Iran war: What is happening on day 19 of US-Israel attacks?

Iran has pledged “revenge” after Israeli strikes killed security chief Ali Larijani and commander of Basij paramilitary forces Gholamreza Soleimani, with Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi saying Tehran’s political system remains strong as the war entered its 19th day.

Iran launched more attacks on Israel, causing extensive property damage, after an earlier strike killed two people in Ramat Gan.

The conflict is increasingly spilling across the region as Iran and allied groups have launched missiles and drones targeting Gulf countries, with attacks reported in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Jordan.

Political tensions are also rising in the United States, as senior counterterrorism official Joe Kent resigned, saying, “We started this war due to pressure from Israel and its powerful American lobby”.

Meanwhile, President Donald Trump criticised NATO allies and partners for failing to provide stronger military support in efforts to end Iran’s chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz.

Here is what we know:

In Iran

• High-profile killings: Tehran is mourning the loss of two important figures: security chief Ali Larijani and Basij force commander Gholamreza Soleimani, both killed in Israeli strikes. Their deaths mark a severe blow to the Iranian establishment.
• Political fallout: Larijani was widely regarded as a pragmatic, seasoned politician who had the capacity to open windows for negotiation. He led the nuclear talks before the war started. Analysts say Israel’s move to kill him may be aimed at closing the diplomatic avenues to end the war.
• Iranian retaliation: In response to the strikes, Iran launched attacks on central Israel.
• Rising tensions: Iran’s Foreign Minister Araghchi told Al Jazeera that the US is responsible for the war engulfing the region. He denied targeting civilians, warning that the US military presence across the Gulf makes escalation unavoidable.
• Swede executed for spying: Iran executed a Swedish citizen, Sweden’s foreign minister said, after Iranian authorities announced they had carried out capital punishment for an alleged Israeli spy.
• Iran confirms intelligence minister’s death: Iran’s president confirmed what he called the “cowardly assassination” of the country’s top intelligence official, Esmail Khatib.
• Nuclear plant hit: The UN nuclear watchdog said Iran reported a strike on the country’s only operational nuclear power plant, but that it caused no damage.
• Rising death toll: At least 1,444 people have been killed and 18,551 injured in US-Israeli attacks on Iran since February 28, according to Iran’s Ministry of Health.

In the Gulf

• Widespread attacks in the region: Iran has been firing missiles and drones at various Gulf countries in retaliation for the US-Israel strikes. Furthermore, an Iraqi armed group claimed responsibility for 28 drone strikes across Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Jordan over the past 15 days.
• Saudi Arabia: The kingdom is hosting an emergency meeting of foreign ministers from Arab and Muslim countries in Riyadh to discuss the attacks.
• UAE and Australia: An Iranian projectile struck near Australia’s military headquarters for the Middle East in the United Arab Emirates, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said.
• Bahrain: Warning sirens sounded across Bahrain, prompting the Ministry of Interior to urge residents to head to the nearest safe place.
• Qatar flight suspensions: Due to the continuing uncertainty and instability of the airspace in the Middle East, British Airways has extended its suspension of flights to Doha until April 30.
• Qatar intercepts missiles: Qatar’s Ministry of Defence said missiles were intercepted on Wednesday as blasts were heard in Doha and other parts.
• Ukrainian anti-drone experts: More than 200 Ukrainian anti-drone military experts are in several Middle East countries to help defend against Iranian-designed drones, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.

In the US

• Resignation of US official: Top US counterterror official Joe Kent resigned from his position, saying Iran is “not a threat”.
• Tensions with NATO allies: President Trump has lashed out at NATO allies, as well as Japan, Australia and South Korea, over their reluctance to offer military support in the conflict.
• Heightened security at embassies: The Department of State has ordered all US embassies and consulates to immediately evaluate their security postures by convening emergency action committees.

After much reflection, I have decided to resign from my position as Director of the National Counterterrorism Center, effective today.

I cannot in good conscience support the ongoing war in Iran. Iran posed no imminent threat to our nation, and it is clear that we started this… pic.twitter.com/prtu86DpEr

— Joe Kent (@joekent16jan19) March 17, 2026

In Israel

•  Israel strikes Basij: The Israeli military said it was striking positions of Iran’s Basij force around Tehran, after announcing it had killed the volunteer top commander.
• The Israeli army claimed to have struck Iranian command centres, missile sites and other infrastructure in Tehran on Tuesday.
• Direct attacks and casualties: In response to these escalations, Israel is facing retaliatory bombardments. Two people were killed by severe shrapnel injuries in Ramat Gan, near Tel Aviv, following a rocket attack that heavily damaged an apartment building.

In Lebanon

• Mass evacuation orders: The Israeli military issued its widest forced evacuation order in southern Lebanon since the 2006 war. Earlier, the military told residents of the city of Tyre, including three Palestinian refugee camps, to evacuate their homes.
• Deadly air raids in Bekaa Valley: At least four people have been killed in an Israeli attack that targeted four houses in the town of Sahmar in Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley.
• Hezbollah denial: The group denied it had any members in Kuwait after the Gulf country announced the arrest of 14 Kuwaitis and two Lebanese nationals allegedly affiliated with the group over a “sabotage plot”.

In Iraq

• US embassy struck: An Iraqi security source told Al Jazeera that air defences intercepted a drone in the vicinity of the logistics support centre near Baghdad airport. Explosions rocked Baghdad as there were more attacks on the US embassy. There was also an attack on an armed group’s base in the northeastern city of Kirkuk.
• Saraya Awliya al-Dam: Iraqi armed group Saraya Awliya al-Dam claimed responsibility for a multifront wave of attacks against US targets.
•  ‘Limited’ Iraq oil exports: Iraq announced it had resumed limited oil exports of 250,000 barrels per day through the Turkish port of Ceyhan, bypassing the Gulf after the country’s output plunged due to disruptions in the crucial Strait of Hormuz, which Iran has effectively shut.

International reaction and oil markets

• Russia condemns Larijani killing: “We firmly condemn actions aimed at harming the health and, even more, the killing of the leadership of sovereign and independent Iran,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.
• Germany ‘would have advised against’ war: German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Berlin “would have advised against” starting a war with Iran, had it been consulted by the US or Israel. While Tehran “bears responsibility” for the current crisis in the region, Merz said, Berlin had “made it clear that we still have many questions regarding this war,” and Israel and the US had shown “no convincing plan as to how this operation could succeed”.
• Oil jumps: Oil prices surged after the Israeli strike on Iran’s South Pars gasfield. Brent North Sea crude jumped more than 5 percent to $108.60 per barrel, while the main US oil contract West Texas Intermediate climbed 1.9 percent to $98.01.