As an increasingly isolated Iran lashed out in rage Saturday, more than 20 nations responded to President Donald Trump’s call to take action to reopen the Strait of Hormuz after the U.S. military pounded Iranian positions with 5,000-pound bombs.
Iran sent shivers down Europe’s spine by launching two ballistic missiles at the British base on the Indian Ocean island of Diego Garcia, which is almost 2,500 miles from Iran, according to the BBC. Prior to the launch, Iran’s long-range ballistic missile capabilities were thought to be far more limited.
One missile failed in flight. An American warship intercepted the other.
British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper denounced “reckless Iranian threats” while Isarel’s ambassador to the UN noted that Iran just proved how it lied to the world.
The IRGC can definitely hit the UK with a missile that can hit Diego Garcia, the distance is the same, and if it hadn’t been for the efforts of the United States and Israel, all of Europe would have been under a permanent jihadi nuclear cloud, since just as they were lying about… https://t.co/8k7XDR9899 pic.twitter.com/aR2ph6QjXV
— Saul Sadka (@Saul_Sadka) March 21, 2026
“Enough with Iran’s lies!!! For years they claimed that their missiles were “for defensive purposes” only. They promised that ‘the missiles’ range is limited to 2,000 km.’ Today the truth is clear: everything they said about the nuclear program and missile production was a lie. Their missiles are already threatening most European countries,” Israel ambassador to the United Nations Danny Danon posted on X.
Reflecting Saudi Arabia’s impatience with Iranian missile attacks on Arab neighbors, Saudi Arabia booted five Iranian diplomats, citing the attacks as the reason, according to Reuters.
Israel remained Iran’s prime target. After Israel attacked an Iranian nuclear site, Iran retaliated with missile attacks on the Israel communities of Dimona and Arad, leaving at least 64 people injured, as noted by the Times of Israel.
With the number of angles showing the ballistic missile impact in Dimona (I’ve seen at least nine so far), it’s clear that for people living in this city, a siren means going outside to film.🤦♂️ pic.twitter.com/sQ103hNI5S
— Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) March 21, 2026
The Israeli Defense Forces said that the Israeli Air Force attacked Malek Ashtar University in thran, where components for nuclear weapons were developed. Meanwhile, U.S. forces hit the Natanz uranium enrichment complex.
IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir said Israel has reached the halfway point in its campaign to draw Iran’s teeth.
“We are halfway through, but the direction is clear. In about a week, on Passover, the holiday of freedom, we will continue to fight for our freedom and our future,” he said.
As missiles and bombs flew, 22 nations signed on to an effort to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, through which about 20 percent of the world’s oil flows, as noted by the New York Post.
“They are really stepping up to the plate,” Trump said Saturday, one day after calling NATO nations that were hanging back “COWARDS” in a Truth Social post.
Admiral Brad Cooper, commander of U.S. Central Command, noted the military was doing its part, saying it “dropped multiple 5000-pound bombs” on an Iranian facility used to disrupt shipping passing through the strait, according to the Times of Israel.
“The Iranian regime used the hardened underground facility to discreetly store anti-ship cruise missiles, mobile missile launchers, and other equipment that presented a dangerous risk to international shipping,” he said. “We not only took out the facility but also destroyed intelligence support sites and missile radar relays that were used to monitor ship movements.”
Great update. Media should take note. https://t.co/u302Eo11Xx
— Pete Hegseth (@PeteHegseth) March 16, 2026
“Iran’s ability to threaten freedom of navigation in and around the Strait of Hormuz is degraded as a result, and we will not stop pursuing these targets,” he said.
Cooper said that after U.S. forces hit 8,000 Iranian targets, “Their navy is not sailing, their tactical fighters are not flying, and they’ve lost the ability to launch missiles and drones at the high rates seen at the beginning of the conflict,” according to The Hill.
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