At least seven people were killed and 21 others injured in an Israeli airstrike on Beirut’s central coastal area early Thursday, according to Lebanon’s Health Ministry. The attack targeted the Ramlet al-Baida district, with local media footage showing smoke rising from the shoreline. The National News Agency reported that a car was struck during the assault.

The Israeli military confirmed conducting overnight operations against Hezbollah in Beirut’s southern suburbs, saying it hit ten Hezbollah targets. This marks the third strike in central Beirut since the start of the Middle East conflict. The National News Agency also reported Israeli attacks on several southern Lebanese towns, including Taybeh, Al-Sultaniyah, and areas near Tyre.

In response, Hezbollah announced that it had launched a missile strike on an Israeli military intelligence base near Tel Aviv early Thursday, signaling continued escalation between the two sides.

A Thai-flagged cargo ship named Mayuri Naree was attacked in the Strait of Hormuz while en route to Gujarat, India, leaving three crew members missing. According to Precious Shipping, the vessel came under attack from Iran, and the missing crew are believed to be trapped in the engine room. The incident occurred on Wednesday and resulted in a fire on board after the ship was hit by an unidentified projectile.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claimed responsibility for the attack, stating that the ship had ignored prior warnings. Following the strike, the Omani navy conducted a rapid rescue operation, successfully evacuating 20 sailors from the vessel, though three remain unaccounted for.

The attack adds to a series of recent maritime incidents in the Persian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz, where several other ships have reportedly been targeted, raising renewed concerns over regional maritime security.

Lebanese armed group Hezbollah has claimed responsibility for a series of overnight attacks targeting several Israeli military bases and cities. According to the group, drone strikes were carried out on the Yara barracks in northern Israel, while missile attacks targeted the Beit Lid base, the Glilot base near Tel Aviv, and the Atlit base near Haifa. Hezbollah also said it launched artillery fire at Israeli troops stationed in southern Lebanon and fired drones and rockets toward the coastal city of Nahariya.

The group further claimed that a radar installation at the Marine Air Operations Command and Control base was damaged during one of the drone strikes conducted on Wednesday. The report, citing Al Jazeera, did not include any confirmation or response from Israeli authorities regarding the alleged attacks.

The extent of the damage or casualties resulting from these claimed operations remains unclear, as no independent verification was provided in the source report.

Former CIA Director and former US Central Command chief General David Petraeus has suggested that the United States may be responsible for a recent attack on a school in southern Iran. He made the remark when asked about possible US involvement in the incident. Although Petraeus said he had not personally reviewed the evidence from the investigation, he believed that the US likely carried out the strike using Tomahawk missiles.

Petraeus added that there might have been outdated intelligence indicating the targeted building was once part of a larger Iranian naval compound. According to CBS, a US partner of the BBC, preliminary assessments also indicate that the United States was likely responsible for the deadly strike, though the attack on the school was unintentional and occurred by mistake.

The report comes amid heightened regional tensions, with recent attacks in the Persian Gulf and Hormuz Strait, as well as Iranian strikes on Israeli targets, further complicating the security situation.

The US Department of Defense has reported that the country spent more than $11.3 billion during the first six days of the ongoing war in the Middle East. According to US media reports, Pentagon military officials presented this preliminary estimate to American lawmakers during a closed-door meeting on Tuesday.

Reports from The New York Times and NBC News, citing unnamed sources, stated that the figure covers only direct expenses incurred during the first six days of the conflict. The reports also noted that the estimate excludes pre-war expenditures such as the deployment of additional troops and military equipment.

As a result, the actual cost of the war is expected to be significantly higher than the initial estimate, according to the same reports.

Bahrain’s Interior Ministry announced on March 12, 2026, that four Bahraini citizens aged between 22 and 36 have been arrested on charges of spying for Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). According to the ministry’s statement, the first detainee was allegedly following organizational instructions to photograph key sites in Bahrain with assistance from others. The collected information was reportedly transmitted to the IRGC through software channels.

The ministry also reported that Iran carried out an attack targeting a fuel tank at a facility in Bahrain’s northern Muharraq Governorate early Thursday morning. In a post on social media platform X, the ministry described the incident as Iranian aggression and said relevant authorities were taking necessary measures in response.

These developments come amid heightened regional tensions, with Bahrain directly accusing Iran of hostile actions on its territory and pursuing legal action against alleged domestic collaborators.

Air New Zealand has announced the cancellation of 1,100 flights over the next two months due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. The airline’s chief executive, Nikhil Ravishankar, said the cancellations represent about five percent of its total flights, potentially affecting around 44,000 passengers. Most of the canceled flights are on domestic routes, though some international services will also be impacted.

Flights between New Zealand and the United States will continue as planned, as demand for that route has increased with travelers using it as an alternative path to Europe. Ravishankar explained that the conflict has caused unprecedented volatility in jet fuel prices, prompting airlines worldwide to adjust fares and schedules to manage rising costs.

The airline’s decision highlights the broader disruptions facing global aviation as geopolitical tensions in the Middle East continue to affect fuel markets and flight operations.

The United Nations Security Council has adopted a resolution condemning Iran’s attacks in the Gulf region and calling on Tehran to immediately cease hostilities. The resolution passed with 13 votes in favor, while Russia and China abstained. Iran criticized the measure as one-sided. The vote took place at the UN headquarters in New York, according to Al Jazeera’s correspondent Gabriel Elizondo, who noted that China and Russia could have used their veto powers but chose not to.

The resolution follows escalating hostilities that began on February 28, when the United States and Israel launched attacks inside Iran. In response, Iran has been firing missiles and drones targeting Israeli positions and U.S. military sites across the Arab Gulf region. The situation has heightened tensions around the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz, where several ships have also been attacked.

The Security Council’s decision signals growing international concern over regional stability and maritime security, though Iran’s rejection of the resolution suggests continued friction in the near term.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has outlined three conditions for ending the ongoing war. In a post on social media platform X on Wednesday, he stated that Tehran demands recognition of its legitimate rights, compensation, and firm international guarantees against future aggression. The announcement comes as Iran seeks to define its stance in the conflict.

Amid escalating regional tensions, Pezeshkian held telephone conversations with the leaders of Russia and Pakistan as part of diplomatic efforts. He reportedly emphasized Iran’s position during these discussions. Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump told Axios that the war would end 'soon' and claimed there was 'nothing left to strike' in Iran, asserting that it would end whenever he decided.

The statements from both sides highlight contrasting narratives about the conflict’s trajectory, with Iran focusing on conditions for peace and the United States projecting control over the war’s timeline.

Iran has launched a new missile attack on Israel, according to a statement from the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) on Thursday. The IDF announced through its official Telegram channel that missiles fired from Iran toward Israeli territory were detected, and Israel’s defense systems were actively working to intercept the threat.

The report also noted that an Iranian security official, speaking to Al Jazeera on condition of anonymity, warned that the ongoing conflict could soon enter a new phase due to continued U.S. and Israeli attacks. The official reiterated that Iran had previously cautioned against such actions, suggesting that further escalation could make the situation more complex.

The renewed missile strike follows a series of recent attacks and rising tensions in the region, including incidents in the Persian Gulf and Hormuz Strait, where multiple ships have been targeted.

Iraq has temporarily suspended operations at all its fuel ports following an attack on oil tankers off the country's coast. A government official confirmed that commercial ports remain open. The head of Iraq’s General Company for Ports, Farhan al-Fartousi, told local media that one crew member was killed and 38 others were rescued. The state news agency INA reported that search operations continue for missing individuals.

According to Iraqi port security officials, two foreign fuel tankers were attacked by explosive-laden boats, causing fires on both vessels. Al-Fartousi said one of the tankers was struck while loading fuel and that a smaller Maltese-flagged tanker suffered an explosion. It remains unclear whether the blast resulted from a direct strike or a remotely controlled explosive boat. The tankers were about 30 miles, or 48 kilometers, from Iraq’s coast at the time of the incident.

Iraq’s government media cell described the incident as a sabotage attack, and investigations are ongoing to determine the method and perpetrators.

Eight Arab and Muslim countries have jointly condemned Israel for keeping Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa Mosque closed for 12 consecutive days during the holy month of Ramadan. In a joint statement issued on Wednesday, the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Turkey, Pakistan, Indonesia, the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, and Qatar denounced the closure and related restrictions.

The ministers stated that the security restrictions and discriminatory bans on prayers and worship in Jerusalem and its mosques constitute a grave violation of international law and humanitarian norms. They rejected Israel’s actions against worshippers at Al-Aqsa and asserted that Israel holds no sovereignty over occupied Jerusalem or its Islamic and Christian holy sites. The statement emphasized that the Al-Aqsa compound is exclusively for Muslims and that its administration belongs solely to Jordan’s Ministry of Religious Affairs through the Jerusalem Endowments and Al-Aqsa Affairs Department.

The countries urged Israel to immediately reopen the mosque gates and allow Muslim worshippers access, calling on the international community to pressure Israel to end these violations.

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has reported that more than 1,100 children have been killed or injured since the outbreak of intensified fighting in the Middle East involving the United States, Israel, and Iran. In a statement released on Thursday, UNICEF said the violence began on February 28 and has created a “catastrophic situation” for children across the region.

According to UNICEF, around 200 children have been killed in Iran, 91 in Lebanon, four in Israel, and one in Kuwait during this period. The agency warned that the number of child casualties could rise if the conflict continues to escalate. It also noted that millions of children are unable to attend school, and hundreds of thousands of people, including many children, have been displaced by ongoing bombardments.

UNICEF emphasized that there is no justification for killing or maiming children or for destroying essential services they rely on. The organization said nearly 200 million children in the Middle East are now looking to the global community for urgent action.

Saudi Arabia announced that it intercepted three additional drones, bringing the total number of downed drones to 21 within a few hours. The country’s Ministry of Defense reported that after destroying 18 drones in the eastern region, three more attempted attacks were thwarted. According to multiple posts on social media platform X, two of the drones were shot down over the Empty Quarter desert as they approached the Shaybah oil field.

The ministry further stated that two more drones were destroyed in the eastern airspace around the same time. The report did not specify who launched the drones or the exact timing of the incidents. The announcement comes amid a series of regional security concerns, including recent attacks on ships in the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz, and reports of Iranian strikes on Israel.

The developments highlight ongoing instability in the Gulf region, where drone and maritime attacks have raised alarm over energy infrastructure and shipping security.

A residential apartment building in Dubai Creek Harbour, United Arab Emirates, caught fire after being struck by a drone, according to a report published on March 12, 2026. Authorities confirmed that all residents of the building are safe and no one was injured in the incident.

Dubai’s Government Media Office stated on social media platform X that emergency teams acted swiftly to bring the fire fully under control. The situation has since returned to normal, and no residents suffered any damage or harm.

Officials have not yet disclosed where the drone originated from or how the incident occurred, leaving key details about the cause and source of the strike unclear.