Iran-US war latest: Trump won’t back down says adviser who expects conflict to be over ‘in weeks not months’
UN investigates deadly girls’ school attack
A UN inquiry has started investigating a fatal strike on a primary school on the first day of the US-Israeli attacks on Iran, according to one of its members.
The attack on the Shajareh Tayyebeh School consisted of two missile strikes in quick succession that killed 168 children, mostly girls, Iranian officials say.
US military investigators believe it is likely that US forces were responsible but have not yet reached a final conclusion. The Pentagon has since elevated the probe.
“We’re at an early stage of that investigation,” said Max du Plessis, a member of the UN Fact-Finding Mission on Iran.
“It’s clear to us that whatever happens in respect of such an event, given the innocent lives that have been lost, there is a critical need for such an investigation to be done and for an independent outcome to follow,” he said.
A still image from video after a suspected US Tomahawk missile near the school (Mehr News Agency)
Jane Dalton17 March 2026 14:01
US counterterror chief quits in protest at Iran war
Joe Kent, Donald Trump’s director of the National Counterterrorism Center, has resigned, saying: “I cannot in good conscience support the ongoing war in Iran.
“Iran posed no imminent threat to our nation, and it is clear that we started this war due to pressure from Israel and its powerful American lobby.”
Jane Dalton17 March 2026 13:50
Iranian regime likely to remain in power despite two weeks of attacks, US intelligence suggests
While dozens of top Iranian military and intelligence leaders have been killed in the war, including the Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, officials believe that the regime is still clinging onto control.
As the war enters a third week, at least 2,000 people have been killed with no end in sight despite widespread damage to Iran’s military installations and naval capability.
Maryam Zakir-Hussain17 March 2026 13:45
How countries are cutting deals with Iran to move oil through the Strait of Hormuz – and undermine Trump
The Strait of Hormuz has become perilous for oil tankers since Iran claimed control of it during the war. But experts tell Bryony Gooch that Tehran may be willing to grant safe passage to countries willing to engage in diplomacy:
After two weeks of turmoil and violence in the Strait of Hormuz, an international cargo ship has transited safely through the Iranian waterway with its tracker turned on in what experts described as a major breakthrough.
The Pakistan-flagged Karachi ship, also known as the Lorax, became the first non-Iranian vessel to pass through the Strait with its Automatic Identification System (AIS) signal turned off on Sunday afternoon.
Maryam Zakir-Hussain17 March 2026 13:30
Downing Street responds to Trump’s latest criticism
Downing Street has declined to give “a running commentary” on all of Donald Trump’s comments after the US president’s latest criticism of Sir Keir Starmer.
The prime minister’s spokesman told reporters: “You obviously heard from the PM yesterday, and he set out our clear and consistent objectives on this conflict. I point you back to those.
“I’m not going to give a running commentary on everything the president says. You have our readout from the call on Sunday night, but as the Pensions Secretary said yesterday, underneath these comments there’s an enduring close relationship between the United Kingdom and the US.
“The prime minister and president speak regularly and have a good relationship. That doesn’t mean we have to agree with the US on everything or support every action they take.”
The spokesman said Sir Keir’s priorities are “protecting our people in the region”, to not be “drawn into the wider war” and “working towards that swift resolution that brings stability and security back to the region”.
Maryam Zakir-Hussain17 March 2026 13:14
Explosions heard in Doha
Explosions have been heard in Qatar’s capital, Doha, this morning as the country’s air defence intercepted missiles.
Maryam Zakir-Hussain17 March 2026 12:58
Iran on day 18 of internet blockout
Iran’s internet blackout is now entering its 18th day after 408 hours without international connectivity for the general public.
Maryam Zakir-Hussain17 March 2026 12:47
White House advisor says they’re ‘seeing signs of how little Iran has left’
Oil tankers are crossing the Strait of Hormuz and Iran’s actions to choke traffic through the shipping route have not hurt the US economy, White House economic adviser Kevin Hassett told CNBC on Tuesday, reiterating the Trump administration’s position that the war should be over in weeks, not months.
“Already you’re seeing tankers are starting to dribble through the straits, and I think it’s a sign of how little Iran has left,” he said.
“We’re very optimistic that this is going to be over in the short run, and then there will be price repercussions when it is over for a few weeks, as the ships make it to the refineries.”
Hassett said there is concern that Asia may not be exporting as much refined oil to the US to handle a decrease in supply from the Middle East.
“We’re seeing some signs that they might be pulling that back to make sure that they have enough energy for themselves. And we’ve got a plan for that,” he said.
Maryam Zakir-Hussain17 March 2026 12:37
Iran war may push 45 million people into acute hunger by June, WFP says
Tens of millions more people will face acute hunger if the Iran war continues through to June, according to analysis from the World Food Programme released on Tuesday.
The US-Israeli attacks on Iran that began on February 26 have choked up key humanitarian aid routes, delaying life-saving shipments to some of the world’s worst crises.
An extra 45 million are projected to be pushed into acute hunger because of rises in food, oil and shipping costs, pushing the global tally above its current record level of 319 million, Deputy Executive Director of the World Food Programme Carl Skau told reporters in Geneva.
“This would take global hunger levels to an all-time record and it’s a terrible, terrible prospect,” he said. “Already, before this war, we were in a perfect storm where hunger has never been as severe as now, in terms of numbers and how deep that hunger is,” he added.
Skau said its shipping costs are up 18 per cent since the US-Israeli attacks on Iran began on February 28 and that some have had to be rerouted.
The extra costs come on top of deep spending cuts by the WFP, as donors focus more on defence, he added.
Maryam Zakir-Hussain17 March 2026 12:15
Trump ‘won’t back down’ says adviser who expects conflict to be over ‘in weeks not months’
Oil tankers are “starting to dribble through” the Strait of Hormuz, White House economic adviser Kevin Hassett told CNBC in an interview on Tuesday, reiterating the Trump administration’s position that they see the Iran war lasting weeks, not months.
Hassett also said the US president is “not going to back down” until he sees this war to the end.
Maryam Zakir-Hussain17 March 2026 12:06
