Portal:Current events/2026 March 21

March 21, 2026 (Saturday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Middle Eastern crisis
- 2026 Iran war
  - 2026 Iranian strikes on Israel
    - At least 88 people are injured, including seven seriously, and nine buildings are damaged in an Iranian ballistic missile attack in Arad, Israel. A mass casualty incident is declared. (Channel 12)
    - At least 78 people are injured, including a 10-year-old, in Dimona, Israel, by Iranian ballistic missile attacks. (The Times of Israel) (The Jerusalem Post)
  - 2026 Strait of Hormuz crisis
    - U.S. president Donald Trump issues an ultimatum to Iran to fully open the Strait of Hormuz within the next 48 hours or the U.S. military will "obliterate" their energy infrastructure, including all Iranian power stations. (BBC News)
    - A group of 22 countries in a joint statement calls on Iran to cease attacks and reopen the Strait of Hormuz. (The Shillong Times)
  - Attack on Natanz nuclear facility
    - Israeli and U.S. jets strike the Natanz Nuclear Facility, according to the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran. (Al Jazeera)
  - 2025–2026 Iran–United States negotiations
    - Axios reports that the U.S. has reportedly begun initial discussions on the next phase and what peace talks with Iran might look like. (AA)
  - Iran fires two intermediate-range ballistic missiles at the Diego Garcia military base in the Indian Ocean. However, neither missile hits the base, with one of the missiles failing in-flight, and the other having been intercepted by a United States warship using a SM-3 interceptor. (The Wall Street Journal)
  - The United States Central Command says that its military has struck over 8,000 targets in Iran, including 130 Iranian Navy vessels, since the start of the war. (The Times of Israel)
  - The Islamic Resistance in Iraq claims responsibility for targeting 27 American military bases in Iraq and across the region over the past 24 hours. One police officer is killed in a drone strike on the headquarters of the Iraqi National Intelligence Service in Baghdad. (Shafaq) (Al Jazeera)
Russo-Ukrainian war
- Zaporizhzhia strikes, Russian strikes against Ukrainian infrastructure
  - Russia launches attacks in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine, against energy infrastructure, causing smoke contamination. (RBC-Ukraine)
  - Two people are killed and six others, including two children, are wounded in a Russian drone attack in Zaporizhzhia. (AP)
- Attacks in Russia during the Russo-Ukrainian war
  - Two people are killed and another is injured in an Ukrainian artillery strike in Belgorod Oblast, Russia. (AP)

Disasters and accidents

2026 Cuban crisis
- 2024–2026 Cuba blackouts
  - Cuba reports a nationwide power outage following a total electrical grid collapse, the third major blackout to occur on the island this month. (BNO News) (AP)
Seven people are killed when a Qatar Emiri Air Force helicopter crashes after a techincal malfunction during a routine mission over Qatar's territorial waters. (Reuters) (ASN)
Two skiers are killed and 25 others are trapped, including five injured, in an avalanche near Ratschings in South Tyrol, Italy. (CTV News)
Two people are killed in an explosion when a tipper truck and a tank truck collide outside of a gas station on the Lekki-Epe Expressway in Ajah, Lagos State, Nigeria. Several surrounding buildings were destroyed in the initial blast and the ensuing fire. (The Punch)
At least 230 people are rescued, ten of whom are hospitalized for hypothermia, during flooding and storms in Hawaii, United States. Around 5,500 people are evacuated ahead of a second storm. (BBC News) (CBC)

International relations

The 10th CELAC Summit is held in Bogotá, Colombia. (Xinhua)

Law and crime

2026 Strait of Hormuz crisis
- The Iranian parliament says that it is preparing to pass a law that would impose fees on ships for "safe passage" through the Strait of Hormuz. (Middle East Monitor)

Politics and elections

Protests against the 2026 Iran war
- Large scale protests occurs in Berlin, Germany against the war. Demonstrators call for dialogue and diplomacy to resolve conflicts. (Bastille Post)
- Anti-war protests and diaspora protests against the Iranian regime are held at the Colonial Building in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador. (CBC)
2026 South Australian state election
- In South Australia, the Labor Party wins a landslide victory over the Liberal Party. One Nation also secures second place in first-preference votes. (The Guardian)
Politics of the Czech Republic
- Around 200,000 people gather in Prague, Czech Republic, to express discontent with some steps taken by the current government coalition, including cuts in defence expenditure and proposed changes to the financing of public service media. (radio.cz) (SRF)

Sports

2026 AFC Women's Asian Cup
- 2026 AFC Women's Asian Cup final
  - In women's association football, the 2026 AFC Women's Asian Cup concludes with Japan defeating hosts Australia in the final to win their third title. (BBC Sport) (Reuters)