Live updates: Trump pressures NATO, China to reopen Strait of Hormuz; Israel launches 'limited' Lebanon ground operations
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New strikes were reported across the Middle East as Iran hit back against energy infrastructure, while Tehran came under intense attacks as the war launched by the U.S. and Israel entered its third week.
What to know
- TRUMP'S HORMUZ DEMANDS: U.S. allies responded with little enthusiasm to President Donald Trump's demands for military support to end the Iranian blockade of the crucial Strait of Hormuz shipping route. With oil prices climbing and fears mounting of long-term economic fallout, Trump also urged China to help and suggested he could delay his trip to meet with President Xi Jinping.
- GULF ATTACKS: Dubai International Airport, the world’s busiest, temporarily suspended flights after a drone attack sparked a fire nearby. New strikes were reported across the region as Iran retaliated, while intense attacks hit Tehran as the war launched by the U.S. and Israel entered its third week.
- LEBANON GROUND OPERATIONS: Israel announced this morning it has begun "limited and targeted ground operations" against what it said were strongholds of the Iran-backed Hezbollah militant group in southern Lebanon. Israel said that residents in the area would be displaced until Israel feels its northern border is secure.
- DEATH TOLL: More than 2,000 people have been killed across the Middle East. In Iran, more than 1,200 people have been killed by Israeli and American strikes, according to the Iranian Red Crescent Society. At least 850 people have been killed in Lebanon and 13 have died in Israel. Thirteen U.S. service members have been killed, and two more died of noncombat causes.
- INSIGHTS AND ANALYSIS: Get exclusive analysis and insight into the Middle East conflict by becoming an NBC News subscriber.
'It's not NATO's war': U.S. allies wary of Trump's demand to help unblock waterway
European allies reacted warily to Trump's demand that they help secure the Strait of Hormuz or else face a "very bad future," with Germany insisting the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran had "nothing to do" with NATO members.
“This war has nothing to do with NATO. It’s not NATO’s war,” Stefan Kornelius, a spokesperson for German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, told reporters in Berlin on Monday, according to the Associated Press.
Italy struck a cautious note, too. Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani told reporters in Brussels that his country supports reinforcing European Union naval missions in the Red Sea.
"However," he added, "I don't think these missions can be expanded to include the Strait of Hormuz, especially since they are anti-piracy and defensive missions."
Others, from London to Madrid, offered similarly lukewarm responses.
It was not immediately clear what "very bad future" Trump envisioned for the countries who do not heed his call for help.
Israel, U.S. 'delusional' they could 'subjugate' Iran quickly, Russian foreign minister says
Israel and Iran must realize they were “delusional” to think they could “completely subjugate” Iran in a matter of days or hours, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said earlier today.
Speaking at a news conference with his Kenyan counterpart, Lavrov said Tehran was “defending itself” as he called the U.S.-Israeli operation in Iran “unprovoked” in line with the Kremlin’s previous condemnation of the war.
Lavrov’s comments come as Russia’s own war in Ukraine drags on into its fifth year, after the dramatic failure of the Kremlin's initial plan for a blitz “special military operation” that it hoped would see Kyiv fall in a matter of days.
Russia is calling on all sides to agree to an immediate ceasefire and return to the negotiating table in Iran, Lavrov said. Meanwhile, Russia’s own negotiation process with the U.S. and Ukraine to end its war has stalled.
Trump's China trip might be delayed but not due to Hormuz demands, U.S. says
The Trump administration appeared to cast doubt on Trump's visit to China taking place as scheduled at the end of the month, but insisted this was not to pressure Beijing to help unblock the Strait of Hormuz.
"We will see whether the visit takes place as scheduled," Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said. "But what I do want to parse, and there’s a false narrative out there that if the meetings are delayed, it wouldn’t be delayed because the President’s demanded that China police the Straits of Hormuz."
He appeared to be referencing a story published by the Financial Times, which reported that Trump said in an interview that he wanted China to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz and that he wanted to know before the planned summit. Trump said that "we may delay" the summit, but he did not tell the outlet for how long.
Bessent said on CNBC that if the trip is rescheduled, "it would be rescheduled because of logistics."
Later, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters that the trip might be delayed, adding, “As soon as we have an update, we’ll provide the new dates.” She said that Trump’s top priority was “to ensure the continued success” of the Iran operation.
“The president wants to remain, the, in D.C. to coordinate the war effort, and that traveling abroad at a time like this may not be optimal,” he said. Asked by CNBC to clarify whether the meeting could be rescheduled due to timing rather than a dispute over the strait, Bessent said “Exactly.”
"It would be a decision president made as commander in chief, to stay in the White House or to stay in the United States while this war is being prosecuted," he said.
Reached for comment on the reason for the trip potentially being delayed, White House spokesperson Anna Kelly referred NBC News to Leavitt's comments in a Fox News interview. Leavitt said on Fox News that she did not think the meeting "is in jeopardy" though it may be delayed.
"The president’s utmost responsibility right now as commander in chief is to ensure the continued success of Operation Epic Fury, as he’s doing a 24/7 here at the White House and here at home," she said on Fox News.
American efforts to protect Strait of Hormuz continue, U.S. military commander says
The top U.S. military commander in the Middle East says American forces are zeroing in on Iran’s threats to freighters carrying oil and natural gas through a vital chokepoint in the Persian Gulf.
“We will continue to rapidly deplete Iran’s ability to threaten freedom of navigation in and around the Strait of Hormuz,” Adm. Brad Cooper, the head of U.S. Central Command, said in a video posted to X.
Smoke fills the sky over Dubai International Airport
AFP - Getty Images
AFP - Getty Images
An Emirates aircraft prepares for landing as a smoke plume rises from an ongoing fire caused by an Iranian strike near Dubai International Airport today.
Wider Israeli ground assault in southern Lebanon feels inevitable, expert says
The possibility of Israeli forces launching a wider ground assault in southern Lebanon is feeling increasingly "imminent," according to Sanam Vakil, director of the Middle East and North Africa program at the London-based think tank Chatham House.
“It appears to be imminent,” Vakil told NBC News in a phone interview this morning. “Whether it's days or weeks, this is going forward.”
Her comments came after the Israeli military's announcement this morning that it had launched a limited ground operation in recent days, with Defense Minister Israel Katz warning hundreds of thousands of residents evacuated from southern Lebanon would not be able to return to their homes south of the area of the Litani River until the "safety of residents" in northern Israel was "guaranteed."
Israeli army soldiers in northern Israel near the border with Lebanon today. Odd Andersen / AFP - Getty Images
"I think from Israel’s perspective, this is an opportunity to really go after Hezbollah in a serious way and the calculation in Israel is that can only be done through an invasion," Vakil said. Pointing to Israel's operations in Gaza, she said she had "hoped that Gaza would have taught" Israeli leadership that "a full decapitation and destruction is impossible" and that the vast destruction caused as a result of that offensive was not "worth it."
Photo: Smoke from UAE industrial facility seen from space
Satellite imagery provider by NASA Worldview shows smoke rising from the UAE's Fujairah Port, following a drone attack that triggered a fire in the emirate’s petroleum industrial zone.
Nasa Worldview / via Reuters
Israel says 'ground maneuver' will see Lebanon residents displaced until Israel's north is secure
The Israeli military "has begun a ground maneuver in Lebanon to remove threats" and protect residents of northern Israel, Defense Minister Israel Katz said in a statement today, giving no indication of when the operation might end.
In comments following a situation assessment this morning, Katz warned that "hundreds of thousands of Shiite residents of southern Lebanon who have evacuated and continue to evacuate their homes in southern Lebanon and Beirut will not return to their homes south of the Litani River area until the safety of residents in the north is guaranteed."
He said the IDF had been instructed to act to destroy what he called "terror infrastructure" in villages near the border in Lebanon to remove threats and prevent the return of Hezbollah to the area, comparing the operation to efforts "done against Hamas" in parts of Gaza.
Destruction at the site of overnight Israeli airstrikes in the southern suburbs of Beirut today. AFP - Getty Images
Katz asserted that Naim Qassem, Hezbollah’s Secretary-General, was "hiding underground" as he issued a threat against the leader, saying he "may soon meet" his slain predecessor Hassan Nasrallah, as well as slain Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei "in the depths of hell along with the rest of the eliminated members of the axis of evil."
Israel says it 'dismantled' plane used by Iran's late supreme leader
The Israeli military says its forces have "dismantled" an aircraft used by Iran's late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei after launching what it said was a precise strike on the Mehrabad Airport in Tehran.
The IDF said it conducted the strike overnight, saying the plane hit was used by Khamenei, who was killed in Israel's opening strikes against Iran as the country launched its offensive alongside the U.S.
It said senior officials and military personnel also used the aircraft in addition to Khamenei to "advance military procurement and to manage coordination with axis countries through both domestic and international flights."
It said the dismantling of the plane meant another "strategic asset of the regime has been degraded."
E.U.'s Kallas floats Black Sea model to unblock Strait of Hormuz
European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said she's discussed with the United Nations the possibility of securing the transport of oil and gas through the Strait of Hormuz through a deal similar to the one negotiated in 2022 to ensure the export of grain and other products during Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Kallas said today that she had spoken with U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres on the matter, suggesting a deal similar to the Black Sea grain initiative negotiated between Russia, Ukraine, Turkey and the U.N.
She made the comments while arriving at a meeting of E.U. foreign ministers in Brussels, where they were expected to discuss the issue amid Trump's demands for allies to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
Noting the E.U.’s Aspides naval mission in the region, Kallas said, "we will discuss with member states whether it’s possible to really change the mandate of this mission." She added: "The point is that whether the member states are willing to actually use this mission."
China indicates summit is still on after Trump's Hormuz demands
China said it was “maintaining communication” with the U.S. about Trump’s upcoming visit, after Trump threatened to delay the trip unless Beijing helps to unblock the Strait of Hormuz.
President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping in Busan, South Korea, last year. Andrew Caballero-Reynolds / AFP via Getty Images file
In an interview with The Financial Times published yesterday, Trump said countries that import oil and gas through the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran has effectively shut down, should help protect it. He said he would “like to know” whether China was going to help and that if he doesn’t hear back soon, “we may delay” the trip, which the White House has said will start March 31 and includes a highly anticipated summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
“Head‑of‑state diplomacy plays an irreplaceable strategic guiding role in China–U.S. relations,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian told reporters in Beijing. “China and the United States are maintaining communication regarding President Trump’s visit to China.”
On the Strait of Hormuz, Lin said China “once again calls on all parties to immediately cease military actions, avoid further escalation of tensions, and prevent regional instability from having a greater impact on global economic development.”
Chinese and U.S. trade officials began two days of meetings in Paris yesterday ahead of the summit, where Trump and Xi are both seeking to extend a fragile tariff truce between the world’s two biggest economies.
Trump pressures NATO allies to police the Strait of Hormuz
President Trump called on NATO allies to police the Strait of Hormuz amid the U.S. and Israel’s war in Iran, telling reporters on Air Force One that the U.S. “will remember” if countries don’t send warships to the region.
Flights gradually resuming at Dubai airport, the world’s busiest
Dubai’s International Airport has resumed “limited” flights today after a drone attack hit a fuel depot in the area of the airport, causing a fire.
Emirates said it expected to operate a "limited schedule" starting today. However, the airline said in a post on X that some of the flights scheduled for today had been canceled.
AFP via Getty Images
It comes after the Dubai Media office announced there had been a "drone incident" in the area of Dubai International Airport, which they said had "affected one of the fuel tanks."
AFP via Getty Images
Imagery of the incident showed a burst of flames and a large plume of smoke rising from the area of the airport. The media office said in a post on X that no injuries had been reported in the incident.
Palestinian killed after missile falls on civilian vehicle in Abu Dhabi
A Palestinian person was killed after a missile fell on a "civilian vehicle" in the outskirts of the Emirati capital Abu Dhabi as Iran continued striking the Gulf amid the war with the U.S. and Israel, officials have said.
The Abu Dhabi media office said in a post on X this morning that the missile fell on a vehicle in the Al Bahyah area.
The person killed has yet to be identified. The Abu Dhabi media office warned the public against "spreading rumours or unverified information."
Israel announces 'limited' ground operations in southern Lebanon
Israeli troops have begun "limited and targeted" ground operations in southern Lebanon, the Israel Defense Forces announced today.
The IDF said troops from the 91st Division had begun the ground operations in "recent days." It said the military action was targeting key strongholds of the Iran-backed Hezbollah militant group in Lebanon's south, with the aim of "enhancing the forward defense area."
The Israeli military said it would seek to dismantle Hezbollah infrastructure and to kill operatives in the area "in order to remove threats and create an additional layer of security for residents of northern Israel."
It noted that prior to the troops' entry, the IDF had carried out strikes in the south.
Israeli forces have hammered Beirut and other areas with deadly strikes, with at least 850 people killed in the country since the wider war in the region began. Thirteen people have been killed in Israel.
Energy secretary says Americans could feel relief on gas prices ‘in a few more weeks’
Energy Secretary Chris Wright said Sunday that there’s “a very good chance” gas prices could drop below $3 per gallon by summer, predicting that in “a few more weeks” the U.S. will have “removed the risk” of Iran’s continued threat to global energy supplies.
U.S. oil soars past $100 a barrel as Iran war shows no signs of ending soon
U.S. crude oil hit $100 per barrel again, continuing its surge as the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran shows no signs of ending soon and despite attempts by the Trump administration and allied countries to slow rising prices.
Trump wants other countries to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz. That might not be so easy.
U.S. allies and rivals responded cautiously after President Donald Trump said they should police the Strait of Hormuz, as Iranian threats to strike shipping on the vital trade route continue to cause chaos in global markets.
While it remains to be seen what action these nations could eventually take in response to any looming economic crises, their lukewarm response appears to pour cold water on any hopes Trump may have had for a quick resolution to the blockade.
