Israel assassinates Iranian intelligence minister Esmaeil Khatib in an overnight airstrike in Tehran.
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March 18, 2026 (Wednesday)
2.8 minutes to read
Armed conflicts and attacks
At least 20 people are killed and dozens injured in an Israeli airstrike on a building in Beirut, Lebanon.
Four Palestinians are killed and six others are injured when falling Iranian missile fragments strike a beauty salon in Beit Awwa, West Bank, Palestine.
In response to the drone strike, Chad president Mahamat DĂ©by orders the military to retaliate against Sudanese belligerents, including the RSF and the Sudanese Armed Forces.
Over 60 Boko Haram and Islamic State insurgents are killed in an operation by the Nigerian Army in Abadam, Borno State, Nigeria.
Iran launches a missile attack on Ras Laffan Industrial City in Qatar, the world's largest LNG export facility, causing "extensive damage" according to QatarEnergy.
The Sudan Doctors Network says that 12 civilians were killed by the RSF in North Kordofan state.
A foreign worker from Thailand is killed by an Iranian cluster bomb in Moshav Adanim, central Israel.
Kata'ib Hezbollah says that it will cease attacks in Iraq if certain conditions are met including for Israel to halt their military operations in Beirut, making it the first time an Iranian-backed militia group said it is open to ceasing attacks since the US-Israel strikes began on February 28.
The U.S. Air Force uses GBU-72 bunker buster bombs for the first time in combat to destroy underground Iranian anti-ship cruise missile sites used to target ships in the Strait of Hormuz.
The Sudanese Armed Forces says that they have shot down a Bayraktar drone from Ethiopia near North Kordofan.
Pakistan and Afghanistan agree to a temporary "pause" in hostilities during the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr this week.
Israel strikes the Iranian South Pars natural gas field in the Persian Gulf and its neighboring refineries in Asaluyeh. Iran announces it will retaliate against regional energy infrastructure.
Saudi Arabia's air defenses intercept and destroy multiple drones targeting gas and energy facilities in the Eastern Province, with no damage reported. In Riyadh, a refinery is attacked by ballistic missiles.
The Foreign Ministers from Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates, met in Riyadh, issue a joint statement calling on Iran "to immediately halt its attacks".
A drone strike attributed to the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) kills 17 people, including at a funeral, near the border town of Tine, Chad.
Arts and culture
Cesar Chavez Day celebrations are cancelled in many communities across the United States after late labor leader and civil rights activist Cesar Chavez was accused by dozens of women and girls, including labor leader Dolores Huerta, of child grooming, sexual assault, and rape.
Business and economy
Aramco restarts operations at Ras Tanura oil refinery, the largest in Saudi Arabia, following a 16-day closure.
Disasters and accidents
Seven people are killed and three others are critically injured in an explosion and fire at a residential building in Indore, Madhya Pradesh, India.
One person is killed when a cable car cabin crashes down a snowy mountainside in Engelberg, Obwalden, Switzerland.
Health and environment
Rollouts of the meningococcal vaccine begin at the University of Kent in England in the wake of a recent meningococcal outbreak that killed two people amidst a rise in cases.
International relations
Qatar declares Iran's military and security attachés and their staff personae non gratae and orders them to leave the country within 24 hours following an attack on Ras Laffan Industrial City.
Law and crime
Swedish Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard says that Iran has executed a Swedish citizen who was arrested in Iran last June.
Politics and elections
Venezuelan president Delcy RodrĂguez appoints General Gustavo González LĂłpez as Minister of Defense, replacing General Vladimir Padrino LĂłpez who has served since 2014.
Science and technology
Charles H. Bennett and Gilles Brassard are awarded the 2025 Turing Award for their work in quantum information science.
Sports
In basketball, the WNBA and its players' union reach a tentative agreement on a new collective bargaining agreement that, if ratified by the league and union, will increase average player salaries and the team salary cap more than fourfold.
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