Daily Peace and Crisis Report

Compiled March 15, 2026, 08:05 AEDT

US-Israel War on Iran

The United States-Israel war on Iran, which began on 28 February 2026, has entered its third week with no ceasefire in sight. US forces struck military targets on Kharg Island — through which approximately 90 percent of Iran's crude oil exports pass — while President Donald Trump warned that oil infrastructure could be targeted next if Iran disrupts shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. Al Jazeera

Since 28 February, at least 1,444 people have been killed and 18,551 injured in US-Israel attacks on Iran, according to the latest figures. Israel's military reported it had carried out approximately 7,600 strikes in Iran and 1,100 in Lebanon since the joint operation began. Al Jazeera

US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth claimed Iran's new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, is "wounded and likely disfigured." The US State Department offered a $10 million reward for information about Khamenei and other senior officials. Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) launched coordinated missile and drone strikes against Israel in conjunction with Hezbollah, framing the operation as part of the annual al-Quds Day. Al Jazeera

Iran has been launching retaliatory drone and missile attacks across Gulf states. Saudi Arabia intercepted six drones; Qatar intercepted an incoming missile; sirens sounded in Bahrain; and two people were killed by falling drones in Oman. A fire broke out at the UAE's major Fujairah oil hub. Al Jazeera

Trump has rejected mediation efforts by Oman and Egypt to initiate ceasefire talks. Iran has also rejected any ceasefire until US and Israeli strikes end, demanding reparations and guarantees against future attacks. Reuters

The war has triggered a global energy crisis, with oil prices surging. Canada announced the release of 23.6 million barrels of oil as part of an emergency IEA coordinated response. Key nations including India, France, and Italy are bypassing Washington to negotiate directly with Iran for safe passage of vessels through the Strait of Hormuz. Al Jazeera

In Iraq, a helipad at the US Embassy in Baghdad was struck by a missile, destroying its air defence system. A French soldier was killed in a drone attack in Iraq's semi-autonomous Kurdish region. Iraq's Prime Minister pledged to prevent further attacks. Al Jazeera

The UN Security Council adopted a Gulf Cooperation Council-backed resolution demanding Iran halt its attacks on Gulf nations. Russia and China proposed an alternative de-escalation resolution that failed to pass. Al Jazeera; Russian MFA (Rus)

Lebanon

Israeli attacks have killed at least 773 people in Lebanon since March 2, according to the Lebanese Ministry of Public Health. Israel's latest offensive was triggered on March 2 after Hezbollah launched drones and rockets into northern Israel following Israel's attacks on Iran. Al Jazeera

More than 800,000 people have been forced to flee their homes in Lebanon in less than two weeks due to relentless Israeli bombings and blanket evacuation orders. Médecins Sans Frontières

Lebanon's Health Ministry condemned an Israeli strike on a healthcare centre in Borj Qalaouiye that killed 12 medical staff, including doctors, nurses, and paramedics. Israeli shells also struck the headquarters of a Nepalese peacekeeping battalion serving with UNIFIL in southern Lebanon. Al Jazeera

Israel is reportedly planning a significant expansion of its ground operation in Lebanon, aiming to seize the entire area south of the Litani River. Lebanon's president, Joseph Aoun, has appealed for a ceasefire and pledged to disarm Hezbollah. Israel and Lebanon are expected to hold direct talks in coming days. Axios; Reuters

Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem stated that his group is ready for a "long confrontation" with Israel. Hezbollah launched approximately 200 rockets toward northern Israel — its largest barrage since the November 2024 ceasefire — while Iran fired ballistic missiles toward Israel. Jewish Federation of Greater Dallas

UN Secretary-General António Guterres visited Lebanon in a solidarity mission, highlighting the severity of the crisis and calling for protection of civilians. ReliefWeb

Gaza and the West Bank

Israeli forces continue daily attacks on the besieged Gaza Strip, despite an October 10 "ceasefire" that Israel has violated hundreds of times. Seven people were killed since Thursday morning, Gaza's Ministry of Health reported, with 658 people killed in Gaza since the "ceasefire" began. On Saturday, Israeli forces attacked a police post in Khan Younis, killing two police officers. Al Jazeera

The cumulative death toll in Gaza since October 2023 has surpassed 75,000, with independent data verifying the scale of loss. A Lancet study found that women, children, and the elderly made up 56 percent of the dead in the war's first 15 months. Al Jazeera; Reuters

The Rafah border crossing remains closed as Israel continues its attacks on Iran, trapping thousands of wounded Palestinians — many of them children — who are waiting for urgent medical evacuation. Sandstorms have swept across the Gaza Strip, worsening conditions for tens of thousands of displaced people living in worn-out tents. Al Jazeera

In the occupied West Bank, one Palestinian was killed and others were injured in Israeli settler attacks in the villages of Qusra and Rashayda. Nablus Governor Ghassan Daghlas condemned the "bloody attack" and urged international action against ongoing settler violence. Al Jazeera; Xinhua (Chin)

UNICEF reported that since 28 February, more than 1,100 children have been reported injured or killed in the wider regional violence, including 200 children reportedly killed in Iran and 91 in Lebanon. UNICEF

Russia-Ukraine War

Russia launched a combined missile and drone attack on Ukraine on Saturday, killing six people and injuring at least 18 across multiple regions. Five people were killed and 15 injured in the Kyiv region, while one person was killed and three injured in Zaporizhzhia by Russian-guided bombs. Al Jazeera

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reported that Russia's attack involved approximately 430 drones and 68 missiles, most of which were intercepted by air defences. Russia's main target was energy infrastructure, leaving consumers in six regions without electricity. Al Jazeera

In a retaliatory strike, Ukraine's military reported hitting the Afipsky oil refinery and Port Kavkaz in Russia's southern Krasnodar region. Ukrainian forces have also recorded territorial gains in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, advancing 10-12 kilometres in two drives that reportedly liberated more than 400 square kilometres. Institute for the Study of War

Peace talks remain stalled. The US paused ceasefire negotiations between Russia and Ukraine due to its war with Iran. Analysts note that Russia has little incentive to agree to a ceasefire given its current military advances. Houston Public Media / NPR; Kyiv Independent (Ukr)

The European Union voted to extend sanctions against approximately 2,600 individuals and entities supporting Russia's war effort until September 15, breaking an earlier deadlock caused by Hungary and Slovakia's opposition. EU Council chief Antonio Costa criticised the United States for lifting sanctions on Russian oil exports, saying it increased "Russian resources to wage the war of aggression against Ukraine." Al Jazeera; EU Council

Belgium's Prime Minister Bart De Wever called for the EU to be mandated to negotiate directly with Russia, arguing that since weapons and economic pressure were insufficient without US support, "there is only one method left: making a deal." Zelenskyy warned that "Russia will try to exploit the war in the Middle East to cause even greater destruction here in Europe." Al Jazeera

Russia's Foreign Ministry proposed an alternative UN Security Council resolution aimed at urgent de-escalation in the Middle East, which failed to pass. Russian MFA (Rus)

Sudan

A drone attack on Adikong market near Sudan's border with Chad killed 11 people and wounded dozens more, including children, igniting fuel reserves and sending flames through the area. Médecins Sans Frontières treated more than 20 of the wounded across the border in Chad, noting seven of the injured were children. Al Jazeera

UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk warned that more than 200 civilians had been killed by drones across the Kordofan region and White Nile state since March 4 alone. In West Kordofan, at least 152 civilians were killed in strikes attributed to the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), including approximately 50 when a market and hospital were struck simultaneously in al-Muglad on March 4. A truck carrying civilians was hit in al-Sunut on March 10, killing at least 50, among them women and children. Al Jazeera

The Rapid Support Forces (RSF) struck a secondary school and health centre in the White Nile state village of Shukeiri, killing at least 17 people, including female students, teachers, and a health worker. Democracy Now!

In the first two months of 2026 alone, ACLED recorded 198 drone strikes by both sides, at least 52 of which caused civilian casualties, killing 478 people. Sudan accounted for more than half of all drone attacks recorded across the entire African continent in 2024. Al Jazeera

Sudan's army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan ruled out any coexistence with the RSF following the latest village drone attacks. The war, now approaching its fourth year, has produced the world's largest humanitarian emergency, with 33.7 million people requiring humanitarian assistance and more than 12 million displaced. Sudan Tribune; Al Jazeera

South Sudan

UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk called for an immediate ceasefire in South Sudan, warning that some acts may amount to war crimes. Over the past 17 days, over 160 civilians have been killed, including at least 139 on 1 March by fighters from the Bul Nuer ethnic group in Abiemnom locality. On 21 February, 21 civilians — including 15 women and three girls — were killed by government forces in Pankor village, Jonglei State. OHCHR

The South Sudanese armed forces issued an evacuation order for all civilians in Akobo town and surrounding villages, directing the closure of the UN Mission in South Sudan's (UNMISS) temporary operating base. UNMISS responded that its peacekeepers would remain, providing a protective presence. Thousands of civilians have fled the town. Al Jazeera

Escalating violence in Jonglei State has forced aid agencies including Save the Children to withdraw from key areas, suspending essential services. Government forces have reportedly used incendiary bombs in airstrikes on opposition-affiliated areas. More than 280,000 people have been displaced in South Sudan since late December. Save the Children; The New Humanitarian

Democratic Republic of Congo

Congo's government and Rwanda-backed M23 rebels accused each other of violating terms of a ceasefire deal, as drone strikes and clashes continue to cast doubt over peace efforts. A drone strike in Goma on March 11 killed three people, including a French UN aid worker — the first such attack in the city since M23 forces seized it. AP News; BBC

At least 60 drone strikes have been attributed to the Congolese military in 2026, according to ACLED, with less than 5 percent of drone strikes in the region attributed to the rebels in the last year. A separate militia attack in eastern DRC killed 25 people, with children among the victims. AP News; Anadolu Agency

The conflict has precipitated one of the world's largest humanitarian crises, with at least 7 million people displaced in eastern Congo. Mass graves have recently been found in affected localities. The African Union Commission condemned attacks on civilians and reaffirmed commitment to mediation efforts and ceasefire arrangements. AP News; African Union

Myanmar

UN Special Rapporteur Tom Andrews, presenting his final report to the Human Rights Council in Geneva, warned that international resolve to hold Myanmar's military junta accountable must not weaken. He noted that airstrikes on civilian targets increased from 9 in 2021 to 1,140 in 2025, with OHCHR reporting that airstrikes killed at least 982 civilians in 2025 — a 53 percent increase compared with the previous year — including 287 children. UN News

More than 3.6 million people are displaced nationwide, and nearly one-third of Myanmar's population requires humanitarian assistance, with more than 12 million people facing acute hunger. Myanmar's military has commissioned new combat aircraft, stepping up efforts to regain territory from resistance forces. UN News; AP News

A UN expert warned that Myanmar's spiralling rights and humanitarian crises risk getting "much worse" as global attention focuses on the Middle East war and aid dwindles further. Myanmar Now

Haiti

Haiti's epidemic of gang violence continues to worsen, with armed gangs controlling an estimated 90 percent of Port-au-Prince and a record 1.4 million people displaced. Nearly 6,000 people were killed in gang violence in 2025 alone, according to UN reports. A record number of political parties have registered for Haiti's first election in a decade, scheduled later this year. NPR; DW

A new UN-authorised Gang Suppression Force is due to be deployed next month to curb violence, though analysts question whether it will be sufficient. Aid budgets have been cut by donors including Switzerland, worsening the humanitarian situation as the expanded international military mission struggles to fill the gap. Tomorrow's Affairs; Swiss Info

International Diplomacy and Peacekeeping

UN Secretary-General António Guterres, accepting the Atatürk International Award for Peace in Türkiye, warned that the world is being "pushed to the breaking point." He stated: "Around the world, we hear much talk of peace, but we see far too little of it. International law continues to be trampled, power politics are gaining ground, inequalities are growing." He called for an immediate ceasefire across all active conflicts and a return to diplomacy. UN News

The Iran war has severely disrupted global humanitarian aid efforts, choking off disaster relief supply chains and spiking oil prices, further exacerbating existing crises in Afghanistan, Myanmar, Sudan, and elsewhere. In 2026, humanitarian partners plan to reach 17.5 million Afghans through a $1.71 billion appeal — the second-largest globally. Council on Foreign Relations; UN News

Oman and Qatar's emirs held calls urging dialogue and regional de-escalation, while Egypt has also attempted to mediate in the Iran-Israel conflict. Türkiye's President Erdoğan warned of "more loss of life and property" if the conflict continues. Al Jazeera

The UN Security Council adopted a Gulf Cooperation Council-backed resolution demanding Iran halt its attacks on Gulf nations. Russia and China proposed an alternative resolution calling for urgent de-escalation, which did not pass. Al Jazeera

Key Statistics

This report is compiled from publicly available news sources for informational purposes. Source bias tags are included where relevant to assist readers in contextualising information. The inclusion of a source does not constitute endorsement of its editorial position.