The war between the United States and Israel against Iran entered its eighteenth day today (Tuesday). Strikes are intensifying, casualties rising, with the majority of them in Iran. More than 1,500 people have been confirmed dead from the war, with over 1,400 of them killed in Iran. We bring you major updates on the war on its seventh day. More countries reject Trump’s demand on Hormuz Many countries have rejected President Donald Trump’s demand to help the US seize the Strait of Hormuz from Iran’s stronghold. PREMIUM TIMES earlier reported that Mr Trump had requested that NATO allies send warships to keep the Strait open. On Sunday, he threatened that NATO would face a “very bad future” if allies fail to help open the Strait. He said, “It’s only appropriate that people who are the beneficiaries of the Strait will help make sure that nothing bad happens there.” However, several countries have rebuffed the demand. Australia, Japan, Poland, Sweden, and Spain declared that they had no intention of sending military ships. European leaders also joined the chorus. The German Defence Minister, Boris Pistorius, said that there would be “no military participation.” Italy’s Foreign Minister, Antonio Tajani, said Italy will not be participating in any naval operations that could be deployed to the region. He noted that diplomacy must take precedence. Germany and Greece have also ruled out military involvement in the Strait. Trump criticises allies over Hormuz President Donald Trump at the White House on Monday criticised allies for refusing to help the US keep the Strait of Hormuz open. Reuters reported that he expressed frustration over allies’ unwillingness to send warships to escort oil tankers through the Strait. He stated that although many countries have indicated interest in helping, some long‑standing allies are rejecting his request. “Some are very enthusiastic about it, and some aren’t,” he said, without offering specifics. Some are countries that we’ve helped for many, many years. “We’ve protected them from horrible outside sources, and they weren’t that enthusiastic. And the level of enthusiasm matters to me,” he said. He, however, did not provide any information on the countries he claimed had indicated interest. US casualties rise The number of US soldiers wounded in the ongoing war has risen to around 200. Most suffered minor injuries, and about 180 have already returned to duty, according to CENTCOM. However, about ten American soldiers suffered severe injuries. The troops, according to the US military, were injured across Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Jordan, Bahrain, Iraq, and Israel. Meanwhile, 13 US soldiers have been killed so far in the war. Iran’s foreign minister denies recent contact with America’s Witkoff Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi, on Monday, rejected reports that a direct communication channel had been established between him and US envoy Steve Witkoff. In a post on X, Mr Araghchi stated that his last contact with Mr ‌Witkoff was before the US and Israel launched their war on Iran. My last contact with Mr. Witkoff was prior to his employer’s decision to kill diplomacy with another illegal military attack on Iran. Any claim to the contrary appears geared solely to mislead oil traders and the public. — Seyed Abbas Araghchi (@araghchi) March 16, 2026 “My last contact with Mr Witkoff was ⁠prior to his employer’s decision to kill diplomacy with another illegal military attack on Iran,” he said. Iran says it will end the war Meanwhile, Iran said the outcome of the ongoing battle will be decided on the battlefield, not on social media, as it continues to use defiant rhetoric. The spokesman of the Iranian military, Ebrahim Zolfaghari, reiterated that Iran will decide how the war will end. He said, “You started it, we will finish it”. Mr Zolfaghari stated that Iran has the right to self-defence and considered it a necessity to defend itself from US attacks. He also warned against any attacks coming from the US military’s bases in the region.