A missile strike on an industrial area in the central Iranian city of Isfahan killed at least 15 people on Saturday, according to Iranian media. The semi-official Fars news agency reported that the attack, attributed to US and Israeli forces, hit a factory producing heating and cooling equipment while workers were inside. The strike occurred on the 15th day of the conflict that Iran’s Ministry of Health says has killed at least 1,444 people and wounded more than 18,500 since the US-Israeli attacks began on February 28.

Iran’s Ministry of Culture said 56 museums and historic sites had been damaged, including Naqsh-e Jahan Square in Isfahan and the UNESCO-listed Golestan Palace in Tehran. UNESCO expressed deep concern, noting that four of Iran’s 29 World Heritage Sites were affected. Separately, Iran’s army confirmed the death of Brigadier General Abdullah Jalali-Nasab in an Israeli attack. Earlier, US forces struck Kharg Island, though operations reportedly continued normally.

Both Washington and Tehran have dismissed the possibility of negotiations. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi urged regional states to expel foreign forces, while Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said the war was entering a decisive phase. Iran launched new missile salvos at Israel, with explosions reported over Jerusalem.

A severe hunger crisis is unfolding in Yemen, where more than half of the population—around 18 million people—is projected to face worsening food insecurity by early 2026. According to the International Rescue Committee (IRC), nearly every surveyed household identified food as their most urgent need, with 80 percent reporting severe hunger. The latest Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) warns that one million more people risk slipping into life-threatening hunger, and famine pockets affecting over 40,000 people could emerge within two months.

Years of conflict, economic collapse, and climate shocks have crippled Yemen’s ability to produce or import food. The country relies on imports for up to 90 percent of staple grains, while fighting has displaced rural families and disrupted supply chains. Erratic rainfall and rising temperatures have further reduced agricultural productivity, leaving many families surviving on one meal a day.

Humanitarian funding has dropped to less than 25 percent of required levels, the lowest in a decade, with nutrition programs receiving only 10 percent of needed support. The IRC urges donors to urgently restore and expand food and nutrition funding, prioritize treatment for malnourished children and mothers, and strengthen systems to track and respond to emerging hunger hotspots.

Israeli settlers attacked two Palestinian villages in the occupied West Bank on Saturday, killing one man and injuring several others, according to local officials. In Qusra village, Nablus governorate, 28-year-old Amir Moatasem Odeh was shot dead and two others were wounded. In a separate assault in Rashayda, east of Bethlehem, settlers fired live ammunition, injuring five Palestinians, including two with gunshot wounds. Three others were beaten, and more than 100 sheep were seized. The Israeli military confirmed a violent confrontation involving armed Israeli civilians, reporting one Israeli civilian wounded and the detention of two Israelis and three Palestinians.

The attacks followed an earlier incident in which settlers burned down a poultry barn in the same area. Palestinian news agency Wafa also reported that Israeli forces shot a 43-year-old man and beat his son at a checkpoint near Jerusalem. Palestinian authorities and the UN said at least five Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank since early March, amid a wider surge in violence linked to the war in Gaza.

Rights groups and UN officials have criticized the lack of accountability for settler violence. Yesh Din reported that over 90 percent of investigations into such offences end without indictment, while the UN human rights chief described the situation as resembling apartheid.

US President Donald Trump has called for a joint initiative involving France, Japan, South Korea, the United Kingdom, and China to ensure the security of the Strait of Hormuz. In several posts on his social media platform Truth Social, Trump stated that countries benefiting from oil transported through the strait should take responsibility for protecting this vital maritime route. He emphasized that safeguarding the strait should not be the sole duty of the United States but rather a collective effort among oil-importing nations.

Analysts cited in the report noted that Trump’s remarks reflect ongoing instability in the region. Following Iran’s effective closure of the strait, global energy supply chains have faced significant uncertainty. The United States has already maintained a large military presence in the area and decided to deploy additional Marine forces, underscoring the continuing challenge of securing maritime navigation.

The situation highlights the strategic importance of the Strait of Hormuz and the growing international concern over energy security in the face of regional tensions.

Lebanon-based armed group Hezbollah has claimed responsibility for a missile attack targeting Israeli soldiers stationed near the Lebanon border. According to a statement published by Lebanon’s state news agency NNA, the group said it struck Israeli forces positioned in Khallat al-Mahafir, located in the town of Al-Adisa. The incident reportedly occurred close to the frontier area separating Lebanon and Israel.

As of the report’s publication, Israeli authorities had not issued any immediate comment regarding the alleged attack. The information was sourced from Al Jazeera and relayed through local media. The report did not mention any casualties or further military developments following the strike.

The situation adds to ongoing tensions along the Lebanon-Israel border, though the source did not provide details on potential escalation or diplomatic responses.

The death toll from the ongoing Middle East conflict has surpassed 2,200 following joint US and Israeli strikes on Iran that began on February 28, according to Al Jazeera. Iran has recorded the highest number of casualties with 1,444 deaths, followed by 773 in Lebanon and 14 in Israel. Additional fatalities include six in the United Arab Emirates, two in Bahrain, two in Saudi Arabia, six in Kuwait, and three in Oman. Eleven US military personnel and 26 people in Iraq have also been reported killed.

The conflict erupted after the United States and Israel launched coordinated attacks on Iranian military and energy facilities, sparking rapid escalation across the region. Iran responded by announcing missile and drone strikes, which spread the violence to several Gulf countries.

The situation remains volatile as regional tensions continue to rise, with widespread concern over further escalation and humanitarian impacts across affected nations.

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has issued a strong warning that Israel’s actions are pushing the Middle East toward severe instability and potential genocide. Speaking at a press conference in Ankara on Saturday, Fidan accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of using operations against Hezbollah in Lebanon as a pretext for a new massacre. He cautioned that the ongoing conflict could escalate into a regional war and urged the United States and Iran to return to dialogue immediately.

Fidan confirmed that Turkey had intercepted a missile targeting its airspace and said Ankara is closely monitoring the situation while maintaining regular contact with Iran. He sharply criticized Israel for restricting worshippers’ access to the Al-Aqsa Mosque, calling it a dangerous move that could inflame tensions across the Muslim world.

The minister emphasized that as long as the attacks continue, the region will remain trapped in a cycle of destruction, and Turkey will build strong resistance against any provocation.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stated that Iran would target US company facilities in the Middle East if its oil infrastructure came under attack. Speaking on Saturday, he told UCJ News Agency that Iranian forces would respond by striking American installations in the region should Iranian sites be hit.

Araghchi urged Iranian forces to act with caution, emphasizing that densely populated areas must not become targets of retaliatory operations. He also commented on the Strait of Hormuz, saying that despite it remaining open, Iran would not allow oil tankers or ships belonging to either enemies or allies to pass through.

The remarks, reported by Al Jazeera, reflect heightened regional tensions and Iran’s warning of potential escalation if its energy assets are threatened.

Missiles were launched toward Israel from Iran and Lebanon on Saturday, according to Al Jazeera’s live updates. Explosions were heard over western Jerusalem after Israeli defenses detected incoming missiles from Iran. The Iran-backed Lebanese armed group Hezbollah claimed responsibility for rocket attacks on northern Israel’s Goren area and said it targeted an Israeli air defense system in the Ma’alot-Tarshiha city.

Al Jazeera reported that the Middle East war, which began with U.S. and Israeli strikes on Tehran, has now entered its third week. The Israeli military stated that its defense systems were actively working to intercept the incoming missiles and neutralize threats.

The continued exchange of attacks underscores the deepening regional conflict involving Iran, Lebanon, Israel, and the United States, with no immediate sign of de-escalation mentioned in the report.

Five US Air Force refueling aircraft were damaged in an Iranian missile attack on Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia, according to a Wall Street Journal report citing two US officials on Friday, March 13. The aircraft were hit during recent Iranian strikes but were not completely destroyed and are currently under repair. No casualties were reported in the incident, and Reuters was unable to independently verify the report.

The attack comes amid heightened regional tensions as Iran continues missile operations in Gulf countries. In response, the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas urged Tehran to refrain from targeting neighboring states while reaffirming Iran’s right to self-defense against Israel and the United States. This marked Hamas’s first such appeal to Iran, emphasizing adherence to international law.

Hamas also called on the international community to work toward an immediate end to the ongoing conflict, following two years of devastating war in Gaza.

Two of the five Bangladeshi nationals killed in a gas cylinder explosion at a guesthouse in the Maldives are expected to be repatriated to Bangladesh on Sunday, according to a statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued on Saturday. The victims were identified as Taj Uddin Islam, Md. Sadar Ali, Md. Robin Molla, Sofikul Islam, and Md. Nurun Nabi Sarkar. The bodies of Md. Sadar Ali and Sofikul Islam are scheduled to arrive in Bangladesh, while two others, Jamal Uddin and Saddam Hossain, remain hospitalized with serious injuries.

The explosion occurred on Thursday night at a guesthouse on Dhigurah Island, about 100 kilometers from the Maldivian capital, Malé. Seven people were rescued with severe burns, and five later died while receiving treatment. The Bangladesh High Commission in the Maldives coordinated with local authorities to expedite the repatriation process and provide assistance to the victims’ families.

The High Commission has also contacted the employer company to ensure proper compensation and arranged alternative housing for affected Bangladeshi workers. The injured are under close medical supervision in Malé.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has claimed responsibility for recent attacks on branches of US banks in several Gulf countries, describing them as retaliation for earlier American strikes on two Iranian banks. The statement was reported by Al Jazeera, citing Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency.

IRGC spokesperson Sardar Naeini said the US bank branches were targeted in direct response to those previous attacks. He warned that if the United States carries out similar operations again, all American bank branches in the region would become legitimate targets for Iran. The incidents included two consecutive attacks in Dubai’s International Financial Centre area, prompting major US financial institutions such as Citigroup and Standard Chartered to evacuate offices and shift employees to remote work.

In a related move, HSBC closed its branch in Qatar and implemented remote work policies for its regional staff following the attacks.

U.S. President Donald Trump has warned that the United States will carry out large-scale bombing along the coast of the Hormuz Strait if necessary to keep the strategic waterway open. According to Al Jazeera, Trump made the statement in a post on Truth Social, saying that Iran’s attempt to close the strait has prompted several countries to consider sending warships to the area.

Trump urged nations dependent on the Hormuz Strait, including China, France, Japan, South Korea, and the United Kingdom, to deploy ships to ensure its safety and openness. He claimed that Iran’s military capability has been largely destroyed but acknowledged that Iran still retains the ability to launch drones, lay mines, or fire short-range missiles.

Trump emphasized that the United States would conduct extensive coastal bombings if required and vowed that the Hormuz Strait would remain open by any means necessary.

Thousands of Palestinians have been forced to pray on the streets outside Al-Aqsa Mosque after Israeli authorities barred entry to the compound. The closure, imposed under security restrictions, has left worshippers performing prayers near the Bab al-Sahira gate in Jerusalem during the final days of Ramadan.

In previous years, hundreds of thousands gathered inside Al-Aqsa for Friday prayers during Ramadan. However, since the joint Israel–United States military operation against Iran began on February 28, Israel has tightened access to Jerusalem’s Old City and its holy sites. According to the report, this is the first complete closure of Al-Aqsa since 1967. Before the war, Israel had already limited entry, allowing only 10,000 worshippers from the occupied West Bank on the first Friday of Ramadan, compared to the usual half a million.

Worshippers expressed deep sorrow over being unable to enter the mosque, describing the experience as losing something precious during one of the holiest periods of the year.

Israeli military prosecutors have withdrawn charges against five soldiers accused of raping and sexually assaulting a Palestinian detainee at the Sde Teiman detention center. The decision was announced on Thursday, according to a statement from the Israeli army cited by Al Jazeera. The army said the charges were dropped due to significant developments that occurred after the indictment was filed.

The alleged assault took place in July 2025 at the Sde Teiman facility, located in Israel’s Negev desert. Reports said the detainee suffered severe injuries, including rectal tearing. Israeli media, including the state broadcaster Kan, previously reported that the victim was later sent to Gaza on October 13, 2025, as part of a prisoner exchange deal with Hamas.

Sde Teiman has gained notoriety for alleged human rights abuses against Palestinian detainees, including beatings, prolonged restraints, and denial of medical care. Both Palestinian and Israeli media, as well as human rights groups, have compared the facility to the U.S. detention center at Guantanamo Bay.