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Trump calls Strait of Hormuz 'something that we don't need'

PHOTO: Royal Oman Police Coast Guard patrol boat surveys the area as the traffic is down in the Strait of Hormuz, amid the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran, in Muscat, Oman, March 12, 2026.
2:23
Benoit Tessier/Reuters
US bombs vital oil hub Kharg Island
By Kevin Shalvey, Meredith Deliso, Jon Haworth, Nadine El-Bawab
Last Updated: March 16, 2026, 1:40 AM

President Donald Trump announced "major combat operations" against Iran on Feb. 28, with massive joint U.S.-Israel strikes attack targeting military and government sites, officials said.

Iranian state television confirmed that Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was among those killed in Tehran on the first day of strikes. His son Mojtaba Khamenei was chosen on Sunday to succeed him.

Iran is responding to the operation with missile and drone attacks targeting Israel, regional U.S. bases and multiple Gulf nations. Israel is also intensifying its long-running strike campaign against the Iran-backed Hezbollah militia in Lebanon.

(Read previous Iran live updates here.)

Watch special coverage on Nightline, "War with Iran," each night on ABC and streaming on Disney+ and Hulu.

Key Headlines

  • IRGC declares it continues efforts to 'pursue and kill' Netanyahu
  • CENTCOM calls Iranian claims US targeted Gulf countries a 'lie'
  • War with Iran ‘will certainly’ end in next few weeks: Secretary Wright
  • Pentagon identifies 6 Air Force airmen killed in KC-135 refueling aircraft crash
  • Trump repeats calls for other countries to help with Strait of Hormuz
Here's how the news is developing.

Mar 16, 2026 1:40 AM

Flights suspended after drone strike near Dubai International Airport

Officials in Dubai said flights have been suspended after a nearby drone strike caused a fire. No injuries have been reported.

Dubai Civil Defense teams successfully contained the fire, officials said.

Flights were suspended "as a precautionary measure to ensure the safety of all passengers and employees," Dubai's Aviation Authority announced.


Mar 16, 2026 1:11 AM

Trump calls Strait of Hormuz 'something that we don't need'

As the war in Iran enters its third week, President Donald Trump told reporters on Air Force One Sunday night that he is talking to countries about policing the Strait of Hormuz, saying he is looking at “about seven,” but declined to give specifics on which countries they may be.

Trump also said that the Strait of Hormuz is “something that we don't need,” arguing that other countries should step in and assist because it affects them more than the U.S.

“I really am demanding that these countries come in and protect their own territory, because it is their territory. It's the place from which they get their energy, and they should come and they should help us protect it,” the president said.

Trump also suggested the U.S. not assist at all.

“You could make the case that maybe we shouldn't be there at all because we don't need it. We have a lot of oil people with the number one producer anywhere in the world,” he said.

-ABC News' Meghan Mistry and Emily Chang


Mar 16, 2026 12:40 AM

Trump reportedly tells NATO allies it will be 'very bad' if they don’t help unblock Strait of Hormuz

As President Donald Trump continues to urge countries to assist with the escalating crisis in the Strait of Hormuz, he reportedly issued a warning to NATO on Sunday, saying it will be “very bad” for the global alliance if they do not respond or comply.

“If there’s no response or if it’s a negative response, I think it will be very bad for the future of NATO,” he reportedly told the Financial Times in a phone interview.

The president has spent the weekend insisting that because other countries, particularly Europe and China, are dependent on the oil that flows through the Strait, they should be responsible for assisting with the escalating oil crisis.

“It’s only appropriate that people who are the beneficiaries of the Strait will help to make sure that nothing bad happens there,” Trump said.

The president also floated postponing his trip to Beijing to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping, which a White House official previously told ABC is currently scheduled for March 31 to April 2. He did not say how long he may delay the trip.

Trump told the FT that he would “like to know” if China would help with unblocking the Strait of Hormuz before the summit takes place.

-ABC News' Emily Chang and Meghan Mistry



Mar 15, 2026 8:31 PM

President Trump spoke with UK Prime Minister Starmer, spokesperson says

U.K. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer spoke with President Donald Trump Sunday about the ongoing situation in the Strait of Hormuz, according to a spokesperson for the prime minister's office.

“The leaders discussed the ongoing situation in the Middle East and the importance of reopening the Strait of Hormuz to end the disruption to global shipping, which is driving up costs worldwide," the spokesperson said.

“The Prime Minister also expressed his condolences for the American service personnel who have lost their lives during the conflict," according to the spokesperson, who added that the leaders "agreed to keep in touch.”

PHOTO: President Donald Trump speaks at a women's history month event in the East Room at the White House, March 12, 2026, in Washington.
Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AP
President Donald Trump speaks at a women's history month event in the East Room at the White House, March 12, 2026, in Washington.
Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AP

The spokesperson also said that Starmer had spoken Sunday with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and "discussed the situation in the Middle East, including the impact of the continued closure of the Strait of Hormuz on international shipping."

“They agreed to discuss the ongoing conflict further in their meeting tomorrow, among other bilateral issues,” the spokesperson said.

President Trump on Saturday called for other countries, including the U.K., to step in and assist with the escalating crisis in the Strait of Hormuz.

-ABC News' Mike Trew


Mar 09, 2026 10:52 PM

Trump says war will be 'ended soon'

President Donald Trump said he believes the war with Iran is "going to be ended soon."

"And if it starts up again, they'll be, they'll be hit even harder," he said of Iran during a press briefing on Monday.

Asked by a reporter what he means by "soon" and if he's thinking it will be over this week, he said, "No, but soon."

PHOTO: President Donald Trump speaks at a news conference, March 9, 2026, at Trump National Doral Miami in Doral, Fla.
Mark Schiefelbein/AP
President Donald Trump speaks at a news conference, March 9, 2026, at Trump National Doral Miami in Doral, Fla.
Mark Schiefelbein/AP

Trump was asked again by a reporter on the timeline of the Iran operation and how long should Americans expect, after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on "60 Minutes" on Sunday that "this is only just the beginning" of the U.S. campaign.

Trump said it's the "beginning of building a new country" and that Iran has no navy or air force. 

"We could call it a tremendous success right now, as we leave here, I could call it, or we could go further, and we're going to go further," he said.


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