The number ​of U.S. troops wounded in the ‌war against Iran has ​risen to about 200, the ⁠U.S. military said on Monday (March 16, 2026), as the conflict entered its third ‌week.

Reuters first reported last week that as many ‌as 150 U.S. troops have ‌been ⁠wounded in the conflict, ⁠highlighting the danger from Iranian retaliatory strikes.

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In a statement, the U.S. military’s ​Central Command ‌said the vast majority suffered minor injuries and 180 troops had already returned to duty.

In addition ‌to the wounded, 13 ​U.S. troops have been killed since Iran launched retaliatory ⁠strikes against U.S. military bases following the start of the ‌conflict on February 28.

Iranian attacks have also struck diplomatic missions as well as hotels and airports and damaged energy infrastructure in Arab Gulf states.

The ‌United States has carried out ​strikes against more than 7,000 targets in Iran. Last ⁠week, Mr. Trump said the U.S. hit military ⁠sites at Kharg Island, the Iranian outpost ‌that handles 90% of the country’s oil exports. 

Iran on Wednesday (March 11, 2026), the 12th day of the war, set three conditions for ending the conflict, including guarantees against future attacks even as the U.S. and Israel continued their air strikes in the country.

“Talking to leaders of Russia and Pakistan, I reaffirmed Iran’s commitment to peace in the region,” President Masoud Pezeshkian wrote in a social media post. “The only way to end this war — ignited by the Zionist regime & U.S. — is recognising Iran’s legitimate rights, payment of reparations, and firm international guarantees against future aggression,” he said.

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During nuclear talks ahead the war, Iran had consistently argued that as a signatory of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), nuclear enrichment is “a legitimate right”. This was also the first time a senior Iranian leader called for reparations as a condition to end the war.

On Tuesday (March 10, 2026), the Kremlin said Russian President Vladimir Putin talked to Mr. Pezeshkian and called for “immediate de-escalation”. The Russian President reaffirmed his principled position in favour of a swift de-escalation of the conflict and its resolution through political means. Pezeshkian thanked Russia for its support, particularly for providing humanitarian aid to Iran,” the Kremlin said.

Since the U.S. and Israel began this war on February 28, assassinating Iran’s Supreme Leader and several other top officials, Iran has maintained that it would not talk to the U.S. and accept a ceasefire.

On March 10, Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf, Speaker of Iran’s Parliament, said Iran “believes the aggressor must be punished and taught a lesson that will deter them from attacking Iran again.”

Mr. Ghalibaf, who, along with Security Council Secretary Ali Larijani, has emerged as a defiant public faces of the government, added: “The Zionist regime has consistently perpetuated a vicious cycle of “war, negotiations, ceasefire, then war again” throughout its disgusting history. We will break this cycle.”

U.S. President Donald on Wednesday said in an interview that he could end the war any time. “Practically there is nothing much left to strike,” he said, while the U.S. and Israel continued to carry out air strikes in Iran.

According to the Israeli Defence Forces, “extensive air strikes” were carried out in Iran, hitting targets including headquarters and command centres of the IRGC air force; a compound at Imam Hossein University, the IRGC’s military academy and ballistic missile storage and production sites and air defence missiles.

The IRGC said it launched “decisive strikes against hostile targets” throughout the region. “The operation was designed to maintain continuous and sustained fire over a five-hour period,” it said. The strikes were conducted jointly with the fighters of Lebanon’s Hezbollah resistance movement, the Corps noted.

The United States said on Sunday (March 8, 2026) that it was ordering embassy staff to leave Saudi Arabia as Iran strikes the kingdom in retaliation for the attacks by Washington and Israel.

The State Department said in a travel advisory it had “ordered non-emergency U.S. Government employees and U.S. Government employee family members to leave Saudi Arabia due to safety risks.”

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The order indicated ongoing fears about strikes by Iran, as President Donald Trump warns he is ready for weeks more of war and Tehran says it is ready to respond.

The United States previously had given permission for non-essential staff to leave but did not require them to do so.

The State Department said it continued to warn Americans to “reconsider travel” to Saudi Arabia, though without cautioning against all trips to the kingdom, which has assiduously courted U.S. businesses and politicians.

Drones hit the U.S. embassy in the Saudi capital Riyadh last week, and drones have also caused damage at the U.S. embassies in Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates.

On Sunday (March 8), Saudi Arabia said two people were killed and 12 wounded when a projectile landed in Al Kharj province.

Iran has vowed to extract a price after the United States and Israel launched a massive attack on February 28 that killed the country’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Gulf Arab kingdoms are closely allied with the United States, with Bahrain, and Qatar both providing key bases for U.S. forces.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Saturday (March 7) apologised to neighbouring countries for attacks but later said Iran would be “forced to respond” if the states are used to attack Iran.