200ba NATO mission,” \u200bStarmer told reporters.<\/p>\n
“That will have to be an \u200balliance of partners, which is why we’re working with partners, both in Europe, in the \u2060Gulf, and with the US.”<\/p>\n
\n 16\/03\/2026 – 12:11Qatar says diplomacy with Iran possible ‘if they stop the attacks’ <\/p>\n
\n 16\/03\/2026 – 12:04First non-Iran tanker transits Hormuz with transponder on since war started, MarineTraffic site reports<\/p>\n
16\/03\/2026 – 12:03EU announces 458 million euros in humanitarian aid for Middle East<\/p>\n
The European \u200bUnion on \u200bannounced 458 million euros\u00a0($525 million) in humanitarian \u200baid \u200cfor \u2060the Middle East, \u200cin response to the conflicts \u2060in the region such as \u200bthe US-Israeli \u200cwar with Iran and Israel’s military \u200ccampaign in Lebanon.<\/p>\n
“In \u200ba war-torn Middle East, the European Union \u200bis stepping up \u200bwhile others \u200bstep back,” said Hadja \u200bLahbib, the EU’s commissioner in charge of humanitarian crises.<\/p>\n
16\/03\/2026 – 12:03’That could be electoral suicide’: Why Trump’s call for US allies to help re-open the Strait of Hormuz fell flat<\/p>\n
As US President Donald Trump urges NATO partners and China to help re-open the Strait of Hormuz, closed due to the US-Israeli war on Iran, FRANCE 24’s Oliver Farry looks at why Trump’s plan has been met with a lukewarm reception from allies and adversaries alike.<\/p>\n
16\/03\/2026 – 11:57Germany says it won’t take part in efforts to keep Strait of Hormuz open by military means<\/p>\n
\u2060The war \u200bin Iran \u200bhas nothing to do with the NATO defence \u200balliance, \u200csaid \u2060a German government spokesperson, who reiterated that \u2060Germany would not take part in \u200bthe war nor \u200cin keeping the Strait of Hormuz \u200copen through military means.<\/p>\n
“As \u200blong as this war continues, there will be \u200bno participation, not \u200beven in any \u200beffort to keep the \u200bStrait of Hormuz open by military means,” said the government spokesperson.<\/p>\n
16\/03\/2026 – 11:46Britain working with allies on plan to reopen Strait of Hormuz, Starmer says<\/p>\n
Britain is \u200bworking with allies on a \u200bcollective plan to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and restore \u200bfreedom \u200cof navigation in \u2060the Middle East but it \u200cwill not be easy, British Prime \u2060Minister Keir Starmer told reporters.<\/p>\n
“Ultimately, we \u200bhave to reopen \u200cthe Strait of Hormuz to ensure stability in the (oil) market. \u200cThat is not a simple task,” \u200bStarmer said.<\/p>\n
“So we’re working with all of our allies, \u200bincluding our European partners, \u200bto bring together \u200ba viable collective plan that can restore \u200bfreedom of navigation in the region as quickly as possible and ease the economic \u2060impact.”<\/p>\n
16\/03\/2026 – 11:39Middle East war ‘nothing to do with NATO’, German government says<\/p>\n
The war in the Middle East started by US-Israeli strikes on Iran has “nothing to do with NATO” and is “not NATO’s war”, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s spokesman said.<\/p>\n
“NATO is an alliance for the defence of territory” and “the mandate to deploy NATO is lacking” in the current situation, Stefan Kornelius said at a regular press briefing.\u00a0<\/p>\n
16\/03\/2026 – 11:29Israel’s ‘buffer zone’ in southern Lebanon is ‘expanding significantly’<\/p>\n
Israel’s announcement that it had launched a “limited” ground offensive in southern Lebanon echoes statements issued in 2024, when Israel and Hezbollah fought a major war in Lebanon, and in 2023, when the military launched a devastating ground assault in the besieged Palestinian territory of Gaza in response to the Hamas-led October 7 attacks. <\/p>\n
FRANCE 24’s Noga Tarnopolsky reported from Jerusalem that Israel’s so-called buffer zone in Lebanon’s south had “expanded significantly”.<\/p>\n
“What we can sum up is that there are very much drums of war, drums of a major occupation of a large buffer zone in southern Lebanon,” she said.<\/p>\n
16\/03\/2026 – 11:21Tehran says states not party to US-Israeli war on Iran can pass vessels through Strait of Hormuz<\/p>\n
Iran has \u200bnot requested \u200ba ceasefire, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Monday according \u200bto \u200cthe \u2060semi-official Students News Network, \u200cand wants to ensure that \u2060any end to the war with \u200bIsrael and \u200cthe US is definitive.<\/p>\n
Araghchi said that the \u200cStrait of Hormuz is \u200bonly closed to “enemies and those supporting their aggression”.<\/p>\n
A \u200bforeign ministry \u200bspokesperson added that \u200bstates not party to the \u200bwar have been able to transit their vessels through \u2060the strait with coordination and \u2060permission \u200bfrom Iran’s armed forces.<\/p>\n
16\/03\/2026 – 10:48Israel military says launching new wave of strikes across Iran<\/p>\n
Israel’s military said it had launched a broad wave of strikes on the Iranian cities of Tehran, Shiraz and Tabriz, more than two weeks into the US-Israeli war against Iran.<\/p>\n
“The IDF has just begun a wide-scale wave of strikes targeting infrastructure of the Iranian terror regime in Tehran, Shiraz, and Tabriz,” the military said in a statement.<\/p>\n
16\/03\/2026 – 09:42Explosions hit Iranian capital, AFP journalist reports<\/p>\n
Explosions hit the Iranian capital, an AFP journalist reported, hours after Israel said it conducted large-scale overnight strikes.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The blasts were heard in central Tehran as air defence systems were activated, the journalist said. It was not immediately clear what was targeted.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The city was rocked by heavy explosions overnight, the reporter added.<\/p>\n
16\/03\/2026 – 09:21In Pictures: Overnight Israeli strikes hammer Beirut’s southern suburbs<\/p>\n
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Men inspect a site of overnight Israeli air strikes in the southern suburbs of Beirut on March 16, 2026. Photo: AFP<\/p>\n
16\/03\/2026 – 09:16Iran threatens USS Ford aircraft carrier strike group<\/p>\n
Logistics and \u200bservice centres enabling \u200bthe USS Gerald Ford aircraft carrier to \u200bremain operational \u200cwere considered \u2060to be targets \u200cby Iran, the spokesperson for \u2060the unified command of Iranian armed \u200bforces, Khatam al-Anbiya, said.<\/p>\n
“Aircraft carrier Gerald Ford in \u200cthe Red Sea \u200bis a threat to Iran. Accordingly, the logistics and \u200bservice centres for \u200bUSS Ford strike \u200bgroup are considered to \u200bbe targets,” Ebrahim Zolfaqari said in a video shared by \u2060the semi-official Fars news agency.<\/p>\n
16\/03\/2026 – 09:15Israel says it destroyed plane used by Iran’s late supreme leader<\/p>\n
The \u200bIsraeli military said it had destroyed a \u200bplane \u200cused \u2060by Iran’s late supreme leader \u200cAli Khamenei at Tehran’s \u2060Mehrabad airport overnight.<\/p>\n
It said the aircraft \u200bhad been used \u200cby senior Iranian officials and military figures \u200cto travel domestically and internationally \u200band coordinate with allied countries.<\/p>\n
Mehrabad is one of \u200bTehran’s oldest airports, \u200bnow serving domestic \u200band regional flights. In \u200baddition to being the busiest civilian domestic airport, it is a \u2060dual-use facility housing air force \u2060assets.<\/p>\n
16\/03\/2026 – 08:32Iran judiciary chief urges swift verdicts for those linked to US and Israel<\/p>\n
Iran’s head of the judiciary said there should be no leniency or delay in issuing verdicts against those working with Israel and the United States.\u00a0<\/p>\n
“We must not delay or show leniency in executing final verdicts against those who, during wartime and unrest, committed crimes and were affiliated with the aggressor enemy,” said Gholam Hossein Mohseni Ejei, according to Tasnim news agency.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He added that it was “necessary to accelerate the review and resolution of cases involving elements accused of threatening public security”.<\/p>\n
Authorities have in recent weeks carried out sweeping raids across Iran, arresting in the last few days hundreds of people suspected of cooperating with Israel and the United States, local media reported.<\/p>\n
16\/03\/2026 – 08:31One person killed after missile hits civilian car in Abu Dhabi<\/p>\n
A Palestinian civilian was killed on the outskirts of the Emirati capital Abu Dhabi when a missile hit their car, authorities said.<\/p>\n
“Authorities in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi responded to an incident in the Al Bahia area involving a missile strike on a civilian vehicle, which resulted in the death of one Palestinian national,” the Abu Dhabi Media Office said in a statement.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"16\/03\/2026 – 12:57Trump suggests he may delay China trip, Bessent says not to pressure on Hormuz Strait but…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":21627,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[4],"tags":[34,196,94,37,93,49,69,256],"class_list":["post-21626","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-tehran","tag-iran","tag-iran-war","tag-iraq","tag-israel","tag-lebanon","tag-middle-east","tag-tehran","tag-usa"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@iran\/116238758964007070","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21626","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=21626"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21626\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/21627"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=21626"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=21626"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=21626"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}