Portal:Current events/2026 March 28

March 28, 2026 (Saturday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Middle Eastern crisis
- 2026 Iran war
  - 2026 Iranian strikes on Arab countries
    - Iraq in the 2026 Iran war
      - 2026 Iranian strikes on the Kurdistan Region
        Iranian-backed militias launch a drone attack targeting the Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani's private residence in Duhok. (K24)
      - An airstrike in Kirkuk, Iraq, hits a base of the Popular Mobilization Forces, killing one member and injuring four others. (AFP via LBCI)
    - 2026 Iranian strikes on Kuwait
      - Kuwait International Airport is targeted by multiple drone strikes, causing significant damage to its radar system. (Saudi Gazette)
    - 2026 Iranian strikes on Bahrain
      - The smelter facility of Aluminium Bahrain in Askar, Southern Governorate, is targeted by Iranian attacks. (CNBC)
    - 2026 Iranian strikes on the United Arab Emirates
      - Emirates Global Aluminium reports that one of its facilities in Abu Dhabi sustained significant damage and several injuries during missile and drone attacks attributed to Iran. (AFP via The Times of Israel)
  - 2026 Iran University of Science and Technology airstrikes
    - The U.S. and Israel launch airstrikes on the Iran University of Science and Technology (IUST) in the Narmak neighborhood of Tehran, Iran. (BBC in Persian) (AA)
  - Iran says it has dismantled a terrorist cell in Gorgan, Golestan and has arrested two suspects. (Awaz the Voice)
  - The United States Central Command announces the arrival in the Middle East of 3,500 sailors and marines aboard of USS Tripoli. (Gulf Times)
- 2026 Lebanon war
  - Five paramedics are killed in an Israeli airstrike in Zawtar al-Gharbiyah, Nabatieh Governorate, Lebanon. (Al Jazeera)
  - Three journalists are killed and several others injured in an Israeli airstrike in Jezzine District, South Governorate, Lebanon. (KGO-TV)
- Red Sea crisis
  - The Houthis launch a ballistic missile from their territory in Yemen towards Israel, signifying the group's entrance in the war. The Israeli military says that the missile was successfully intercepted and no injuries were reported. A second attack, also without damage, is reported hours later. (Reuters) (The Times of Israel) (Ahram Online)
Russo-Ukrainian war
- Two people are killed and twelve more are injured in a nighttime Russian drone attack on Odesa. A maternity hospital is also damaged. (BBC News)
A man is detained and another is at large after trying to ignite an improvised explosive device near a Bank of America building in Paris, France. Anti-terrorism prosecutors are investigating. (Sky News)

Disasters and accidents

Twenty-two bodies are recovered from a vessel found adrift off the coast of Crete, Greece, according to the Greek coast guard. Twenty-six people are rescued by Frontex. Several survivors said some people were also thrown overboard into the Mediterranean Sea on the orders of a human trafficker during the journey. (Reuters)
Three people are killed and 23 others are injured, including nine critically, in a fire at a high-rise building in Xiaodian, Taiyuan, Shanxi, China. (Xinhua)

International relations

Qatar–Ukraine relations
- Qatar and Ukraine sign a defense pact that includes cooperation on countering missile and drone threats. (AFP via The News)

Law and crime

Protests against the 2026 Iran war
- Around 18 people are arrested during anti-war protests held across Israel against the Iran war, including 13 in Tel Aviv and 5 in Haifa. Protests are also held in Jerusalem and Beersheba. (Haaretz) (Times of Israel)
Five police officers are killed and three others are injured in an ambush by unidentified gunmen in Shariff Aguak, Maguindanao del Sur, Philippines. (Philippine Daily Inquirer)
Four people are killed and two others are injured during clashes between insurgent groups in Kamjong district, Manipur, India. (Hindustan Times)
Seven people are injured in a vehicle ramming attack in Derby, Derbyshire, England. An Indian national in his 30s is arrested with counter-terrorism police investigating. (BBC News) (The Guardian)
Nepal's former prime minister K. P. Sharma Oli is arrested over his alleged involvement in the crackdown on the 2025 protests. (BBC News)

Politics and elections

Protests against Donald Trump
- 2026 No Kings protests
  - The third No Kings protests are held across the United States against the policies of president Donald Trump's administration including the Iran war, ICE operations, and the killings of Renée Good and Alex Pretti. (CNN) (Reuters)
2025–2026 Iran–United States negotiations
- Exiled Iranian crown prince Reza Pahlavi urges the United States not to strike a deal or negotiate for peace with the Iranian regime and also calls for a resurgence in protests. (Reuters)
Constitutional crisis in Somalia
- The South West House of Representatives re-elects incumbent president Abdiaziz Laftagareen for the second time amid tensions with the Somali federal government that resulted in the military being deployed to the Lower Shabelle, Bay and Bakool regions of Somalia. (Somali Guardian) (Hiiraan Online)

Sports

In Thoroughbred racing, American racehorse Magnitude wins the 30th Dubai World Cup in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, amidst the Iran war. (The National News) (ESPN)
In chess, the Candidates Tournament 2026 starts in Cyprus. Between 28 March and 16 April, eight players compete in a double round-robin tournament. The winner will face Gukesh Dommaraju for the World Championship. (FIDE)