Iran's death toll in war now over 1,500: State broadcaster

Iran's death toll exceeds 1,500 amid escalating war, with heavy airstrikes and shifting U.S. and Israel strategies reported.

More than 1,500 people have been killed in Iran during the war, the state broadcaster said late Saturday (March 21, 2026), citing the Health Ministry. Residents said Iran's capital saw heavy airstrikes as they marked the end of the holy month of Ramadan.

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Iran targeted a joint U.K.-U.S. military base in the Indian Ocean, and Iran's main nuclear enrichment site was struck again, as the war in the Middle East entered its fourth week. Iran's attack on the Diego Garcia base — 4,000 km away — suggested Tehran has missiles that can go farther than previously acknowledged, or that it had used its space programme for an improvised launch.

The U.S. and Israel have offered shifting rationales for the war, from hoping to foment an uprising that topples Iran's leadership to eliminating its nuclear and missile programmes and its support for armed proxies. There have been no signs of an uprising, while internet restrictions limit information from Iran.

The war's effects are felt far beyond the West Asia, raising food and fuel prices.

It is not clear how much damage Iran has sustained in the U.S. and Israeli strikes that began February 28 — or even who is truly in charge. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei has not been seen in public since being named to the role.