6 Updates on the Iran War: Trump Rejects Ceasefire - Latest Stance from Putin
Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia - The war between Iran and the United States (US) and Israel continues unabated with no signs of resolution.
Here are the latest developments on Saturday (21/3/2026), compiled by CNBC Indonesia.
- Iran Reveals Enemy is Being Defeated
Iran’s Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, stated that the enemy is currently being defeated by Iranian military forces.
He made this revelation during a statement on Iranian television on Friday (20/3/2026).
“Currently, due to the unity that has been forged among our fellow countrymen, regardless of differences in religious origins, intellectual, cultural, and political backgrounds, the enemy has been defeated,” Khamenei said in his statement, quoted from Al Jazeera on Saturday (21/3/2026).
The new Supreme Leader of Iran said that although the US and Israel believed the Iranian people would overthrow the government, he described it as a major miscalculation.
“The war was launched under the delusion that if the regime’s leadership and certain influential military figures achieve martyrdom, it would instil fear and despair in our beloved people, and through this means, the dream of dominating Iran and then dividing it would be realised,” Khamenei explained.
“On the contrary, cracks have emerged on the enemy’s side,” he added.
- Trump Insists on No Ceasefire
US President Donald Trump claimed to have won the war against Iran.
“I think we’ve already won,” Trump said, quoted from Al Jazeera on Saturday (21/3/2026).
Trump stated that US military operations in Iran would continue. He said the US would not pursue a ceasefire because its forces had won against Iran.
“I don’t want to do a ceasefire. You know, you don’t do a ceasefire when you’ve really destroyed the other side,” he added.
- Iran’s Foreign Minister: The War Must End
Iran’s Foreign Minister, Abbas Araghchi, said Tehran needs more than just a ceasefire to end the war with the US and Israel.
“Our message is that this war is not our war. It is a war imposed on us. We were negotiating with the United States when they decided to attack us. This is blatant aggression; illegal, unjustified, and unprovoked aggression,” Araghchi said, quoted from Al Jazeera.
He added that Iran would continue to fight to win the war. His side would also continue to defend itself for the sake of the Iranian people who are now suffering due to US-Israeli attacks.
“What we are doing is purely self-defence. We will continue to defend ourselves, however necessary and for as long as necessary,” he continued.
Araghchi also refused to accept a unilateral ceasefire from the US, drawing from last year’s experience where the ceasefire was merely a trap.
“Our position, and I must reiterate, is that we do not accept a ceasefire because we do not want last year’s scenario to repeat. The war must be ended completely and permanently, and there must be guarantees that this situation will not recur,” Araghchi emphasised.
- Russia Supports Iran
Russian President Vladimir Putin congratulated Iranian leaders on the Nowruz celebrations and stated that Moscow remains a loyal friend and reliable partner for Tehran, which serves as a form of Russia’s support for Iran.
However, the extent of Moscow’s support for Iran remains a matter of debate. Some Iranian sources say they have only received minimal real assistance from Moscow during Iran’s biggest crisis since the US-backed Shah was overthrown in the 1979 revolution.
Putin sent Nowruz New Year greetings to Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian.
“Vladimir Putin hopes that the Iranian people can overcome this severe ordeal with dignity and emphasises that in these difficult times, Moscow remains a loyal friend and trusted partner of Tehran,” the Kremlin said, quoted from Reuters on Saturday (21/3/2026).
Russia stated that the US and Israeli attacks on Iran have plunged the entire Middle East into the abyss of destruction and triggered a major global energy crisis. Putin also condemned the killing of Iran’s previous Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, as a “cynical” assassination.
- Iran and Israel Continue Mutual Attacks
Israel and Iran continue to attack each other up to Saturday, as the US sends thousands of additional marines to the Middle East and President Donald Trump accuses NATO allies of cowardice for their reluctance to help open the Strait of Hormuz.
Israel also attacked Beirut, stating that they targeted Hezbollah amid increased airstrikes targeting the Iranian-backed Lebanese militia.
These attacks represent the deadliest impact of the war against Iran since Hezbollah fired on Israel to support Tehran on 2 March.
More than 2,000 people have been killed since the US and Israel attacked Iran on 28 February, while Americans appear increasingly concerned about signs that the war could spread further as it enters its fourth week.
Vital energy infrastructure in Iran and neighbouring Gulf countries has been attacked, causing oil prices to rise 50% and threatening a global economic shock.
- Explosions Occur in UAE and Tehran
Interception explosions in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) were heard loudly on Friday night local time, extending a series of consecutive blasts.
Just after midnight, the UAE confirmed that their defences were again responding to missile and drone threats coming from Iran, and the sounds were from air defence systems activated late at night.
“We also have personnel here who are on high alert. Currently, security is the top priority, following warnings from