Trump threatens to ‘obliterate’ Iran’s power plants if Strait of Hormuz not opened in 48 hours |
The Times of Israel is liveblogging Sunday’s events as they unfold.
Dozens of extremist settlers said to raid West Bank Palestinian villages, torch property
Dozens of settler extremists have reportedly raided multiple Palestinian villages in the West Bank, torching homes, vehicles and other property.
Footage from the villages of Jalud, Fandaqumiya, Silat ad-Dhahr and Qaryut shows buildings on fire, with residents heard rushing to try and evacuate those inside.
There are no reports of arrests, which are highly rare in instances of settler violence. Attacks by extremist settlers have been taking place on a near-daily basis in recent weeks.
HORRIFIC night in the West Bank. Israeli settlers are attacking more than nine Palestinian villages and cities now, including Bethlehem, setting cars and homes on fire and attempting to burn families alive. pic.twitter.com/blZwHOJaB5 — Ihab Hassan (@IhabHassane) March 21, 2026
HORRIFIC night in the West Bank.
Israeli settlers are attacking more than nine Palestinian villages and cities now, including Bethlehem, setting cars and homes on fire and attempting to burn families alive. pic.twitter.com/blZwHOJaB5
— Ihab Hassan (@IhabHassane) March 21, 2026
هجوم للمستوطنين في الضفة الغربية في قرية قريوت يستهدف منازل الفلسطينيينشاهدوا وضاعتهم pic.twitter.com/sT70XDw0aL — Wolverine (@Wolveri07681751) March 21, 2026
هجوم للمستوطنين في الضفة الغربية في قرية قريوت يستهدف منازل الفلسطينيينشاهدوا وضاعتهم pic.twitter.com/sT70XDw0aL
— Wolverine (@Wolveri07681751) March 21, 2026
مستوطنون يحرقون منازل ومركبات للفلسطينيين في هجوم على قرية #الفندقومية جنوب #جنين#إرم_نيوز pic.twitter.com/1qTj0kF5be — Erem News – إرم نيوز (@EremNews) March 21, 2026
مستوطنون يحرقون منازل ومركبات للفلسطينيين في هجوم على قرية #الفندقومية جنوب #جنين#إرم_نيوز pic.twitter.com/1qTj0kF5be
— Erem News – إرم نيوز (@EremNews) March 21, 2026
مستوطنون يحرقون منازل فلسطينيين خلال هجومهم على بلدة سيلة الظهر جنوب جنين في الضفة الغربية#عاجل_الان pic.twitter.com/87YpaXV0Lq — أخبار اليمن والخليج (@YemGulf) March 21, 2026
مستوطنون يحرقون منازل فلسطينيين خلال هجومهم على بلدة سيلة الظهر جنوب جنين في الضفة الغربية#عاجل_الان pic.twitter.com/87YpaXV0Lq
— أخبار اليمن والخليج (@YemGulf) March 21, 2026
Trump threatens to ‘obliterate’ Iran’s power plants if Strait of Hormuz not opened in 48 hours
US President Donald Trump threatens to “obliterate” Iran’s power plants if it doesn’t open the Strait of Hormuz within 48 hours.
“If Iran doesn’t FULLY OPEN, WITHOUT THREAT, the Strait of Hormuz, within 48 HOURS from this exact point in time, the United States of America will hit and obliterate their various POWER PLANTS, STARTING WITH THE BIGGEST ONE FIRST!” Trump writes on Truth Social.
The US has refrained from targeting Iran energy sites to date amid fears of such a step’s impact on the global economy. The Strait of Hormuz is a key artery for the world’s oil supply.
Home Front Command tightens restrictions across south after Iranian attacks on cities of Dimona, Arad
The Home Front Command has tightened its restrictions in several areas of southern Israel following the Iranian ballistic missile attacks on the cities of Dimona and Arad, which injured more than 100 people in total.
According to the new guidelines, which will be in place until Tuesday at 8 p.m., public gatherings are restricted to a maximum of 50 people, provided that a shelter is reachable in the event of an attack, and workplaces can open as long as there is access to a shelter.
Educational activities are canceled in the affected regions. Schools across the country were ordered closed on Sunday and Monday following the missile attacks.
Police chief: No one reported missing in Arad missile attack, searches through rubble are ongoing
Police Commissioner Danny Levy, speaking at the site of the Iranian missile impact in Arad, says police do not believe anyone is missing following the strike but that searches through the rubble are ongoing.
Dozens were wounded in the missile attack on the southern city, which came following an attack on the city of Dimona, also in southern Israel.
“We won’t leave here until we confirm that there is no one missing and no one we have forgotten in the rubble,” Levy says.
He says the searches are using technological means in addition to people physically searching the site of the impact.
“According to reports I received, there is no one trapped at the moment,” he says. “We are continuing to search so that we truly don’t forget anyone here.”
Health system operating in full emergency mode following Iranian missile impacts in south
Some of the dozens of people, adults and children, who were wounded in the Iranian ballistic missile strike in the cities of Dimona and Arad are now being evacuated from hospitals in the south to additional hospitals in the center of the country, the Health Ministry’s Director General, Moshe Bar Siman Tov announces.
The health system is now operating in full emergency mode, preparing for increased mental health care for the population in the south of the country and assisting those who were evacuated from their homes and transferred to hotels in the Dead Sea area.
The ministry reports that eight of the wounded are in serious condition and 16 are in moderate condition.
In addition, the National Resilience Center has contacted the mayors of Dimona and Arad to assist with whatever is needed.
“This is a complex and difficult sequence of events, and the regulated evacuation between hospitals allows us to manage maintain a high level of care for each casualty, even when there are several incidents at the same time,” Siman Tov says. “I would like to pay tribute to the medical teams and rescue and recovery teams who are working with dedication and professionalism, even under fire and in complex conditions, and continue to save lives.”
The ministry reminds the public they can contact the resilience centers and the emergency and emotional support centers of the health care networks to receive psychological assistance.
IDF chief approves strikes on ‘all fronts’ after Iranian missile attacks on cities of Dimona, Arad
IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir held an assessment with senior officers following the Iranian ballistic missile impacts in the southern cities of Dimona and Arad this evening, and approved upcoming strikes tonight “across all fronts.”
The assessment, according to the IDF, was attended by Operations Directorate chief Maj. Gen. Itzik Cohen, Israeli Air Force chief Maj. Gen. Tomer Bar, Intelligence Directorate chief Maj. Gen. Shlomi Binder, and Home Front Command chief Maj. Gen. Shai Klapper.
The military says Zamir instructed the officers to “continue investigating the incidents and draw lessons from them.”
All 71 injured in Arad missile impact taken to hospitals; 10 in serious condition — medics
All victims from the Iranian ballistic missile impact in the southern city of Arad have been taken to hospitals, Magen David Adom says.
In all, 71 people were physically injured, including 10 in serious condition, 13 in moderate condition, and 48 others lightly hurt, according to the ambulance service.
Another four were treated for acute anxiety and also taken to hospitals.
IDF says Iran missiles that struck cities of Dimona, Arad are not new threat: ‘We will investigate’
IDF Spokesman Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin stresses that the Iranian ballistic missiles that struck the southern cities of Dimona and Arad this evening are not a new threat, after air defenses failed to shoot them down.
“The air defense systems operated but did not intercept the missile. We will investigate the incident and learn from it. This is not a special or unfamiliar type of munition,” he says in a post on X.
Defrin says, “Our hearts are with the residents of Arad and Dimona tonight,” and he wishes the dozens of victims of the strikes a speedy recovery.
“It is important to remember, follow the Home Front Command guidelines. They save lives,” he adds.
Footage shows scene of Iranian missile impact in Arad
Drone footage from the United Hatzalah emergency medical service shows the scene of the Iranian ballistic missile impact in Arad.
The missile — carrying a conventional warhead with hundreds of kilograms of explosives — struck between several apartment buildings, wounding dozens of people and causing extensive damage.
Drone footage courtesy of United Hatzalah shows the scene of the Iranian ballistic missile impact in Arad. The missile struck between several apartment buildings, wounding dozens of people and causing extensive damage. pic.twitter.com/rIKL2tpZPC — Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) March 21, 2026
Drone footage courtesy of United Hatzalah shows the scene of the Iranian ballistic missile impact in Arad.
The missile struck between several apartment buildings, wounding dozens of people and causing extensive damage. pic.twitter.com/rIKL2tpZPC
— Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) March 21, 2026
Are you relying on The Times of Israel for accurate and timely coverage of the Iran war right now? If so, please join The Times of Israel Community. For as little as $6/month, you will:
Support our independent journalists who are working around the clock under difficult conditions to cover this conflict;
Read ToI with a clear, ads-free experience on our site, apps and emails; and
Gain access to exclusive content shared only with the ToI Community, including weekly letters from founding editor David Horovitz.
We’re really pleased that you’ve read X Times of Israel articles in the past month.
You clearly find our careful reporting of the Iran war valuable, at a time when facts are often distorted and news coverage often lacks context.
Your support is essential to continue our work. We want to continue delivering the professional journalism you value, even as the demands on our newsroom have grown dramatically during this ongoing conflict.
So today, please consider joining our reader support group, The Times of Israel Community. For as little as $6 a month you'll become our partners while enjoying The Times of Israel AD-FREE, as well as accessing exclusive content available only to Times of Israel Community members.
Thank you,David Horovitz, Founding Editor of The Times of Israel