A US-Israeli air raid has struck Iran’s Natanz nuclear enrichment facility, while the wider regional conflict spilled into Iraq and the Indian Ocean, with drone strikes setting off a major fire near a US military site in Baghdad and reports emerging that Diego Garcia had also been targeted. Iranian state media said there was “no leakage of radioactive materials” and no danger to nearby residents after the strike on Natanz. Reuters and AP also reported no immediate sign of a radiation release after the attack.
The Natanz strike marks another sharp escalation in the fast-moving US-Israel war with Iran, which has widened across multiple fronts in recent days. Diego Garcia, the joint US-UK military base in the Indian Ocean, was reportedly targeted by Iranian missiles on March 21, 2026, in what major outlets described as one of Tehran’s longest-range attacks of the conflict.
Strait of Hormuz threat weakened, CENTCOM says
Admiral Brad Cooper, commander of US Central Command, said the US military had dropped multiple 5,000-pound, or 2,270-kilogram, bombs on an underground Iranian coastal facility used to store antiship cruise missiles, mobile missile launchers and other military equipment.
“We not only took out the facility, but also destroyed intelligence support sites and missile radar relays that were used to monitor ship movements,” Cooper said in a video message shared on CENTCOM’s page on X.
“Iran’s ability to threaten freedom of navigation in and around the Strait of Hormuz is degraded as a result, and we will not stop pursuing these targets,” he added.
Recent reporting has described the Strait of Hormuz as a central flashpoint in the conflict, with US officials framing attacks on Iranian coastal missile infrastructure as part of a wider effort to protect shipping routes and energy flows through the waterway.
Baghdad attack signals widening regional danger
In Iraq, drone strikes ignited a massive fire near a US military complex in Baghdad, underscoring how the war is increasingly threatening American positions beyond Iran itself. Reuters reported earlier this week that drones and rockets were also fired toward the US embassy compound in Baghdad, making it one of the heaviest such attacks since the war began.
Pezeshkian urges unity, rejects conflict with neighbours
Despite the continuing attacks, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Tehran is not seeking confrontation with neighbouring Gulf states or other Muslim countries.
“To Islamic countries and our dear neighbours: you are our brothers and we are not engaged in any conflict with you. The only beneficiary of our disagreements is the Zionist entity,” Pezeshkian said in a message on X.
He also prayed that Eid al-Fitr would bring “strength and unity” through adherence to the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad and welcomed Iran’s new year.
“This year, more than ever, we need Nowruz – the Nowruz that showcases unity, cohesion, and national harmony in our culture. Let us join hands to guide our Iran through the storms it has fallen into, emerging proud and triumphant,” wrote Pezeshkian.
With Natanz now hit, Baghdad under renewed threat, and Diego Garcia drawn into the conflict, the war appears to be moving into a broader and more dangerous phase with rising risks for regional security, energy markets and international shipping.
