Dubai, Mar 13: Intense American and Israeli strikes pounded Iran as Tehran retaliated by targeting Persian Gulf shipping and energy infrastructure, pushing global oil prices back above $100 a barrel amid fears of a prolonged conflict.
Heavy strikes hit Tehran and areas surrounding the Iranian capital while Iran continued attacks on neighboring Arab Gulf states. The escalating hostilities have disrupted regional security and energy markets.
US President Donald Trump vowed to “finish the job,” claiming Iran was “virtually destroyed.” According to the Pentagon, the first week of the war has already cost the United States about $11.3 billion.
The UN refugee agency said up to 3.2 million people have been displaced inside Iran, while authorities in Lebanon reported that around 800,000 people have fled their homes as Israeli forces targeted buildings linked to Iran-backed Hezbollah militants.
The conflict has so far killed more than 1,300 people in Iran, over 600 in Lebanon and a dozen in Israel. At least seven US soldiers have also died during the fighting.
Saudi Arabia said its air defenses shot down nearly 50 drones headed toward its Eastern and Central Provinces within a few hours, including targets believed to be aimed at the US Embassy in Riyadh, oil facilities and a military base hosting US troops.
In Dubai, thick black smoke rose over the Al Quoz industrial area early Friday after debris from a successful air defense interception caused a minor fire on a building façade. Authorities said there were no injuries, though smoke was visible across the skyline near the Burj al-Arab hotel.
Meanwhile, Israeli strikes in Beirut hit a car in the coastal neighborhood of Jnah, killing one person, Lebanon’s health ministry said. Another strike hit an apartment in the Nabaa area, engulfing it in flames. Israel said the target was a Hezbollah member.
In Israel, a missile attack on Zarzir, about 100 kilometers north of Jerusalem, injured 58 people, according to the Magen David Adom ambulance service. One person was in moderate condition while the rest suffered minor injuries from shattered glass.
French President Emmanuel Macron also confirmed that a French soldier was killed in a drone attack in Irbil in Iraq’s Kurdish region. The soldier, Chief Warrant Officer Arnaud Frion of the 7th Battalion of Chasseurs Alpins, was part of a multinational counterterrorism mission supporting local forces against Islamic State militants. (Agencies)
