Trump announces five-day ceasefire with Iran after 'very good conversations' to end hostilities in Middle East: Live updates 0%
By Jamie Bullen0%
3/23/2026, 7:33:31 AM
BS Summary: This article contains 23 faulty reasoning types, including Negativity Bias, Appeal to Emotion, and Framing Effect, with Biased Writer Voice as the most egregious example at 10.9% saturation with 215 hits. Analysis detected 1,320 faulty-reasoning hits from 1,971 analyzed words, generating a BS Score of 0% and a BS Rank of 0% (0 of 16,813 articles). This article is better (less manipulative) than 100.00% of the article peer group.
Iran has today vowed to lay mines throughout the entire Persian Gulf if the US and Israel attack the country's coast and islands including Kharg Island where Donald Trump is said to be considering an invasion.
The US is drawing up plans to occupy or blockade Iran's Kharg Island, the country's main oil export hub, to pressure Tehran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz to all shipping.
'Any attempt to attack Iran's coasts or islands will cause all access routes in the Gulf to be mined with various types of sea mines, including floating mines that can be released from the coast,' a statement from Iran's Defence Council said today.
'In this case, the entire Gulf will practically be in a situation similar to the Strait of Hormuz for a long time.'
Iran has also threatened to attack a nuclear power plant in the UAE if the US strikes its own energy infrastructure.
The Iranian regime has published a list of targets across the Gulf including facilities in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Jordan, Bahrain and Qatar.
Meanwhile, widespread power cuts have been reported across Tehran today as Israel launches new strikes on the Iranian capital.
Multiple people living in different neighbourhoods of the city are reporting outages this morning, according to the New York Times.
And oil prices rose today after Iran dismissed Donald Trump's 48-hour ultimatum to fully reopen Hormuz or face having Iranian power plants blown up.
Follow the latest updates on the US-Israel war with Iran
Iran threatens to lay mines across Gulf if its coast is attacked
An aerial view of Kharg Island, Iran's main oil exports hub
Iran's state media is reporting any attack on the country's southern coast and islands will lead to Gulf routes being cut with the laying of sea mines.
The US is considering plans to occupy or blockade Iran's Kharg Island, the country's main oil export hub, to pressure Tehran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz to all shipping, according to Axios.
'Any attempt to attack Iran's coasts or islands will cause all access routes in the Gulf (...) to be mined with various types of sea mines, including floating mines that can be released from the coast,' a statement from Iran's Defence Council said today.
'In this case, the entire Gulf will practically be in a situation similar to the Strait of Hormuz for a long time (...)
One should not forget the failure of more than 100 minesweepers in the 1980s in removing a few sea mines.'
The Defence Council recalled that non-belligerent states can only pass through the Strait of Hormuz by coordinating passage with Iran.
Kremlin expresses concerns over strikes near nuclear plant
The Kremlin has shared its concerns with the US about US-Israeli strikes near Iran's Bushehr nuclear power plant.
'We believe that strikes on nuclear facilities are potentially extremely dangerous.
Therefore, the Russian side, taking an extremely responsible stance on this issue, has repeatedly voiced its concerns,' Peskov said.
The Kremlin spokesman said that the conflict in Iran 'as recently as yesterday' should have been channeled towards a political and diplomatic settlement.
'This is the only thing that can effectively contribute to defusing the catastrophically tense situation that has now developed in the region.'
US marines head to war-torn region ahead of mooted Kharg Island invasion
Thousands of US Marines are heading to the war-torn Middle East as Washington decides how to force open the Strait of Hormuz.
It is reportedly mulling a potential invasion of Kharg Island to seize the strategically vital territory through which Iran exports 90 per cent of its crude oil and to force Tehran to surrender.
Last week it was reported the White House was discussing plans to occupy or blockade the island.
'We've always had boots on the ground in conflicts under every president, including Trump,' a senior official told Axios.
'I know this is a fixation in the media, and I get the politics.
But the president is going to do what's right.'
At the end of last week, America announced the deployment of 5,000 marines and sailors, as well as USS Tripoli, an amphibious assault ship, to the Middle East, signalling the possibility of a ground operation.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has also hinted at putting boots on the ground as war rages on, admitting there must be a 'ground component' involved in forcing the Iranian regime to crumble.
UK military commander warns Iran's power may be 'serially underestimated'
General Sir Richard Barrons, who headed the UK's Joint Forces Command between 2013 and 2016, said Iran's power may have been 'serially underestimated'.
The former forces chief was responding to questions over whether Trump was right to say the UK had done 'too little and too late' or whether opponents of the war were correct that the UK had been sucked into an American war.
He added: 'Both could be true.
War generally does not follow a script and the enemy always gets a vote and, in this case, the enemy's vote, Iran, has been serially underestimated.'
Listen to his remarks below:
UAE reportedly resumes operations at Habshan Gas Complex in Abu Dhabi
Operations at the UAE's main gas supply plant have resumed in Abu Dhabi after a missile attack forced it to temporarily halt exports, Bloomberg is reporting.
Missile interceptions forced operations to be suspended on Thursday as authorities responded to two incidents of falling debris with Bab oil field also targeted.
No one was injured in either attack.
It came after Iran issued an evacuation warning for several oil facilities across Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Qatar, in retaliation for an Israeli attack on the South Pars gas field shared by Iran and Qatar.
The Habshan complex, operated by Abu Dhabi state oil giant ADNOC, is one of the world's largest gas processing facilities, comprising five plants with a total capacity of 6.1 billion standard cubic feet per day, according to ADNOC.
Starmer accused of 'a culture of cover ups' over Iran attack on US-UK base
by Sam Merriman and Andrew Jehring
Keir Starmer was last night accused of a cover–up after failing to tell the public about an Iranian missile attack on a British overseas territory.
The Government finally admitted that missiles had been fired at Diego Garcia more than 30 hours after the attempted strike – and only after it had been confirmed by US officials.
Kemi Badenoch accused the Prime Minister of overseeing a 'culture of cover-ups' as she urged the Government to explain why it didn't inform the public earlier.
Writing for the Daily Mail, the Conservative leader said: 'The secrecy from the Labour Government tells its own story.
They would rather hide bad news than confront it.
'Of course, matters of genuine national security concern should be kept secret.
But beyond that, Parliament and the public must be informed about key developments.'
Read more here
KEMI BADENOCH: Why did we learn of a missile raid on the UK’s military base in the Chagos Islands from US... not from our ministers?
Watch: How Trump has mocked Starmer over Iran war
After Sir Keir Starmer and Donald Trump spoke last night it remains to be seen whether the Special Relationship can get back on track.
The President has repeatedly derided Sir Keir throughout the conflict which began when Britain initially blocked the US from using its military bases.
Trump has said Sir Keir is 'no Winston Churchill' and accused him of being too slow to act.
Watch our video on how Trump has mocked Starmer
Iran publishes list of energy targets if US strikes its infrastructure
Iran has threatened to strike a nuclear power plant in the UAE in retaliation for any attacks on its energy infrastructure following Donald Trump's 48-hour ultimatum.
Tehran has vowed it will target facilities across the Gulf including sites in Saudi Arabia , Kuwait, Jordan, Bahrain and Qatar.
In the UAE, Iran has identified the Al-Taweelah desalination plant and Barakah nuclear plant as sites to hit.
It comes after Trump gave Tehran a 48-hour deadline on Saturday to end its partial blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow waterway into the Gulf through which about one-fifth of the world's oil flows, or risk an attack on its vital energy infrastructure.
Here is the list of sites Iran says it will target:
Saudi Arabia
Ras Al-Khair - desalination
Al-Shuaiba - power and water
UAE
Al-Taweelah - desalination
Barakah - nuclear
Kuwait
Al-Zour - desalination
North Al-Zour - power
Jordan
Aqaba Thermal - power
Al-Samra - power
Bahrain
Al-Dur - power and water
Qatar
Umm Al-Houl - power
Ras Laffan C power and water
Trump shares Saturday Night Live UK skit that poked fun at Starmer
by James Tapsfield, UK Political Editor
Donald Trump has posted a sketch mocking Keir Starmer for being too afraid to call him in a fresh blow to the 'Special Relationship'.
The US president spread a toe-curling clip from the British version of 'Saturday Night Live' on his Truth Social platform this afternoon.
The scene from the show - which aired for the first time on Sky last night - depicts the PM in No 10 too terrified to pick up the phone to talk to Mr Trump about Iran.
'What if Donald shouts at me?'
the comedian playing Sir Keir says to his deputy, David Lammy.
When 'Mr Trump' answers he immediately hangs up in a panic.
'I just hate conflict so much,' Sir Keir says, admitting he is 'out of my depth'.
Watch the sketch below and read more here
Starmer won't say if Iran's missiles can hit London
Keir Starmer dodged on whether Iran can hit Britain with missiles today as he pleaded for Donald Trump to 'de-escalate' the war.
The PM did not give a direct answer when challenged on signs the Tehran regime has a longer range arsenal than previously thought.
Alarm was sparked after two missiles were fired at the Diego Garcia military base on Friday, 2,360 miles from Iran.
One was shot down by a US warship while the other reportedly fell into the ocean around 400 miles short.
Israel said the attacks proved Iran 'can reach London, Paris or Berlin', urging more countries to join the war.
Ministers have played down concerns that the UK does not have adequate missile defences.
USS Gerald Ford aircraft carrier back at Crete naval base after huge fire at sea
USS Gerald R.
Ford aircraft carrier arrives at Souda Bay naval base
The USS Gerald R.
Ford, the world's largest aircraft carrier that has been part of Middle East war operations, has returned to a naval base in Crete.
The vessel, which took on food, fuel and ammunition at Souda Bay in February, reported a laundry fire on March 12 which injured two crew members.
The New York Times reported it took more than 30 hours to put out the fire, and that 600 crew members lost their bed.
The United States and Israel launched a massive air campaign against Iran in late February following a major US military buildup in the Middle East that included the Ford and another aircraft carrier, the Abraham Lincoln.
Both ships - which have air wings made up of dozens of aircraft - have played key roles in Iran operations, and the withdrawal of the Ford leaves a gap for US forces in the region.
The Ford has been at sea for nearly nine months - a deployment that has already seen it take part in US operations in the Caribbean, where Washington's forces have carried out strikes on alleged drug-smuggling boats, interdicted sanctioned tankers and seized Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro.
Trump announces five-day ceasefire with Iran
Donald Trump has announced a five-day ceasefire with Iran.
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