Iran war enters day 19 after assassinations trigger fresh regional escalation

The Chronify

March 18, 2026

The war between Iran, Israel and the United States entered its 19th day on Wednesday with fresh Iranian missile attacks on Israel, widening regional spillover across the Gulf, and growing political strain in Washington after a senior US counterterrorism official resigned over the conflict. Reuters reported on Tuesday that Israel said it had effectively gained the upper hand in the war, though key objectives remained unmet and fighting was continuing across multiple fronts.

A major trigger for the latest escalation was the killing of two senior Iranian figures, Ali Larijani, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, and Gholamreza Soleimani, commander of the Basij paramilitary force. The Guardian reported that Iran’s national security council confirmed Larijani’s death after an Israeli airstrike, while Israeli officials also said Soleimani had been killed in a separate strike.

Iran responded with fresh missile attacks on central Israel. Associated Press reported that Iranian forces fired advanced multiple warhead missiles at central Israel, killing two people near Tel Aviv and causing damage in the Ramat Gan area. AP also said Iran launched attacks against several Gulf states in the same wave of retaliation, showing how the conflict is increasingly spreading beyond Iran and Israel.

Tehran has tried to project political resilience despite the killings. Reuters reported on Wednesday that Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Iran’s nuclear doctrine was unlikely to change and that the country’s new leadership was continuing to function after the wartime transition at the top. He also said any future arrangements for the Strait of Hormuz would need to reflect Iranian and regional interests.

Pressure is also building around the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important energy chokepoints. Reuters said Araghchi called for a new protocol governing the waterway after Iran’s wartime closure of the strait. The Guardian separately reported that oil and gas prices rose again after Iranian attacks on production facilities and wider disruption linked to Hormuz.

In the United States, the war has opened visible divisions inside President Donald Trump’s camp. The Washington Post reported that Joe Kent, head of the National Counterterrorism Center, resigned in protest and accused the administration of entering the war without a valid imminent threat. His departure marked the first senior public break from inside Trump’s administration over the Iran conflict.

The regional fallout is now broad. AP reported that Gulf countries including Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar and the UAE were affected by Iranian attacks or interceptions. The Guardian’s live coverage also said the conflict had reached Lebanon and Iraq, with rising fears of a wider regional war.

The war began on February 28 with joint US and Israeli strikes on Iran, according to Reuters, and has since moved into its third week with no clear sign of de escalation. Reuters said Israeli officials believe Iran has been significantly weakened, but Tehran retains the ability to strike Israel and regional targets.