The conflict in West Asia entered its 14th day as the United States and Israel carried out intense air strikes on Tehran, while the IRGC launched its latest wave of retaliatory attacks.
The war, triggered by joint US-Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28, has rapidly expanded into a full-scale regional conflict, disrupting Persian Gulf shipping and energy infrastructure and unsettling oil markets, with no sign of an end to the fighting.
TOP DEVELOPMENTS
Strikes on Tehran: US and Israeli air strikes continued to hit Iranian cities, including Tehran, targeting security facilities and oil depots, with attacks also reported in Kashan, Isfahan, Qom and Arak. A large explosion struck Tehran’s Ferdowsi Square on Friday near demonstrations marking Quds Day, Iranian state TV reported.
'Sign of desparation': Iranian officials condemned the suspected Israeli strike near Tehran’s Ferdowsi Square, with security official Ali Larijani calling it a "sign of its desperation", while judiciary chief Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejehi said Iran "under this rain and missiles will never withdraw."
'Deranged scumbags': US President Donald Trump on Friday issued a fresh threat to Iran’s leadership in a social media post, writing, "Watch what happens to these deranged scumbags today," as he touted the damage inflicted on Iran and said it was a "great honour" to be responsible for it.
1st week of war costs US $11.3bn: The first week of the war against Iran has cost the US about $11.3 billion, according to the Pentagon. US lawmakers say they expect a supplemental funding request related to the conflict to reach at least $50 billion.
US refuelling plane crashes in Iraq: A US KC-135 military refuelling aircraft involved in operations against Iran crashed in western Iraq, with rescue efforts under way, US Central Command said. At least four of the six crew members aboard were killed.
Over 3 million Iranians displaced: UN Refugee Agency says some 3.2 million people have been displaced in Iran due to US-Israeli attacks since the war began.
The Israeli military said on Friday it had carried out around 7,600 strikes in Iran and 1,100 in Lebanon since launching its joint operation with the United States against Tehran.
The military said that some 2,000 of the strikes had targeted "headquarters and assets of the Iranian terror regime", and roughly 4,700 were against the Islamic republic's missile program.
In Lebanon, it said it had struck 200 "missile and launcher targets" and around 35 command-and-control sites of the Iran-backed Hezbollah group, and killed "more than 380 Hezbollah terrorists".
Israeli strikes have killed at least 773 people since March 2, the Lebanese health ministry said on Friday, as Israel vowed that Lebanon will pay an "increasing price" in damage to infrastructure.
"The total number of martyrs from March 2 to March 13 reached 773, and the number of wounded reached 1,933" including 103 children, the ministry said in its daily update.
Iran's Revolutionary Guards announced on Friday that they had launched missiles and drones at Israel in coordination with Tehran's Lebanese ally Hezbollah.
The Guards said in a statement that the operation was part of its annual Quds Day, which is intended to show support for the Palestinian cause.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Friday that the Middle East war should end "as soon as possible" as the conflict "benefits no-one and harms many economically, including us".
Asked whether Europeans should make direct contact with Iran to ask for the Strait of Hormuz to be reopened, Merz said: "We are making every effort to end this war... all diplomatic channels are being used."
Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian said Friday the United States and Israel are seeking to break his country apart in their war against the Islamic republic.
"America and the Zionist regime pursue sinister intentions and goals to weaken and cause Iran and major Islamic countries to disintegrate," he said.
Several blasts were heard Friday after air raid sirens sounded in Israel's commercial hub Tel Aviv, AFP journalists said, following a warning from the military that missiles had been fired from Iran.
"The IDF (military) identified missiles launched from Iran toward the territory of the State of Israel. Defensive systems are operating to intercept the threat," the Israeli army said.
US President Donald Trump said in an interview aired Friday he suspected Russian leader Vladimir Putin was aiding Iran in the war against the United States and Israel.
"I think he might be helping him a little bit, yeah, I guess. And he probably thinks we're helping Ukraine, right?" Trump said in an interview with Fox News Radio.
Several US media outlets have reported that Russia has provided targeting information to Iran for attacking US forces during the ongoing conflict.
A Turkish-owned ship was able to cross the Strait of Hormuz with Iran's permission, Turkey's transport minister said Friday of a critical artery where the Mideast war has essentially halted shipping.
"We have 15 ships in the Strait of Hormuz and were able to get one of them through after obtaining permission from the Iranian authorities," Transport Minister Abdulkadir Uraloglu told journalists.
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres launched a $325 million humanitarian appeal on Friday to support Lebanon as it responds to the displacement crisis caused by the war between Iran-backed Hezbollah and Israel.
"I am pleased to join all of you today as we launch a Flash Humanitarian Appeal of $325 million to support the people of Lebanon," Guterres said during a conference attended by representatives of UN agencies and donor countries at the Lebanese prime minister's office.
The appeal "will sustain and expand life-saving assistance over the next three months -- including food, clean water, health care, education, protection and other vital services", he added.
Iran’s newly appointed Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, is reportedly wounded and likely disfigured, raising questions about his ability to govern amid nearly two weeks of US and Israeli military strikes, US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Friday, news agency Reuters reported.
No images of Khamenei have been released since an Israeli strike at the start of the conflict that killed several members of his family, including his father and wife.
US President Donald Trump said in an interview aired Friday US forces would be carrying out intense strikes against Iranian targets in the coming days, as the war that has cascaded throughout the Mideast region headed into its third week.
"We're going to be hitting them very hard over the next week," Trump told Fox News Radio.
An explosion was heard in Dubai, an AFP correspondent reported, as the interior ministry sent phone alerts warning of "potential missile threats".
"Air defence systems are currently dealing with a missile threat," the defence ministry later said.
Sheikh Hassan Ghandour, an imam from the village of Nabatieh al‑Fawqa in southern Lebanon, has died from injuries he sustained when his home was hit in an Israeli strike, Al Jazeera reported citing Lebanon’s National News Agency
Two people were killed and 10 injured in bombing raids on Tehran’s Haft Chenar neighbourhood on the wee hours of Friday, Al Jazeera reported citing Mehr news agency. According to the agency, 100 residential units were damaged in the attacks, with 30 completely destroyed.
President Emmanuel Macron on Friday said France's position in the Middle East war remained "purely defensive" despite an Iranian drone having killed a French soldier in Iraq's autonomous Kurdistan region.
"France's position is purely defensive, in support of its allies, and can in no way justify any attack against it," Macron said during a news conference with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky.
The Strait of Hormuz is a "tactically complex environment," top US military officer General Dan Caine said Friday, acknowledging the difficulty in acting on plans to escort traffic safely through the strategic waterway.
"It's a tactically complex environment. Before, I think, we want to take anything through there at scale, we want to make sure that we do the work pursuant to our current military objectives," Caine said.
The United States and Israel have hit over 15,000 targets in Iran since February 28, averaging more than 1,000 strikes a day, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Friday. He added that Iranian missile and drone attacks have fallen sharply, with missile launches down 90% and one-way attack drones down 95%.
China on Friday expressed deep condolences for the students killed in an airstrike on a girls’ school in Minab, southern Iran, and announced USD 200,000 in emergency humanitarian aid through the Iranian Red Crescent Society.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun condemned attacks on civilians, saying targeting schools and children “cross the bottom line of human morality and conscience.” He reaffirmed China’s commitment to humanitarian support and urged all parties to halt military operations to prevent further regional escalation and global economic disruption.
Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejehi, the head of the Islamic Republic’s judiciary, said Iran “under this rain and missiles will never withdraw” after a strike hit near Tehran’s Ferdowsi Square on Friday.
Ejehi delivered the remarks during an interview with state television at a demonstration. His bodyguards quickly encircled him as the strike landed in the area, but he raised his fist as he spoke.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov says the US decision to allow purchases of Russian oil currently stranded at sea will help stabilize global energy markets.
Peskov told reporters on Friday that the world was facing a growing energy crisis. “It’s impossible to stabilize the market without significant volumes of the Russian oil,” he said.
Britain is accusing Russia and Iran of working together to inflict military and economic pain on the West.
UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said on Friday during a trip to Saudi Arabia that Moscow and Tehran are trying “to support each other and try to benefit together from attempting to hijack the global economy.”
The US has eased Russian oil sanctions as oil prices climb following Iran’s attacks on vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, saying it will temporarily allow countries to buy Russian oil already loaded on vessels at sea. Britain says it won’t follow suit but has declined to criticize the American decision.
UK Defense Secretary John Healey has said Moscow and Tehran are collaborating on drone technology and tactics.
The British military is investigating whether a drone that struck a UK air base on Cyprus at the start of the conflict contained Russian components.
NATO defenses on Friday intercepted a ballistic missile fired from Iran over Turkey, the third such incident since the start of the war.
Turkey’s Defense Ministry said the missile was destroyed by NATO air defenses deployed in the eastern Mediterranean.
Residents in the southern city of Adana reported hearing a loud explosion and sirens sounding at Incirlik Air Base, which is used by US forces, in the early hours of Friday. No casualties were reported.
This comes after NATO had deployed an additional Patriot air defense system this week in the southeastern province of Malatya, where the Kurecik radar station is based.
The Defense Ministry stressed on Thursday that Incirlik is a Turkish base and that a foreign troop presence does not alter the base’s status. The statement was an apparent response to warnings from Tehran to regional countries not to host US military bases.
Iranian security official Ali Larijani called the suspected Israeli attack in the area of Tehran’s Ferdowsi Square on Friday a “sign of its desperation.”
“The problem with Trump is that he is not smart enough to see that the Iranian nation is a mature, strong and determined nation,” Larijani told Iranian media.
“The more pressure he puts on the people, the greater their willpower becomes.”
Four of the six crew abroad a US military KC-135 refuelling aircraft that crashed in western Iraq have been found dead, the American military said.
The US military’s Central Command made the announcement in a statement. “Four of six crew members on board the aircraft have been confirmed deceased as rescue efforts continue,” the statement said.
“The circumstances of the incident are under investigation. However, the loss of the aircraft was not due to hostile fire or friendly fire,” it said.
According to Axios, US President Donald Trump is said to have told Group of Seven leaders in a virtual meeting on Wednesday that Iran was "about to surrender", citing three officials from G7 countries briefed on the call.
Axios reported that Trump also touted the results of 'Operation Epic Fury', telling allies: "I got rid of a cancer that was threatening us all."
While claiming Iran was close to surrendering, Trump also suggested there were no officials left in Tehran with the authority to make that decision.
"Nobody knows who is the leader, so there is no one that can announce surrender," he said, according to two officials briefed on the call.
A large explosion struck Iran’s capital Tehran on Friday at a square filled with demonstrators, Iranian state television reported. The explosion hit Ferdowsi Square, just down Enghelab Street from Tehran University, the epicenter of ongoing Quds, or Jerusalem, Day demonstrations.
Video published by the semiofficial Tasnim news agency showed a plume of gray smoke rising as demonstrators screamed “Death to Israel!” and “Death to America!” Footage from Ferdowsi Square showed people shouting “God is the greatest!” as smoke rose.
The cause of the blast was not immediately known. Israel had warned it could strike in the area just before the blast.
Authorities in Tehran offered no immediate details about what happened.
However, the site of the blast appeared near where Israel said it would strike. Just before the Tehran strike, an explosion shook the city of Qazvin, which Israel also had warned it would target.
People reported other strikes in Tehran around the same time, though there was no immediate information on what may have been struck.
Earlier on Friday, the US military said a KC-135 refuelling aircraft supporting operations against Iran crashed in western Iraq and rescue operations are underway.
The US Central Command, which oversees the Middle East, said the crash followed an unspecified incident involving two aircraft in "friendly airspace," and that the other plane landed safely.
The US Central Command did not elaborate on the circumstances of the crash, but said it "was not due to hostile fire or friendly fire."
Israel issued a strike warning on Friday for an area near Tehran University that was hosting the annual Quds Day demonstrations. Tehran University is the site of Friday prayers in the city, where demonstrators will gather later at noon.
The warning showed a strike being possible along Enghelab Street near the university. The area is filled with demonstrators at the moment. The warning in Farsi said the Israeli military “will conduct operations in this area in the coming hours.”
“We kindly urge you to immediately evacuate the designated area indicated on the map,” the message said. “Your presence in these areas puts your life at risk.”
Sri Lanka’s foreign ministry says the remains of 84 Iranian sailors killed in a US submarine attack on March 4 have been handed over to Iranian representatives to be repatriated.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Thushara Rodrigo said the ministry completed the procedure for repatriating the remains of foreigners and handed over the bodies of the crew members from Iranian warship IRIS Dena.
They will be flown to Iran from Hambantota airport in southern Sri Lanka on Friday, he said.
Another 32 sailors from IRIS Dena were rescued by Sri Lanka’s navy.
More than 200 Iranian sailors also were brought ashore by Sri Lanka’s navy from a second Iranian warship. The vessels were returning from a naval exercise in India.
Since starting a war with Iran caused oil and gasoline prices to spike, US President Donald Trump has pivoted from a focus on keeping energy prices low to trying to paint high oil prices as a positive.
The about-face comes as Trump's team has struggled to offer a clear plan for opening up the critical Strait of Hormuz so that tankers full of oil and natural gas are no longer stranded — even as the administration took a series of decisions to try to quickly stabilize surging prices.
The flip-flop shows Trump's political interests at home are suddenly at odds with his desire to flex America's muscles on the global stage and comes at a precarious time for the Republicans, ahead of the November midterm elections.
Iranian state television aired footage on Friday showing thousands of people across the Islamic Republic taking part in the annual Quds Day.
Quds is the Arabic name of Jerusalem.
Demonstrators chanted “Death to Israel” and “Death to America” while carrying Iranian flags in support of the military forces fighting against the US and Israel. People joined the rallies in Tehran despite ongoing American-Israeli strikes taking place during the commemoration.
Iran has been marking Quds Day on the last Friday of the Muslim holy fasting month of Ramadan since its 1979 Islamic Revolution.
An Israeli strike in eastern Lebanon that was targeting an Islamic Group official killed two people.
Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency said the early Friday strike on an apartment in the eastern village of Bar Elias wounded Youssef Dahouk, a local official with al-Jamaa al-Islamiya, or the Islamic Group, and two others. The agency said Dahouk’s two sons were killed in the strike.
Over the past two years, Israel has targeted officials with the Islamic Group which is the Lebanon branch of the Muslim Brotherhood.
A building at the Dubai International Financial Center sustained damage on Friday after what authorities described as a “successful interception.”
The Dubai Media Office earlier described the incident as “a successful interception.” It did not elaborate on what had been intercepted, nor did it acknowledge the damage done to DIFC.
The building, known as the DIFC Innovation Hub, bore fire damage on Friday morning, with pieces of its facade torn away. DIFC is an economic free zone for banks, capital traders and wealth managers, home to exclusive restaurants and nightclubs for the city-state’s elite.
Iran’s military on Wednesday said banks and financial institutions were now a target in the region after an airstrike hit a bank in Tehran.
Israel’s air force struck more than 200 targets in western and central Iran in the past day, the army said.
Fighter jets struck ballistic missile launchers, defense systems and weapon production sites.
The conflict in West Asia entered its 14th day as the United States and Israel continued air strikes on Iranian cities, while Tehran launched its latest wave of retaliatory attacks.
The war, triggered by joint US-Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28, has rapidly expanded into a full-scale regional conflict, disrupting Persian Gulf shipping and energy infrastructure and unsettling oil markets, with no sign of an end to the fighting.
TOP DEVELOPMENTS
'Deranged scumbags': US President Donald Trump on Friday issued a fresh threat to Iran’s leadership in a social media post, writing, "Watch what happens to these deranged scumbags today," as he touted the damage inflicted on Iran and said it was a "great honour" to be responsible for it.
US-Israeli strikes continue: US and Israeli air strikes continued to hit Iranian cities, including Tehran, targeting security facilities and oil depots. Attacks were also reported in Kashan, Isfahan, Qom and Arak.
1st week of war costs US $11.3bn: The first week of the war against Iran has cost the US about $11.3 billion, according to the Pentagon. US lawmakers say they expect a supplemental funding request related to the conflict to reach at least $50 billion.
US refuelling plane crashes in Iraq: A US KC-135 military refuelling aircraft involved in operations against Iran crashed in Iraq, with rescue efforts underway, US Central Command said. At least five crew members were on board, but casualties remain unclear.
US halts Russian oil sanctions: The US Treasury Department announced late on Thursday it was taking steps to further ease sanctions on Russian oil as crude prices surge during the Iran war.
Over 3 million Iranians displaced: UN Refugee Agency says some 3.2 million people have been displaced in Iran due to US-Israeli attacks since the war began.
US and Israeli air strikes continued across Iran on the 14th day of the war, with attacks reported in Tehran Kashan, Isfahan, Qom and Arak.
Heavy airstrikes hit Iran’s capital, Friday morning just before rallies were to begin for the annual Quds, or Jerusalem, Day.
According to Al Jazeera, there were reports of drone attacks in Tehran targeting security facilities and the Basij militia. Air defence systems were activated and the sound of drones could be heard across the capital.
Plumes of smoke from burning oil depots were seen across parts of the city, contributing to heavy air pollution. A significant proportion of Tehran’s residents have evacuated.
Meanwhile, the IRGC said its forces had launched a 44th wave of retaliatory strikes targeting Israel.
Israel’s Magen David Adom ambulance service said some 58 people were hurt in a missile attack on Zarzir, a city around 100 kilometers (60 miles) north of Jerusalem near the border with Lebanon.
The service said one person was in moderate condition and 57 sustained very minor injuries from glass shards.
Footage shared by the ambulance service from the impact site showed damaged cars and scattered debris. The Israeli military said it was operating with emergency services at the scene to clear debris.
Hezbollah said early Friday that it had fired several rocket salvos toward northern Israel and Israeli troops in southern Lebanon.
Israel’s military issued a warning on Friday morning that Iranian missiles were inbound to the country, with air defenses actively targeting the fire.
The first week of the war against Iran has cost the United States about $11.3 billion, according to the Pentagon.
According to US media reports, the Pentagon has provided lawmakers with preliminary estimates of operational costs, including spending on munitions and flight operations.
Lawmakers said they expect a supplemental funding request related to the Iran conflict to reach at least $50 billion, based on discussions with administration officials.
The White House and the Pentagon have not confirmed that figure.
Saudi Arabia’s Defense Ministry said early on Friday that its air defenses downed 10 more drones headed toward the kingdom’s Eastern and Central Provinces, bringing the total to nearly 50 drones entering Saudi airspace over the span of a few hours.
The barrage represents a higher-than-usual number of aerial threats for the kingdom, which has seen sites including the US Embassy in Riyadh, oil infrastructure, and a military base hosting US troops targeted as the war involving Iran has intensified.
US President Donald Trump issued a new threat online to Iran, writing: “Watch what happens to these deranged scumbags today.”
Trump made the post on Friday on his Truth Social website, saying that “Iran’s Navy is gone, their Air Force is no longer, missiles, drones and everything else are being decimated, and their leaders have been wiped from the face of the earth.”
“They’ve been killing innocent people all over the world for 47 years, and now I, as the 47th President of the United States of America, am killing them,” Trump wrote. “What a great honor it is to do so!”
Thick black smoke rose over Dubai’s skyline early Friday after what authorities described as a fire in an industrial area of the city-state.
An Associated Press journalist saw the fire in Dubai’s Al Quoz neighborhood. Bystanders gathered to watch the smoke from the blaze.
The Dubai Media Office, which issues statements for its government, said “debris from a successful interception caused a minor incident on the façade of a building in central Dubai.”
It said there had been no injuries, though the black smoke curled over the skyline as far as the sail-shaped Burj al-Arab luxury hotel.
Iran’s Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf has shared a post on social media mocking the US military after it said one of its refuelling planes had crashed in Iraq.
“American families deserve to know why Trump is sacrificing their sons and daughters to advance Netanyahu’s expansionist delusions,” Ghalibaf wrote in English.
He also included a hashtag referring to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, a former associate of US President Donald Trump who also had ties to Israel’s intelligence service.
A Few Moments Later…
— محمدباقر قالیباف | MB Ghalibaf (@mb_ghalibaf) March 12, 2026
American families deserve to know why Trump is sacrificing their sons and daughters to advance Netanyahu's expansionist delusions.#Epstein_Axis https://t.co/CVStzvQh4j
An Israeli strike early Friday hit a car in Jnah, a coastal neighborhood in southwestern Beirut, and killed one person, the Lebanese health ministry said.
Separately, an Israeli strike hit an apartment in the Nabaa neighborhood, leaving it engulfed in flames, local media reported. Nabaa, on Beirut’s northern outskirts within the densely populated Burj Hammoud district, is home to a sizable Armenian community. No casualties were immediately reported. This is the first time such an area has been struck in this conflict or during the 2024 war between Hezbollah and Israel.
Following both strikes, the Israeli army said it targeted a Hezbollah member in Beirut. Both neighborhoods are far from the southern suburbs of Beirut, which the Israeli military has declared unsafe and issued evacuation notices for.
US Senator Raphael Warnock has said that killing of more than 170 schoolchildren in Iran “should shock our conscience and cause us to recoil in horror”.
The senator, who is also a Pastor and a member of the Democratic Party, called for accountability and lessons learned from the tragedy, which has been blamed by Iran on US-Israeli forces.
“A nation whose leaders can so easily shrug off the death of children, no matter the cause, is in need of moral repair,” Warnock said in a post on social media.
“We must never forget that Iranian children, too, are children of God,” he added.
The killing of schoolchildren should shock our conscience and cause us to recoil in horror.
— Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock (@SenatorWarnock) March 13, 2026
A nation whose leaders can so easily shrug off the death of children, no matter the cause, is in need of moral repair.
There must be accountability and lessons learned from this…
Netanyahu denounced Khamenei as a “puppet of the Revolutionary Guards."
Khamenei is close to Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard and is widely seen as even less compromising than his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Khamenei said in a statement read by a state TV news anchor that he was keeping a “file of revenge.” He did not appear on camera and has not been seen since his father and wife were killed in the war’s opening salvo, which also wounded him, according to an Iranian ambassador.
The US Treasury Department announced Thursday it was taking steps to further ease sanctions on Russian oil as crude prices surge during the Iran war.
The agency said that it was granting a license that authorises the delivery and sale of some sanctioned Russia crude oil and petroleum products for the next month.
Trump signalled earlier this week that he would take further action to ease restrictions on sanctioned oil to help make for the loss of oil flowing on the market because of the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
The move follows the Trump administration granting temporary permission for India to buy Russian oil.
UN human rights experts have denounced US and Israeli aggression against Iran and Lebanon, fearing the devastation seen in Gaza could now spread to other countries in the region.
“We are alarmed at the prospect that the kind of large-scale destruction and violence seen in Gaza could be extended to Iran, Lebanon and other countries in the region,” the experts said in their statement.
They expressed particular concern about Lebanon, where at least 700,000 people have now been forcibly displaced by Israel under “indiscriminate bombardment”, in what the experts said “would constitute yet another war crime” by Israeli forces.
“The orders issued to the inhabitants of South Lebanon and southern Beirut to leave their homes are blatantly illegal,” the experts said.
UN experts denounce aggression on Iran & Lebanon, warn of devastating regional escalation: "U.S. and Israel should stop waging and expanding wars, and considering themselves as above international legality”.https://t.co/yYhNfFUMvN pic.twitter.com/8Qv4OSeVEr
— UN Special Procedures (@UN_SPExperts) March 12, 2026
Qatar has strongly condemned Israeli attacks on southern Lebanon, describing them as a “blatant violation of international humanitarian law”, in a statement shared on social media.
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs calls on the international community to fulfill its responsibilities by compelling the Israeli occupation authorities to cease their repeated attacks on Lebanon and to respect international conventions and laws,” the ministry said.
The ministry also said its support for Lebanon’s “unity, sovereignty, and territorial integrity” remains “unwavering” and that Qatar fully supports “all efforts that enhance” Lebanon’s “stability and prosperity”.
Qatar Strongly Condemns Israeli Attacks on Southern Lebanon
— Ministry of Foreign Affairs - Qatar (@MofaQatar_EN) March 12, 2026
Doha, March 13, 2026
The State of Qatar strongly condemns the Israeli attacks on southern Lebanon, considering them a blatant violation of international humanitarian law and UN Security Council Resolution 1701.
The… pic.twitter.com/XUQRMr3DaD
The president weighed in on the status of Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei after the supreme leader issued his first statement since being appointed.
Asked if he thinks Khamenei is alive, Trump said, “I think he probably is.”
“I think he is damaged, but I think he’s probably alive in some form, you know,” Trump said, speaking to the Brian Kilmeade Show on Fox News Radio. The interview was taped Thursday to air Friday morning.
Khamenei has not appeared in public since the start of the war.
The defense ministry said early Friday that they were headed toward the kingdom’s Eastern Province. It was a larger than usual number of aerial threats for the country.
Sites in Saudi Arabia including the U.S. Embassy in Riyadh, oil infrastructure and a military base hosting U.S. troops have been targeted as the Iran war rages on.
Israel’s Magen David Adom ambulance service said some 30 people were hurt in a missile attack on Zarzir, a city around 100 kilometers (60 miles) north of Jerusalem near the border with Lebanon. It described most of the wounds as coming from glass broken in the attack.
The attack targeted Irbil in Iraq’s northern Kurdish region, President Emmanuel Macron said Friday on the social platform X.
Macron identified the soldier as Chief Warrant Officer Arnaud Frion of the 7th Battalion of Chasseurs Alpins from Varces.
“To his family, to his brothers in arms, I want to express all the affection and solidarity of the nation,” Macron said. “Several of our soldiers have been wounded. France stands by their side and with their loved ones.”
France said earlier that six soldiers were hurt in a drone attack in Irbil. French troops are in Iraq as part of a multinational counterterrorism mission supporting local forces in their fight against Islamic State militants.
L’adjudant-chef Arnaud Frion du 7ème bataillon de chasseurs alpins de Varces est mort pour la France lors d’une attaque dans la région d’Erbil en Irak.
— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) March 13, 2026
À sa famille, à ses frères d’armes, je veux dire toute l’affection et la solidarité de la Nation.
Plusieurs de nos militaires…
TOP DEVELOPMENTS
West Asia is facing a rapidly escalating crisis. What began on February 28, 2026, with coordinated military strikes by the United States and Israel on Iran has rapidly expanded into a full-scale regional war with no clear end. Now thirteen days into the fighting, the conflict has heightened geopolitical tensions, unsettled global energy markets, and raised growing concerns about the safety of civilians across multiple countries.
US refuelling plane crashes in Iraq: A US KC-135 military refuelling aircraft involved in operations against Iran crashed in Iraq, with rescue efforts underway, US Central Command said. A US official said at least five crew members were on board, but casualties remain unclear.
Iran's new supreme leader issues warning: Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei issued his first statement on the war, saying that the leverage of closing the Strait of Hormuz should be used, and that attacks on Iran’s Gulf Arab neighbors will continue
US suspends sanctions on Russian oil sales amid Iran war: The US Treasury Department announced Thursday it was taking steps to further ease sanctions on Russian oil as crude prices surge during the Iran war. The agency said that it was granting a license that authorises the delivery and sale of some sanctioned Russia crude oil and petroleum products for the next month.
3.2 million displaced in Iran due to war: UN Refugee Agency says some 3.2 million people have been displaced in Iran due to US-Israeli attacks since launch of war on February 28.
US strikes: The United States has struck around 6,000 targets since the start of the war against Iran late last month, the US military said on Thursday.
Iran death toll: Iran's health ministry said on March 8 that more than 1,200 people had been killed, including around 200 women and 200 children under the age of 12, with more than 10,000 civilians injured.
An American KC-135 military refueling plane taking part in the operation against Iran crashed in Iraq and rescue efforts were underway, U.S. Central Command said Thursday. It was not immediately clear if there were any casualties.
A U.S. official, who spoke to AP on condition of anonymity to discuss the developing situation, said the aircraft that crashed had at least five crew members aboard.
U.S. Central Command, which oversees the Middle East, said that two aircraft were involved and that one landed safely and the other went down in western Iraq.
US Central Command (Centcom) earlier said it was carrying out rescue efforts after the KC-135 aircraft went down in “friendly airspace” in western Iraq in an incident that was “not due to hostile fire or friendly fire”. The second aircraft landed safely.
U.S. Central Command is aware of the loss of a U.S. KC-135 refueling aircraft. The incident occurred in friendly airspace during Operation Epic Fury, and rescue efforts are ongoing. Two aircraft were involved in the incident. One of the aircraft went down in western Iraq, and the…
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) March 12, 2026
UK Defence Minister John Healey said Russian President Vladimir Putin's "hidden hand" may be behind some of the tactics deployed by Tehran in the Middle East conflict, which started when the United States and Israel struck Iran on February 28.
He told reporters that officials were analysing an Iranian-made drone that hit the UK's Akrotiri air force base in Cyprus on March 1 "for any evidence of Russian or any other foreign components and parts".
"We will update you and appropriately publish any findings from that when we've got them," he said during a visit to Britain's military headquarters in Northwood, near London.
"But I think no one will be surprised to believe that Putin's hidden hand is behind some of the Iranian tactics, potentially some of their capabilities as well, not least because one world leader that is benefiting from the sky high oil prices at the moment is Putin," he added.
Israel said on Friday that Iran fired a new wave of missiles toward Israel, instructing those in affected areas to head to shelters.
"A short while ago, the IDF identified missiles launched from Iran toward the territory of the State of Israel. Defensive systems are operating to intercept the threat," the Israeli military wrote on its official Telegram channel.
Iran vowed Thursday to make the United States regret attacking the Islamic republic and said it would keep up a chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz that has sent oil prices soaring.
The International Energy Agency warned that the Middle East war could lead to "the largest supply disruption" in oil industry history, but US President Donald Trump wrote on social media that defeating Iran's "evil empire" was more important than crude prices.
Trump has faced intense political pressure as the global economic fallout of the crisis has mounted, and he has given mixed messages as to when the US campaign might end.
A drone attack wounded six French soldiers in Erbil in Iraq's autonomous Kurdistan region, the French military said on Thursday.
The troops were "engaged in training activities on counterterrorism with Iraqi partners", a member of the general staff told AFP, adding the troops were taken to the nearest medical facility.
The governor of Erbil said the strike involved two drones and occurred at a base in Mala Qara, located around 40 kilometres from the regional capital.
A strike on a base occupied by a former paramilitary coalition killed at least two fighters from an Iran-backed group in the suburbs of the Iraqi capital, two faction officials told AFP.
Israel's military said it had struck checkpoints set up in Tehran by the Basij paramilitary force of Iran's Revolutionary Guards as part of efforts to undermine control by the authorities.
Australia has ordered all non-essential officials in Israel and the United Arab Emirates to leave due to the "deteriorating security situation", Canberra's top diplomat said.
In a post on X late Thursday, Foreign Minister Penny Wong said that "essential Australian officials will remain in-country to support Australians who need it".
The Australian government continued to advise that its citizens not travel to Israel and the UAE, she added.
US President Donald Trump said Thursday the war against Iran was moving "very rapidly," even as Tehran's new leader vowed defiance in his first public message.
"The situation with Iran is moving along very rapidly. It's doing very well, our military is unsurpassed," Trump said at the White House.
"They really are a nation of terror and hate, and they're paying a big price right now," added the US leader, who was attending a Women's History Month event with First Lady Melania Trump.
Trump has given mixed signals in recent days about the progress of the war, saying in recent days that "we won" against Iran and that it could end "very soon", but also insisting of the need to fight on.
The Israeli military said on Thursday that it hit Hezbollah command posts in "several waves of strikes" on Beirut and southern Lebanon, shortly after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Beirut must restrain the armed group.
"The IDF struck several Hezbollah command centers, from which Hezbollah terrorists operated to advance terror attacks against the State of Israel and its civilians," the Israeli military said on its official Telegram channel.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday that he had warned Lebanon's government that Israel would act to disarm Hezbollah "on the ground" if Beirut failed to do so.
"I told the Lebanese government a few days ago: you are playing with fire if you continue allowing Hezbollah to operate, in violation of your commitment to disarm it," Netanyahu told a press conference.
"The time has come for you to do so. Now, if you do not do so, it is clear that we will do so," he continued.
Iran threatened on Thursday to wreak havoc on the region's oil and gas industry if its own energy infrastructure was attacked during its war with the US and Israel.
"We will set the region's oil and gas on fire with the slightest attack on Iran's energy infrastructure and ports," said a spokesman for the Iranian military's central operational command, known as Khatam al-Anbiya.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday that the war on Iran was also aimed at enabling Iranians to overthrow the country's clerical rule.
"I have added a third objective, which is to create, for the Iranian people, the conditions to bring down this regime," Netanyahu said in a televised media briefing, adding that the other two goals remained preventing Iran from developing nuclear weapons and destroying its ballistic missile capabilities.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday that Iran's new supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei "can't show his face in public" after Tehran issued a first statement in his name that was read out by a TV presenter.
"We eliminated the old tyrant, and the new tyrant, the puppet of the Revolutionary Guards, can't show his face in public," Netanyahu told a televised press conference.
Oil prices jumped Thursday with Brent crude settling above $100 per barrel for the first time since August 2022, as Iran vowed to make the United States regret launching its war against the Islamic republic.
The price of Brent crude surged 9.2 percent to $100.46 per barrel, while its US equivalent, the West Texas Intermediate, climbed 9.7 percent to $95.73 a barrel.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday that the joint US-Israeli campaign was "crushing" Iran and its Lebanese ally Hezbollah.
"We are crushing Iran and Hezbollah," Netanyahu said in a televised
The Israeli military said it launched a new wave of strikes in Tehran on Thursday evening, pressing ahead with its campaign against Iran for a 13th day.
"The IDF has just begun a wide-scale wave of strikes targeting infrastructure of the Iranian terror regime across Tehran," the military said.
