Daily Peace and Crisis Report — Monday 16 Mar 2026

Compiled March 16, 2026, 08:07 AEDT

Iran–US–Israel War (Day 16)

The US-Israel military campaign against Iran entered its 16th day on Sunday, 15 March 2026, with fresh strikes on the central Iranian city of Isfahan killing at least 15 people and wounding several others. Al Jazeera reported that Tehran's governor confirmed at least 10,000 residential homes had been "damaged or completely destroyed" since the campaign began on 28 February. Iran's Ministry of Health placed the cumulative death toll at more than 1,444 killed and over 18,500 wounded since the start of hostilities, according to Al Jazeera. The KUOW report noted at least 165 civilians killed in a single strike on an Iranian school, with over 10,000 Iranians injured according to Iranian health officials.

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth claimed that more than 15,000 "enemy targets" have been struck — exceeding 1,000 strikes per day — since the war began, according to Al Jazeera. Iran confirmed the killing of several senior military figures, including Brigadier-General Abdullah Jalali Nasab, Abdolrahim Mousavi (chief of staff of Iran's armed forces), Aziz Nasirzadeh (defence minister), and Mohammad Pakpour (IRGC commander-in-chief). The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) launched its "50th wave" of retaliatory operations against US military bases in the UAE, Bahrain, and Kuwait.

President Donald Trump called on allied nations to deploy warships to the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran has placed under "control" though not formally closed. Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi rejected Trump's claim that Tehran sought a ceasefire, stating: "No, we never asked for a ceasefire, and we have no intention of doing so," according to NPR. The The Guardian reported that Pope Leo called for an immediate ceasefire, mourning the "atrocious violence" that has claimed thousands of civilian lives. At least 13 American service members have been killed in operations related to the war, including six crew members of a US military KC-135 refuelling aircraft, according to The New York Times.

The UN Security Council adopted Resolution 2817 (2026) condemning Iran's missile attacks on Gulf states hosting US bases, though Russia's envoy Nebenzia claimed the resolution ignored the "root causes" of the conflict. WHO released an additional US$2 million in emergency funds for Lebanon, Iraq, and Syria as the regional crisis deepens, with WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warning: "As casualties rise, so do attacks on healthcare." UN News reported that 27 attacks on healthcare facilities in Lebanon have occurred since 2 March, resulting in at least 30 deaths including 14 health workers killed in a single 24-hour period.

Lebanon

Lebanon's health ministry confirmed that Israeli strikes have killed at least 850 people — including more than 100 children — and wounded over 2,000 since the resumption of hostilities on 2 March 2026, according to The New York Times. More than 831,882 people have registered as displaced, representing approximately one in every seven Lebanese, according to UNOCHA. The Lebanese government confirmed the displacement figure had exceeded 800,000, with government shelters able to accommodate only a fraction of those fleeing, according to Qatar News Agency.

Israeli strikes targeted southern Lebanon and Beirut's southern suburbs, with Hezbollah continuing retaliatory rocket and missile fire into northern Israel. France offered to broker Lebanon-Israel talks, though Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar denied that direct talks were imminent, insisting Beirut must first act against Hezbollah, according to Al Jazeera. UN peacekeepers (UNIFIL) came under hostile fire in three separate incidents near Yatar, Dayr Kifa, and Qallawiyah, with fire striking as close as five metres from peacekeepers, according to UN News. UN Secretary-General António Guterres concluded a solidarity visit to Beirut, meeting displaced civilians and demanding an end to the war, stressing that "civilians should never be a target."

Gaza and the West Bank

Israeli airstrikes killed at least 12 Palestinians in Gaza on Sunday, 15 March, including two boys, a pregnant woman, and eight police officers, according to AP. A strike on a house in the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza killed a couple in their 30s, their 10-year-old son, and a 15-year-old neighbour. A separate drone strike on a police vehicle on the Salah al-Din route killed eight officers including a senior police official. The cumulative Palestinian death toll in Gaza since 7 October 2023 has risen to more than 72,239, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, as reported by SANA (Syria). Since the October 2025 ceasefire, 663 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli military attacks, with approximately half being women and children, according to OHCHR.

In the occupied West Bank, Israeli soldiers fired on a family car in Tammoun, south of Tubas, killing a father, mother, and their two youngest sons aged five and six — the latter of whom had visual and hearing impairments — according to OHCHR. Two older siblings, aged 8 and 11, survived and reported that Israeli soldiers physically assaulted them after the killings. The total number of Palestinians killed by Israeli security forces and settlers in the West Bank since 7 October 2023 has reached 1,071, including 233 children. OHCHR condemned what it described as a "pattern of utter disregard for Palestinian lives" and called for accountability. A massive sandstorm swept through Gaza on Saturday, destroying makeshift shelters and blowing away belongings of the approximately 2 million displaced residents, according to France 24. Israel announced it would allow the limited reopening of the Rafah crossing with Egypt starting Wednesday, permitting some passenger traffic but no cargo.

Russia–Ukraine War

Russian forces conducted a large-scale drone and missile strike campaign against Ukraine on the night of 13–14 March, launching 430 drones, two Zirkon hypersonic cruise missiles, 13 Iskander-M/S-400 ballistic missiles, 25 Kalibr cruise missiles, and 24 Kh-101 cruise missiles, according to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW). Ukrainian air defences downed 402 drones and the majority of missiles, though six missiles and 28 drones struck 11 locations across Kyiv, Sumy, Kharkiv, Dnipropetrovsk, and Mykolaiv oblasts. At least five people were killed and 22 injured in Kyiv Oblast alone. Energy infrastructure was targeted in Kyiv Oblast, leaving thousands without power and heating.

On the frontlines, 144 combat engagements were recorded on 14 March, with the fiercest fighting near Kostiantynivka where Ukrainian troops repelled 28 enemy assaults, according to Ukrinform (Ukr). Ukraine's offensive in the Oleksandrivka area reportedly recaptured more than 400 square kilometres, collapsing Russia's buffer zone ahead of a planned spring push, according to Euromaidan Press (Ukr). Ukrainian forces also struck the Afipsky Oil Refinery and the port of Kavkaz in Krasnodar Krai, and targeted Russian air defence systems, missile launchers, and logistics infrastructure in Crimea and occupied Ukrainian territory. Russia's total personnel losses in Ukraine have reached approximately 1,279,170, according to Ukrainian defence sources.

On the diplomatic front, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukraine was ready for another round of US-Russia-Ukraine peace talks but was waiting on Washington and Moscow to agree on a time and venue. The US had proposed hosting the next meeting, with US envoys Steve Witkoff and others involved, according to CBS News. US-led talks in the UAE were placed on hold amid the Iran war. Russia stated there were "no deadlines" for negotiations. Ukraine expressed concern about "losing the Americans" as global attention shifted to the Middle East, according to CNN. Zelenskyy also said Ukraine would continue striking Russian energy infrastructure and was in discussions with French President Macron about halting such strikes as part of a broader diplomatic framework.

Sudan

Sudan's civil war — now approaching its third year — continues to generate one of the world's worst humanitarian catastrophes, with global aid organisations estimating up to 250,000 people killed since fighting erupted in April 2023, according to Yahoo News / DW. A surge in drone attacks has killed more than 200 civilians since 4 March alone in the Kordofan region and White Nile state, according to a press release by OHCHR. In West Kordofan, at least 152 civilians were killed by Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) drone strikes, including at least 50 when a market and hospital were struck simultaneously in Al-Muglad on 4 March. A lorry carrying civilians was struck in Al-Sunut on 10 March, reportedly killing at least 50 people including women and children.

In South Kordofan, at least 39 civilians were killed by Rapid Support Forces (RSF) artillery shelling between 4 and 5 March. In White Nile state, RSF drone strikes hit a secondary school and health clinic in Shukeiri village on 11 March, killing at least 17 civilians including a health worker. A drone also struck a university dormitory in the state capital Kosti on 9 March, injuring seven students. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk called the attacks "devastating and simply appalling," urging all parties to abide by international humanitarian law. On 13 March, a drone attack on a market in Sudan killed 11 more people, according to Al Jazeera. The Council on Foreign Relations warned that atrocities in Darfur are "showing clear signs of genocide," according to CFR.

Afghanistan–Pakistan Conflict

The Afghanistan-Pakistan border conflict continued to escalate, with Pakistan conducting new strikes on Kandahar after Taliban drones struck civilian areas and military sites inside Pakistan, according to Al Jazeera. Pakistani airstrikes have killed at least 75 civilians and displaced 115,000 people in Afghanistan, with both sides vowing escalation and no talks in sight, according to The New York Times. UNAMA reported and verified 185 civilian casualties in Afghanistan between 26 February and 5 March, including 56 killed and 129 wounded, according to an IFRC report. The UN Security Council was expected to vote on 16 March on a draft resolution extending UNAMA's mandate for only three months — a curtailed renewal attributed to US pressure — according to the Afghanistan Analysts Network. Nearly 21.9 million Afghans — almost half the population — will require humanitarian assistance in 2026, while the UN's $1.71 billion appeal remains only 37 per cent funded.

Myanmar

Myanmar's military junta continued systematic violence against civilians, with the National Unity Government (NUG) reporting that junta forces committed 10 cases of massacre between 1 and 10 March, resulting in 245 deaths, according to Mizzima. In the latest incident, junta soldiers killed hostages in Yedwingone Village, Nyaunglebin Township, Bago Region, and stole valuables from victims. A junta drone attack struck an IDP camp near Falule Village beside the Thaungyin River on the Thai-Myanmar border on Saturday, causing casualties. The UN Special Envoy on Human Rights in Myanmar warned that armed conflicts in the Middle East could worsen ongoing crises in Myanmar. At the 61st session of the UN Human Rights Council, the International Federation for Human Rights called for a comprehensive arms ban on the military junta and urged the International Criminal Court to take action. Myanmar's resistance forces struck the Ketumadi airbase in an 18-rocket attack, according to Mizzima. Myanmar Ambassador U Kyaw Moe Tun warned that Myanmar is "at risk of losing an entire generation."

International Cooperation and Peacekeeping

The UN Secretary-General António Guterres issued stark warnings about the state of global peace, stating that "human rights are being outmuscled by force" and citing simultaneous crises in Sudan, Gaza, Ukraine, and funding shortfalls that threaten humanitarian operations. In Lebanon, the UN launched a Flash Appeal of US$308.3 million on 13 March to address the rapidly deteriorating humanitarian situation. WHO's $633 million 2026 regional appeal remains only 37 per cent funded even as needs escalate dramatically. UNIFIL peacekeepers in southern Lebanon came under fire three times on the weekend, with hostile fire attributed to non-State armed groups in violation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701, according to UNIFIL.

The GCC and UK held a ministerial meeting welcoming UN Security Council Resolution 2817 (2026), which condemned Iran's attacks on Gulf states. Oman and Egypt have been attempting to mediate between Iran and the US, though both parties have indicated they are not yet prepared for ceasefire discussions, according to the ISW Iran Update. South Africa noted Israel's response filing to the International Court of Justice in the genocide case, with Israel submitting its response on 12 March 2026. In Nigeria, gunmen ambushed and killed security personnel on patrol in Plateau state, according to The Washington Post.

Key Statistics

This report is compiled from publicly available sources as of the publication timestamp. Source bias tags are applied where relevant: (Ukr) denotes Ukrainian-affiliated outlets; (Rus) denotes Russian state media. All figures are subject to revision as events develop. The report does not represent the views of any government or organisation.