The US and Israel's war with Iran on the 23rd day/ What has happened in the last few hours?

2026-03-22 08:43:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

The US and Israel's war with Iran on the 23rd day/ What has happened in the

The US-Israeli war with Iran has entered its 23rd day. Both the United States and Israel have threatened to increase their air strikes against Iran, while an Iranian missile hit a town in southern Israel, injuring dozens of people.

More countries have signaled a willingness to help protect maritime traffic in the critical Strait of Hormuz, which Iran has effectively blocked for weeks.

Here's what happened in the final hours of the conflict

- U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to strike and destroy Iran's nuclear power plants if Tehran does not open the Strait of Hormuz, a critical waterway for the world's energy supplies, within 48 hours. The threat marks an escalation in rhetoric from Trump, who has previously mentioned the possibility of striking Iranian infrastructure but warned that doing so would hurt the country's ability to rebuild. It is also a tacit admission that closing the strait gives Iran considerable leverage.

- The Israeli military said it failed to intercept a rocket before it hit the central city of Dimona, injuring several people and destroying a small building at the site of the country's nuclear program. Meanwhile, in the south, officials declared a mass casualty event after the rockets appeared to have penetrated the defense system and hit Arad.

- The Israeli military says it has launched waves of simultaneous large-scale attacks on Iran and Hezbollah in Lebanon so far this weekend, hitting more than 200 targets.

- The United Kingdom denounced what it called "reckless Iranian attacks" after missiles were fired at the Diego Garcia military base in the Indian Ocean. The effort has renewed questions about Tehran's military capabilities and how far its missiles can reach.

- The United Arab Emirates and Australia are the latest countries to express their willingness to contribute to efforts to ensure safe navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, joining a declaration that now includes 22 countries. It was not immediately clear what the efforts to secure the crucial waterway would look like.

- Suggestions of US Navy ships escorting oil tankers through the strait remind me of the so-called Tanker Wars of the late 1980s, which involved some of the same weapons - and problems - that a US escort force would face today. /CNA