On February 28, Israel and the United States carried out a series of strikes on Iranian territory. Major cities and military infrastructure facilities came under attack, including military bases and command centres. In response, Iran launched missile strikes against Israel, as well as against several other countries in the region — including targets and airspace in the UAE, Jordan, Iraq, and Syria.
As of March 13, the situation in the region remains extremely tense. The sides continue exchanging statements, and new episodes of escalation are being reported. Information is being updated as new reports emerge.
09:54
US forces attacked an Iranian vessel that approached too close to the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln, according to CBS, citing two sources.
The ship was reportedly fired upon with a naval gun and hit by two missiles launched from an attack helicopter. The specific US warship that opened fire was not disclosed, and the fate of the vessel and its crew remains unknown. The incident occurred earlier this week.
CBS noted that the USS Abraham Lincoln is accompanied by two destroyers — USS Spruance and USS Michael Murphy. US Central Command (CENTCOM) declined to comment on the report.
The USS Abraham Lincoln is operating in the area as part of the US-Israeli military operation against Iran. Another US aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford, is positioned in the Red Sea.
09:45
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) carried out the 44th wave of Operation "True Promise-4,” Tasnim, citing statement No. 36 from the IRGC press office.
According to the IRGC, the operation took place the previous day and was dedicated to the memory of several figures of the “Axis of Resistance,” including Qasem Soleimani, Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, Hassan Nasrallah, Hashem Safi al-Din, Ismail Haniyeh, and Yahya Sinwar.
The statement notes that Khoramshahr, Kheibar-Shekan, Fattah, Imad, and Qadr missiles, as well as strike drones, were used during the operation. The IRGC claims the strikes targeted northern Israel — including Kiryat Shmona, Hadera, and Haifa — as well as US Fifth Fleet assets and other American military bases in the region.
09:12
Over the past 24 hours, dozens of Israeli Air Force fighter jets, guided by IDF intelligence, carried out 20 strikes in western and central Iran, the Israel Defense Forces has reported.
“As part of the strikes, over 200 Iranian terror regime targets, including ballistic missile launchers, defense systems, and weapon production sites, were targeted.
Since the start of Operation Roaring Lion, the Israeli Air Force has completed hundreds of waves of strikes targeting Iranian terror regime infrastructure in order to reduce missile fire toward Israeli territory,” the statement said.
09:10
An Iranian drone attacked the Dubai International Financial Centre, according to NourNews.
Dubai authorities, in turn, stated that a minor incident occurred in the city centre after air defence systems successfully intercepted the target.
According to officials, fragments of the intercepted object damaged the façade of one of the buildings. No injuries were reported.
09:03
Dozens of unmanned aerial vehicles were intercepted and destroyed in Saudi Arabian airspace.
According to the Saudi Ministry of Defence, a total of 47 drones were intercepted and shot down after entering the kingdom’s airspace, Caliber.Az reports.
In addition, two more UAVs were downed in Al-Kharj Province.
08:55
Fifty-eight people were injured during Iran’s missile strike on northern Israel, according to the emergency medical service Magen David Adom (MDA).
As reported by The Jerusalem Post, one person was taken to the hospital with a moderate shrapnel wound, while another 57 people sustained light injuries caused by shattered glass. Paramedics evacuated all of them to nearby medical facilities.
“When we arrived at the scene, we saw damage to several homes and shattered glass," MDA EMT Eran Abo said. "We saw a 34-year-old woman suffering from a back injury caused by shrapnel, and her condition is defined as moderate, as well as a 17-year-old girl who was mildly injured by broken glass."
According to Ynet, the missile struck a residential neighbourhood in the town of Zarzir in northern Israel. One of the houses was completely destroyed.
08:35
During Operation Epic Fury, the US Armed Forces lost a KC-135 aerial refuelling aircraft.
The loss of the aircraft was reported by US Central Command (CENTCOM).
According to the command, two aircraft were involved in the incident. One crashed in western Iraq, while the other landed safely. The incident was not related to hostile action or friendly fire.
08:30
In Erbil, a joint base of the Iraqi Kurdistan Peshmerga forces and the French military was attacked by a drone. One French soldier was killed in the attack, while several others were wounded, French President Emmanuel Macron has announced.
“Senior Warrant Officer Arnaud Frion of the 7th Battalion of Alpine Chasseurs in Varces died for France during an attack in the Erbil area in Iraq,” Macron wrote, confirming France’s first casualty in the Middle Eastern conflict.
He stressed that the attack on French forces participating in operations against ISIS since 2015 is unacceptable.
Macron also emphasised that French servicemen are in Iraq solely to combat terrorism. He added that the conflict with Iran cannot serve as a justification for such attacks.
