Iran continues its relentless shelling of neighboring Gulf states, while hundreds of US special forces members have arrived in the Middle East, according to media reports. The most important updates in the Iran war at a glance.
March 31, 2026, 09:06March 31, 2026, 9:22 am
Gulf states under attack – oil tanker hit off Dubai
A month after the start of the American-Israeli attacks, Iran is continuing to bombard neighboring Gulf states with ballistic missiles and drones. Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates reported renewed attacks overnight. A huge Kuwaiti oil tanker was also hit in the Persian Gulf off the coast of Dubai, the Kuwait Petroleum Corporation said, according to the state news agency Kuna. A fire broke out which, according to the authorities in Dubai, could only be extinguished after several hours. There are no injuries.
The oil tanker Al-Salmi from Kuwait.screenshot x
Report: Massive US attack with bunker busters
Meanwhile, according to a media report, the USA carried out a massive attack on an ammunition depot in the Iranian city of Isfahan. To achieve this, the US military used a large number of bunker-busting bombs that night, each weighing around 2,000 pounds (around 900 kilograms), the Wall Street Journal reported, citing a US official.
US President Donald Trump posted a video clip showing explosions on his Truth Social platform on Monday evening (local time). However, he gave no context whatsoever. According to the newspaper, it was a video of the attack in Isfahan. The 31-second video clip shows a series of explosions. This could be an indication that ammunition stored there exploded after the original attack.
Video: watson/truth social
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Chief of General Staff Dan Caine want to report on the course of the war at a press conference in the Pentagon at 2 p.m. Swiss time.
Rubio: Strait of Hormuz will reopen to shipping
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio was meanwhile convinced that the Strait of Hormuz would be reopened to shipping traffic – “one way or another”. Either Iran will agree to “abide by international law” and not block the strait, Rubio told Al Jazeera. “Or a coalition of nations from around the world and the region, with the participation of the United States, will ensure that it is open.”
Rubio did not comment further on what exactly he meant by “making sure of it.” If Iran continues to block the strait, Tehran would face “real consequences, not just from the United States, but from countries in the region and the world,” Rubio said.
Report: Opening Strait of Hormuz not a priority for Trump
The Wall Street Journal, however, reported, citing US officials, that Trump had told his advisers that he was ready to end the war even if the Strait of Hormuz remained largely blocked. Trump decided that the US should concentrate on its main goals such as tackling Iran’s navy and missile stocks – while at the same time putting diplomatic pressure on Tehran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz to shipping traffic. Failing that, the U.S. would pressure allies in Europe and the Gulf to take the lead in efforts to open the strait.
The newspaper’s information could not initially be independently verified. Trump is known for constantly changing many of his positions.
US President Donald Trump often changes his mind.Image: keystone
The Persian Gulf is home to important ports and loading stations for global trade in oil and gas. From there, ships bring their cargo via the strategically important Strait of Hormuz to the Gulf of Oman and on to the world market. Iran has brought shipping through the strait to a virtual standstill with attacks and threats. With the de facto blockade, Iran is slowing down global energy supplies – prices for crude oil and liquid gas have risen significantly since then. Gasoline prices are also continuing to rise in the USA – which is unlikely to be convenient for Trump and his Republicans a few months before the midterm elections for the US Congress in November.
Iran wants to see US forces expelled from the Middle East
Iran remains unimpressed. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi wrote on Platform X that night that it was “high time for Saudi Arabia to expel the US armed forces from the country.” According to the Ministry of Defense, the kingdom was again attacked by ballistic missiles at short intervals during the night. They were repelled.
Kuwait also reported rocket and drone fire again. The sirens also sounded again in the Gulf state of Bahrain. In Dubai, four people were injured by falling debris after an air defense operation. Meanwhile, Israel attacked targets in Tehran again.
According to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, several of the Gulf states want to cooperate with his country in the field of defense. Among others, there are already agreements with Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar, said Zelenskyj after a trip to the Middle East and the Gulf region. Ukraine, which has been defending itself against a Russian invasion for more than four years, has been offering countries in the region help with drone defense since the beginning of the Iran war.
Media: US special forces arrive in the Middle East
Meanwhile, according to media reports, hundreds more members of US special forces have arrived in the Middle East. These include Navy Seals, an elite unit of the US Navy, as reported by the New York Times and CBS News. They joined thousands of Marines and paratroopers.
This means that US President Donald Trump has further military options at his disposal, it was said. These include a possible opening of the Strait of Hormuz, the capture of the island of Kharg, which is important for Iran’s oil exports, or the recovery of Iran’s highly enriched uranium. Such operations would be complex and involve significantly greater risk for US soldiers than previous air strikes.
There have been reports for days about a possible ground offensive by the US military. Trump is publicly urging Tehran to find a diplomatic solution to the war started by the USA and Israel – but at the same time he is not sparing with threats of further military escalation. (hkl/sda/dpa)