Middle East War: Iran says US, Israel targeting civilian sites, claims 1,300 killed in strikes

India on Wednesday expressed deep concern over attack on a Thai-flagged commercial vessel in the Strait of Hormuz, stressing that merchant shipping should not be targeted amid the ongoing conflict in West Asia. In a statement, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said it had taken note of the reported attack on the Thai ship Mayuree Naree on March 11 while it was en route to Kandla port in Gujarat.

Iran says US and Israeli forces have bombed nearly 10,000 civilian sites across the country and killed more than 1,300 civilians since the war began 11 days ago, according to its UN envoy. The strikes reportedly damaged homes, schools, medical facilities and other infrastructure. In Iraq, a woman was killed by shrapnel after a strike targeted an arms depot belonging to an Iran-backed armed group, officials said. 

An Iranian drone struck fuel storage tanks at the Port of Salalah in Oman after multiple drones approached the facility. Omani air defenses intercepted several of the drones, but one penetrated defenses and hit the tanks, igniting fires and damaging storage infrastructure. No casualties were reported. 

US President Donald Trump told Axios in a brief Wednesday phone interview that the war with Iran is expected to end “soon” because there is “practically nothing left to target,” asserting the campaign has been highly effective and is ahead of expectations. 

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has declared that vessels wishing to transit the Strait of Hormuz — a critical maritime chokepoint for global energy flows — must first obtain permission from Iranian authorities, effectively asserting control over passage through the waterway.

Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz declared that the ongoing joint bombing campaign with the United States against Iran has no time limit and will continue “as long as necessary” until Israel and its allies achieve their defined objectives, according to statements reported by international media. Katz said the strikes have inflicted significant damage on Iranian military capabilities and stressed that the operation would persist without a set end date, coordinated at the highest political and military levels with Washington. 

Two Indian nationals have been confirmed dead and another is missing after merchant vessels they were aboard came under attack during the ongoing conflict in West Asia, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Wednesday. 

A Sri Lankan court on Wednesday ordered that the bodies of 84 Iranian sailors killed in a US attack on an Iranian vessel off the island nation's coast be handed over to Iran's embassy. Currently, the bodies are stored in two freezer containers in Galle National Hospital.

Large crowds of fasting residents gathered at Tehran’s Revolution Square on Wednesday to take part in a funeral procession for those killed in recent airstrikes attributed to the United States and Israel. The ceremony began at noon and moved toward the Shrine of the Martyrs in southern Tehran. 

As the oil prices have resumed climbing with no end to the US-Israel-Iran war in sight, Japan's Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said on Wednesday that the nation will release part of its oil reserves as early as March 16.

A massive blast has been reported in Dubai as the Middle East reels under severe unrest. 

A Thailand-flagged bulk carrier, Mayuree Naree, was struck by projectiles while sailing through the Strait of Hormuz, about 18 km north of Oman, according to Thai and maritime authorities. The attack caused a fire onboard and forced the crew to request assistance, though the blaze was later brought under control.

Iran attacked commercial ships on Wednesday across the Persian Gulf and targeted Dubai International Airport, escalating a campaign of squeezing the oil-rich region as global energy concerns mounted and American and Israeli airstrikes pounded the Islamic Republic. Two Iranian drones hit near Dubai International Airport, home to the long-haul carrier Emirates and the world's busiest for international travel. Four people were wounded but flights continued, the Dubai Media Office said.

One of the seven members of Iran’s women’s football team delegation who had sought asylum in Australia has decided to return to Iran after initially choosing to remain in Brisbane. The player contacted the Iranian embassy following discussions with teammates who had already departed Australia. Australian Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke confirmed that officials verified the decision was made voluntarily and assisted in arranging her return, according to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 

Speaking on recent political tensions, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that Turkiye is aware of what he described as coordinated campaigns by anti-Turkiye lobbies and insisted the country will not fall into what he called their “trap.” He stressed that the government will maintain composure and act with common sense despite external pressure.

Erdogan also addressed religious unity, stating that Islam should not be divided into sects such as Sunnism or Shiism.

Iran's new Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, has been injured during the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, confirmed Iran's President's son, Yousef Pezeshkian on Wednesday. According to news agency AFP, the president's son said the new leader, who succeeded his father, Ali Khamenei, after he was killed in US-Israel strikes, is "safe and sound" despite reports of an injury during the war. The statement comes amid growing speculation over Khamenei's health and whereabouts. 

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Two Iranian drones struck near Dubai International Airport on Wednesday and wounded four people, authorities said. The Dubai Media Office, which issues statement on behalf of the city-state’s government, said the attack caused “minor injuries to two Ghanaian nationals and one Bangladeshi national, and moderate injuries to one Indian national.” Flights have continued, the office said.

A projectile hit a cargo ship today in the Strait of Hormuz, setting the vessel ablaze after the United States targeted Iranian minelaying vessels that could target the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations centre, run by the British military, said the vessel had been hit just north of Oman in the strait.

The United Nations has cautioned that any shutdown of the vital Strait of Hormuz could sharply increase global food prices and overall cost-of-living. With the conflict in West Asia intensifying, the UN says disruptions in this critical trade route pose a serious threat to global supply chains and economic stability.

Iran's Ambassador to the United Nations, Amir Saeid Iravani, has claimed that over 1,300 civilians have been killed and nearly 9,700 sites destroyed in the ongoing strikes carried out by the United States and Israel. He alleged that Israel is intentionally targeting civilians as well as key infrastructure, intensifying humanitarian concerns amid the escalating conflict.

Container ship hit by 'unknown projectile' near UAE coast, says UK agency

Videos circulating online and broadcast by local news channels from an apparent strike site in the densely populated Aicha Bakkar area of central Beirut show two floors of a multistory building engulfed in flames. There were no immediate reports concerning who was targeted or the number and extent of casualties. The strike came without warning.

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has announced that it carried out a fresh strike on American military positions in the Middle East. According to the IRGC, four missiles were launched at the headquarters of US forces in the region, including two aimed specifically at Camp Arifjan in Kuwait. The claim marks a sharp escalation as Tehran continues to target American installations following heightened regional tensions.

Iran's Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi held a telephone conversation with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov to discuss the latest regional developments and the security implications arising from what Tehran described as the military aggression of the United States and Israel against Iran. According to Iran's Foreign Ministry, the two diplomats exchanged views on the evolving situation in West Asia and the broader consequences of the conflict for regional and international stability. During the conversation, Araghchi outlined what he called the crimes committed by the United States and Israel against the Iranian people and stressed Tehran's resolve to defend its sovereignty.

A newly finalised UN draft resolution "condemns in the strongest terms all attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure, and calls for their protection." While it pushes for an urgent return to diplomacy and negotiations, it does not directly name Iran, the United States or Israel. The draft, completed on Tuesday evening, is likely to go to vote today, right after Gulf nations present their resolution demanding Iran halt attacks on Arab neighbours.

The man succumbed to his wounds today, two days after the strike on his team while they were rescuing people following an earlier attack, the Lebanese Health Ministry said, as per The Associated Press (AP). It is the first time a Red Cross worker has been killed since the conflict between Hezbollah and Israel erupted March 2. The Health Ministry and the Lebanese Red Cross have condemned repeated strikes on medical and rescue teams. Another, separate strike Monday wounded one member of a team.

Iran’s Khorramshahr and Zolfaghar missiles are capable of carrying multiple warheads. Footage shows them bursting at high altitude and scattering bomblets across areas far larger than typical military targets.

At least three people, including two construction workers in central Israel, were killed by cluster munitions this week, as per The Associated Press (AP). Authorities have begun publicly warning residents about the dangers of unexploded bomblets.

Israeli officials say the bomblets explode across wide areas and are extremely difficult to intercept. The danger persists long after impact because many sub-munitions remain unexploded on the ground, acting like land mines.

Israel has accused Iran of launching cluster munitions throughout the conflict, creating a deadly new challenge for its overstretched air-defence systems. The warheads open mid-air and scatter dozens of bomblets, many resembling orange fireballs at night.

Sirens sounded in Bahrain today, warning of an incoming Iranian attack. On Tuesday, an Iranian attack hit a residential building in the capital, Manama, killing a 29-year-old woman and wounding eight people. Meanwhile, the United Arab Emirates said its air defences were firing at incoming Iranian strikes. The UAE issued a similar warning just after midnight.

Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Defence said that it intercepted and destroyed six ballistic missiles launched toward Prince Sultan Air Base, a major US-and Saudi-operated facility in eastern Saudi Arabia. The ministry also said it intercepted and destroyed two drones over Hafar al-Batin, a major eastern city.