This is an extremely serious and fast-moving situation. Here is the latest as of today, March 17, 2026 — Day 18 of the war: US/Israel–Iran War: Latest News (March 17, 2026) Today's Breaking Developments Iranian security chief Ali Larijani and Basij force commander Gholamreza Soleimani have been killed, according to Iranian state media. Iraq's capital, Baghdad, has been rocked by a series of explosions close to the United States embassy in the city's heavily fortified Green Zone. Top US counterterrorism official Joe Kent has resigned, stating that Iran is "not a threat," as drone and missile attacks intensify across Iraq. (Bitget) How the War Started (Feb. 28) On February 28, 2026, Ali Khamenei, the supreme leader of Iran, was assassinated. The opening attack targeted the compound of Leadership House. Early on March 1, Iranian state media announced that Khamenei had been killed. (The Next Web) Just before the strikes began, Oman's Foreign Minister had said a "breakthrough" had been reached and Iran had agreed to never stockpile enriched uranium and to full IAEA verification — peace was described as "within reach." (The Next Web) New Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei was elected on March 8, 2026, to replace his father as supreme leader. Trump called the new supreme leader "lightweight" and threatened that he would not last long without his approval. (The Next Web) Military Situation The White House declared: "Iran's ballistic missile capacity is functionally destroyed. Their navy assessed combat ineffective. Complete and total aerial dominance over Iran." The operation is called "Operation Epic Fury." (sec) Despite that, Iran retains enough capabilities to inflict significant damage. According to a senior Israeli military official, Israel has put up to 290 launchers out of service, out of an estimated 410 to 440 launchers. Iran has fired over 500 ballistic and naval missiles and almost 2,000 drones since February 28, with about 40% aimed at Israel and 60% at US targets in the region. (sec) Israel told CNN it is planning to strike "thousands" of targets over the next three weeks, with potentially more to follow. Approximately 200 US troops have been injured in seven countries during the ongoing campaign. (sec) Casualties & Humanitarian Impact At least 1,444 people have been killed and 18,551 injured by US-Israeli attacks on Iran since February 28. An Amnesty International investigation confirmed that a US attack on an Iranian primary school killed at least 170 people, most of whom were schoolgirls. (sec) More than 2,200 people across the Middle East have died in the conflict overall, including at least 850 in Lebanon. (sec) Regional Spillover Qatar successfully intercepted 13 out of 14 ballistic missiles launched from Iran. Bahrain has neutralized 129 missiles and 221 drones since the war began. A fire broke out at the UAE's Fujairah oil industrial zone after a drone attack. Falling missile debris killed one person in Abu Dhabi. (sec) Strait of Hormuz & Oil Trump tried to allay concerns about the effective shutdown of the Strait of Hormuz, calling on China, France, Japan, South Korea, and the UK to send warships. Australia and Japan said they are not planning to send ships. EU foreign ministers decided against expanding their naval operations in the region. Iran's foreign minister said Tehran is open to discussions with countries wanting to safely access the strait. (sec) Iran's Internal Situation Despite withering airstrikes, US intelligence officials predict a weakened but more hard-line government in Tehran, backed by the powerful IRGC security forces consolidating power. (sec) Trump's Timeline Trump said the war will be "wrapped up soon," with administration officials saying they expect the conflict to end within weeks or "sooner." (sec) This is an extremely fluid situation with developments happening by the hour. I'd recommend following Al Jazeera, CNN, or Reuters live blogs for real-time updates.