Dubai, Mar 13: As American and Israeli strikes continued to pound the Iran, and Tehran targeted Persian Gulf shipping lanes and energy infrastructure, global oil prices surged back above $100 a barrel, raising concerns over prolonged conflict in the region.
Heavy strikes were reported in and around Tehran as the fighting intensified, with Iran also launching attacks toward neighbouring Arab Gulf states. US President Donald Trump vowed to “finish the job,” even as he claimed Iran had been “virtually destroyed.” According to the Pentagon, the first week of the war has cost the United States $11.3 billion.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees said up to 3.2 million people in Iran have been displaced by the conflict. Authorities in Lebanon reported that around 800,000 residents have fled their homes as Israeli strikes target infrastructure linked to the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah.
More than 600 people have been killed in Lebanon, over 1,300 in Iran, and a dozen in Israel, while several US soldiers have also reportedly died in the fighting.
Saudi Arabia downs dozens of drones
Saudi Arabia said its air defence systems intercepted nearly 50 drones within a few hours early Friday. The kingdom’s Defence Ministry stated that 10 additional drones heading toward its eastern and central provinces were shot down, adding to the earlier interceptions.
Officials said the drones were targeting locations including the US Embassy in Riyadh, oil facilities and a military base hosting American troops, marking an unusually large wave of aerial threats as the regional conflict escalates.
Interception debris sparks fire in Dubai
Thick black smoke was seen rising over Dubai’s skyline early Friday after what authorities described as a fire in an industrial area. An Associated Press journalist reported seeing the blaze in the Al Quoz neighbourhood as onlookers gathered nearby.
The Dubai Media Office later said debris from a successful missile interception caused minor damage to a building façade in central Dubai, adding that there were no injuries. Smoke from the incident was visible across parts of the city, including near the iconic Burj Al Arab.
Israeli strikes hit new areas in Beirut
An Israeli strike early Friday targeted a car in Jnah, a coastal neighbourhood in southwestern Beirut, killing one person, Lebanon’s health ministry said.
Another strike hit an apartment in the Nabaa neighbourhood on the city’s northern outskirts in the densely populated Burj Hammoud district, which hosts a large Armenian community. No casualties were immediately reported. Israeli forces later said the attack targeted a member of Hezbollah.
Missile strike injures dozens in Israel
In Israel, the national ambulance service Magen David Adom reported that 58 people were injured in a missile strike on Zarzir, a town about 100 kilometres north of Jerusalem near the Lebanese border.
One person was reported to be in moderate condition, while most others sustained minor injuries from shattered glass. The Israeli military said emergency teams were working to clear debris at the site. Hezbollah later said it had launched multiple rocket salvos toward northern Israel and Israeli forces in southern Lebanon.
French soldier killed in Iraq attack
Meanwhile, Emmanuel Macron confirmed that a French soldier was killed in a drone attack in Erbil, in northern Iraq.
Macron identified the soldier as Chief Warrant Officer Arnaud Frion of the 7th Battalion of Chasseurs Alpins. He expressed condolences to the soldier’s family and said several other French troops were wounded in the attack.
French forces are deployed in Iraq as part of a multinational counterterrorism mission assisting local forces in their fight against militants linked to the Islamic State. (Agency)
