West Asia War Day 17 LIVE: Fire at Dubai Airport After Drone Incident

March 16, 2026 - West Asia War Day 17 LIVE Updates

10:00 am: The war in the Middle East is in its 17th day and continues to rage with no sign of any de-escalation from either side. While on the one hand US President Donald Trump on March 14 claimed that Iran is willing to make a deal but “I don’t want to make it because the terms aren’t good enough yet,” today he is saying that Washington is talking to Iran but the latter is not yet ready to make a deal to end the war. Trump also claims that Iran’s military capabilities have been significantly weakened and insisted however that "they want to make a deal badly".

Dubai in the United Arab Emirates is grappling with a fire as a drone incident caused a fire near the Dubai International Airport. All flights to the airport have been diverted to Al Maktoum International Airport in Jebel Ali. The fire erupted at a fuel tank but has been contained now, says Dubai media office. Dubai police has meanwhile closed the airport road and the airport tunnel urging drivers to take alternative routes.

An Emirates Airline flight from Thiruvananthapuram to Dubai has to return midway after the closure of Dubai airport. Emirates has announced suspension of all flights to and from Dubai.

Trump has demanded that NATO allies help in protecting the Strait of Hormuz even as oil prices keep rising. He has reportedly told about seven countries send warships to help keep the Strait of Hormuz open amid the ongoing war with Iran.

Australia and Japan have both denied reports that they are sending ships to the Strait. 

Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has slammed Israeli strikes on fuel depots in Tehran, calling them a violation of international law and a form of 'ecocide'. He has also said that nuclear materials at the country’s facilities have been buried under rubble after the recent attacks.

Saudi Arabia has said its defence forces have intercepted three waves of drones since early this morning, according to reports. Kuwait’s National Guard says it intercepted two drones in the past 24 hours.

Iraqi air defences are responding to drones near the US Embassy in central Baghdad and near the Balad Airbase in Salah al-Din governorate, as per sources to Al Jazeera.

The Iranian Red Crescent Society has said that one of its workers Hamidreza Jahanbakhsh was killed during a rescue operation in  Isfahan Province on March 8. It also claimed that the latest air raids on Tehran has damaged one of its clinics and an aid relief post.

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