Updated March 15, 2026 at 7:40 AM MST
The conflict in the Middle East has entered a third week, with Israel announcing a barrage of new strikes on western Iran on Sunday, while the U.S. defense department released the names of six service members who died when their military refueling aircraft crashed.
Iran's regional Gulf neighbors have continued to face attacks, with Saudi Arabia saying it had taken down 26 Iranian drones over its territory and the United Arab Emirates reporting a missile attack. Air raid sirens sounded in Bahrain and in Israel, in Tel Aviv.
In Tehran, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps vowed to "pursue" Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, saying it would then "kill him," according to Iran's state-affiliated Mehr news agency.
Meanwhile President Trump told NBC News he wasn't sure whether Iran's new supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei was still alive, saying "so far no-one's been able to show him." Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Friday Khamenei – who was appointed a week ago after Israeli strikes killed his father at the beginning of the war – had been wounded.
Trump also told the network that several U.S. allies had responded to his call for help to defend the vital economic waterway, the Strait of Hormuz, though he didn't name them and none have publicly agreed to assist.
"Iran wants to make a deal, and I don't want to make it because the terms aren't good enough yet," he added.
Here are more detailed updates about the conflict:
Six deceased U.S. service members identified
The Defense Department identified six American service members who died on March 12 when their KC-135 refueling plane crashed over Western Iraq.
The Pentagon has said the loss of the Stratotanker aircraft was caused by neither hostile nor friendly fire, and said the incident is under investigation. An Iranian proxy group claimed responsibility.
Three of the deceased were from the MacDill Air Force Base in Florida and named as Maj. John A. Klinner, 33, of Auburn, Ala.; Capt. Ariana G. Savino, 31, of Covington, Wash.; and Tech. Sgt. Ashley B. Pruitt, 34, of Bardstown, Ky.
The other three were assigned to Rickenbacker Air National Guard Base, Columbus, Ohio. They were: Capt. Seth R. Koval, 38, of Mooresville, Ind.; Capt. Curtis J. Angst, 30, of Wilmington, Ohio; and Tech. Sgt. Tyler H. Simmons, 28, of Columbus, Ohio.
The crash brings the U.S. military death toll to 13, seven of whom have been killed by enemy fire. Eight U.S. service members have been severely injured, according to the Pentagon.
IDF launches fresh attacks on Iran, Lebanon
"The IDF has just begun a wave of extensive strikes targeting infrastructure of the Iranian terror regime in western Iran," the Israel Defense Forces posted on their official X account on Sunday.
The IDF also said it had struck Hezbollah targets in Lebanon on Saturday, noting: "The Air Force struck in the Al-Qataraani area several launch sites of the terrorist organization Hezbollah, from which the organization's terrorists planned to carry out launches in the immediate time frame."
"The headquarters of the 'Radwan Force' unit of the terrorist organization Hezbollah in Beirut were attacked and destroyed," it said.
Allies non-committal on Trump's request for assistance
President Trump on Saturday urged foreign powers to send warships to the Strait of Hormuz. Iran has been blocking the key shipping route, where much of the world's oil supplies typically pass.
"Hopefully China, France, Japan, South Korea, the UK, and others, that are affected by this artificial constraint, will send Ships to the area so that the Hormuz Strait will no longer be a threat by a Nation that has been totally decapitated," he wrote on Truth Social.
So far, no country has committed to Trump's call. The UK's Defense Ministry has said it is exploring its options.
Since the start of the war, Iran has blocked some oil tankers and attacked cargo vessels trying to pass through the strait, which has led to a huge spike in global oil prices.
Nearly a fifth of the world's oil supply typically passes through this vital oil export route.
The waters off Iran's coast have become a strategic battleground in the war and the US bombed military targets on Iran's Kharg Island Saturday.
Trump said the U.S. might hit the island again quote "just for fun" if Iran continues interfering with ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz.
Zelenskyy says U.S. asked Ukraine for help with drones
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says the U.S. military has reached out several times seeking expertise on how to intercept and destroy Iranian-designed Shahed attack drones, even as President Trump says he doesn't need Ukraine's help.
Zelenskyy made the comments during a private meeting on Saturday with media outlets in Kyiv, including NPR. The comments were embargoed until Sunday.
"The Americans have reached out to us several times, either for assistance to a particular county or for support for Americans," he said.
The leaders of several Middle Eastern nations, including the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Bahrain, have also contacted him about drones, he said.
"This is not about being involved in operations," Zelenskyy said. "We are not at war with Iran. This is about protection and assessing how we can help counter Shahed drones."
Shaheds, designed by Iran, resemble small jets and often carry explosives. Iranian forces have launched them at targets inside of Gulf nations, including U.S. military bases and consulates, in retaliation for the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran. Gulf states are using expensive air defense missiles to take down Shaheds, which are relatively cheap in comparison.
Since Russia launched its full-scale war on Ukraine in 2022, it has also used the Iranian-designed drones to bomb Ukrainian cities, often launching hundreds at a time. Ukraine has learned to destroy them using a variety of methods, including mobile air defense units on land, electronic jamming and cheap interceptor drones that hunt and destroy Shaheds.
Zelenskyy said Ukrainian drone expertise is valuable, and in exchange for help in downing Iranian drones, Ukraine is seeking funding and technology to increase its own drone production.
Zelenskyy said Ukraine had proposed a drone deal with the U.S. last year in exchange for investment in production.
"We did not sign the document with President Trump," Zelenskyy said. "I do not not have an answer as to why. Perhaps it will happen later, but I am not sure."
He said he has secured drone deals with European countries and has received "very specific requests with big proposals" from countries in the Middle East.
Zelenskyy said some countries, which he did not name, were trying to buy interceptor drones directly from private companies in Ukraine, something he condemned. He said all deals should go through the Ukrainian government.
"I cannot purchase missiles for the Patriot system without the White House," he said. "I cannot buy missiles in Europe without the relevant leaders and defense ministers … I could not buy any type of weapon until I had reached an agreement with the leader of the country where it is produced."
Arezou Rezvani in Erbil, in the Kurdistan region of Iraq, Joanna Kakissis in Ukraine, and Kate Bartlett contributed to this report.
Copyright 2026 NPR