Iran war: What is happening on day 16 of US-Israel attacks?

EXPLAINERIsrael and US attacks on Isfahan kills 15 people as Tehran carries out retaliatory attacks on Israel and Gulf countries.Published On 15 Mar 2026The United States and Israel carried out attacks on Iran’s Isfahan city in the early hours of Sunday, killing at least 15 people, as the conflict entered its 16th day.Sirens blared in central Israel on Sunday as Iran launched multiple barrages of missiles in retaliatory attacks on the country. Tehran has continued its attacks in the Gulf countries.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4Trump administration threatens news outlets over critical coverage of Iranlist 2 of 4US-Israeli strike kills 15 at Isfahan factory, Iranian media sayslist 3 of 4Iran’s Space Research Centre severely damaged in strikeslist 4 of 4Minab: When the world’s most precise missile chose a classroomend of listMeanwhile, US President Donald Trump claimed that Tehran “wants to make a deal”, as he called for a naval coalition to help keep the Strait of Hormuz open.Here is what we know about what happened in the past 24 hours:Demonstrators gather at Times Square for Al-Quds Day in Manhattan, New York, US, March 13, 2026 [David ‘Dee’ Delgado/Reuters]In Iran Residential areas in Shiraz, the capital of Fars province, were attacked. “The Zionist-American criminal regime attacked a residential and deprived area in the city of Shiraz in a terrorist and anti-human act,” Tasnim news agency reported this morning. An attack on the industrial city of Isfahan in central Iran killed 15 people and wounded several. Twenty ⁠people were arrested in northwestern Iran for attempting ⁠to cooperate with Israel, according to a Tasnim report citing a statement by the prosecutor’s office in the West Azerbaijan ‌province. They are accused of sending location details on Iran’s military and security assets ⁠to Israel. IRGC’s 50th wave of attacks: The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said it launched its “50th wave” of operations against US bases in the region. The operation was “carried out against the bases of the US terrorist army” in the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Kuwait. On Kharg attacks: Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the US used cruise missiles launched from the UAE, near Dubai. Tehran could retaliate, and it would be dangerous for the region, he added. New supreme leader: Araghchi said there is “no problem” with the new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, after US officials claimed earlier that he was wounded and “likely disfigured”. The IRGC warned the US to move its industries out of the Middle East and urged people to stay away from factories in which US companies hold shares, Iranian state media reported, following strikes that killed several civilian workers at nonmilitary factories in Iran. On Strait of Hormuz: IRGC’s navy commander, Alireza Tangsiri, said Iran has not yet closed the strait, and the vital waterway is “only being controlled”. Damage in Iran: Tehran’s governor reported that at least 10,000 residential homes were “damaged or completely destroyed” because of US-Israeli attacks. More than 1,400 people have been killed since Israel and US launched the war on February 28. Earlier, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth claimed at least 15,000 “enemy targets” have been struck – more than 1,000 a day – since the war began. Iran confirmed that its senior military figure, Brigadier-General Abdullah Jalali Nasab, was killed in an Israeli attack. That is now in addition to the killing of Abdolrahim Mousavi, chief of staff of Iran’s armed forces; Aziz Nasirzadeh, defence minister and deputy chief of staff of the armed forces; and Mohammad Pakpour, IRGC commander-in-chief. Smoke could be seen rising from the direction of a major UAE energy installation on March 14, 2026 [AFP]In Gulf countries