By JON GAMBRELL, SAM MEDNICK and DAVID RISING
Associated Press
Associated Press
Published: March 20, 2026 astatine 1:34 AM
Updated: March 20, 2026 astatine 8:49 AM
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iran’s apical subject spokesperson has warned that “parks, recreational areas and tourer destinations” worldwide won’t beryllium harmless for Tehran’s enemies.
Gen. Abolfazl Shekarchi made the menace Friday arsenic Iran continues to beryllium deed by American and Israeli airstrikes. It was apt to renew concerns that arsenic the warfare goes on, Iran whitethorn revert to utilizing militant attacks beyond the Middle East arsenic a unit tactic.
“From present on, based connected the accusation we person astir you, adjacent parks, recreational areas and tourer destinations anyplace successful the satellite volition nary longer beryllium harmless for you,” Shekarchi said successful a connection published online by Iranian authorities television.
THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier communicative follows below.
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iran said Friday that it would contradict its enemies their information and that it was inactive gathering missiles successful a amusement of defiance astir 3 weeks into U.S.-Israeli strikes that person killed a slew of Tehran’s apical leaders and hammered its weapons and vigor industries.
Iran fired connected Israel and vigor sites successful neighboring Gulf Arab states arsenic galore successful the portion marked 1 of the holiest days connected the Muslim calendar. Iranians were besides marking the Persian New Year, known arsenic Nowruz, a usually festive vacation that is much subdued this year.
With small accusation coming retired of Iran, it was not wide however overmuch harm its arms, atomic oregon vigor facilities person sustained since the warfare began Feb. 28 oregon adjacent who was genuinely successful complaint of the country. But Iran has showed it is inactive susceptible of attacks that are choking disconnected lipid supplies and denting the planetary economy, raising nutrient and substance prices acold beyond the Middle East.
The U.S. and Israel person offered shifting rationales for the war, from hoping to foment an uprising that topples Iran’s enactment to eliminating its atomic and rocket programs. There person been nary nationalist signs of immoderate specified uprising, and it’s not wide what capabilities Iran retains oregon however the warfare mightiness end.
Iran remains defiant contempt weeks of attacks
U.S. and Israeli leaders person said that weeks of strikes person decimated Iran’s military. Airstrikes person besides killed its ultimate leader, the caput of its Supreme National Security Council and a raft of different top-ranking subject and governmental leaders.
On Thursday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed Iran’s navy was sunk and its aerial unit successful tatters, portion adding that its quality to nutrient ballistic missiles had been taken out. Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard disputed the rocket assertion connected Friday.
“We are producing missiles adjacent during warfare conditions, which is amazing, and determination is nary peculiar occupation successful stockpiling,” spokesperson Gen. Ali Mohammad Naeini was quoted arsenic saying successful Iran’s state-run IRAN newspaper.
Naeini added that Iran had nary volition of seeking a speedy extremity to the war. “These radical expect the warfare to proceed until the force is wholly exhausted,” helium said.
A abbreviated clip aft the connection was released, Iranian authorities tv said Naeini was killed successful an airstrike.
The country’s caller Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei besides released a uncommon statement, saying Iran’s enemies request to person their “security” taken away.
Khamenei hasn’t been seen since helium succeeded his father, the 86-year-old Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed successful an Israeli airstrike connected the archetypal time of the war.
A refinery comes nether onslaught successful Kuwait and explosions shingle Dubai
Iran has stepped up its attacks connected vigor sites successful Gulf Arab states aft Israel bombed Iran’s monolithic South Pars offshore earthy state tract earlier successful the week.
Two waves of Iranian drones attacked a Kuwaiti lipid refinery aboriginal Friday, sparking a fire. The Mina Al-Ahmadi refinery, which tin process immoderate 730,000 barrels of lipid per day, is 1 of the largest successful the Middle East. It was damaged Thursday successful different Iranian attack.
Bahrain said a occurrence broke retired aft shrapnel from an intercepted projectile landed connected a warehouse, and Saudi Arabia reported shooting down aggregate drones targeting its oil-rich Eastern Province.
Heavy explosions shook Dubai arsenic aerial defenses intercepted incoming occurrence implicit the city, wherever radical were observing Eid al-Fitr, the extremity of the beatified Muslim fasting period of Ramadan.
In Iran, meanwhile, galore were marking Nowruz adjacent arsenic Israel said it had launched caller strikes, and explosions were heard implicit Tehran. The Persian New Year, which coincides with the outpouring equinox, is simply a contented observed crossed southwestern Asia that dates backmost thousands of years.
Loud explosions could besides beryllium heard successful Jerusalem aft the Israeli service warned of incoming Iranian missiles. First responders said they treated 2 radical astir 70 years aged who were lightly wounded.
In summation to steadily striking Iran, Israel has regularly deed Lebanon, targeting Iran-backed Hezbollah militants who person been firing rockets and drones into Israel.
On Friday, Israel broadened its attacks to Syria, saying it deed infrastructure determination successful effect to what it described arsenic attacks connected the number Druze population. Syria’s state-run SANA quality bureau did not instantly admit the attack.
More than 1,300 radical person been killed successful Iran during the war. Israeli strikes successful Lebanon person displaced much than 1 cardinal people, according to the Lebanese government, which says much than 1,000 radical person been killed. Israel says it has killed much than 500 Hezbollah militants.
In Israel, 15 radical person been killed by Iranian rocket fire. Four radical were besides killed successful the occupied West Bank by an Iranian rocket strike.
At slightest 13 U.S. subject members person been killed.
The warfare is raising risks to the satellite economy
Iran’s attacks connected vigor infrastructure successful the Gulf combined with its stranglehold connected shipping successful the Strait of Hormuz, a strategical waterway done which a 5th of the world’s lipid and different captious goods are transported, has raised concerns of a planetary vigor crisis.
Brent crude oil, the planetary standard, has soared during the fighting, and was astir $107 successful greeting trading connected Friday, up much than 47% since the commencement of the war.
Surging substance prices travel astatine a infinitesimal erstwhile galore satellite leaders were already struggling to bring down precocious prices of nutrient and galore user goods. Asia is getting deed hard arsenic astir of the lipid and state exiting the Strait of Hormuz is transported there.
But the terms shocks are reverberating passim the satellite economy. Key earthy materials — similar helium utilized successful making machine chips, and sulfur, a earthy worldly successful fertilizer — person been obstructed and could beryllium successful abbreviated proviso soon, raising the prices of goods each the mode down the proviso chain.
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This communicative has been updated to close the header to amusement the warfare is astir 3 weeks in, not four.
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Mednick reported from Jerusalem and Rising from Bangkok. Associated Press writer Giovanna Dell’Orto successful Miami contributed.
Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This worldly whitethorn not beryllium published, broadcast, rewritten oregon redistributed without permission.









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