World Echo

Allies of the United States said they had no immediate plans to send ships to unblock the Strait of Hormuz, rebuffing a request by President Donald Trump for military support to keep the vital waterway open. Trump called on nations to help police the strait after Iran responded to US-Israeli attacks by using drones, missiles and mines to effectively close the strategic channel off its shores for tankers transporting a fifth of global oil supply. Most NATO countries, several of whom have been at the sharp end of criticism from Trump in recent months, are usually wary of angering the White House but are now signalling reluctance to become embroiled in the conflict with Tehran. “What does (...) Donald Trump expect a handful or two handfuls of European frigates to do in the Strait of Hormuz that the powerful US navy cannot do?” German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius said in Berlin on Monday, as he downplayed threats by Trump that failing to come to Washington’s aid could have conseque...

Iran said it was ready to take the Middle East war "as far as necessary" as it launched strikes across the region on Monday, while United States President Donald Trump piled pressure on world powers to help reopen a shipping lane choked off by the Islamic Republic of Iran. Global oil prices have surged by 40%-50% as Iran has attacked shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and launched waves of strikes in the Gulf, in retaliation for the war launched against it by the US and Israel. Iran's Revolutionary Guards said on Monday they had targeted Tel Aviv and Ben Gurion Airport in Israel, as well as military bases used by US forces in the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain. "By now they have learned a good lesson and understood what kind of nation they are dealing with, one that does not hesitate to defend itself and is ready to continue the war wherever it may lead, and take it as far as necessary," Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told reporters in Tehran. Read: How many co...

Five countries have so far rejected, resisted or declined to commit to US President Donald Trump’s demand that allies send ships to help secure the Strait of Hormuz, highlighting growing international caution over a proposed naval effort in one of the world’s most sensitive oil corridors. Al Jazeera reported a muted global response to Washington’s appeal, while Reuters said allies had reacted cautiously rather than rallying behind the plan. “I’m demanding that these countries come in and protect their own territory because it is their territory,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One. Trump said his administration had contacted seven countries but did not identify them. In a weekend social media post, he said he hoped China, France, Japan, South Korea, Britain and others would participate. The clearest pushback came from Japan and Australia. Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said Tokyo had no current plans to dispatch naval escort missions, stressing legal and constitutional l...

Senior Iranian politician Ali Larijani has alleged that members of an Epstein-linked network are planning a 9/11-style conspiracy and would seek to blame Iran for any resulting attack. Larijani framed the allegation as part of broader criticism of US leadership, contrasting Iran’s political system with that of the United States and suggesting that hostile narratives could be used to justify action against Iran. In a post on X, Larijani claimed that certain figures associated with the network of late financier Jeffrey Epstein could be preparing a plot intended to frame Tehran, describing it as a scenario similar to the September 11 attacks. I’ve heard that the remaining members of Epstein’s network have devised a conspiracy to create an incident similar to 9/11 and blame Iran for it. Iran fundamentally opposes such terrorist schemes and has no war with the American people. — Ali Larijani | علی لاریجانی (@alilarijani_ir) March 15, 2026 Larijani wrote that Iran’s leaders “have been, and s...

Iran launched at least three successive waves of missile attacks on Israel on Sunday, striking areas in central parts of the country and triggering air raid sirens across several regions, according to reports circulating on social media and statements cited by Drop Site News. The reported barrage targeted multiple locations, with missiles impacting sites in central Israel, while another wave was directed toward the southern part of the country. Initial accounts indicated that the strikes caused damage in some areas, though the full extent of casualties or destruction was not immediately clear. Videos and eyewitness reports shared online showed explosions and interception attempts as Israeli air defence systems responded to the incoming projectiles. More here: https://t.co/MW7gl5FXIr — Drop Site (@DropSiteNews) March 15, 2026 Authorities issued alerts urging residents in affected regions to seek shelter while emergency services assessed potential impact sites. The attacks come amid esca...

Ukraine wants money and technology ‌in return for helping Middle Eastern nations defend against Iranian kamikaze drones, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said, after Kyiv sent specialists to four countries in the region. Zelenskiy told reporters ​in comments cleared for release on Sunday that each of ​the three teams sent to the Middle East consisted of ⁠dozens of people, who will conduct expert assessments and demonstrate how drone ​defences should operate. Gulf states have expended large quantities of air-defence missiles to ​counter Iran’s attack drones and have sought Ukraine's expertise in downing them. Kyiv downs Russian drones every night using an array of weaponry including cheaper, smaller drones or ​jamming equipment. Zelenskiy has said that almost a dozen countries across the world ​have sought help from Ukraine on how to counter these attacks. Read: Russia is supplying Iran with Shahed drones, Zelenskiy says He said earlier this ‌week ⁠that teams had been sent to Qatar, th...