An Israeli F-16 jet flies over southern Lebanon on March 28, 2026 (AFP / -)
Here are the latest events related to the Middle East conflict on Monday, the 31st day after the start of the conflict:
– Israel says it is responding to a missile attack from Iran
The Israeli army said on Monday morning that it is responding to a missile attack from Iran.
“Recently, the Israeli army identified missiles launched from Iran towards Israeli territory,” it said on Telegram, adding that its defense systems were activated “to intercept the threat.”
– Israeli army says it is conducting strikes on Tehran
“The Israeli army is currently striking military installations of the Iranian terrorist regime across Tehran,” an army spokesperson wrote on Telegram on Monday morning without further details.
– Lebanon: death of an Indonesian UN peacekeeper in UNIFIL
“A peacekeeper was tragically killed yesterday (Sunday) evening when a projectile exploded at a UNIFIL position near Adchit Al Qusayr,” in southern Lebanon where clashes are ongoing between Israel and the pro-Iranian Hezbollah movement, and “another was seriously injured,” the UN force said in a statement released on Monday.
Jakarta confirmed that the killed peacekeeper was Indonesian and mentioned three others wounded.
– Iran: heavy water facility out of service after strikes
After analyzing satellite images, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) concluded that the Khondab site (new name for the Arak reactor) “has suffered severe damage and is no longer operational,” adding that “the facility does not contain any declared nuclear material.”
The Israeli army had stated on Friday that it conducted a strike on a heavy water facility in Arak, central Iran, describing the location as a “key site for plutonium production for nuclear weapons.”
– US can “very easily” take control of Iranian Kharg island, says Trump
Donald Trump warned that the US military could very easily take control of Kharg island, a crucial oil site for Iran, in an interview with the Financial Times broadcasted on Sunday night.
Targeted by a US attack in mid-March, this strip of land located in the northern Gulf houses Iran’s largest oil terminal, which accounts for about 90% of its crude oil exports, according to a recent note from the American bank JP Morgan.
– Twenty tankers will be able to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, says Trump
Donald Trump stated on Sunday that the US had negotiated with Iran for the imminent passage of 20 tankers through the Strait of Hormuz, whose closure has caused skyrocketing oil prices.
“Out of respect I think, they have given us 20 great big, big oil tankers that will be going through the Strait of Hormuz, and that starts tomorrow morning (Monday) for the next few days,” assured the American president during a press briefing.
– Trump believes to have achieved a “regime change” in Iran
Donald Trump explained on Sunday that the US had achieved a “regime change” through their airstrikes in Iran with Israel, which killed both the Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and several senior officials of the Islamic Republic.
“We are dealing with different people than anyone has dealt with before. It’s a whole other group of people, so I would consider that it’s a regime change,” said the American president to the press.
– Saudi Arabia intercepts missiles
The Saudi Ministry of Defense announced on Monday that they intercepted five ballistic missiles heading towards the eastern part of the country, without specifying their origin.
– Israeli Parliament approves massive increase in defense budget
The Israeli Parliament approved on Monday the 2026 budget, which significantly increases resources allocated to defense, as the country is engaged in a war on multiple fronts.
“As part of the budget update, and in light of the ‘Roaring Lion’ operation, over 30 billion shekels (about 8.3 billion euros) have been added to the Defense Ministry budget, bringing it to over 142 billion shekels,” the Parliament stated in a release.
– Iran strikes desalination plant in Kuwait, one dead
Iran attacked a desalination plant in Kuwait, which also generates electricity, and killed an Indian national, the Kuwaiti government announced on Monday.
“A service building of a water desalination plant generating electricity was attacked as part of the Iranian aggression against the State of Kuwait, causing the death of an Indian worker and significant material damage,” the Kuwaiti Ministry of Electricity and Water posted on the social network X.
