Best photos of March 17: Petrol smuggling in Pakistan to a blackout in Havana

This photograph taken on March 14, 2026 shows vendors transporting jerrycans filled with smuggled Iranian petrol on their motorcycles, on the outskirts of Quetta in Balochistan province. (Photo by Banaras KHAN / AFP)
An injured man talks on a mobile phone following an air strike on a residential building in central Tehran, Iran. Getty images
Construction work at site of what used to be the Dbaibo Cafe in the Raouche area of Beirut, Lebanon. Getty images
Tunisians wearing traditional attire during celebrations marking the 'National Day of Traditional Dress' in Tunis, Tunisia. EPA
Ecuadorian soldiers prepare munitions for an BM-21 Grad multiple rocket launcher during an operation in Podocarpus National Park, Ecuador. EPA
A firefighter battles a blaze at a cardboard recycling plant during a 12-hour operation in Mexicali, Baja California, Mexico. Reuters
Smoke rises as lava from the Piton de la Fournaise volcano reaches the ocean on the island of Reunion. AFP
A hotel remains illuminated by backup power during a blackout in Havana. AFP

The National

March 17, 2026

The National picks the most striking images from around the world