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Conflict Events Archive
16,166 documented events · latest Sep 17, 2026 — chronological archive with full summaries and multi-source verification.
Trump says to discuss Iran with regional allies at UN
The US president intends to meet with representatives of Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, and Oman
Trump says to make 'big decision' on Iran as war at pivotal point
The US president said the United States "is approaching a critical juncture in the Iran war over whether to restart massive attacks in an effort to bring the conflict to a close"
Macron and Aoun discuss efforts to back Lebanon’s army, end Israeli attacks
The French presidency said the aim of the Paris talks was to review a Lebanese armed forces deployment plan.
UN fact-finding mission says US committed possible war crimes in Iran
The mission also said Iranian authorities committed crimes against humanity during their crackdown on recent protests.
Russia calls on the West at UN to halt dangerous actions regarding Iran
Vasily Nebenzya noted that the only way to resolve disputes is through "political and diplomatic efforts based on taking into account the interests of all parties and the legitimate rights of Tehran"
Five killed as Saudi Arabia and Yemen’s Houthis trade attacks
Houthi leader Abdel-Malik al-Houthi says Saudi claims that the group targeted Mecca are a 'heinous lie'.
Iran’s UN mission objects to US designation for IAEA Board membership
According to the Iranian delegation, having the United States on the global nuclear body’s Board "would create a structural conflict of interest," undermine its neutrality, and further erode confidence in the IAEA itself
Ireland boycotts Eurovision for second year over Israel’s inclusion
Public broadcaster says country's participation cannot be justified amid 'appalling and ongoing loss of lives in Gaza'.
Iran summons German ambassador over alleged interference in domestic affairs
During the meeting, the Iranian Foreign Ministry official rejected what he called unfounded statements by German chancellor Friedrich Merz concerning Tehran and strongly protested Berlin’s "unfounded and destructive approach" to regional developments
Pakistan says time has come to implement Mecca defence pact
This is an entry from: Live: UN experts say 'reasonable grounds' to believe US committed war crime in Iran school strike Pakistan says time has come to implement Mecca defence pact 17 September 2026 16:38 BST Pakistan’s defence minister has said the time has come to implement the Mecca defence agreement with Saudi Arabia and Turkey as Houthi attacks on the kingdom intensify. Speaking to Geo News on Wednesday, Khawaja Asif said Pakistan remained committed to defending Saudi Arabia and the holy cities of Mecca and Medina, adding that Islamabad had a duty to protect them even without the agreement. “Makkah Agreement applies to us, and we will fulfil our duty,” said Asif without elaborating on what Pakistan may do. Houthi officials have denied targeting the holy city. "Our operations target its [Saudi] oil facilities and military bases, which are far removed from the sacred sites," Houthi spokesman Yahya Saree said.
Iran proposes suspending IAEA Board membership for US — statement
Jointly with Israel, the US "conducted 18 waves of attacks against Iran’s peaceful safeguarded nuclear facilities," the Iranian diplomats added
‘Kosovo’s moves towards Israel are the price of aligning with US policy’
Kosovo's decision to join a US-led Gaza force exposes the pull of its alliance with Washington, according to analysts.
School Bombing, Civilian Killings: UN Probe Finds Grounds To Believe US Committed 'War Crimes' In Iran
School Bombing, Civilian Killings: UN Probe Finds Grounds To Believe US Committed 'War Crimes' In Iran The fact-finding mission has also accused Iranian authorities of carrying out crimes against humanity against their own people Got Question about the News? In a major report set for submission to the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva, an independent UN fact-finding mission declared it has “reasonable grounds to believe" American forces were responsible for two February 2026 military strikes in Iran that constituted war crimes. The findings deliver a severe indictment of US operations during the escalation of hostilities, while simultaneously documenting that Iranian authorities committed crimes against humanity during a deadly internal crackdown on domestic anti-government protests. The Minab School Bombing and Lamerd Strike Recommended Stories - Iran’s ‘Electro-Optical Missile’ Targets US Warships As Navy Admits Bahrain Base Damage - India-Iran Vows Deeper Relations: India Won't Surrender Autonomy | Karim Sadjajpour | EXCLUSIVE - Did China Help Iran Kill 3 US Troops? Washington Probes Satellite Image Link To Deadly Jordan Strike - UN Endorses India's Role as Diplomatic Bridge-Builder in Iran Conflict | U.S.-Iran War | News18 The most critical finding focuses on a precision strike on February 28, 2026, targeting the Shajareh Tayyebeh Primary School in Minab, Hormozgan province. According to Iranian officials, the strike killed more than 150 people, including roughly 120 schoolchildren. - Failure of Due Diligence: The UN panel established that the school was a clearly identifiable civilian facility with no evidence of military usage. Although American intelligence suspected a senior Iranian commander was nearby, forces failed to update targeting databases or verify information before launching a Tomahawk missile. - Reckless Execution: Investigators concluded the strike went beyond negligence, stating the US acted recklessly while fully aware of the substantial risk to civilian life, rendering it an indiscriminate attack and a war crime. - Sports Facility Attack: A second strike on a sports facility in Lamerd, which killed or injured 22 civilians and damaged neighbouring homes, was similarly categorised as an indiscriminate war crime. Simultaneous Findings Against Tehran The investigation concurrently turned its focus to Tehran’s domestic conduct during nationwide economic protests that erupted in late December 2025. The UN experts determined that Iranian security forces carried out a “widespread and systematic attack" against civilians. Documenting unlawful killings, torture, arbitrary detentions, and enforced disappearances, the mission classified the state’s response as crimes against humanity. While Iranian state sources reported 3,038 deaths and 25,000 injuries, UN investigators noted the true casualties are likely considerably higher. Diplomatic Fallout and Official Responses Neither the US nor Iranian permanent missions in Geneva issued immediate public responses following the release. Washington has previously asserted that its operations strictly adhere to the law of armed conflict, though the Pentagon’s internal review into the Minab attack remains unpublished. Meanwhile, Tehran continues to attribute civil casualties to foreign-backed unrest while denying systematic rights abuses. Quick Answers An independent UN fact-finding mission declared there are reasonable grounds to believe American forces committed war crimes during two February 2026 military strikes in Iran. The probe found that the US acted recklessly and launched an indiscriminate attack on the Shajareh Tayyebeh Primary School in Minab, despite it being a clearly identifiable civilian facility. Additionally, a second US strike on a sports facility in Lamerd was categorized as an indiscriminate war crime.
What are all the sanctions Iran is under?
Iran has faced a torrent of international sanctions since the 1979 revolution - here's what's in place right now.
Bab al-Mandeb Strait’s shipping traffic comes to halt amid conflict in Yemen
Escalating conflict off Yemen’s western coast brought shipping traffic through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait to a standstill, threatening a critical chokepoint for global logistics, Anadolu reports. The waterway is facing its quietest days ever, coupled with the crisis in global trade and energy supply due to the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. The Bab el-Mandeb Strait carries 10% of global maritime trade and accounts for 12% of crude oil shipments. It has become a weak point in the global supply chain due to the military developments in the region. The resurgence of conflict in Yemen since July altered the map of control of the region, as the Houthis secured the entire province of Hodeidah and advanced westward to Taiz, seizing Red Sea coastal cities like Mokha and the routes providing access to the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. After taking over Mokha, the Houthis captured the Hanish archipelago, the Mayun island, and the town of Dhubab, all located around the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. The capture of the Mayun island, located at the entrance to the western channel, raised security risks to the highest level. An average of 33 ships transit the waterway each day, but traffic fell 88%, with only four vessels passing through in the past 24 hours, according to International Monetary Fund (IMF) PortWatch data. READ: Houthis deny threat to Mecca from Yemen The passage of oil and chemical tankers fell 91%, while only one ship passed in the last 24 hours. Container ship traffic declined 86% below the average at the same time. The few ships that were able to transit the waterway were flying the flags of Panama, Singapore, Liberia, and Ethiopia. The Bab al-Mandeb Strait serves as the most critical southern gateway for goods and oil traveling from Asia to Europe via the Suez Canal, as well as for commodities bound for Asia. Global shippers and energy firms are losing this safe passage amid escalating military tensions and continue to reroute their vessels around the southern tip of Africa’s Cape of Good Hope. Circumventing the African continent extends voyage durations by weeks and causes freight and insurance costs to surge. The Houthi’s intensifying pressure on the strait could lead to a new wave of global oil shocks, analysts say. The bottleneck in the region is affecting alternative bypass plans for global energy routes. Saudi Arabia is able to transport its crude oil directly to Red Sea ports by relying on its East-West Crude Pipeline, bypassing the Strait of Hormuz, but oil tankers loading cargo at these ports and heading south toward global markets have to transit the Bab al-Mandeb Strait. Blockading the strait would threaten the viability of the route that bypasses the already conflict-ridden Strait of Hormuz. OPINION: Aramco is not the Kaaba
Ghalibaf’s maths missile at Trump decoded: Is Iran fixing US interest rates?
Iran's speaker mocks US interest rates, citing the Taylor equation amidst rising global oil prices and inflation.
Irish broadcaster confirms Eurovision boycott for 2nd year in row
Ireland’s public broadcaster said Thursday it will boycott next year’s Eurovision Song Contest, stressing that its position “remains unchanged,” Anadolu reports. In a statement, RTE confirmed that it will boycott the song contest for the second year in a row, noting that it will not participate in the 2027 Eurovision Song Contest, nor will it broadcast the competition. “RTE feels that Ireland’s participation cannot be justified given the appalling and ongoing loss of lives in Gaza and the humanitarian crisis there which continues to put the lives of so many civilians at risk,” it noted. The statement added: “RTE also remains deeply concerned by the continued denial of independent access to international journalists to the territory.” RTE was among several European broadcasters that boycotted Eurovision 2026 after it was decided Israel could compete. READ: Eurovision boycott: Sanchez says ‘silence is not an option’ in face of ‘illegal war, genocide’
How far will Egypt go to help Saudi Arabia secure the Red Sea?
Regional analysts highlight the growing security alignment between Cairo and Riyadh amid escalating Red Sea tensions.
This extremist group has found a new way to threaten the global economy: cheap drones
The Independent's journalism is supported by our readers. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn commission. This extremist group has found a new way to threaten the global economy: cheap drones Cheap drone technology has given the Yemeni rebels a stranglehold on global shipping pinch points in Arabian Peninsula – and the attack on Saudi Arabia’s critical East-West oil pipeline shows how else they plan to use it, says Mark Almond There is a dangerous tendency to treat the renewed conflict between Saudi Arabia and Yemen’s Houthi Shiite group as a sideshow to the simmering US-Iran war on the other side of the Arabian Peninsula. But in many ways, it is a much more destabilising threat than even Donald Trump’s costly conflict – whether as a general threat to world supply chains, or specifically to oil supplies – than even the blockade by Iran of the Strait of Hormuz. Yes, global supplies of oil, gas and fertiliser have been dramatically cut by the Iranian threat to Gulf shipping. But the Red Sea is an even bigger and more varied transport corridor right up to the Suez Canal. Saudi Arabia had tried to redirect its oil export along the East-West pipeline to the Red Sea port of Yanbu. But the Houthis’ bombing of a range of pumping stations along it – as well as their ability to hit management targets in Yanbu itself – have stemmed the oil flow. At the moment, the Houthis emphasise that they are only fighting the Saudis and their Yemeni “proxies”, but no one trusts the war against shipping to be limited to these targets. The problem for companies sending billions of dollars of Far Eastern cars and electronics through the Red Sea is that it makes more sense to hedge against the risks of losing a container ship and its expensive cargo by re-routing around Africa. That adds two weeks or more to the transit time, but at least it is safe from drone attacks. While this secures the cargo, it is at the expense of a hike in prices to the consumer. The Saudi v Houthis conflict is likely to have a broader effect on the world economy even than Iran’s blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. The Houthis may operate according to their own agenda, but the Iranians and Houthis agree on the key points of strategy. The Houthis’ formidable arsenal of ballistic missiles and drones also have an Iranian source, either actual supplies or knowledge of the technology shared. It should be a sharp warning to all commercial states – above all, the USA and China – that missile and drone technology is now available to desperately poor states. Per capita, Yemen is poorer than Haiti. Weapons of global disruption are in effect available to all – certainly to those whose geography, like the Houthis’, gives them a hold on a global pinch point. The local consequences of the Houthis’ gaining control of the narrow Bab al-Mandab are severe. Even before this crisis, Saudi Arabia was suffering a sharp shortfall in its revenues. The Saudis have been making savage cuts. Western media might have noticed the dropping of professional partnerships with golf tournaments and New York’s Metropolitan Opera. But the domestic projects of the Crown Prince are beginning to suffer, too. Mohammed bin Salman, the de facto ruler of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, is caught in a trap: should he revert to the expensive but failed military strategy against the Houthis which he launched in 2015? Or should he make a deal with them and Iran that saves the Saudi economy, but leaves his regime looking fatally weak? If the Crown Prince buys peace now, he could face more blackmail in the near future. Despite the Houthis’ strikes, a newly forged alliance with Turkey and Pakistan has not yet been activated. Saudi Arabia’s old ally, Egypt, is pondering whether it can afford sending troops to fight the Houthis. Egypt’s original military dictator, Nasser, burnt his fingers badly intervening against the Houthis’ grandparents in the 1960s. President Sisi does not need to relearn the lesson. President Trump has twice rebuffed the Saudi Crown Prince’s request for US military assistance. Bin Salman’s recent largesse to the Trump investment family has not been repaid with security. Only Israel seems willing to offer air support against the Yemeni group, which fired missiles at the country in the aftermath of October 7th. But to accept Israeli help would be a terrible blow to the Saudi family as the protectors of Islam’s holiest places. The complex local rivalries and clan loyalties are what makes the global reverberations of this conflict so difficult to resolve. The United States has been revealed to be a one-shot, slow-to-reload superpower. Thirty years ago, Washington planned to fight two major wars at once. Now it can fight a small war to stalemate. So small states and militias are left to fight it out – regardless of the consequences for the world economy. Mark Almond is the director of the Crisis Research Institute, Oxford To continue reading this article... You have [%% article number %%] left to read... Try 6 months for just €1 SUBSCRIBE NOW - Full access to Premium news analysis - Advert-free reading across Independent.co.uk - The Independent app with Premium features Subscription renews automatically and you can turn off auto-renewal at any time. By placing my order, I acknowledge that my subscription will start immediately and I accept that I will lose the right to cancel my subscription in the first 14 days. The Independent reserves the right to withdraw this promotion at any time. 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UN mission faults both U.S., Iran for deadly attacks before and during war | Honolulu Star-Advertiser
UN mission faults both U.S., Iran for deadly attacks before and during war GENEVA >> A UN fact-finding mission on Iran said today it had reasonable grounds to believe the United States was behind two military strikes on a school and sports facility in Iran in February, and that these constituted war crimes. It also found that Iranian authorities committed crimes against humanity during their deadly crackdown on anti-government protests. The findings in a new report by the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Iran, to be submitted to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, examined the U.S. ’s conduct during the Iran war that began in February and the Iranian government’s response to nationwide unrest that begun in late December. The Iranian and U.S. permanent missions in Geneva did not immediately respond to Reuters requests for comment. U.S. officials have previously said military operations are conducted in accordance with the law of armed conflict, while Iran has consistently rejected allegations of systematic rights violations. The UN experts said they found reasonable grounds to believe U.S. forces were responsible for an attack on the Shajareh Tayyebeh Primary School in the city of Minab, where more than 150 people were killed, including around 120 schoolchildren, according to Iranian officials. Don't miss out on what's happening! Stay in touch with breaking news, as it happens, conveniently in your email inbox. It's FREE! The attack constituted an indiscriminate attack causing civilian deaths and damage to civilian infrastructure, amounting to a war crime under international law, the mission concluded. According to the report, the U.S. failure to update information in relation to the school, which was adjacent to an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps naval complex, in its targeting databases and to confirm the building was a military objective amounted to more than mere negligence. “Rather, the U.S. directed the strikes at the building of the school while being aware of a substantial risk of striking a civilian object and acting recklessly as regards the possibility that this would happen.” In June , President Donald Trump said that “nobody” purposefully attacked a girls’ school in Iran in February, citing an investigation into the incident. Reuters first reported that an initial internal U.S. military investigation showed U.S. forces were likely responsible for the fatal strike in Minab in southern Iran. The Pentagon has since elevated the probe but it has not published any preliminary findings. UN experts said the school was a clearly identifiable civilian object and found no evidence that it was being used for military purposes. The experts reached a similar conclusion over a strike on a sports center in Lamerd. The report said the attack damaged nearby residential buildings and a school and killed and injured 22 civilians. It concluded that the strike was indiscriminate and therefore constituted a war crime. U.S. Central Command said in a statement in March that U.S. forces did not launch any strikes into the city of Lamerd on that day. The UN mission probe found that the Iranian authorities carried out a widespread and systematic attack against civilians during protests that erupted in late December last year, involving unlawful killings, torture, arbitrary detention, enforced disappearances and severe restrictions on freedom of expression. Rights groups say bystanders were among those killed during the biggest crackdown since Shi’ite Muslim clerics took power in the 1979 revolution. Tehran blamed “terrorists and rioters” backed by exiled opponents and foreign foes the U.S. and Israel. The probe said it could not independently verify the death toll, but that it believed the number of dead and injured was likely far higher than official figures, which say 3,038 people were killed, and 25,000 people injured. The government’s response to the protests — including violence and killings, cutting off the internet and use of the death penalty, marked a significant escalation from previous patterns of suppressing dissent, the report said.