Iran live updates: White House calls on other nations to secure Strait of Hormuz

Dubai officials earlier said a drone impact had started a fire near the airport.

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Last updated: Monday, March 16, 2026 6:10PM GMT
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President Donald Trump announced "major combat operations" against Iran on Feb. 28, with massive joint U.S.-Israel strikes attack targeting military and government sites, officials said.

Iranian state television confirmed that Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was among those killed in Tehran on the first day of strikes. His son Mojtaba Khamenei was chosen on Sunday to succeed him.

Iran is responding to the operation with missile and drone attacks targeting Israel, regional U.S. bases and multiple Gulf nations. Israel is also intensifying its long-running strike campaign against the Iran-backed Hezbollah militia in Lebanon.

Smoke rises on the skyline after an explosion in Tehran, Iran, Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026.
Smoke rises on the skyline after an explosion in Tehran, Iran, Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026.

ByEmily Chang, Noah Minnie and Michelle Stoddart ABCNews logo
Mar 11, 2026, 11:22 PM GMT

Trump says US has 'won' war in Iran but has to 'finish the job'

President Donald Trump said the U.S. has "won" the war in Iran but has to "finish the job," during remarks in Kentucky on Wednesday.

"We've won. Let me tell you, we've won. You know, you never like to say too early you won. We won," Trump said. "In the first hour it was over. But we won."

After the president declared victory, he noted that the U.S. has to finish the job, saying that America cannot "leave early."

"We gotta finish the job, right?" Trump said.

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Mar 11, 2026, 9:37 PM GMT

Trump says he will tap US Strategic Petroleum Reserve to try to 'bring prices down'

During an interview Wednesday with WKRC Local 12 in Cincinnati, Trump was asked about tapping the reserve and said, "Well, we'll do that and then we'll fill it up."

He added, "Right now we'll reduce it a little bit, and that brings the prices down." He didn't specify how many barrels of oil the U.S. would release.

Trump frequently criticized the administration of former President Joe Biden for tapping the reserve to try and bring down gas prices.

ByEmily Chang, Fritz Farrow, Michelle Stoddart, Justin Fishel and Selina Wang ABCNews logo
Mar 11, 2026, 5:39 PM GMT

Trump says he doesn't 'know about' reports that DOD finds US at fault in strike on school in Iran

In light of reports that say the U.S. Department of Defense's preliminary findings have determined the U.S. is responsible for the strike on the Iranian girls' school that local officials say killed 168 people, President Donald Trump denied knowledge of such findings.

Trump spoke with the press before traveling to Hebron, Kentucky, on Wednesday to deliver a speech focused on economic messaging.

"I don't know about it," the president said to reporters Wednesday, when asked about the reports, as he departed the White House. Right before the president answered, press secretary Karoline Leavitt -- who was standing next to him -- shook her head and appeared to whisper, "no."

Trump also did not acknowledge a question as to whether he'd take responsibility as commander-in-chief.

Earlier Wednesday, the White House did not comment on the report's alleged findings, insisting that the investigation remains ongoing and that there are "no conclusions" at this time.

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Mar 11, 2026, 4:32 PM GMT

Iran says its national football team will not attend World Cup

Iran's national football team will not take part in the upcoming World Cup, due to the current situation following recent U.S.-Israeli attacks, Iran's Sports and Youth Minister Ahmad Donyamali said Wednesday.

Donyamali added that recent developments show "the conditions are not suitable" for Iran's national team to participate in the tournament, the official state Islamic Republic News Agency reported on Wednesday.

"Our team members have no security at all to attend the World Cup," he said, as the semi-official ISNA News Agency reported Wednesday.

Two of Iran's group stage games were set to be played at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles and one game was set at Lumen Field in Seattle.

-ABC News' Maryam Moqaddam and Somayeh Malekian