As it happened

Middle East

Issued on: 20/03/2026 - 04:18Modified: 21/03/2026 - 07:21

1 min Reading time

President Donald Trump walks on the South Lawn as he returns to the White House, Wednesday, March 18, 2026, in Washington
President Donald Trump walks on the South Lawn as he returns to the White House on March 18, 2026, in Washington. © Jacquelyn Martin, AP

US President Donald Trump rejected the idea of a ceasefire with Iran on Friday, telling reporters "you don't do a ceasefire when you're obliterating the other side". Earlier, a blast left a crater just inside Jerusalem's Old City, after a warning of incoming missiles fired from Iran. Read our blog to see how the day's events unfolded.

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Yesterday's key developments:

  • Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu denied Thursday what he called "fake news" that Israel had dragged US President Donald Trump into war with Iran. 
  • Netanyahu said that Iran is being "decimated" and it is unclear who is in charge, even as the Islamic Republic kept up attacks on Gulf oil and gas targets that have jolted global markets. 
  • The European Union called Thursday for a "moratorium" on strikes against energy and water facilities in the US-Israeli war with Iran, as attacks on Middle East oil and gas targets jolted global markets. 
  • EU ​leaders will ​ask the European Commission to help their ​countries ‌take ⁠temporary and targeted measures ‌to curb the surge ⁠in energy prices triggered by the ​Iran war, ‌according to draft joint conclusions ‌seen by Reuters.
  • Lebanese President Joseph Aoun on Thursday renewed his call for a truce and the opening of negotiations with Israel to stop the war between it and Hezbollah, during a meeting with French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot.

(FRANCE 24 with Reuters, AP and AFP)

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