Live updates: Trump says 'very good' Iran talks, hints at 'total resolution'

Israel announced strikes on government infrastructure in Tehran on Monday.

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Last updated: Monday, March 23, 2026 6:16PM GMT
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President Donald Trump announced "major combat operations" against Iran on Feb. 28, with massive joint U.S.-Israel strikes targeting military and government sites, officials said.

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was among those killed in Tehran on the first day of strikes, and his son Mojtaba Khamenei was chosen to succeed him. Iran is responding with missile and drone attacks targeting Israel, regional U.S. bases and multiple Gulf nations. Iran is also attempting to block some shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz.

Israel is also intensifying its long-running strike campaign against the Iran-backed Hezbollah militia in Lebanon.

ByMichelle Stoddart ABCNews logo
Mar 16, 2026, 7:08 PM GMT

Leavitt calls on other nations to secure Strait of Hormuz

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt talked about President Donald Trump's call for other nations to help protect the Strait of Hormuz in a gaggle with reporters and an appearance on Fox News on Monday.

A UAE navy vessel patrols next to cargo ships and oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz as seen from Khor Fakkan, United Arab Emirates, Wednesday, March 11, 2026.
A UAE navy vessel patrols next to cargo ships and oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz as seen from Khor Fakkan, United Arab Emirates, Wednesday, March 11, 2026.

Leavitt said Trump wants allies to "step up" and do more for the security of the Strait of Hormuz "because these other countries are benefiting greatly from the United States military taking out the threat of Iran."

"These countries are absolutely benefiting from ensuring that Iran can never obtain a nuclear weapon," Leavitt told reporters.

"So I think the president is absolutely right to call on these countries to do more to help the United States to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, so that we can stop this terrorist regime from restricting the free flow of energy, and the fact that they are doing so just underscores why President Trump needed to take this action in the first place," she told reporters.

Leavitt also provided an update on the current state of the war, saying the U.S. "continues to totally decimate the rogue Iranian terrorist regime."

"We've now hit more than 7,000 targets. We've sunk more than 100 of their naval vessels. We are completely annihilating their Navy ,and their ballistic missile and drone strikes against the United States are down 95%," she told Fox News.

ByJessica Gorman ABCNews logo
Mar 16, 2026, 7:08 PM GMT

Dubai airport begins 'gradual' resumption of flights after drone impact

Dubai International Airport began resuming some flights on Monday morning after a drone impact had sparked a fire nearby, airport and city officials said.

"Dubai Airports confirms the gradual resumption of some flights to and from Dubai International (DXB) to selected destinations, following the temporary suspension implemented as a precautionary measure," a Dubai Airports spokesperson said, according to an alert on the airport's website.

An Emirates Boeing 777 stands at the gate at Dubai International Airport as another prepares to land on the runway in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Aug. 17, 2022.
An Emirates Boeing 777 stands at the gate at Dubai International Airport as another prepares to land on the runway in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Aug. 17, 2022.

The Dubai Media Office said hours earlier that authorities were responding to an incident involving a drone near the airport. Firefighters had been battling a blaze, the office said.

"Dubai Civil Defence teams have successfully contained the fire resulting from impact to one of the fuel tanks in the vicinity of Dubai International Airport," the office said early on Monday on social media. "No injuries have been reported."

Some flights were diverted to Al Maktoum International Airport, the office said.