DUBAI, March 13: The war involving the United States, Israel and Iran is intensifying, with widespread airstrikes, drone attacks and missile exchanges across the Middle East.
The conflict has already caused hundreds of deaths, displaced millions of people and pushed global oil prices higher as fighting spreads across several countries.
Trump issues strong warnings
US President Donald Trump issued new threats to Iran’s leadership as the conflict escalated. Writing on his Truth Social platform, Trump said the United States was destroying Iran’s military capabilities and warned that further retaliation would follow.
“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.”
According to the Pentagon, the first week of the war has already cost the United States about $11.3 billion, while American forces have struck more than 6,000 targets across Iran since the campaign began.
Heavy airstrikes on Iran
American and Israeli forces have launched large-scale strikes targeting Iranian military infrastructure, including missile launchers, defense systems and weapons production facilities. Israel said its air force struck more than 200 targets across western and central Iran in a single day.
Heavy explosions were reported in Tehran, including a blast at Ferdowsi Square, where crowds had gathered for the annual Quds Day demonstrations in support of Palestinians. The explosion occurred near Tehran University and government buildings, though the cause was not immediately clear.
Despite the strikes, thousands of demonstrators continued rallies across Iran chanting anti-US and anti-Israel slogans.
Iran’s attacks across the Gulf
Iran has retaliated with drone attacks targeting Gulf Arab countries and shipping routes in the Persian Gulf. Saudi Arabia said it intercepted nearly 50 Iranian drones launched in several waves early Friday.
In Oman, two foreigners were killed when drones crashed in an industrial area in Sohar. Debris from intercepted drones also caused fires and damage in Dubai, including at a building in the Dubai International Financial Center.
Iran has also threatened shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic waterway through which about one-fifth of the world’s oil supply passes.
Fighting spreads to Lebanon and Israel
The conflict has intensified along Israel’s northern border. The Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah fired rockets into northern Israel, injuring nearly 60 people in the village of Zarzir.
Israel responded with airstrikes across Lebanon, including strikes in Beirut and the eastern town of Bar Elias, where two people were killed. Lebanese authorities say more than 600 people have died since the fighting began and about 800,000 residents have been displaced.
Rising casualties and global concerns
Iranian authorities say more than 1,300 people have been killed inside the country, while 12 deaths have been reported in Israel. The United States has lost seven soldiers, and several others have been injured.
The United Nations estimates that up to 3.2 million people have been displaced within Iran.
Meanwhile, global energy markets remain unstable, with Brent crude oil prices rising above $100 per barrel as the war threatens oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz. (AP)
