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What you need to know
- The EU’s top diplomat Kaja Kallas said ‘this is not Europe’s war’
- Germany’s Merz has said ‘we will not do it’ in reference to military support for the war against Iran
- The US has said it is allowing Iranian oil tankers to pass through the Strait of Hormuz
- Donald Trump demanded seven countries join a coalition to ensure safe passage of tankers through Strait of Hormuz
- Trump told Financial Times that there will be a ‘very bad’ future for NATO if allies don’t help reopen Hormuz as he steps up calls to secure vital shipping channel
- China’s Foreign Ministry sidestepped a request for comment on Trump’s call for military support
Here is a roundup of the main developments from the US-Israeli war with Iran on Monday, March 16:
UN experts say Israel’s strike on Evin Prison was a war crime
Israel’s strike on Tehran’s Evin Prison last year amounted to a war crime, according to UN human rights experts reporting to the Human Rights Council in Geneva.
They say the June 2025 airstrikes, which killed around 80 people, targeted a civilian facility rather than a military site.
“We found reasonable grounds to believe that, in carrying out the airstrikes on Evin prison, Israel committed the war crime of intentionally directing attacks against a civilian object…,” Sara Hossain, chair of the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Iran, told the council.
The experts based their conclusion on interviews with victims and witnesses, satellite imagery and other documents presented to the council.
Israel did not immediately react to the experts’ assessment.
Hossain also accused Iranian authorities of committing crimes against humanity, citing murder, torture, arbitrary detention, sexual violence and the systematic persecution of women.
She warned of further risks of repression due to the current US-Israel war in Iran.
“The Iranian people are caught between a large-scale military campaign by two countries, the US and Israel, and ongoing repression by their own government in Iran,” she said.
WATCH — ‘Nowhere feels safe’: Beirut hit by new Israeli airstrikes
Over 800,000 people have reportedly been displaced in Lebanon as fighting between Israel and Hezbollah intensifies.
Some fear this is only the start. DW met families living on the streets and in makeshift shelters.
Trump questions who is leading Iran
President Donald Trump said he believes Tehran wants to negotiate an end to the US-Israeli war with Iran but it remains unclear who is actually in charge.
“We don’t know who their leader is. We have people wanting to negotiate. We have no idea who they are,” Trump told reporters during a White House event.
He said intermediaries have approached Washington without clear authority.
Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in the early strikes of the war.
His son, Mojtaba Khamenei, was named his successor, but he has not appeared in public.
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said last week the new leader may have been wounded, and Trump repeated unconfirmed reports that he is severely injured or possibly dead.
WATCH: India faces mounting LPG shortages as Iran war drags on
Far from the battlefield, gas shortages are causing long queues and mounting frustration as people line up with empty LPG cylinders in New Delhi.
US wants help to guard Strait of Hormuz, but EU is not keen
US President Donald Trump’s demand for European allies to help secure the passage of oil and gas tankers through the Strait of Hormuz was a major talking point at today’s meeting of European Union foreign affairs ministers in Brussels.
But Europeans are generally unwilling to help secure the Strait of Hormuz.
Read DW’s full report on the rising tensions between the US and EU over the war in Iran.
EU foreign affairs chief: ‘This is not Europe’s war’
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said the US-Israel war with Iran is “not Europe’s war.”
Kallas said there is a “clear wish” from EU foreign ministers in Brussels to strengthen the EU Aspides naval mission in the Middle East.
The Aspides mission was launched in 2024 after the Iran-backed Houthis group in Yemen began attacking ships in the Red Sea.
However, Kallas said there was no interest from ministers in Brussels “in changing the mandate of the operation” such as expanding it to the Strait of Hormuz.
She also said that Russia “stands to gain from higher energy prices and diversion of air defense from Ukraine to the Middle East.”
Trump criticizes NATO allies for failing to back US in Strait of Hormuz
President Donald Trump lashed out at NATO allies, criticizing what he said was their reluctance to help the US secure the Strait of Hormuz.
“They should be jumping to help us,” he said in response to a reporter’s question, asking, “Why are we protecting countries when they do not protect us?”
In his prepared remarks, Trump again urged countries to send ships to secure the Strait of Hormuz, though he avoided naming allies that were unwilling to take part.
When he later took questions from journalists, he sharpened his criticism, saying some NATO allies are lukewarm to the idea.
“We don’t need anybody,” he said, despite earlier saying, “We want them to come and help of us with the strait.”
Trump said he made the request because he “wanted to see how they [allies] will react.” He added that “We have been protecting these countries for years with NATO, because NATO is US.”
Trump said he had talked with French President Emmanuel Macron about it and his response had been “an eight, not perfect.”
“I think he’s going to help,” Trump said
He also again slammed the United Kingdom for refusing to join the war against Iran, saying, “We worked with them in Ukraine, we don’t need to work with them.”
Merz says Israeli ground operation in Lebanon an ‘error’
Merz also criticized an Israeli decision to launch a ground operation in southern Lebanon against Iran-backed group Hezbollah.
“We urgently call on our Israeli friends: Do not take this path — it would be an error,” Merz said. The Israeli military said earlier on Monday it began “limited and targeted ground operations” in southern Lebanon.
Merz believes the Israeli operation would “further exacerbate the already highly tense humanitarian situation” in Lebanon.
Hezbollah, which is deemed a terror group by Israel, Germany and several other countries, attacked Israel earlier in the war following the Israeli assassination of Iranian supreme leader Ali Khamenei. In response, Israel has launched airstrikes on Hezbollah in Lebanon, which has also prompted evacuations of the civilian population.
According to the International Rescue Committee, more than 4.1 million people or 70% of Lebanon’s population were in need of humanitarian aid before the latest fighting this month. Lebanon in recent years has faced economic collapse with approximately 80% of the population living in poverty, “lacking reliable access to healthcare, electricity and education.”
Lebanon said Monday that over 1 million people have been displaced amid the most recent war.
Trump says some allies lack enthusiasm for Hormuz mission
President Donald Trump also gave an address while his German counterpart Merz was speaking in Berlin.
Trump reiterated his call for other nations to help ensure the Strait of Hormuz remains open, and he appeared to criticize countries he said were reluctant to contribute support.
“Some are very enthusiastic about it, and some aren’t,” he said.
Several US allies, including Germany, said Monday they have no immediate plans to send ships.
“The level of enthusiasm matters to me,” Trump said.
He did not mention NATO directly but said the reluctance from some countries comes despite years of US military support for their security. He added that he has been a critic of those countries because “they won’t be there for us.”
Germany’s Merz on military role in Iran war: ‘We will not do it’
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has firmly rejected a military role for Germany in the Iran war and in securing the Strait of Hormuz. He made the comments alongside Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten who he was hosting in Berlin.
“The US and Israel did not consult us before this war. There has never been a joint decision regarding Iran,” Merz said. He noted that Germany lacks a required mandate from the UN, the EU, NATO and the German constitution to participate.
In regards to Germany helping out militarily, Merz said “we will not do it.”
Trump earlier suggested that NATO faces a “very bad future” if member countries do not step up and secure the Strait of Hormuz. Merz said NATO is not an alliance meant for military intervention but for defense.
Iran FM: Over 200 children killed in ‘Israel-US bombings’
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, in a post on X, said that “hundreds of Iranian civilians have been killed in Israel-US bombings, including over 200 children.”
“Reports claim that neighboring states which host US forces and permit attacks on Iran are also actively encouraging this slaughter,” Araghchi said without substantiating. “Stances should be promptly clarified.”
The US is accused of attacking a girls school in Minab, in southern Iran on February 28, killing over 100 children. Rights watchdog Amnesty International said Monday that its analysis shows that a US-manufactured Tomahawk missile hit the school, with the US being the only party in the current conflict to be using Tomahawks.
The US has launched a probe into the Minab strike. Amnesty said those “responsible for planning and executing” the strike “must be held accountable.”
IEA may release more oil stocks ‘as and if needed’
Fatih Birol, the executive director of the Paris-based International Energy Agency, said the 32-member organization could release more oil stocks “as and if needed.”
It comes after the IEA announced on Sunday it would release 400 million barrels of oil, the largest release since the organization was founded in 1974. That measure was taken to shore up oil markets as prices per barrel jumped above $100 (€87).
“Despite this huge release, we still have a lot of stocks left. This current stock release, once it is completed, will reduce the emergency stocks in IEA countries only by around 20%,” Birol said. He said there are still 1.4 billion barrels left in IEA members’ emergency oil stocks.
“The single most important thing for a return to stable flows of oil and gas is the resumption of transit through the Strait of Hormuz,” Birol added.
WHO tells Reuters that 6 hospitals evacuated amid US-Israeli war with Iran
Hanan Balkhy, the World Health Organization’s Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean, told Reuters news agency that six hospitals have been evacuated amid the US-Israeli military operation against Iran. The WHO has an office in Tehran and is assisting Iranian health authorities amid the conflict.
The agency has verified 18 attacks on healthcare facilities and the killing of eight medics.
At the same time, Balkhy said the “primary health and the health infrastructure of Iran is quite good and robust, and they’re able to accommodate the casualties as of now.”
Balkhy noted that black rain from damaged oil facilities could cause more respiratory infections in Iran, creating an additional challenge for health authorities. Israel and the US have hit oil facilities near Tehran and other parts of the country, triggering environmental and health risks.
Iran’s Ambassador to the UN, Ali Bahreini, also said that over 1,300 people have been killed since the war began on February 28, with over 7,000 people wounded.
Hospitals and healthcare facilities are protected by international humanitarian law and may not be attacked or obstructed even during war.
US stocks jump after open as oil prices show decrease
US stocks jumped after market open on Monday at 9:30 a.m. EST (1330 GMT).
The US Dow Jones Index had surged over 500 points as of 10:20 a.m. EST with the S&P 500 jumping 1.32%.
The increase comes as the WTI oil price dropped over $5 (around 5.3%) at that time, with Brent Crude also showing a drop of 2.85%.
The fall in oil prices also comes after US Treasury Secretary Bessent said earlier that the US is allowing Iranian oil tankers to move through the Strait of Hormuz.
Trump-Xi summit in China might be postponed due to Iran war, White House says
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told US broadcaster Fox News that a summit between Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping could be delayed due to the Iran war.
Trump was originally expected to visit China from March 31 to April 2, with tariffs and possibly the issue of Taiwan on the agenda.
“It’s quite possible the meeting could be delayed,” Leavitt said. She said she believed the meeting was not in jeopardy but added “it’s really just a matter of timing.”
Trump had suggested on Sunday that the meeting could be delayed to force China into making Iran reopen the Strait of Hormuz to tankers.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, meanwhile, seemed to walk back Trump’s remarks during a Monday interview with CNBC.
“If the meetings are delayed, it wouldn’t be delayed because the president demanded that China police the Strait of Hormuz,” Bessent said. “If the meeting, for some reason, is rescheduled, it would be rescheduled because of logistics.”
“It would be a decision the president made as commander in chief to stay in the White House or to stay in the United States while this war is being prosecuted,” Bessent said, in comments suggesting that the war could still be happening by the end of this month.
Bessent and US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer are meeting Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng and other officials in Paris to discuss trade and to pave the way for the Trump-Xi summit. Bessent said Monday that those talks were “constructive.”
- The EU’s top diplomat Kaja Kallas said ‘this is not Europe’s war’
- Germany’s Merz has said ‘we will not do it’ in reference to military support for the war against Iran
- The US has said it is allowing Iranian oil tankers to pass through the Strait of Hormuz
- Donald Trump demanded seven countries join a coalition to ensure safe passage of tankers through Strait of Hormuz
- Trump told Financial Times that there will be a ‘very bad’ future for NATO if allies don’t help reopen Hormuz as he steps up calls to secure vital shipping channel
- China’s Foreign Ministry sidestepped a request for comment on Trump’s call for military support
Here is a roundup of the main developments from the US-Israeli war with Iran on Monday, March 16:
Here is a roundup of the main developments from the US-Israeli war with Iran on Monday, March 16:
Israel’s strike on Tehran’s Evin Prison last year amounted to a war crime, according to UN human rights experts reporting to the Human Rights Council in Geneva.
They say the June 2025 airstrikes, which killed around 80 people, targeted a civilian facility rather than a military site.
“We found reasonable grounds to believe that, in carrying out the airstrikes on Evin prison, Israel committed the war crime of intentionally directing attacks against a civilian object…,” Sara Hossain, chair of the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Iran, told the council.
The experts based their conclusion on interviews with victims and witnesses, satellite imagery and other documents presented to the council.
Israel did not immediately react to the experts’ assessment.
Hossain also accused Iranian authorities of committing crimes against humanity, citing murder, torture, arbitrary detention, sexual violence and the systematic persecution of women.
She warned of further risks of repression due to the current US-Israel war in Iran.
“The Iranian people are caught between a large-scale military campaign by two countries, the US and Israel, and ongoing repression by their own government in Iran,” she said.
Israel’s strike on Tehran’s Evin Prison last year amounted to a war crime, according to UN human rights experts reporting to the Human Rights Council in Geneva.
They say the June 2025 airstrikes, which killed around 80 people, targeted a civilian facility rather than a military site.
“We found reasonable grounds to believe that, in carrying out the airstrikes on Evin prison, Israel committed the war crime of intentionally directing attacks against a civilian object…,” Sara Hossain, chair of the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Iran, told the council.
The experts based their conclusion on interviews with victims and witnesses, satellite imagery and other documents presented to the council.
Israel did not immediately react to the experts’ assessment.
Hossain also accused Iranian authorities of committing crimes against humanity, citing murder, torture, arbitrary detention, sexual violence and the systematic persecution of women.
She warned of further risks of repression due to the current US-Israel war in Iran.
“The Iranian people are caught between a large-scale military campaign by two countries, the US and Israel, and ongoing repression by their own government in Iran,” she said.
Over 800,000 people have reportedly been displaced in Lebanon as fighting between Israel and Hezbollah intensifies.
Some fear this is only the start. DW met families living on the streets and in makeshift shelters.
Over 800,000 people have reportedly been displaced in Lebanon as fighting between Israel and Hezbollah intensifies.
Some fear this is only the start. DW met families living on the streets and in makeshift shelters.
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video
President Donald Trump said he believes Tehran wants to negotiate an end to the US-Israeli war with Iran but it remains unclear who is actually in charge.
“We don’t know who their leader is. We have people wanting to negotiate. We have no idea who they are,” Trump told reporters during a White House event.
He said intermediaries have approached Washington without clear authority.
Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in the early strikes of the war.
His son, Mojtaba Khamenei, was named his successor, but he has not appeared in public.
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said last week the new leader may have been wounded, and Trump repeated unconfirmed reports that he is severely injured or possibly dead.
President Donald Trump said he believes Tehran wants to negotiate an end to the US-Israeli war with Iran but it remains unclear who is actually in charge.
“We don’t know who their leader is. We have people wanting to negotiate. We have no idea who they are,” Trump told reporters during a White House event.
He said intermediaries have approached Washington without clear authority.
Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in the early strikes of the war.
His son, Mojtaba Khamenei, was named his successor, but he has not appeared in public.
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said last week the new leader may have been wounded, and Trump repeated unconfirmed reports that he is severely injured or possibly dead.
Far from the battlefield, gas shortages are causing long queues and mounting frustration as people line up with empty LPG cylinders in New Delhi.
Far from the battlefield, gas shortages are causing long queues and mounting frustration as people line up with empty LPG cylinders in New Delhi.
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video
US President Donald Trump’s demand for European allies to help secure the passage of oil and gas tankers through the Strait of Hormuz was a major talking point at today’s meeting of European Union foreign affairs ministers in Brussels.
But Europeans are generally unwilling to help secure the Strait of Hormuz.
Read DW’s full report on the rising tensions between the US and EU over the war in Iran.
US President Donald Trump’s demand for European allies to help secure the passage of oil and gas tankers through the Strait of Hormuz was a major talking point at today’s meeting of European Union foreign affairs ministers in Brussels.
But Europeans are generally unwilling to help secure the Strait of Hormuz.
Read DW’s full report on the rising tensions between the US and EU over the war in Iran.
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said the US-Israel war with Iran is “not Europe’s war.”
Kallas said there is a “clear wish” from EU foreign ministers in Brussels to strengthen the EU Aspides naval mission in the Middle East.
The Aspides mission was launched in 2024 after the Iran-backed Houthis group in Yemen began attacking ships in the Red Sea.
However, Kallas said there was no interest from ministers in Brussels “in changing the mandate of the operation” such as expanding it to the Strait of Hormuz.
She also said that Russia “stands to gain from higher energy prices and diversion of air defense from Ukraine to the Middle East.”
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said the US-Israel war with Iran is “not Europe’s war.”
Kallas said there is a “clear wish” from EU foreign ministers in Brussels to strengthen the EU Aspides naval mission in the Middle East.
The Aspides mission was launched in 2024 after the Iran-backed Houthis group in Yemen began attacking ships in the Red Sea.
However, Kallas said there was no interest from ministers in Brussels “in changing the mandate of the operation” such as expanding it to the Strait of Hormuz.
She also said that Russia “stands to gain from higher energy prices and diversion of air defense from Ukraine to the Middle East.”
President Donald Trump lashed out at NATO allies, criticizing what he said was their reluctance to help the US secure the Strait of Hormuz.
“They should be jumping to help us,” he said in response to a reporter’s question, asking, “Why are we protecting countries when they do not protect us?”
In his prepared remarks, Trump again urged countries to send ships to secure the Strait of Hormuz, though he avoided naming allies that were unwilling to take part.
When he later took questions from journalists, he sharpened his criticism, saying some NATO allies are lukewarm to the idea.
“We don’t need anybody,” he said, despite earlier saying, “We want them to come and help of us with the strait.”
Trump said he made the request because he “wanted to see how they [allies] will react.” He added that “We have been protecting these countries for years with NATO, because NATO is US.”
Trump said he had talked with French President Emmanuel Macron about it and his response had been “an eight, not perfect.”
“I think he’s going to help,” Trump said
He also again slammed the United Kingdom for refusing to join the war against Iran, saying, “We worked with them in Ukraine, we don’t need to work with them.”
President Donald Trump lashed out at NATO allies, criticizing what he said was their reluctance to help the US secure the Strait of Hormuz.
“They should be jumping to help us,” he said in response to a reporter’s question, asking, “Why are we protecting countries when they do not protect us?”
In his prepared remarks, Trump again urged countries to send ships to secure the Strait of Hormuz, though he avoided naming allies that were unwilling to take part.
When he later took questions from journalists, he sharpened his criticism, saying some NATO allies are lukewarm to the idea.
“We don’t need anybody,” he said, despite earlier saying, “We want them to come and help of us with the strait.”
Trump said he made the request because he “wanted to see how they [allies] will react.” He added that “We have been protecting these countries for years with NATO, because NATO is US.”
Trump said he had talked with French President Emmanuel Macron about it and his response had been “an eight, not perfect.”
“I think he’s going to help,” Trump said
He also again slammed the United Kingdom for refusing to join the war against Iran, saying, “We worked with them in Ukraine, we don’t need to work with them.”
Merz also criticized an Israeli decision to launch a ground operation in southern Lebanon against Iran-backed group Hezbollah.
“We urgently call on our Israeli friends: Do not take this path — it would be an error,” Merz said. The Israeli military said earlier on Monday it began “limited and targeted ground operations” in southern Lebanon.
Merz believes the Israeli operation would “further exacerbate the already highly tense humanitarian situation” in Lebanon.
Hezbollah, which is deemed a terror group by Israel, Germany and several other countries, attacked Israel earlier in the war following the Israeli assassination of Iranian supreme leader Ali Khamenei. In response, Israel has launched airstrikes on Hezbollah in Lebanon, which has also prompted evacuations of the civilian population.
According to the International Rescue Committee, more than 4.1 million people or 70% of Lebanon’s population were in need of humanitarian aid before the latest fighting this month. Lebanon in recent years has faced economic collapse with approximately 80% of the population living in poverty, “lacking reliable access to healthcare, electricity and education.”
Lebanon said Monday that over 1 million people have been displaced amid the most recent war.
Merz also criticized an Israeli decision to launch a ground operation in southern Lebanon against Iran-backed group Hezbollah.
“We urgently call on our Israeli friends: Do not take this path — it would be an error,” Merz said. The Israeli military said earlier on Monday it began “limited and targeted ground operations” in southern Lebanon.
Merz believes the Israeli operation would “further exacerbate the already highly tense humanitarian situation” in Lebanon.
Hezbollah, which is deemed a terror group by Israel, Germany and several other countries, attacked Israel earlier in the war following the Israeli assassination of Iranian supreme leader Ali Khamenei. In response, Israel has launched airstrikes on Hezbollah in Lebanon, which has also prompted evacuations of the civilian population.
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video
According to the International Rescue Committee, more than 4.1 million people or 70% of Lebanon’s population were in need of humanitarian aid before the latest fighting this month. Lebanon in recent years has faced economic collapse with approximately 80% of the population living in poverty, “lacking reliable access to healthcare, electricity and education.”
Lebanon said Monday that over 1 million people have been displaced amid the most recent war.
President Donald Trump also gave an address while his German counterpart Merz was speaking in Berlin.
Trump reiterated his call for other nations to help ensure the Strait of Hormuz remains open, and he appeared to criticize countries he said were reluctant to contribute support.
“Some are very enthusiastic about it, and some aren’t,” he said.
Several US allies, including Germany, said Monday they have no immediate plans to send ships.
“The level of enthusiasm matters to me,” Trump said.
He did not mention NATO directly but said the reluctance from some countries comes despite years of US military support for their security. He added that he has been a critic of those countries because “they won’t be there for us.”
President Donald Trump also gave an address while his German counterpart Merz was speaking in Berlin.
Trump reiterated his call for other nations to help ensure the Strait of Hormuz remains open, and he appeared to criticize countries he said were reluctant to contribute support.
“Some are very enthusiastic about it, and some aren’t,” he said.
Several US allies, including Germany, said Monday they have no immediate plans to send ships.
“The level of enthusiasm matters to me,” Trump said.
He did not mention NATO directly but said the reluctance from some countries comes despite years of US military support for their security. He added that he has been a critic of those countries because “they won’t be there for us.”
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has firmly rejected a military role for Germany in the Iran war and in securing the Strait of Hormuz. He made the comments alongside Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten who he was hosting in Berlin.
“The US and Israel did not consult us before this war. There has never been a joint decision regarding Iran,” Merz said. He noted that Germany lacks a required mandate from the UN, the EU, NATO and the German constitution to participate.
In regards to Germany helping out militarily, Merz said “we will not do it.”
Trump earlier suggested that NATO faces a “very bad future” if member countries do not step up and secure the Strait of Hormuz. Merz said NATO is not an alliance meant for military intervention but for defense.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has firmly rejected a military role for Germany in the Iran war and in securing the Strait of Hormuz. He made the comments alongside Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten who he was hosting in Berlin.
“The US and Israel did not consult us before this war. There has never been a joint decision regarding Iran,” Merz said. He noted that Germany lacks a required mandate from the UN, the EU, NATO and the German constitution to participate.
In regards to Germany helping out militarily, Merz said “we will not do it.”
Trump earlier suggested that NATO faces a “very bad future” if member countries do not step up and secure the Strait of Hormuz. Merz said NATO is not an alliance meant for military intervention but for defense.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, in a post on X, said that “hundreds of Iranian civilians have been killed in Israel-US bombings, including over 200 children.”
“Reports claim that neighboring states which host US forces and permit attacks on Iran are also actively encouraging this slaughter,” Araghchi said without substantiating. “Stances should be promptly clarified.”
The US is accused of attacking a girls school in Minab, in southern Iran on February 28, killing over 100 children. Rights watchdog Amnesty International said Monday that its analysis shows that a US-manufactured Tomahawk missile hit the school, with the US being the only party in the current conflict to be using Tomahawks.
The US has launched a probe into the Minab strike. Amnesty said those “responsible for planning and executing” the strike “must be held accountable.”
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, in a post on X, said that “hundreds of Iranian civilians have been killed in Israel-US bombings, including over 200 children.”
“Reports claim that neighboring states which host US forces and permit attacks on Iran are also actively encouraging this slaughter,” Araghchi said without substantiating. “Stances should be promptly clarified.”
The US is accused of attacking a girls school in Minab, in southern Iran on February 28, killing over 100 children. Rights watchdog Amnesty International said Monday that its analysis shows that a US-manufactured Tomahawk missile hit the school, with the US being the only party in the current conflict to be using Tomahawks.
The US has launched a probe into the Minab strike. Amnesty said those “responsible for planning and executing” the strike “must be held accountable.”
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video
Fatih Birol, the executive director of the Paris-based International Energy Agency, said the 32-member organization could release more oil stocks “as and if needed.”
It comes after the IEA announced on Sunday it would release 400 million barrels of oil, the largest release since the organization was founded in 1974. That measure was taken to shore up oil markets as prices per barrel jumped above $100 (€87).
“Despite this huge release, we still have a lot of stocks left. This current stock release, once it is completed, will reduce the emergency stocks in IEA countries only by around 20%,” Birol said. He said there are still 1.4 billion barrels left in IEA members’ emergency oil stocks.
“The single most important thing for a return to stable flows of oil and gas is the resumption of transit through the Strait of Hormuz,” Birol added.
Fatih Birol, the executive director of the Paris-based International Energy Agency, said the 32-member organization could release more oil stocks “as and if needed.”
It comes after the IEA announced on Sunday it would release 400 million barrels of oil, the largest release since the organization was founded in 1974. That measure was taken to shore up oil markets as prices per barrel jumped above $100 (€87).
“Despite this huge release, we still have a lot of stocks left. This current stock release, once it is completed, will reduce the emergency stocks in IEA countries only by around 20%,” Birol said. He said there are still 1.4 billion barrels left in IEA members’ emergency oil stocks.
“The single most important thing for a return to stable flows of oil and gas is the resumption of transit through the Strait of Hormuz,” Birol added.
Hanan Balkhy, the World Health Organization’s Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean, told Reuters news agency that six hospitals have been evacuated amid the US-Israeli military operation against Iran. The WHO has an office in Tehran and is assisting Iranian health authorities amid the conflict.
The agency has verified 18 attacks on healthcare facilities and the killing of eight medics.
At the same time, Balkhy said the “primary health and the health infrastructure of Iran is quite good and robust, and they’re able to accommodate the casualties as of now.”
Balkhy noted that black rain from damaged oil facilities could cause more respiratory infections in Iran, creating an additional challenge for health authorities. Israel and the US have hit oil facilities near Tehran and other parts of the country, triggering environmental and health risks.
Iran’s Ambassador to the UN, Ali Bahreini, also said that over 1,300 people have been killed since the war began on February 28, with over 7,000 people wounded.
Hospitals and healthcare facilities are protected by international humanitarian law and may not be attacked or obstructed even during war.
Hanan Balkhy, the World Health Organization’s Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean, told Reuters news agency that six hospitals have been evacuated amid the US-Israeli military operation against Iran. The WHO has an office in Tehran and is assisting Iranian health authorities amid the conflict.
The agency has verified 18 attacks on healthcare facilities and the killing of eight medics.
At the same time, Balkhy said the “primary health and the health infrastructure of Iran is quite good and robust, and they’re able to accommodate the casualties as of now.”
Balkhy noted that black rain from damaged oil facilities could cause more respiratory infections in Iran, creating an additional challenge for health authorities. Israel and the US have hit oil facilities near Tehran and other parts of the country, triggering environmental and health risks.
Iran’s Ambassador to the UN, Ali Bahreini, also said that over 1,300 people have been killed since the war began on February 28, with over 7,000 people wounded.
Hospitals and healthcare facilities are protected by international humanitarian law and may not be attacked or obstructed even during war.
US stocks jumped after market open on Monday at 9:30 a.m. EST (1330 GMT).
The US Dow Jones Index had surged over 500 points as of 10:20 a.m. EST with the S&P 500 jumping 1.32%.
The increase comes as the WTI oil price dropped over $5 (around 5.3%) at that time, with Brent Crude also showing a drop of 2.85%.
The fall in oil prices also comes after US Treasury Secretary Bessent said earlier that the US is allowing Iranian oil tankers to move through the Strait of Hormuz.
US stocks jumped after market open on Monday at 9:30 a.m. EST (1330 GMT).
The US Dow Jones Index had surged over 500 points as of 10:20 a.m. EST with the S&P 500 jumping 1.32%.
The increase comes as the WTI oil price dropped over $5 (around 5.3%) at that time, with Brent Crude also showing a drop of 2.85%.
The fall in oil prices also comes after US Treasury Secretary Bessent said earlier that the US is allowing Iranian oil tankers to move through the Strait of Hormuz.
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White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told US broadcaster Fox News that a summit between Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping could be delayed due to the Iran war.
Trump was originally expected to visit China from March 31 to April 2, with tariffs and possibly the issue of Taiwan on the agenda.
“It’s quite possible the meeting could be delayed,” Leavitt said. She said she believed the meeting was not in jeopardy but added “it’s really just a matter of timing.”
Trump had suggested on Sunday that the meeting could be delayed to force China into making Iran reopen the Strait of Hormuz to tankers.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, meanwhile, seemed to walk back Trump’s remarks during a Monday interview with CNBC.
“If the meetings are delayed, it wouldn’t be delayed because the president demanded that China police the Strait of Hormuz,” Bessent said. “If the meeting, for some reason, is rescheduled, it would be rescheduled because of logistics.”
“It would be a decision the president made as commander in chief to stay in the White House or to stay in the United States while this war is being prosecuted,” Bessent said, in comments suggesting that the war could still be happening by the end of this month.
Bessent and US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer are meeting Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng and other officials in Paris to discuss trade and to pave the way for the Trump-Xi summit. Bessent said Monday that those talks were “constructive.”
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told US broadcaster Fox News that a summit between Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping could be delayed due to the Iran war.
Trump was originally expected to visit China from March 31 to April 2, with tariffs and possibly the issue of Taiwan on the agenda.
“It’s quite possible the meeting could be delayed,” Leavitt said. She said she believed the meeting was not in jeopardy but added “it’s really just a matter of timing.”
Trump had suggested on Sunday that the meeting could be delayed to force China into making Iran reopen the Strait of Hormuz to tankers.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, meanwhile, seemed to walk back Trump’s remarks during a Monday interview with CNBC.
“If the meetings are delayed, it wouldn’t be delayed because the president demanded that China police the Strait of Hormuz,” Bessent said. “If the meeting, for some reason, is rescheduled, it would be rescheduled because of logistics.”
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video
“It would be a decision the president made as commander in chief to stay in the White House or to stay in the United States while this war is being prosecuted,” Bessent said, in comments suggesting that the war could still be happening by the end of this month.
Bessent and US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer are meeting Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng and other officials in Paris to discuss trade and to pave the way for the Trump-Xi summit. Bessent said Monday that those talks were “constructive.”
[analyse_source url=”https://www.dw.com/en/iran-war-germany-firmly-against-military-role-in-conflict/live-76369891″]