EconoTicker

Turkey is playing a role in passing messages between Tehran and Washington as part of efforts to reduce tensions and encourage the start of direct negotiations, according to Harun Armagan, the foreign affairs vice chair of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s ruling party, who spoke to Reuters on Wednesday. He said the communications were not limited to Iran and the United States and were also being conveyed to Persian Gulf countries affected by the widening conflict.

The remarks reinforce Ankara’s broader push to position itself as an active regional intermediary as the war continues. Reuters also reported that Turkish officials, including Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, have been in contact with both U.S. and Iranian counterparts in recent days as part of efforts to support de-escalation and explore diplomatic off-ramps.

Source: Reuters.

Staff linked to the Iranian Hospital in Dubai have been forced to leave their housing after UAE authorities ordered the evacuation of the hospital’s residential units, according to Iran International. The report said residents were initially given one month to vacate, but that deadline was later cut to one week as the hospital was shut down.

According to the same report, doctors, nurses, and other staff living in the complex began leaving on March 24, with the evacuation completed by March 25. It also said visas for some employees whose residency depended on the hospital were cancelled, leaving them to return to Iran through third countries, including Afghanistan.

The development appears to mark a broader rollback of Iranian-linked institutional presence in Dubai, following the earlier evacuation of residential units tied to Iranian schools in the emirate.

Source: Iran International.

Iraq moved to raise diplomatic pressure after fresh airstrikes hit Popular Mobilization Forces positions in al-Qaim, Anbar province, near the Syrian border. Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani ordered the Foreign Ministry to summon the U.S. chargé d’affaires over what his office described as attacks targeting “military units” inside Iraq.

The step signals a sharper response from Baghdad as the war’s spillover increasingly reaches Iraqi territory. Iraqi officials have also indicated that the government is treating the latest strikes as a direct challenge to state sovereignty and military security.

Source: Reuters; statement from the Iraqi prime minister’s office.

Bahrain said its air defense systems have intercepted and destroyed 153 ballistic missiles and 331 drones launched from Iran, marking one of the clearest cumulative tallies yet released by Manama during the conflict. The figures were attributed to the Bahrain Defence Force, which said its forces remain on high alert and that the kingdom’s airspace is secure.

The Bahraini statement also condemned the use of missiles and drones against civilian areas and private property, describing such attacks as a threat to regional peace and security. The announcement underscores the scale of the pressure on Gulf air defenses as the war continues to spill across the region.

Source: Bahrain Defence Force

The German government said it has not yet reached a final legal conclusion on whether the U.S.-Israeli campaign against the Islamic Republic violated international law, signaling that Berlin is still keeping its formal assessment under review.

The position stands in contrast to remarks by President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, who on March 24, 2026, described the war as a “disastrous mistake” and a breach of international law. Reuters said his comments marked a clear departure from the more cautious line associated with Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s government.

Source: Reuters

Iranian authorities announced a fresh wave of arrests as the war continues, underscoring a parallel tightening of internal security measures. The Ministry of Intelligence said 39 citizens in Tehran province had been detained in connection with the war, while the IRGC in Qazvin separately reported the arrest of one citizen over a related case.

The new detentions point to a broader pattern of heightened domestic enforcement during the conflict, as state institutions move to strengthen control on the home front while military and political tensions remain elevated. The announcements also suggest that the authorities are treating war-related activity inside the country as a growing security issue.

Source: Ministry of Intelligence of the Islamic Republic; IRGC Qazvin

Lebanon’s Amal Movement, led by Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, called on the government to reverse its decision to expel Iran’s ambassador from Beirut, warning that the move could drag the country into a political and national crisis. In its statement, Amal said the current sensitive moment requires officials to strengthen unity and national solidarity.

The call comes after Lebanon’s Foreign Ministry declared Iran’s ambassador persona non grata and ordered him to leave the country by March 29, 2026. Lebanese authorities said the measure was linked to alleged violations of diplomatic norms, while also stressing that the step does not mean a full break in diplomatic relations with Tehran.

The dispute highlights the growing strain inside Lebanon over Iran’s role and the position of Tehran-backed forces, with the ambassador’s expulsion now emerging as another flashpoint in the country’s already fragile internal balance.

Source: Sawt Beirut; Associated Press; Anadolu Agency

The Lebanese army said an examination of missile debris that fell inside Lebanese territory indicates the projectile was an Iranian-made guided ballistic missile of the Qadr-110 type. According to the military’s statement, the missile was about 16 meters long, had a range of roughly 2,000 kilometers, and was equipped with multiple smaller submunitions.

The army added that the missile exploded at high altitude, suggesting that its intended target was outside Lebanese territory. It said the explosion may have been caused either by a technical malfunction or by the impact of an interceptor missile. Lebanese authorities said investigations are continuing to clarify the full details of the incident.

Source: Lebanese Army statement

At the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva on 25 March 2026, member states held an urgent debate on what the Council’s official notice described as Iran’s recent military aggression against Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates, including attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure. The debate was convened after a request submitted by Bahrain on behalf of the GCC and Jordan, with a draft resolution intended to be presented in connection with the session.

Separately, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk said Iran had launched large numbers of drones and missiles against military bases, residential areas, and energy facilities across Gulf states and Jordan, and said strikes and interceptions had caused civilian deaths, injuries, and damage to essential infrastructure. He urged an end to attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure and warned that deliberate attacks could amount to war crimes.

Source: OHCHR / UN Human Rights Council; Statement by High Commissioner Volker Türk.

A Saudi official told Al Hadath that Riyadh reserves the right to deter any aggression through political tools and other measures, signaling that the kingdom wants to preserve room for response as regional tensions remain elevated.

The official added that Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister has stressed the country’s patience has limits, while also reiterating that Riyadh has already rejected claims suggesting it wants the war to continue for a longer period.

The remarks point to a firmer Saudi tone, combining diplomatic caution with a warning that the kingdom is prepared to defend its interests if the conflict widens further.

Source: Al Hadath

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said Iran informed the agency on Tuesday that another projectile had struck the Bushehr nuclear power plant complex, renewing concerns over nuclear safety risks amid the ongoing conflict.

The IAEA again called on all parties to exercise maximum restraint to prevent any nuclear safety incident during the fighting. At the same time, according to the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, the power plant itself was not damaged, no staff were injured, and operations at the facility remain normal.

The update highlights the growing sensitivity around critical nuclear infrastructure, as even indirect or limited strikes near such sites can raise wider regional and international alarm.

Source: IAEA; Atomic Energy Organization of Iran

Iraq’s National Security Council has authorized the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), including factions backed by the Islamic Republic, to exercise their right of self-defense and respond to any attack targeting their positions.

The decision signals a potentially more assertive security posture from Baghdad at a time of heightened regional tension. By formally allowing the PMF to retaliate if their sites are struck, Iraqi authorities appear to be preparing for a broader spillover risk as the regional conflict intensifies.

Source: Iraqi National Security Council