{"id":7685,"date":"2026-03-20T21:36:07","date_gmt":"2026-03-20T21:36:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/news\/7685\/"},"modified":"2026-03-20T21:36:07","modified_gmt":"2026-03-20T21:36:07","slug":"iran-war-what-is-happening-on-day-21-of-us-israel-attacks-us-israel-war-on-iran-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/news\/7685\/","title":{"rendered":"Iran war: What is happening on day 21 of US-Israel attacks? | US-Israel war on Iran News"},"content":{"rendered":"

EXPLAINER<\/p>\n

Tehran has warned of zero restraint if energy facilities are attacked again, while Netanyahu signals that there could be a \u2018ground component\u2019 to the war.<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

Published On 20 Mar 202620 Mar 2026<\/p>\n

|<\/p>\n

Updated: 3 hours agoUpdated: 3 hours ago<\/p>\n

Iran has warned it will show \u201czero restraint\u201d if its energy facilities<\/a> are attacked again, a day after Israel struck the South Pars gasfield and Tehran attacked energy sites across the Gulf.<\/p>\n

In the United States, President Donald Trump raised controversy during a meeting with Japan\u2019s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi by invoking the 1941 bombing of Pearl Harbour<\/a> while defending the element of surprise in the Iran attack.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, as the conflict intensifies<\/a>, concerns over supply disruptions have pushed global oil and gas prices higher, with sharp increases reported across the United Kingdom and Europe.<\/p>\n

In Iran
\nEscalation: After Israel struck Iran\u2019s South Pars gasfield<\/a>, Tehran hit targets in Haifa, Israel, and Ras Laffan, Qatar, warning of \u201czero restraint<\/a>\u201d if its energy facilities are attacked again and claiming Iran has only used a \u201cfraction\u201d of its firepower so far.
\nEnemy \u2018defeated\u2019: Khamenei said the enemies of the Islamic Republic were being defeated in the war against the US and Israel in a written message for the Persian New Year, Nowruz. \u201cAt the moment, due to the particular unity that has been created between you, our compatriots \u2026 the enemy has been defeated,\u201d said Khamenei.
\nPresident Masoud Pezeshkian: He emphasised that Iran does not seek war with its neighbours and reiterated that the country is not pursuing nuclear weapons, noting that the supreme leader has declared them religiously forbidden.
\nHumanitarian toll: The Iranian Red Crescent Society reported that more than 18,000 civilians have been injured and 204 children have been killed in Iran since the war began on February 28. In all, more than 1,400 people have been killed in Iran.
\nUK warns Iran: The United Kingdom\u2019s Foreign Minister Yvette Cooper warned her Iranian counterpart in a phone call \u201cagainst targeting UK bases, territory or interests directly\u201d, a foreign office statement said. This came after an Iranian foreign ministry statement which said top diplomat Abbas Araghchi told Cooper in the call on Thursday that any US use of British bases would be seen as \u201cparticipation in aggression\u201d against the Islamic Republic.<\/p>\n

\"INTERACTIVE<\/p>\n

In the Gulf
\nGulf attacks: UAE and Kuwaiti air defences were responding to missile attacks on Friday, authorities in the Gulf states said. Saudi Arabia\u2019s Ministry of Defence said it had intercepted and destroyed 10 drones in the country\u2019s east and another in the north.
\nUAE arrests: Authorities detained at least five members of a \u201cterrorist network\u201d linked to Iran and Hezbollah that allegedly used business fronts to infiltrate the economy as part of a coordinated external plan, the official WAM news agency reported.
\nQatar \u2013 Ras Laffan attack: Iran hit Qatar\u2019s key LNG facility, cutting about 17 percent<\/a> of output for as long as five years, the CEO of QatarEnergy has said. With Qatar supplying 20 percent of global LNG, disruptions are expected, with force majeure likely on some contracts to Belgium, Italy, South Korea, and China. Diplomatically, Qatar\u2019s prime minister and Turkiye\u2019s foreign minister held a joint news conference condemning the act of sabotage as a \u201cdangerous escalation\u201d by Iran. On Thursday, Qatar\u2019s defence forces again reported ballistic missile attacks.
\nMissile and drone interceptions in Bahrain: Bahrain\u2019s Defence Force reported shooting down five incoming missiles recently, bringing its total interceptions to 139 missiles and 238 drones since the start of the conflict more than two weeks ago.<\/p>\n

\"INTERACTIVE<\/p>\n

In the US
\nNATO allies \u2018cowards\u2019: President Donald Trump branded the United States\u2019s NATO allies \u201ccowards\u201d for not heeding his demand for military assistance against Iran to control the Hormuz Strait shipping route. \u201cCOWARDS, and we will REMEMBER!\u201d he posted on his Truth Social platform.
\n\u2018Pearl Harbor\u2019 remarks: Trump defended not informing allies about the US strikes on Iran, saying \u201cwe wanted surprise.\u201d He then turned to Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, who was visiting the White House and was seated next to him, and invoked the 1941 bombing of Pearl Harbor<\/a>, saying, \u201cWho knows better about surprise than Japan? Why didn\u2019t you tell me about Pearl Harbour, OK? Right?\u201d
\nUS war objectives unchanged: Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth<\/a> said US goals remain the same since February 28 \u2013 targeting Iran\u2019s missile systems, military industry and navy, and preventing a nuclear weapon, with no set end date.
\nNo US ground troops: Trump said he was not sending US ground troops to Iran, telling reporters: \u201cIf I were, I certainly wouldn\u2019t tell you. But I\u2019m not putting troops.\u201d However, Trump has frequently changed his position on whether he is open to deploying boots on the ground in Iran.
\nF-35 incident: A US F-35 fighter jet<\/a> made an emergency landing at a Middle East airbase after a combat mission over Iran. The aircraft landed safely, and the pilot is stable, while US officials investigate reports that it may have been struck by Iranian fire. If that is the case, it would be the first US jet struck by Iran during the current war.
\nIn Israel
\nExplosions over Jerusalem: Israel\u2019s military said it had identified three rounds of missile fire in the hour and a half preceding midnight, and another a few hours later.
\nNetanyahu says Iran \u2018decimated\u2019: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said at a news conference he saw \u201cthis war ending a lot faster than people think \u2026 We are winning, and Iran is being decimated.\u201d
\nTrump and Netanyahu: Netanyahu also denied that Israel \u201cdragged\u201d the US into the war, asking, \u201cDoes anyone really think that someone can tell President Trump what to do?\u201d
\nIsrael \u2018acted alone\u2019: The prime minister also said Israel acted on its own when it struck an Iranian gasfield. \u201cPresident Trump asked us to hold off on future attacks, and we\u2019re holding out.\u201d
\nNetanyahu signals possible ground phase: \u201cIt is often said that you can\u2019t win, you can\u2019t do revolutions from the air. That is true. You can\u2019t do it only from the air. You can do a lot of things from the air, and we\u2019re doing, but there has to be a ground component, as well,\u201d the Israeli prime minister said in his remarks.
\nCore objectives: Netanyahu also reiterated goals of dismantling Iran\u2019s nuclear programme, degrading its ballistic missile capabilities, and shaping conditions for a future without the \u201ccurrent regime\u201d.
\nRegional framing: \u201cIn a wider sense, he was also claiming that with their American allies, they were reshaping the Middle East altogether, and that the balance of power and the dynamics within that \u2013 that Israel, he said, had never been stronger, while Iran, he claimed, had never been weaker,\u201d Al Jazeera\u2019s Rob McBride said.
\nIn Lebanon and Iraq
\nSevere humanitarian crisis and displacements:\u00a0 Since Israeli attacks on Lebanon escalated on March 2, the death toll in the country has surpassed 1,000 people<\/a>, with at least 2,584 wounded. Furthermore, residents in towns such as Machghara and Sahmar in the Bekaa Valley reported receiving threatening phone calls from foreign numbers urging them to evacuate.
\nOngoing clashes and military actions: Fierce fighting continues in southern Lebanon, where the Israeli army has expanded its ground troop presence. Hezbollah has claimed responsibility for multiple attacks, including firing missiles at Israeli soldiers and vehicles in the southern Lebanese towns of al-Aadaissah, Meiss el-Jabal, and Maroun al-Ras.
\nDiplomatic efforts for a truce: Amidst the heavy fighting, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun has renewed calls for a truce and the opening of negotiations with Israel to end the war.
\nNATO Iraq mission moved: NATO\u2019s mission in Iraq has been fully relocated to Europe, the alliance said, with the last personnel from the non-combat force of several hundred departing the country.
\nOil and gas
\nGlobal economic effect: The Ras Laffan strike cut about 17 percent of LNG capacity, with losses near $20bn a year and an estimated 9 percent annual hit to Qatar\u2019s gross domestic product, according to Al Jazeera\u2019s Dmitry Medvedenko, who was reporting from Doha.
\nSoaring global prices: Concerns over these supply disruptions have triggered a surge in global oil and gas prices. Gas prices have risen sharply across the UK and Europe. The ripple effects are being felt in developing nations, as well; for instance, fuel prices in Zimbabwe recently topped $2 per litre for the first time as a direct result of the conflict\u2019s effect on oil and gas exports.
\nInternational pushback and warnings: Due to the escalating energy crisis, the European Council has urgently called for a moratorium on strikes against energy and water facilities.
\nUS may \u2018unsanction\u2019 Iranian crude: US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Washington might \u201cunsanction\u201d Iranian oil that is already being shipped to ease oil prices. In comments to Fox Business, Bessent also said the US government could release more oil from its strategic reserves.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"EXPLAINER Tehran has warned of zero restraint if energy facilities are attacked again, while Netanyahu signals that there…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":7686,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[453,1029,8,19,37,35,246,391,9,270,279,951,7,451,13,2209],"class_list":{"0":"post-7685","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-top-stories","8":"tag-bahrain","9":"tag-explainer","10":"tag-headlines","11":"tag-iran","12":"tag-israel","13":"tag-kuwait","14":"tag-middle-east","15":"tag-military","16":"tag-news","17":"tag-oil-and-gas","18":"tag-qatar","19":"tag-saudi-arabia","20":"tag-top-stories","21":"tag-united-arab-emirates","22":"tag-united-states","23":"tag-us-israel-war-on-iran"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@news\/116263661247430151","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7685","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7685"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7685\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7686"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7685"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7685"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7685"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}