Explosions struck Beirut and Tehran as fighting intensified, while an Iranian drone hit a fuel tank near Dubai International Airport, briefly grounding flights. Iran’s stepped-up drone and missile campaign has disrupted passages through the Strait of Hormuz, pushing Brent crude above $100 a barrel and stoking fears of a global energy shock. Regional states and allies have been cautious about joining a proposed naval mission to secure shipping lanes as casualties and displacement mount across the region.
Iran Escalates Strikes: Beirut and Tehran Hit, Dubai Airport Damaged as Strait of Hormuz Disruptions Send Oil Above $100
People walk past tents sheltering people displaced by Israeli airstrikes at a public space along the Beirut waterfront at sunset in Beirut, Lebanon, Sunday, March 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Explosions rocked Beirut before dawn Monday as Israeli strikes targeted infrastructure in Lebanon’s capital while Israel also announced fresh operations against sites in Tehran. In the Gulf, a drone strike on a fuel tank near Dubai International Airport triggered a large blaze and forced a temporary suspension of flights.
Volunteers clean debris from a residential building damaged when a nearby police station was hit Friday in a U.S.-Israeli strike in Tehran, Iran, Sunday, March 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Regional Attacks and Responses
Since an assault by the United States and Israel more than two weeks ago, Iran has repeatedly launched drones and missiles at Israel, U.S. bases and Gulf Arab energy facilities. Authorities in the United Arab Emirates reported that a drone struck a fuel storage tank near Dubai International, prompting firefighters to contain a major fire; no injuries were reported and the airport briefly halted operations. Emirates announced that flights were suspended until further notice.
Israeli air defense system fires to intercept missiles during an Iranian attack over Tel Aviv, Israel, early Sunday, March 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Emirati officials said their air defenses have intercepted the majority of incoming threats, though debris and some projectiles have fallen inside the country. Saudi Arabia reported intercepting a wave of 35 Iranian drones aimed at its oil-rich eastern region. Israel’s military said Iran has launched missiles toward Israel, including munitions described as cluster-type weapons that can disperse submunitions across wide areas.
People shout slogans during an anti U.S. and Israeli rally outside the U.S. consulate in Istanbul, Turkey, Sunday, March 15, 2026. The sign reads in Turkish: "Leave NATO, close the bases." (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Shipping, Energy Markets and Economic Pressure
The strikes and counterstrikes have severely disrupted traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, the maritime chokepoint through which roughly one-fifth of the world’s crude oil is transported. Brent crude, the international benchmark, remained above $100 a barrel in early trading—around $104 on Monday—roughly 45% higher than before the Feb. 28 attacks and at times spiking near $120. The disruptions have intensified concerns about a global energy shock and raised political pressure on the U.S. administration as consumers face rising fuel costs.
People gather outside an apartment building damaged by an Iranian missile strike in Bnei Brak, Israel, Sunday, March 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
“I’m demanding that these countries come in and protect their own territory, because it is their own territory,” President Donald Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One, saying he had pressed about seven countries to send warships to keep the Strait of Hormuz open.
Trump has cited countries such as China, France, Japan, South Korea and Britain in previous appeals, but so far received no firm commitments. Japanese leaders said Tokyo had not received an official request and that, while Japan is discussing protective steps for its shipping, it had no plans to send warships under current safety assessments. Japan also began releasing oil from strategic reserves to ease supply concerns.
“Our Powerful Armed Forces will keep firing until POTUS realizes that illegal war he's imposing on both Americans and Iranians is wrong and must never be repeated,” Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi wrote on X, dismissing suggestions Tehran seeks a negotiated end to the fighting.
Human Cost
The human toll across the region has risen sharply. The International Red Cross reports more than 1,300 people killed in Iran. In Lebanon, at least 850 people have died from Israeli strikes, including more than 100 children; the conflict in Lebanon has displaced more than 800,000 people. Iranian missile strikes have killed at least 12 people in Israel; at least 13 U.S. service members have been reported killed in the wider conflict, including six who died in an aircraft crash in Iraq last week.
The situation remains highly fluid: military actions, air-defense interceptions and diplomatic efforts are continuing as regional governments and international partners weigh responses to protect shipping lanes and civilian populations.
Reporting contributions: Associated Press writers in Bangkok, Tokyo and Washington provided reporting for this article.
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