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Israel kills 12 medics in attack in southern Lebanon as war ravages nation

An Israeli strike on a health centre in southern Lebanon has killed 12 medical workers, the Lebanese Ministry of Public Health said, as the Israeli devastating assault continued amid a wider regional war launched by the United States and Israel on Iran 15 days ago.

The attack late on Friday occurred in the village of Burj Qalaouiyah in the Bint Jbeil District, and killed doctors, paramedics and nurses who were on duty, Lebanon’s Health Ministry said.

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The carnage echoed Israel’s constant targeting of medics and hospitals that decimated Gaza’s healthcare system during its genocidal war on the Palestinian enclave, and which contravenes international humanitarian law.

Israeli attacks have so far killed 18 paramedics among 773 people reported killed in Lebanon since fighting between Hezbollah and Israel reignited on March 2, after a US-Israeli assault on Iran began on February 28, with the conflict now embroiling much of the region.

According to Al Jazeera’s Heidi Pett, reporting from Beirut, the toll of medics was preliminary as rescue teams continued searching for missing people.

“You can see how deadly some of these individual air strikes have been, not just across the south, but of course, we are seeing air strikes hitting across the capital, Beirut,” said Pett.

Lebanon’s Health Ministry said this was the second attack on the health sector within hours, after another Israeli strike on the southern village of Souaneh killed two paramedics and wounded five when it hit a paramedic centre.

The ministry condemned the attack and denounced what it called continued violence against health workers.

At least four people were also killed in an Israeli air raid on Taamir Haret Saida in the country’s south, the Lebanese News Agency (NNA) said.

Meanwhile, Hezbollah overnight claimed it fired suicide drones against Israeli troops in the northern town of Ya’ara inside Israel.

It was the 24th military operation announced by the group on Friday.

The Lebanese armed group also said it launched rocket attacks against Israeli soldiers in southern Lebanon, one in the town of Kfar Kila and the other in the city of Khiam.

Late on Friday, Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem said his group is ready for a “long confrontation” with Israel as the war continues.

“This is an existential battle, not a limited or simple battle,” he said.

Damage in Israel from Iranian ‘cluster missiles’

Meanwhile, Iran’s retaliatory attacks against Israel continued.

Rocket and missile attacks early on Saturday hit the Upper Galilee region of northern Israel, Channel 12 reported.

The news outlet said a “limited number of launches” were either “intercepted” or exploded in open areas.

A post on X from Israel’s public broadcaster Kan featured several vehicles damaged in the attacks.

Alarms were raised for suspected rocket and missile fire in Manara, Margaliot, Kfar Giladi, Misgav Am, Tel Hai, Metula and Kfar Yuval throughout the early morning on Saturday.

“A lot of the damage that we are being told about at the moment seems to be coming from these cluster missiles that Iran has been launching pretty much consistently for the last week at least, and they scatter over a large area,” said Al Jazeera’s Rory Challands, reporting from Amman, Jordan.

US attacks military sites on Iran’s Kharg island, home to vast oil facility

United States President Donald Trump has said the country’s military bombed military installations on Iran’s Kharg island, warning the area’s critical oil facilities could be next if Iran continues to block the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran, in turn, threatened on Saturday to reduce US-linked oil facilities to “a pile of ashes” if oil structures on the island were attacked, as the US-Israel war on Iran, now in its punishing third week, spilled over into a global oil price crisis already in the making.

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Kharg island is where more than 90 percent of Iran’s oil is exported. Crude oil prices have surged more than 40 percent since the war began.

Trump said on Friday that US forces had “totally obliterated” all military targets on Iran’s Kharg island oil export hub, describing it in a social media post as “one of the most powerful bombing raids in the History of the Middle East”. He provided no evidence of that.

The US president said he had chosen not to “wipe out” oil infrastructure on the Iranian island, for now.

“However, should Iran, or anyone else, do anything to interfere with the Free and Safe Passage of Ships through the Strait of Hormuz, I will immediately reconsider this decision,” he added.

Iran’s semi-official Fars news agency reported, quoting sources, that more than 15 explosions were heard on Kharg island during the US attacks.

The sources said the attacks targeted air defences, a naval base, and airport facilities, but caused no damage to oil infrastructure. Iran’s Fars news agency reported thick smoke was seen rising from the island.

Al Jazeera’s Mohamed Vall, reporting from Tehran, said Iran’s potential retaliatory attacks on Gulf oil facilities would be a “catastrophic scenario” for the region, and for the “entire industry of oil and gas”.

“The Iranians are keeping this, apparently, as a card to use,” he said. “They’ve been talking about restraint and the possibility of that restraint ending if the Iranian oil facilities are attacked, as the Americans are hinting and threatening.”

US ground operation in the works?

Meanwhile, 2,500 more Marines and an amphibious assault ship are being sent to the Middle East, a US official told the AP news agency.

Elements from the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit and the amphibious assault ship USS Tripoli have been ordered to the region, according to the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive military plans.

INTERACTIVE - Strait of Hormuz - March 2, 2026-1772714221
(Al Jazeera)

Marine Expeditionary Units are able to conduct amphibious landings, but they also specialise in bolstering security at embassies, evacuating civilians, and providing disaster relief.

“What we’re to make of this is that the US is very slowly increasing its military posture in terms of prosecuting the war, and that it is not intending to wrap things up any time soon,” Al Jazeera’s Rosiland Jordan reported from Washington.

The deployment does not necessarily indicate that a ground operation is imminent or will take place.

Trump dismisses prospect of deal

Following the attack on Kharg island, Iran would be “wise to lay down their arms, and save what’s left of their country”, Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.

“The Fake News Media hates to report how well the United States Military has done against Iran, which is totally defeated and wants a deal – but not a deal that I would accept!” he posted separately, providing no evidence Tehran was seeking any sort of deal.

At least 1,444 people have been killed and 18,551 injured by US-Israeli attacks on Iran since February 28, Iran’s Ministry of Health says.

Al Jazeera’s Tohid Asadi, reporting from Tehran, said US-Israeli air attacks hit targets across the country, including in Tehran, Karaj, Isfahan and Tabriz. He said this was a sign that “we are not close to de-escalation.

Teenager ‘Stabs’ Friend To Death In Ondo

An 18-year-old teenager, Johnson Daniel, has been arrested in Owo, Ondo State, for allegedly killing his friend following an altercation.

Eyewitnesses say the incident occurred around 4:00 p.m. on Thursday, noting that the suspect allegedly stabbed the victim, identified as Amos Ariyo, in the chest and immediately fled the scene.

The tragic incident occurred around 4 p.m. on Thursday along a roadside in the community, leaving residents shocked and devastated.

The Spokesperson of Ondo State Police Command, DSP Abayomi Jimoh, confirmed the incident in a statement made available to newsmen in Akure, the state capital.

According to him, preliminary investigation indicates that the victim was allegedly stabbed by the suspect during an argument.

He noted that the victim was rushed to the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Owo, where he was confirmed dead on arrival by a medical doctor.

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Jimoh disclosed that police detectives had visited the scene and recovered the knife suspected to have been used in the attack, while the suspect had been arrested.

Brentford, the World Cup and an itch to return to Gaelic football

The Football Interview is a new series in which the biggest names in sport and entertainment join host Kelly Somers for bold and in-depth conversations about the nation’s favourite sport.

We’ll explore mindset and motivation, and talk about defining moments, career highs and personal reflections. The Football Interview brings you the person behind the player.

Nathan Collins is having a good season.

Captain of both Brentford and the Republic of Ireland, Collins is dreaming of Europe with his club and the World Cup with his country.

Despite losing long-time manager Thomas Frank and strikers Bryan Mbeumo and Yoanne Wissa in the summer, Brentford go into the weekend seventh in the Premier League.

The Republic of Ireland, meanwhile, harbour hopes of travelling to their first World Cup tournament since 2002 as they prepare for the play-offs later this month.

Collins is taking everything in his stride, but does get excited when he reflects on the evening in November when the Republic of Ireland beat Hungary with virtually the last kick of the game, triggering wild celebrations.

Now 24, Collins moved to England aged 15. He comes from a football family, with his dad having played for Oxford United.

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Kelly Somers: Nathan, what a time to sit down with you after what’s been an incredible season so far. We’ll come on to that very shortly, but let’s firstly talk about your first memory of playing football.

Nathan Collins: One memory that always pops into my head… it was my first goal at like four or five and I took it around the keeper and I scored. I don’t know if it actually happened! I don’t think anyone knows if it actually happened, but it always just pops into my mind.

Kelly: There was no witness to this?

Nathan: Potentially not – I’ve never actually said it really openly… so I think it happened… I’d be surprised if it didn’t!

Kelly: Take me back to that time in your life – was football a big thing?

Nathan: I grew up with a football, basically. Everything I have done throughout my whole life was with a football, or any kind of ball really. I played a lot of Gaelic football as a kid. I would have trained football twice with my team during the week, then I would have trained twice with my Gaelic team, then I had a football match on the weekend and then a Gaelic match on the weekend.

And so my parents would drive me to my match, watch that match, finish that match, go home, eat something really quick, straight back out the door for another match and then they’d go to the pub and relax.

They were finished with me then, they were happy!

Kelly: Was there ever a chance you could have gone into Gaelic football rather than football? Were you good? Go on, you can admit it!

Nathan: I was all right… I was not bad. When I was that age, I was bigger than everyone. I’d have been able to run over everyone, so I had that advantage. I’d love to go back and play one day or when I finish football. I really enjoy it.

Kelly: Talk me through your first football team then. You’ve told me about this goal that the jury’s out on whether it got scored or not… what was the first proper team that you played for?

Nathan: The first proper team would have been Cherry Orchard. I think my grandad was a coach and at some time he might have played for them. My dad played for them, my uncle played for them, my cousin played for them, my other uncle played, my older brother played, my younger brother played…

Kelly: You were always going to be a footballer, weren’t you? Gosh, when you talk through the list!

Nathan: Yeah, I probably had no choice really, did I? I started there fully like six, seven and I played there ’til 15. Basically, I did a lot of my growing up playing football there. There were times I trained with my brother’s team and they’d be four years older than me – my dad would put me into that training session and I’d get bullied and battered… I think he kind of wanted me to get that feeling.

Kelly: Character-building?

The Football Interview: Nathan Collins

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Kelly: What was your big break then, or the moment?

Nathan: I guess my first break could be when I made my debut for Stoke away to Swansea. We were down to nine men. I think the game was kind of over with 10 minutes to go and the manager put me on. Maybe that was my big break of getting a chance and just putting my name into a first-team match.

Kelly: Going into a game where your team are down to nine men… that’s character-building!

Nathan: It was, yeah! Thinking of it now, it’s actually kind of mad.

Kelly: You came over to England when you were quite young, didn’t you? How old were you?

Nathan: I was 15, yeah.

Kelly: What was that like?

Nathan: I loved it!

Kelly: Did you? Desperate to escape home were you?

Nathan: I left school and played football every day. I loved it!

Kelly: When you put it like that…

Nathan: Yeah, I loved it. Listen, it wasn’t easy. You see all your mates growing up together and making that jump from a teenager to an adult and kind of enjoying life in a different way. Whereas I was in digs – just dedicated, just sleeping early, eating and just playing football and not really participating in life itself.

So, that was always tough to see that, but all I ever wanted was just to play football, so I wasn’t really that bothered. I was just so happy to be able to be at an academy and enjoy my game.

Kelly: Well you’ve gone on to have a brilliant career over here in England at a few different clubs. Has there been any particular game that if you could relive it you would?

Nathan: My Ireland debut… maybe something like that. Maybe the Hungary game – relive that, enjoy that whole moment again, because stuff like that doesn’t happen often.

Kelly: Go on… make the Ireland fans happy… talk us through your memories of that Hungary game.

Nathan: It’s a blur!

Kelly: What it was like?

Nathan: All I remember is the last few minutes. That’s all I really cared about at the end of the game. It was a bit of a nothing game. There wasn’t a lot of chances either end. I don’t think we were playing our best. I don’t think they were playing great.

I think it got to, what was it, the 75th maybe and you’re just like, ‘I don’t know… it’s just not happening really – it’s not clicking, we’re not creating enough’, and then a little bit of magic from Finn [Azaz] – he chipped a little pass through for Troy [Parrott] and I loved the finish and you’re like, ‘huh, there’s a chance, there’s a massive chance…’

And then, last kick of the game – he gets a toe on to it and you’re like… you can’t believe it! There’s pictures and you just see 100 Irish players and staff just running – not in any direction, just randomly, and you’re just like, ‘how can this game sometimes just have this effect on you and on your body?’

Nathan Collins celebratesGetty Images

Kelly: Have you allowed yourself to think about the possibility of winning that play-off and what the summer could look like?

Nathan: Not really, no.

Kelly: I knew you’d say that, from your whole demeanour!

Nathan: I can’t, because then I won’t be able to focus on what I have to do here now – on my job at the moment, of playing Premier League matches.

Kelly: Well, incredible times for Ireland and potentially even better. It’s not been so bad at Brentford this season, has it?

Nathan: No, it’s been an enjoyable season… really good.

Kelly: What’s the secret? You’ll know that the wider noise was that you’ve got a new manager in… he’s never managed in the Premier League before… you’ve lost Thomas Frank… ‘it’s going to be a difficult season for Brentford’.

Well, you’ve dispelled any of those theories.

Nathan: When you’re in football, you hear a lot of things but nobody knows what’s going on in the building. No-one knows the quality of squad we have or players we’re bringing in, or the staff… the hours they do. So when we came back from the summer off, it just felt like another day.

Kelly: What’s Keith Andrews like as a manager? Because, understandably given what he’s done, the whole world is now fascinated by him.

Nathan: I’ve known Keith a long time – before he was a manager. I’ve known him since I was, like, 16. I’ve known him a long time. I had him Under-17s Ireland, 18s, 19s, 21s.

Kelly: So were you pleased when you knew he was getting the job?

Nathan: Ah listen, I was buzzing!

Kelly: You can’t really say no at this point can you?

Nathan Collins and Keith Andrews high-five each otherGetty Images

Kelly: Let’s try and get to know you a little bit more away from the pitch. Firstly, I always like asking: what were you like as a youngster?

Nathan: If you asked my mam or dad, they’d say I was a headcase! I was just a bit itchy, I always had to move. I could never sit still and relax. I always had to do something. So they had to burn me out. I always wanted to be in the grass or playing football, just running around to drain my energy. I think I was hard work for my parents, I’d say it like that!

Kelly: It sounds like maybe it was quite a chaotic household. How many siblings have you got?

Nathan: I’ve got an older brother, a younger sister and a younger brother. I think it was just a constant battle of me trying to beat my older brother. It was just so hard because the age difference. We all had training at different times and they’d be running out of the house and you’d forget your boots or they’d be taking two cars in different directions. It was a bit of a carnage, but you wouldn’t have it any other way.

Kelly: Are you still close now?

Nathan: Ah yeah, of course. I talk to them more or less every day on the phone. Every chance I get to go home I will. My mam goes to every game – home and away. She watches them all.

Kelly: So she flies over? Are they still in Ireland?

Nathan: Yeah, they live in Ireland, so she flies over and she goes everywhere to be fair.

Kelly: Home and away?

Nathan: Yeah.

Kelly: That is some commitment!

Nathan: I know, I tell her, ‘listen, you don’t have to’ and she’s like, ‘no, I want to’.

Kelly: Not everyone’s got a son that’s a Premier League footballer though… I kind of get the appeal!

Nathan: Yeah, I don’t think that she watches the matches. I think that she just looks at me the whole game and sees what I’m doing. She’ll come after, ‘Why were you scratching your leg so much in the match?’ … ‘I don’t know. How do you know that?’

Kelly: Aw, bless her, that’s really sweet. How would your best friend describe you?

Nathan: I’d like to think that they’d describe me as the same lad I was growing up. The first thing that would pop in their head… they wouldn’t say I’m a footballer. I think they’d just say, ‘ah Nathan, he’s just a good lad like… he’s a bit of craic and he comes out when he can’ … but I don’t think that they’d look at me as a footballer, which I really enjoy. And it just means when I’m with them, I can just be myself and just enjoy being one of the lads.

Kelly: So if the manager gives you a day off, what would you do?

Nathan: It depends. If it’s a weekday and it’s good weather, I’ll play golf with a few of the lads here and we’ll get out in the sun.

Kelly: Are you any good?

Nathan: I’m all right. Listen, I can play. I’m not the greatest, but I’m not the worst.

Kelly: Who do you play with here?

Nathan: The group right now is me, Keane Lewis-Potter, Kris Ajer, Hakon Valdimarsson. It’s a good crew because we have a lot of players and we do a little Ryder Cup-style.

Kelly: Oh nice!

Nathan: So it’s staff v players.

Kelly: Wow!

Nathan: Yeah, because there’s a lot of players. We did that last year. We did 18 holes in the morning, we went for some lunch, and then we did 18 holes in the afternoon and it was really good fun. Players won, so thank God!

Kelly: Oh, that was my next question. Have you got any secret hobbies?

Nathan: I like cooking, so that’s something. When I cook, I think I just forget about everything. I’m just in my own little zone and my head kind of goes quiet, which is nice.

Kelly: Are you a good cook?

Nathan: It depends who you ask…

Kelly: If I was asking your girlfriend…

Nathan: Yeah, she’s actually saying: ‘Ah, you’re getting better at cooking!’

Kelly: That’s a bit patronising!

Nathan: Yeah, and I was like… ‘Does that mean I was bad?’

Kelly: Fair enough. What do people get wrong about you the most?

Nathan: Maybe I get a bit of stereotypical: ‘Ah, he’s just a footballer.’ Maybe they get that and then think, ‘oh, he’s actually pretty nice to talk to… he’s all right… he’s kind of relaxed… he’s chill’.

I always want to be just a good person as well. That’s important for me, just to be a nice person, a good person, a caring person. As much as I want to be the best footballer I can ever be, I also want to be the best person I can be and I think that’s something that I always strive towards as well.

Kelly: What’s the toughest moment of your career been? Has there been a tough moment?

Nathan: I had one game for Brentford against Wolves and I had two mistakes in the game. I gave away two goals, we lost 3-1 or something like that and I got battered off the Wolves fans because I’d just left Wolves and the fans had so much to go against me, so much stick. I was like, ‘oh my God, this couldn’t have got any worse’.

Nathan Collins and Thomas FrankGetty Images

Kelly: That’s a pretty good way of looking at it actually isn’t it?

Nathan: You’re not really wrong there!

Kelly: If you weren’t a footballer, what would you have been?

Nathan: I don’t know. I honestly don’t have a clue.

Kelly: Probably a good thing you were a footballer then…

Nathan: I’d never thought of anything else – that’s the scary thing. I never thought of doing anything else. I never thought of participating. It was always sports. If it wasn’t football, it would be a different sport most likely.

Kelly: When you finish, could you see yourself as Nathan Collins the coach?

Nathan: I don’t know. I’d like to just relax maybe and stay away from football for a little bit. I put a lot into it and I put a lot of effort into it. I try to learn and watch a lot about football, so maybe a bit of a break from there. I’d like to just relax for a few years, just play some golf, chill out with my family.

Kelly: Sounds like quite a good plan. If you can do that, why not?

Nathan: And then maybe I’ll get into something. Maybe I’d like business a bit… I’m trying to get into that, but I just can’t really. I’m struggling!

Kelly: You’re trying to get into business, are you? What are you trying to get into?

Nathan: I don’t know really… I’m just trying to get into it a bit.

Kelly: Saying ‘I’m trying to get into business’ is quite broad!

Nathan: Maybe become a crypto billionaire… that would be nice wouldn’t it?!

Kelly: It would be quite nice. If you find out how to do that, let me know!

Nathan: Yeah, I will. As I said, I don’t know. I’ll see when that comes around the corner. I’ll take it a bit more serious, but now I’m trying to enjoy football.

Kelly: What are you proudest of in your career?

Nathan: Probably playing for my country. Yeah, it was a big moment for me and my family. My family – my uncles, my cousins, we all had all the caps… under-15s, 16s, 17s, 18s, 19s, 21s. We never got a senior cap out of one, two, three, five who nearly played professionally. So for me to be able to get it was a good feeling for everyone in that journey – that my family name can have that senior cap to it. That was a really proud moment.

Kelly: If you could only achieve one more thing in your career what would it be?

Nathan: Win the World Cup. That would be unbelievable! Can I say that?

Kelly: That’s every player’s dream!

Related topics

  • Republic of Ireland Men’s Football Team
  • Brentford
  • Football

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Iran war: What is happening on day 15 of US-Israel attacks?

EXPLAINER

The United States-Israel war on Iran, now in its third week, continues to escalate after US forces struck military targets on Kharg Island, the critical hub through which most of Iran’s crude exports pass.

US President Donald Trump said Washington deliberately spared the island’s oil infrastructure but warned that it could be attacked if Iran interferes with shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.

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Tehran, meanwhile, has warned that any attack on its energy facilities would trigger retaliation against regional oil infrastructure and US-aligned assets, raising fears of a wider energy and security crisis across the Gulf.

Here is what we know:

In Iran

  • Joint attack: Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) earlier said they had launched missiles and drones at Israel in coordination with Tehran’s Lebanese proxy Hezbollah. The IRGC said in a statement that the operation was part of their annual al-Quds Day, which is intended to show support for the Palestinian cause.
  • Iranian supreme leader ‘wounded’: US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said he believes Iran’s new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, is wounded. “We know the new so-called, not-so-supreme leader is wounded and likely disfigured.”
  • $10m reward: The US Department of State offered a $10m reward for information about  Khamenei and other top officials.
  • US attacks on Kharg island: Trump announced that US forces have bombed Iranian military installations on Kharg island, which he described as Iran’s “crown jewel”. The island is critical to Iran’s economy, as approximately 90 percent of the country’s oil exports pass through it before travelling through the Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz.
  • Casualties rise: Since February 28, at least 1,444 people have been killed and 18,551 injured in US-Israel attacks on Iran.

In Gulf countries

  • Iranian retaliation: Iran has been launching reciprocal drone and missile attacks against US assets, military bases, and commercial sites across the Gulf region.
  • Saudi Arabia intercepts drones: The Saudi Ministry of Defense said on Friday it intercepted and destroyed six drones, five in the kingdom’s eastern region and one over the “Empty Quarter” desert zone.
  • Qatar: The Qatari armed forces successfully intercepted an incoming missile. Before the interception, authorities issued a heightened security alert to all mobile phones, warning of incoming missiles or drones, and temporarily evacuated certain areas, including parts of Education City.
  • Bahrain: Sirens sounded, and the Ministry of Interior urged all citizens and residents to remain calm and head to their nearest safe place.
  • Oman: Following a recent incident where two people were killed by falling drones in Oman, Sultan Haitham bin Tariq and Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani held a call urging dialogue and regional de-escalation.
  • F1 races cancelled: Formula One races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia will reportedly be cancelled or rescheduled as the war engulfs the region. The Bahrain race is currently scheduled for April 10 to 12, and Saudi Arabia a week later.

In the US

  • Major military deployments: To counter ongoing Iranian drone attacks and regional threats, the US is deploying 10,000 interceptor drones to the Middle East, according to US Army Secretary Dan Driscoll. Furthermore, US media reports suggest the potential deployment of the USS Tripoli, an amphibious assault ship, alongside 2,500 marines, which was reportedly approved by Hegseth.
  • Aggressive rhetoric and bounties: Highlighting the aggressive US stance, Hegseth stated that the US military will show “no quarter, no mercy for our enemy”, a remark that prompted concerns from Democratic Congressman Eugene Vindman about possible illegal orders.
  • Oil infrastructure spared: While the military facilities were destroyed on Kharg island, Trump said he chose not to strike the island’s oil infrastructure “for reasons of decency”. The island hosts key energy facilities linked to Iran’s oil export system, including storage tanks, loading terminals and pipelines.
  • Ultimatum over the Strait of Hormuz: In a post on Truth Social, Trump warned that if Iran interferes with the free and safe passage of ships through the Strait of Hormuz, he would reconsider that decision and target the oil facilities.
  • Strategic leverage: Analysts say the bombing signals that the US can cripple Iran’s ability to attack vessels in the strait while holding back the option of striking oil infrastructure – a move that could significantly disrupt Iran’s crude exports and intensify the global energy shock.

In Israel

  • 7,600 targets: Israel’s military said it had carried out about 7,600 strikes in Iran and 1,100 in Lebanon since launching its joint operation with the US on February 28.
  • Israel hit: Smoke could be seen rising from two locations around Israel’s commercial hub Tel Aviv, a journalist with the AFP news agency said, after blasts were heard following a warning that missiles were fired from Iran.

In Lebanon

  • Lebanon toll climbs: Israeli attacks have killed at least 773 people in Lebanon since March 2, the Lebanese Ministry of Public Health said, as Israel pledged the country would pay an “increasing price” in damage to infrastructure.
  • Attacks on medical workers: Lebanon’s Health Ministry strongly condemned an Israeli strike on a healthcare centre in Borj Qalaouiye that killed 12 medical staff, including doctors, nurses, and paramedics.
  • UN base hit: Israeli shells struck the headquarters of a Nepalese peacekeeping battalion serving with UNIFIL in the southern Lebanese town of Meiss el-Jabal.
  • Hezbollah’s stance: Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem stated that his group is ready for a “long confrontation” with Israel, framing the conflict as a legitimate defence against 15 months of unaddressed Israeli abuses.

In Iraq

  • US embassy targeted: Iraq says a helipad at the US Embassy in Baghdad has been hit by a missile.  An Iraqi security source tells Al Jazeera the attack on the embassy destroyed the air defence system. Smoke has been seen rising from the site. The sprawling embassy complex, inside Baghdad’s security Green Zone, has been repeatedly targeted by rockets and drones fired by Iran-aligned groups. There was no immediate comment from the US Embassy in Baghdad.
  • Iraq PM, Macron call: Iraq’s Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani pledged to prevent attacks after the killing of a French soldier in a drone attack in the semi-autonomous Kurdish region.
  • Turkiye issues travel advisory: Turkiye has advised its citizens to avoid non-essential travel to Iraq as the country is becoming increasingly affected by the ongoing US-Israeli war on Iran.

Economic effect

  • Global economic effect: The US-Israel war on Iran has prompted a global energy crisis and a surge in oil prices. In response, Canada announced it will release 23.6 million barrels of oil as part of an emergency coordinated effort by the International Energy Agency (IEA).
  • Aviation effect: Major Indian airlines, including Air India and IndiGo, have significantly increased ticket fares to cover rising aviation turbine fuel costs caused by the geopolitical instability.
  • Shifting diplomatic dynamics: Despite the heavy US military presence, an analyst noted that the US is losing diplomatic leverage regarding the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. Key nations, including India, France, and Italy, are now bypassing Washington and reaching out directly to Iran to negotiate safe passage for their vessels, indicating a shift in who is controlling the immediate crisis.
INTERACTIVE - Different types of crude oil - March 13, 2026-1773391867
(Al Jazeera)

Smoke seen rising from US embassy in Baghdad

NewsFeed

Videos posted by social media users showed smoke rising from the US embassy in Baghdad after a reported attack. Iraqi officials said a helipad at the embassy was hit by a missile.