Israel and Iran continued to exchange strikes on Friday (13 March), as the U.S. and French militaries reported deaths in Iraq, and the U.N. launched a $325 million appeal to help Lebanon, where a seventh of the population have left their homes since fighting began.
Thanks for joining us as another dramatic day of events unfolded in the Middle East. You can find a wrap-up of the main events from today in the article below. See you again tomororow.
Naim Qassem, leader of the Iran-backed Lebanese militant group, made the comments in a speech on Friday.
"We have prepared ourselves for a long confrontation and they will be surprised in the field", he added.
The Gulf State's Interior Minister, Sheikh Khalifa bin Hamad Al Thani, said Qatar had enough water reserves to last four months and sufficient food reserves stocked for 18 months on Friday.
The U.S. military said on Friday that it had elevated an investigation into a strike on an Iranian girls' school after media reports said the probe showed U.S. forces were likely responsible.
Iran has said the strike on the Shajareh Tayyebeh School killed 168 children. If U.S. fault is confirmed, it would rank among the worst incidents of civilian deaths in decades of U.S. military strikes in the Middle East.
The White House has posted updates about Operation Epic Fury, the U.S.'s name for its campaign against Iran, which began on February 28, on its Rapid Response 47 X account. The post says that ballistic missile attacks and drone attacks are dramatically down since the beginning of the campaign.
Next month's Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Formula One Grand Prix races are set to be cancelled over the weekend due to the conflict in the Middle East.
Multiple sources told Reuters that an announcement was expected by Monday (16 March) at the latest.
Iranian drones have hit Gulf capitals, including Manama in Bahrain, where teams and spectators would be staying in hotels.
At least 10 ships operated by Greek companies, and at least two Chinese-operated vessels, have sailed through the strait between Iran and Oman since U.S. and Israeli strikes began on February 28, according to data from maritime specialists Lloyd's List Intelligence and MarineTraffic.
"The risks are huge. But the sea has always been a risky business," said a Greek shipowner, speaking on the condition of anonymity, told Reuters on Friday.
The United Nations launched an appeal for $325 million on Friday to help Lebanon deal with the humanitarian fallout of the conflict.
A seventh of Lebanon's population have left their homes since fighting broke out.
"Solidarity in words must be matched by solidarity in action," said U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres.
An Italian Foreign Ministry source denied the country was negotiating with Iran in order to guarantee Italian vessels safe access to the sea passage on Friday.
Earlier, the Financial Times reported that Italy, as well as France, were talking with Tehran in the hope of securing safe passage through the strait.
All six crew members aboard a U.S. military aircraft that crashed in western Iraq are confirmed to have been killed, the U.S. military said on Friday.
Speaking on Friday, Emirati diplomat Lana Nusseibeh said: "It is difficult to talk about mediation when under attack... Mediation can only happen when the guns go silent."
She added that Iranian officials had given her no indication the UAE was a target when she visited Tehran for talks aimed at finding a diplomatic solution to the crisis two weeks before it erupted into conflict. That lack of warning made Iran's attacks on the UAE "so shocking and so egregious," she added.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Friday that Washington's decision to ease sanctions on Moscow wasn't helping to bring about peace in Ukraine.
Speaking in Paris, he said: "This single easing by the U.S. could provide Russia with around $10 billion for the war. It certainly does not help (to achieve) peace."
Italy's Industry Minister Adolfo Urso said on Friday that the Middle East conflict threatens the supply of critical raw materials. The supply of helium, which is largely sourced from Qatar and is essential for chip production and microelectronics, was of particular concern he said.
In a media briefing at the Pentagon, Pete Hegseth said that new Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei was "wounded and likely disfigured."
Khamenei made his first statement since being elected Iran's new Supreme Leader on Thursday (12 March) but the speech was written and read out by a presenter. He is still yet to appear in public since assuming the role of Supreme Leader four days ago.
Speaking at a press conference in Paris, Emmanuel Macron criticised the drone strike in Iraq against French troops, which killed one soldier and injured six others. France's position in the region was "defensive," he added.
Speaking at a press conference in Paris as he meets Ukranian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Emmanuel Macron warned Moscow that it was wrong if it thought fighting in Iran would allow Russia's army time and space to recuperate in Ukraine.
Photos show quiet roads in the Pakistani capital of Islamabad on 13 March, after the government declared a three day holiday due to a lack of petrol and diesel in the country. Aditionally, schools are set to remain closed until 31 March in a bid to consevre fuel.
NATO's confirmation follows an earlier statement from Turkish officials, who said a missile was destroyed by NATO air and defense units as it entered Turkish airspace.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has arrived into Lebanon's capital in solidarity to the citizens who are under fire from the Middle East conflict.
I have just landed in Beirut for a visit of solidarity with the people of Lebanon.
They did not choose this war. They were dragged into it.
The @UN & I will spare no effort in striving for the peaceful future that Lebanon & this region so richly deserve. — António Guterres (@antonioguterres) March 13, 2026
In a statement by the defence department, Türkiye officials confim a ballistic missile was destroyed by NATO air and defense units as it entered Turkish airspace.
Four of the six crew members aboard a U.S. military aircraft that crashed in western Iraq are confirmed to have been killed, the U.S. military said on Friday, as rescue efforts continued for the remaining two.
A U.S. military refueling aircraft crashed in western Iraq on Thursday, in an incident the military said involved another aircraft but was not the result of hostile or friendly fire.
AnewZ is on the ground covering a large al‑Quds Day rally in Tehran on Friday (12 March).
Israeli forces reportedly carried out an airstrike during the rally, and multiple explosions were heard on nearby main streets.
Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said:
"Today, Quds Day is being observed in Iran, and despite the brutal attacks by Israel and the U.S., millions of Iranians have taken to the streets, showing their firm will and determination. The enemies will be forced to recognise the strength of the Iranian people."
The bodies of 84 Iranian sailors killed in a U.S. submarine attack on a warship off Sri Lanka's coast last week will be repatriated, a Iran embassy source and local media in Sri Lanka reported on Friday.
U.S. President Trump told G7 leaders in a virtual meeting Wednesday that Iran is "about to surrender," Axios reported on Friday citing three officials from G7 countries briefed on the contents of the call.
A summit of eight major Muslim developing countries, including Iran, that was to be held in Jakarta next month has been delayed due to the war in the Middle East, an official with Indonesia's foreign ministry said on Friday.
The U.S. announced it has temporarily authorised the purchase of Russian oil stranded at sea to stabilise energy markets, according to media reports.
"The temporary increase in oil prices is a short-term and temporary disruption that will result in a massive benefit to our nation and economy in the long-term," U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in a statement.
There are nearly 124 million barrels of Russia-origin oil at sea across 30 locations globally as of 12 March, CNBC reported, enough crude oil to cover about five to six days of supply.
The Red Cross Society of China will provide $200,000 in emergency humanitarian aid to the Iranian Red Crescent Society, specifically for condolences and relief to parents of the students who have been killed in the conflict, China's foreign ministry said on Friday.
"China condemns all indiscriminate attacks on civilians and non-military targets," China's foreign ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said at a daily press briefing.
Beijing is prepared to provide further necessary assistance to Iran and support for the Iranian people, Guo said.
Australia has told non-essential officials posted to Lebanon to leave due to the "deteriorating security situation" in the region, Foreign Minister Penny Wong said on Friday.
Thirty-three people, most of whom suffered light injuries, were wounded in a missile attack launched by Iran targeting northern Israel on Friday.
Israel’s national emergency medical service, Magen David Adom, said one person sustained moderate shrapnel injuries in the town of Zarzir.
Following the launch of the missiles, sirens sounded in northern Israel and explosions were heard in the sky, according to media reports.
Israeli media said that some houses were damaged as a result of the attack.
Explosions were heard across the Iranian capital Tehran on Friday, an Anadolu correspondent reported, amid continuing regional tensions following U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran.
Two drones crashed in Oman's Sohar on Friday (13 March), killing two people and injuring others, a security source said.
One of the drones went down in the Al-Wahi Industrial Area, killing two and causing injuries to several others, the Oman News Agency reported, citing the source.
The Israeli military struck the Zrarieh Bridge over the Litani River in Lebanon because it was a key crossing used by Hezbollah, it said on Friday.
The military said Hezbollah had recently positioned launchers near the bridge and carried out attacks from there toward Israel.
A drone struck a residential apartment in Beirut's Burj Hammoud district on the northern outskirts of the Lebanese capital on Friday, Lebanon's state media said.
Russian presidential envoy Kirill Dmitriev said on Thursday that U.S. waiver for countries to buy sanctioned Russian oil would affect 100 million barrels of the Russian crude.
"Against the backdrop of the growing energy crisis, further easing of restrictions on Russian energy supplies appears increasingly inevitable, despite resistance from some Brussels bureaucrats," Dmitriev wrote in a post on the Telegram messaging app.
French President Emmanuel Macron earlier in the week ruled out removing sanctions on Russia oil as a global energy crisis looms.
U.S. President Donald Trump said he believes Iran’s newly appointed Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei is still alive “in some form,” Fox News reported.
“I think he probably is. I think he is damaged, but I think he’s probably alive in some form, you know,” Trump said in an interview scheduled to air Friday.
Debris fell on the facade of a building in central Dubai following an aerial interception, authorities said Friday. The Dubai Media Office said in a post on social media that the interception caused minor damage.
Several drones targeted sites in Iraq’s northern Erbil region Friday (13 March), including the Lanaz Refinery, a facility involved in oil production and distribution.
Air defences were activated in parts of the city, while security forces took measures to deal with the aerial threats.
There were no confirmed reports of casualties following the attacks.
Japan and several Asia-Pacific countries are expected to announce more than $30 billion worth of agreements with U.S. companies this weekend, Bloomberg news reported on Thursday (12 March).
The packages will include purchase commitments and other deals across coal, oil, liquefied natural gas and nuclear power, the report said, citing White House officials.
French President Emmanuel Macron has condemned an attack in northern Iraq that killed one French officer and wounded several soldiers in the Erbil region.
Six French soldiers providing counter-terrorism training in the region were wounded in a drone attack, France's army said on Thursday, just hours after an Italian base in the area was also targeted.
This marks the first force personnel casualty sustained by France in just under two weeks since joint U.S. and Israel operations against Iran began.
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Prospects for new peace talks between Iran and the U.S. are “dim,” with both sides operating on false assumptions, a political analyst told AnewZ.
Serbia and Azerbaijan are accelerating their strategic partnership across energy, transport and diplomacy, amid growing regional and global uncertainty.
Concerns grew on Monday (20 April) that the ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran, due to expire on Tuesday, might not hold after Washington’s Navy seized an Iranian cargo ship that tried to run its blockade of Iranian ports, with Tehran vowing to retaliate.
Lebanon and Israel have a “fundamentally incompatible” understanding of the ceasefire agreed on Thursday (16 April), Dr Nouran El-Bayaa has said.
The architect of the modern K-pop boom, Bang Si-hyuk, is facing arrest by South Korean police over claims he illegally gained millions in an investor fraud scheme.
Pakistan is confident it can bring Iran to talks with the United States, a senior official said, citing “positive signals” from Tehran, as JD Vance is reportedly set to visit Islamabad on Tuesday for peace talks, according to Axios.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards targeted three vessels, seizing two of them for alleged maritime violations and transferring them to Iranian shores, as U.S. President Donald Trump said Washington is extending its ceasefire with Iran until Tehran submits a proposal.
A gunman who killed seven people in a mass shooting in Kyiv on Saturday (18 April) had quarrelled with his neighbour before he opened fire on passersby, public broadcaster Suspilne cited Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko as saying on Tuesday.
Jars of baby food deliberately tampered with rat poison and discovered in Austria, the Czech Republic and Slovakia were part of an attempted extortion plot targeting manufacturer HiPP, German police said on Monday.
Kazakhstan’s Energy Minister Yerlan Akkenzhenov said on 22 April that oil transit from Kazakhstan to Germany via Russia could drop to zero in May, citing unofficial information and pointing to possible technical constraints on the Russian side.
Georgia’s relationship with Europe is facing one of its most serious tests in years, as two major international reports warn of democratic backsliding and growing human rights concerns.
A senior European Parliament figure has criticised remarks by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen suggesting Turkish influence could threaten Europe.
Latvian President Edgars Rinkēvičs’ visit to Azerbaijan on 22 April highlighted expanding cooperation in energy, trade and transport, as Europe faces supply chain pressures and the South Caucasus gains renewed geopolitical importance.
Afghanistan’s Minister of Industry and Commerce, Nooruddin Azizi, used a visit to Uzbekistan to press for easier trade and transit, focusing on boosting exports, establishing an export centre in Balkh, and strengthening regional economic ties.
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