Gulf oil supply crisis: Italy contributes nearly 10 million barrels of oil to global emergency reserves. Reports that Italy and France were negotiating with Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz for their ships have been denied.
G7 leaders urged Trump to quickly end the war and secure the Strait of Hormuz. Trump stated that the situation in the Strait of Hormuz is improving and that commercial shipping should resume. German Chancellor Merz: “We are not a party to the war against Iran and have no intention of joining it. Our appeal is primarily to Iran and its mullah regime to end the war. The responsibility for all this lies primarily with the regime in Tehran.”
Donald Trump declared that, as the 47th President of the United States, it was a “great honor” for him to kill representatives of the “Iranian terrorist regime,” who have been “killing innocent people” for 47 years. He also invited an audience to see what “happens today to these crazy bastards,” without providing details.
The US and Israeli operation in Iran will continue for at least another 2-3 weeks, Axios reports, citing Israeli government sources. Trump, in a conversation with Starmer, said he no longer needed Britain’s help, Axios reports, citing sources. “You should have offered this [British bases for operations in the Middle East] before the war. Now it’s too late,” an anonymous source quoted Starmer as saying.
Khatam al-Anbiya, spokesman for the Central Command of the Armed Forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran: “American soldiers deliberately set fire to the aircraft carrier Gerald Ford out of fear. The US aircraft carrier Gerald Ford was deliberately set on fire in the Red Sea by some American soldiers, following the panic and fear spreading among the crew.” Two sailors were reportedly injured.
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Iran: “According to the report I read on the 13th at 6:00 a.m., only 1% of the munitions we are using today are stand-off munitions.” “The rest is exaggerated.” And again: “There’s this whole idea that the war is widening. That’s what the press wants it to look like: that it’s widening and chaotic. But no. We’re actually getting closer, taking control, and defining the goals we want to achieve and the ways we want to achieve them.”
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during an iftar dinner with Justice and Development Party (AKP) lawmakers in Ankara, saying that even Israelis in shelters are calling the situation “the greatest disaster since the Holocaust.” Erdogan emphasized that Ankara is making great efforts to reach a ceasefire and initiate negotiations to prevent the fighting from spreading.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Israel will create the conditions for the overthrow of the Tehran regime, including through air strikes, but cannot guarantee that the Iranians will rise up in protest. He added that Israel has “many surprises” in store for the current campaign, which is going better than expected. He also said: “We have created an unprecedented alliance with the United States, and I talk to Trump every day. Relations between me and Trump are much stronger than they were in the past between the leaders of the two countries.”
“Israel’s status as a superpower is growing like never before,” Netanyahu said. “Unprecedented results… that are changing the reality of the Middle East (West Asia) and beyond.”
Senior Israeli military source: “The Americans didn’t believe we could do it. We destroyed between 160 and 190 launchers.” Launchers, another 200 blocked, about 150 remain. Launchers are afraid to go out, there are desertions and refusal to obey orders. Every day we destroy several launchers. We have entered, perhaps, an unheroic and boring phase of systematic destruction of command posts, military industries, and nuclear facilities. Iranian security forces have counted over 10,000 dead and wounded. What will likely happen after the war is a weakened regime, an economic blockade, diplomatic isolation, and, ultimately, a revolution. The situation is in line with our expectations.” “We will reach the kingdom—we will arrive at the return of the Messiah!” Netanyahu commented.
The National Cybersecurity Authority in Israel: “We urge Israelis to disconnect their surveillance cameras from the internet or to block access to them through encryption, for fear of them being hacked by hostile entities.”
Gulf states intend to reassess their relations with the United States and seek to diversify external partnerships following Trump’s decision to declare war on Iran, Reuters reports.
CBS reports that a U.S. military medical evacuation flight departed Saudi Arabia today for a U.S. base in Germany carrying 19 wounded service members. Qatari authorities are canceling free accommodation and meals for tourists. Tourists must leave the country or extend their stay by March 15, according to the Russian Embassy. “Local authorities have decided to end the ‘free accommodation’ program for tourists staying in hotels in the country. “The last night of the program is March 14-15,” the statement reads. The Qatari side strongly recommends leaving the country as soon as possible.
In Iran, rocket launches against Israel continue, bearing commemorative plaques. “Vaccine for Pedophiles – Made in Iran”
Demonstrations in Iran for Jerusalem Day. All the country’s leaders participated, including Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi: “The Americans will not ‘gain’ from rising oil prices and tariffs; they will enrich multinationals and destroy families.”
Sardar Jabbari, Advisor to the Commander-in-Chief of the Revolutionary Guards: “We have destroyed 70% of US bases in the region. Iran has ample capabilities and resources to wage a protracted war. Iran possesses advanced-generation missiles that have not yet been used.”
Iranian Police Chief Ahmad Reza Radan: “Today, people came to tell the enemy that we are not afraid. They responded to the sound of the explosions by shouting ‘Allah Akbar’ and ‘Do not leave the square.’ Victory is near.” Revolutionary Guards Intelligence: “The Americans want to use our Arab brothers as human shields. We are forced to identify them and target them. Therefore, it is best not to allow them to stay in hotels. We ask citizens of Arab countries to provide us with information on the 11,000 American soldiers stationed in the Middle East.”
And now a look at the military scenarios in the Middle East and West Asia, updated as of 5:00 PM on March 13. Two days ago, an F/A-18E/F fighter crashed while attempting to land on the deck of the aircraft carrier CVN-72 Abraham Lincoln. The aircraft was returning from a bombing mission in Iran. The pilot was rescued. According to Israeli and Western sources, the number of Iranian missile launchers has remained stable after a week of relentless air strikes.
The U.S. Navy says a fire broke out aboard the USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78) in the Red Sea, maintaining that the incident was not combat-related. Two sailors were injured in the fire.
Iranian missile enters Turkish airspace for the third time, sirens sound at Incirlik military airport. A statement from the Turkish Ministry of Defense reads: “A ballistic missile launched from Iran and penetrated Turkish airspace was neutralized by NATO air and missile defense units deployed in the Eastern Mediterranean.”
An Azerbaijani citizen arrested in Limassol in June 2025 appeared in court but pleaded not guilty to five charges, including espionage, after allegedly photographing British and Cypriot military bases and sending the images to third parties. The Cyprus Fire Department will have 13 aircraft this summer. The service also plans to deploy private drone operators to assist in monitoring and identifying fires.
On the afternoon of March 12, a member of the Bnei Brak City Council in Ramat Gan was stabbed; his condition is serious. He is a prominent member of the religious Shas party.
On the night between March 12 and 13, sirens went off across Israel. Rockets were fired toward Tel Aviv during Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s press conference. One of the rockets, aimed at the Israeli settlement of Gush Dan, was intercepted by air defense systems. Emergency services reported no casualties. Rockets were launched simultaneously from Lebanon and Iran. A second rocket launch occurred at 1:30 AM Italian time, targeting Haifa. Israeli Air Force aircraft chased a Hezbollah drone in the skies above the Haifa region.
A rocket struck a building directly in the Upper Galilee, injuring and trapping people. The number of injured rose to 60 after the missile strike in the Galilee, and 300 homes were damaged.
At 12:30 PM Italian time, another rocket launch from Iran toward Israel. Tel Aviv and its surroundings are under fire. One injured person was reported in the Kibri area and was taken to Nahariya Hospital.
Armed Israeli settlers opened fire on Palestinian homes in the “Hamroush” area of Sa’ir, north of Hebron. The settlers used live ammunition against the homes, sowing fear and panic among local residents.
At 4:00 PM Italian time, sirens were sounded again in Israel following missile fire from Iran. Iranian missiles struck at least three areas in central Israel.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) recently struck the Az-Zarriya Bridge over the Litani River in Lebanon, which served as a main crossing point for Hezbollah militants. Hezbollah uses this bridge to move from the north to the south of the country, prepare for combat operations against Israeli forces, and target Israeli civilians. To prevent a threat to Israeli civilians and further harm to Lebanese civilians, the bridge had to be struck.
Continued explosions near the Lebanese border, with constant rocket and mortar fire. In response, Hezbollah launched missile attacks into northern Israel. Channel 15 in Hebrew: The Israeli army is deploying the 98th Division to the Lebanese border.
A long night in Iraq for American and French troops. Regarding the attack on the Italian base in Erbil, Iraqi authorities reported that it was mostly drone debris that hit the base and not an actual attack on Italy. Despite this, Minister Crosetto ordered The withdrawal from Iraq after 40 years of Italian presence and efforts in the country.
Six crew members died in the crash of a U.S. Air Force KC-135 in western Iraq, according to the Pentagon. According to the Pentagon, an investigation is ongoing, and the Iraqi resistance has claimed responsibility for the downing. The crash occurred in friendly airspace during Operation Epic Fury. Two aircraft were involved. One crashed in western Iraq, the other landed safely.
Central Command Headquarters, Khatam al-Anbiya (Iranian Army): “An American tanker aircraft was hit by air defense systems in western Iraq, crashing and killing all crew members.” The second U.S. tanker, which lost half its tail, managed to land at Ben Gurion Airport.
The first French and European soldier has also been killed in Iraq. Sergeant Major Arnaud Frion, deputy commander of the 7th French Battalion, was killed when drones from Iranian-backed militias attacked a French military base near Erbil, Iraq. The resistance claims to have also hit a French helicopter during an attack on the French air base in Erbil. According to the governor of Erbil province, at least six French soldiers were injured in a drone attack on a joint Kurdish-French base in northern Iraq. The Iraqi militias stated: “Following the arrival of a French aircraft carrier in support of US operations, all French interests in Iraq and the region will now be considered targets.” “The group also called on Iraqi security forces to maintain at least 500 meters away from the French contingent at the K1 base for their own safety.”
Air defense operations. Fire and plumes of smoke are rising from the Lanaaz oil company, owned by the Barzani family, in Erbil Governorate, in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. Some of the fuel needed to supply U.S. military bases in northern Iraq apparently comes from this refinery. Two explosions occurred at the Hewrazah oil field in Erbil.
According to preliminary reports, a kamikaze drone struck a training area used by members of the U.S. military. The site is a joint training camp for U.S. forces and units linked to Azay Amini, head of the Asayish Council and involved in the 2020 airport attack. Three American soldiers were reportedly injured in the attack. The Victoria U.S. base in Baghdad, Iraq, is under attack.
Late in the evening of March 12, explosions in Saudi Arabia. New attacks on U.S. bases in Saudi Arabia. Satellite images show extensive damage to US barracks and an aircraft facility at Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia.
A new Iranian attack against US targets in Bahrain.
Qatar reported intercepting two ballistic missiles, a cruise missile, and drones launched by Iran.
Satellite images confirm the severe damage suffered by Al Dhafra Air Base in Abu Dhabi, attacked by Iranian missiles and drones. Previously, Saab GlobalEye aircraft, C235 transport aircraft, and US MQ-9 and MQ-4C drones were stationed there. On the morning of March 13, explosions occurred in Dubai, attacking the headquarters of the International Financial Center. Two more explosions were recorded at 3:00 PM.
Footage from the Al Dhafra base in the United Arab Emirates shows the massive impact of an Iranian Khorramshahr-4 ballistic missile warhead hitting the American officers’ quarters, leaving a crater at least 10 meters in diameter and completely destroying the target. This is the first documented impact of this missile on a US base, and the death toll is said to have been redacted.
At least 19 merchant ships have been hit in the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz since the start of the war against Iran. The latest incident occurred on the afternoon of March 13, when a merchant ship was damaged in the Strait of Hormuz, causing a fire on board.
Tehran residents reported loud explosions in the capital overnight. US strategic bombers are participating in the ongoing intense bombing of several Iranian cities. On the morning of March 14, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) issued an “urgent warning” to Iranians in several areas of the Tehran region regarding planned air strikes.
“In the coming hours, the IDF will operate in this area, as they have done throughout Tehran in recent days, with the aim of hitting the Iranian regime’s military infrastructure,” IDF spokesman Lieutenant Colonel (ret.) Kamal Penhasi stated in Persian. “For your safety and well-being, we ask you to immediately leave the area indicated on the map.” Another bombing of the city of Tehran began at 9:30 a.m. on March 13, using armor-piercing bombs.
An Israeli and US drone strike targeted the Iranian island of Qeshm; a number of civilians were killed, according to an initial death toll.
Iranian Revolutionary Guards: “Early this morning, the Revolutionary Guards Navy launched two waves of devastating missile and drone attacks against the US Fifth Fleet headquarters in the port of Mina Salman. By the grace of God, the Strait of Hormuz will remain closed.”
Khamtam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, Iran: “We will set fire to the region’s oil and gas fields at the slightest attack on Iranian energy infrastructure and ports. We warn the aggressor government and all its allies that the slightest attack on the energy infrastructure and ports of the Islamic Republic of Iran will be met with an overwhelming and devastating response from us.”
According to the Iranians, the US tanker over Iraq was hit by a 358 surface-to-air missile launched “by the heroic Iraqi resistance.”
Press TV provides a firsthand account of the aftermath of an Israeli-American attack on an oil depot in Karaj, which destroyed nearby homes and schools. A woman was killed in a US-Israeli airstrike during the Quds Day march in Tehran.
Alireza Bikdeli, Iran’s ambassador to Afghanistan, thanked the Taliban leadership for not handing over Bagram Air Base to the United States. In an interview with Shamshad TV, he said that a US base in the area could lead to a conflict between Iran and Afghanistan.
Antonio Albanese e Graziella Giangiulio
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