IDF kills senior regime official Larijani & Basij chief | 70 people hospitalized in past 24 hours due to war | More units join IDF ground operations in Lebanon
12:29 - Sirens sound in central Israel amid fresh missile launch from Iran
Another ballistic missile launch from Iran has been detected, targetting central Israel.
Preliminary reports suggest the missile may have carried a cluster warhead.
Magen David Adom (MDA) reports that there are currently no known casualties as their teams scan areas where impact reports were received.
11:50 - Missile launch from Iran to northern Israel
The IDF detected a ballistic missile launch from Iran towards northern Israel.
The Home Front Command has since announced that Israelis permitted to leave protected spaces.
11:33 - Israel confirms elimination of top Iranian security official Ali Larijani
Shortly after the IDF announcement of the elimination of Basij Commander Gholamreza Soleimani, Defense Minister Israel Katz confirmed the elimination of top Iranian security official Ali Larijani.
“Larijani and the Basij commander were eliminated overnight and joined the head of the annihilation program, Khamenei, and all the eliminated members of the axis of evil, in the depths of hell,” Katz said.
“The Prime Minister and I instructed the IDF to continue hunting the leadership of the terror and oppression regime in Iran,” he added.
The confirmation comes as Iranian sources claim that a statement by Larijani is about to be released.
11:10 - Lebanese Army says five soldiers Injured in Israeli air strike
Five soldiers of Lebanon's Army were injured, two of them critically, in an Israeli air strike on Qaaqaait al-Jisr in southern Lebanon, the Lebanese Army announced this morning.
In a post on X, the statement said they were moving by car and motorcycle at the moment of the strike, and have since been evacuated to the hospital for treatment.
10:45 - IDF eliminates the Commander of the Iran’s Paramilitary Basij Forces in a precise strike
Israeli forces have eliminated Gholamreza Soleimani, commander of Iran’s Basij militia, the IDF spokesperson confirmed, underscoring the close coordination between the Israeli Air Force and IDF intelligence.
“The elimination of Soleimani adds to that of dozens of senior commanders from the Iranian regime’s armed forces and delivers another significant blow to the regime’s security command-and-control structures,” the statement said.
The IDF also highlighted the Basij forces’ role in suppressing domestic protests in Iran earlier this year. “During internal demonstrations, particularly as protests intensified, Basij forces under Soleimani’s command led the main repression operations, employing severe violence, widespread arrests, and force against civilian demonstrators,” the announcement noted.
🔴 COMMANDER OF THE BASIJ UNIT ELIMINATED
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) March 17, 2026
Yesterday, the IDF targeted & eliminated Gholamreza Soleimani, who operated as commander of the Basij unit for the past 6 years.
Under Soleimani, the Basij unit led the main repression operations in Iran, employing severe violence,… pic.twitter.com/aJ0dNtCFz0
10:06 - Israeli source says IDF attempted to assassinate Ali Larijani last night
An Israeli source told Kan News that the IDF attempted to assassinate Iranian security official Ali Larijani during strikes carried out in the country last night.
Amid rumors of his elimination, Iran's Mehr News Agency reported that a statement from Larijani will be posted shortly.
Larijani was seen among a crowd of regime-supporting Iranians late last week in Tehran’s annual al-Quds (Jerusalem) Day procession.
Last Tuesday, in reponse to Trump's warning that Iranian disruption of oil through the Strait of Hormuz would be met with overwhelming U.S. retaliation, Larijani threatened the U.S. President: “Be careful not to get eliminated yourself.”
‼️NEW: Initial reports suggest Israeli strikes in Iran may have eliminated Ali Larijani, among the most powerful figures in Iran’s terror regime and Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, along with senior Palestinian Islamic Jihad terror leaders.
— Israel War Room (@IsraelWarRoom) March 17, 2026
👋@alilarijani_ir https://t.co/p7e8vNNqBM pic.twitter.com/eQJX6FuiKO
09:27 - IDF urges Lebanese evacuation South of Zahrani River amid ‘intensified strikes’
Residents in southern Lebanon were urged to evacuate immediately from areas south of the Zahrani River, the IDF Arabic-language spokesperson said. The statement said operations against Hezbollah targets are underway in the area, including intense airstrikes, and called on civilians to leave their homes and move north of the river for their safety.
“Remaining south of the Zahrani River poses a direct threat to you and your families,” the spokesperson said, adding that “anyone in close proximity to Hezbollah operatives, facilities, or weaponry is placing their life at risk.”
#عاجل‼️ تحذير عاجل إلى سكان جنوب لبنان المتواجدين جنوب نهر الزهراني
— افيخاي ادرعي (@AvichayAdraee) March 17, 2026
🔸إن نشاطات حزب الله الإرهابية تُجبر جيش الدفاع على العمل ضده بقوة في تلك المنطقة وهو لا ينوي المساس بكم.
🔴الغارات مستمرة حيث يعمل جيش الدفاع بقوة كبيرة في المنطقة. ولذلك وحرصًا على سلامتكم نعود ونناشدكم… pic.twitter.com/LStBkBQh3V
08:20 - 70 people hospitalized due to Iran war in past 24 hours, Health MInistry says
The Health Ministry reported this morning that 70 people have been hospitalized with injuries as a result of the conflict with Iran and Hezbollah in the past 24 hours.
The ministry did not identify the causes of the injuries, and some of the people may have sustained mild injuries from falls while trying to reach shelter.
The ministry stated that since the beginning of the war, 3,530 people have been admitted to hospitals. Of those, 86 remain hospitalized, with 8 in serious condition.
08:08 - Another IDF division joins ground operation in Lebanon
The IDF's Division 36 forces joined the expansion of ground operations focused in southern Lebanon, the military announced.
07:30 - Gulf states urge U.S. to neutralize Iranian threat
Gulf Arab states were not involved in the U.S. decision to go to war with Iran, but many are now urging it to neutralize the Islamic Republic's ability to threaten oil infrastructure Reuters reports, citing three Gulf state officials.
The officials, along with other sources, told Reuters that the U.S. is pressing the Gulf states to join the war effort against Iran, saying President Donald Trump wants to show regional backing for the campaign, to bolster international and domestic support.
Iran began attacking targets in Gulf states within the first few hours of the war. So far, the Gulf states have been reluctant to respond miitarily.
07:10 - Fire reported in Doha following interception
A fire broke out in an industrial area in Qatar after an incoming missile was intercepted, the country's interior ministry said.
06:10 - Expolosions reported in Doha, Qatar
Explosions were reported in Doha, Qatar, Tuesday morning.
Qatar’s Defense Ministry later said it intercepted a missile attack on the country.
05:40 - UAE repels another attack from Iran
The United Arab Emirates Ministry of Defense reports that it has intercepted several missiles and drones coming from Iran.
This is the second wave of attacks the country has reported this morning.
04:58 - Israeli strikes reported in Beirut
Lebanese state media reported Israeli airstrikes on three Beirut neighborhoods, claiming that one strike targeted a residential building.
“Israeli warplanes launched a series of raids targeting a number of southern towns at dawn today,” Lebanon’s National News Agency reports.
“Israeli warplanes launched two airstrikes targeting the Kafaat and Haret Hreik areas," the agency reported. "In another raid, the aircraft struck a residential apartment on the upper floors of a building located at the end of Venice Street in the Doha Aramoun area.”
04:46 - Tanker hit off the coast of UAE
A tanker anchored off the UAE’s eastern coat was hit by a projectile early Tuesday morning, the Associated Press reports.
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center, which is run by the British military, reported the attack, saying the vessel was in the Gulf of Oman off Fujairah.
Since the start of the Iran war, around 20 vessels have come under attack by Iranian forces.
04:35 - Drone attack reported on US Embassy in Baghdad
The U.S. Embassy in Baghdad was targeted by a drone attack early Tuesday, the Associated Press reports.
According to the report, the embassy's C-RAM air defense shot down all four drones targeting the facility, but some shrapnel landed in the embassy compound.
However, a report from Reuters claimed that one of the drones was not shot down, but hit inside the compound. It reported smoke rising from the site of the attack.
03:55 - Strike in Baghdad kills Iranian advisers to proxy militias
A report in Agence-France Presse claims that two people were killed in a missile strike on a house in Baghdad. A security official told AFP they are “Iranian advisers” to Tehran-backed groups.
Two other sources from Iran-backed factions confirmed that the strike hit a house hosting Iranian advisers in the al-Jadiriyah neighborhood, the report said.
03:40 - IDF launches simultaneous strikes in Iran and Lebanon
The IDF has begun a wave of extensive strikes targeting infrastructure of the Iranian regime throughout Tehran, the military announced.
Simultaneously, the military said it has also begun another wave of strikes targeting infrastructure of the Hezbollah terror organization in Beirut.
03:15 - U.S. asks diplomats to push allies to designate IRGC and Hezbollah as terror organizations
The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump is asking its diplomats to push allies to designate Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and its Lebanese proxy, Hezbollah, as terror organizations, Reuters reported.
According to Reuters, the directive, which was issued Monday and signed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, was sent to all U.S. diplomatic posts.
01:50 - UAE closes airspace due to 'incoming missile and drone threats from Iran’
The United Arab Emirates' General Civil Aviation Authority announced it has temporarily closed its airspace as its military is “responding to incoming missile and drone threats from Iran.”
The Aviation Authority said it made the decision to close its airspace as “an exceptional precautionary measure aimed at ensuring the safety of flights and air crews, and safeguarding the UAE’s territory.”
01:15 - Saudi Arabia intercepts Iranian drone attack
The Saudi Ministry of Defense reports the successful interception of 3 drones in the eastern part of the country.
01:13 - UAE intercepts Iranian missiles
The United Arab Emirates Ministry of Defense reports that it has intercepted several missiles and drones coming from Iran.
00:05 - IDF eliminates commander in Hamas anti-tank unit
The IDF announced that in response to a violation of the ceasefire by Hamas, in which a terrorist fired at Israeli soldiers two days ago, the IDF attacked and eliminated the terrorist Kamal Ayash, a key commander in the anti-tank unit in the Gaza Strip.
"The anti-tank unit is responsible for providing combat means to advance and carry out terror plots against IDF forces and the State of Israel," the military said.
The All Israel News Staff is a team of journalists in Israel.
