LIVE | West Asia conflict: Hezbollah says group ready for 'long confrontation' with Israel

"This is an existential battle, not a limited or simple battle," Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem said, as the two sides fought another war in Lebanon.

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The West Asia war entered its 15th day on Saturday with fresh US-Israeli strikes on Iran and renewed missile and drone attacks by Tehran. The conflict, which began after joint strikes on February 28, has expanded into a broader regional crisis, threatening shipping in the Persian Gulf and pushing energy markets into volatility.

• US offers reward for info on Iranian leaders: The US State Department offered a $10 million reward on Friday for information about Iran's new supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei and other top officials

• Lebanon death toll: 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.

• 'Putin helping Iran in war a bit': 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.

• UN launches humanitarian appeal to support Lebanon: 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.

• 1st week of war costs US $11.3 billion: 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.

• 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.

Brent crude surges 11% over week, 42% since Iran war began

The price of a barrel of Brent crude has soared by more than 42 percent since US-Israeli strikes on Iran plunged the oil-rich Middle East into war, market data showed Friday.

The cost of Brent, the international benchmark for oil, has surged from $72.48 on February 27 to $103.14 at Friday's close. This also marked an 11 percent rise over the week.

The West Texas Intermediate, meanwhile, has rocketed more than 47 percent since the start of the conflict, to $98.71.

Hezbollah chief says will not allow Israel to erase group's existence

Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem said on Friday that his group would not allow Israel to eradicate it, calling on the Lebanese government to stop making "free concessions".

"We will not allow the enemy to achieve its goal of eliminating our existence," he said in a televised address.

He called on the government to "stop making free concessions, as this makes the enemy more greedy and prolongs the war" and to reverse its latest decisions, in an apparent reference to Beirut's commitment to disarm Hezbollah and ban its military and security activities.

Hezbollah chief says group ready for 'long confrontation' with Israel

Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem said on Friday his group was ready for a long confrontation with Israel, as the two sides fought another war in Lebanon.

"We have prepared ourselves for a long confrontation, and God willing, they (Israelis) will be surprised on the battlefield," Qassem said in a televised address, adding that "the enemy's threats do not frighten us".

"This is an existential battle, not a limited or simple battle."

Heavy blasts heard in Tehran: AFP journalist

An AFP journalist reported heavy blasts in the Iranian capital Tehran on Friday, hours after Israel said it had launched a new wave of strikes on the city.

Earlier on Friday at least one person was killed by an explosion near a pro-government rally in Tehran, Iran's official IRNA news agency reported.