US-Iran War Day 16: Joint Strikes Hit Isfahan, Iran Launches Missiles at Kuwait Air Base and Israel
The conflict entered its most intense phase yet as US-Israeli forces struck residential areas in Iran's Isfahan, killing at least 15 people, while Tehran fired back with a wave of missile and drone attacks on Kuwait's Ali Al-Salem Air Base and multiple sites in central Israel.
NowCastDaily Staff | March 15, 2026 | World News | 7 min read
The US-Iran war has entered its 16th consecutive day with no sign of slowing, as joint American and Israeli forces carried out a major airstrike campaign on Iran's Isfahan province early Sunday morning, resulting in the deaths of at least 15 civilians according to local emergency services. In response, Iran launched coordinated missile and drone strikes against Kuwait's Ali Al-Salem Air Base — a key installation hosting US military personnel — as well as multiple sites across central Israel.
The war, which officially began on February 28, 2026 when US President Donald Trump announced "major combat operations" against Iran, has now claimed more than 1,400 lives on the Iranian side alone, according to figures released by Al Jazeera. US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced that American and Israeli forces have targeted at least 15,000 enemy sites since the campaign began — averaging more than 1,000 strikes per day.
Isfahan Under Fire: What We Know
In the early hours of Sunday, sirens were activated across Isfahan as explosions rocked several neighborhoods. Iran's state media reported that at least 10,000 residential homes across the country have been damaged or completely destroyed since the conflict began. The Isfahan strikes are the latest in a string of operations that have also targeted Tehran's military infrastructure, government buildings, and senior command figures.
Among the high-profile casualties confirmed by Iranian officials:
- Abdolrahim Mousavi — Chief of Staff of Iran's Armed Forces
- Aziz Nasirzadeh — Defence Minister and Deputy Chief of Staff
- Mohammad Pakpour — IRGC Commander-in-Chief
- Brigadier-General Abdullah Jalali Nasab — Senior military commander, killed in an Israeli strike
- Ayatollah Ali Khamenei — Iran's Supreme Leader, reportedly killed on Day 1; his son Mojtaba has since been chosen to succeed him
Iran Strikes Kuwait's Ali Al-Salem Air Base
Iran's retaliatory operations reached Kuwait on Sunday, with Iranian missiles and drones striking the Ali Al-Salem Air Base — a facility that hosts thousands of US military personnel and serves as a critical logistics hub for American operations in the region. Reports indicate at least one fighter jet was damaged in the attack. Kuwait's government has yet to release an official statement on casualties.
Air India and Air India Express have already announced operational changes to their UAE routes following new instructions from airport authorities in the Gulf, signaling the widening regional impact of the war.
Missiles Rain on Central Israel
Simultaneously, Iran fired multiple barrages of ballistic missiles at central Israel. The Israel Defense Forces confirmed that rescue and recovery operations were underway at "several incident sites" across the country. Israeli police shared images showing the remains of a destroyed vehicle in southern Tel Aviv, struck by an Iranian projectile. Sirens continued to blare across the country throughout the morning.
Israel, meanwhile, is pressing forward with its campaign against Hezbollah in Lebanon, where Israeli air raids and artillery strikes have killed at least 826 people and displaced more than 800,000 since February 28, according to Lebanese emergency services.
Trump: "Iran Wants a Deal" — But He Isn't Ready
Despite the escalating violence, diplomatic signals have begun to emerge. In a Sunday morning phone interview with NBC News, President Trump confirmed that Iran has signaled it is ready for negotiations, but he rejected the current terms as insufficient.
"Iran wants to make a deal, but the terms aren't good enough yet." — President Donald Trump, NBC News, March 15, 2026
Trump also declared on Truth Social that the US has "beaten and completely decimated Iran," and called on nations that rely on oil transiting the Strait of Hormuz to take responsibility for keeping the waterway open.
What Comes Next?
With Iran having effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz, global energy markets are in turmoil. Crude oil prices have skyrocketed, Formula 1 has cancelled its Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grand Prix events, and flights across the Gulf continue to be rerouted. Analysts warn that without a ceasefire framework in the coming days, the conflict risks drawing in additional regional powers and causing a full-scale humanitarian crisis inside Iran.
Sources: Al Jazeera — Iran War Day 16 | ABC News Live Updates | NBC Meet the Press
Stay tuned to NowCastDaily for continuous live coverage of the US-Iran conflict.
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