March 13, 2026 — Middle East The United States and Israel’s war with Iran entered its 14th day Friday, with ongoing missile strikes, attacks on shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, a U.S. military plane crash in Iraq, and Iran’s new supreme leader vowing to maintain the vital waterway’s closure as a pressure tool amid spiking global oil prices.
The conflict, which began two weeks ago amid renewed Israel-Hezbollah fighting, has seen close to 2,000 deaths in Iran and Lebanon alone, according to local authorities, with dozens more reported across the region (CNN). Brent crude settled above $100 per barrel Thursday for the first time since 2022, reflecting fears over disrupted oil trade (Al Jazeera).
Recent Military Incidents
Overnight into Friday, Iran and Hezbollah launched missiles at northern Israel, injuring two people and damaging buildings. Israel responded with strikes on Tehran and Beirut, targeting checkpoints linked to Iranian paramilitary forces and Hezbollah (NYT).
A U.S. Air Force refueling aircraft crashed in western Iraq Thursday, with at least five crew members aboard; officials said it was not due to hostile or friendly fire (CBS). In Iraqi Kurdistan, a drone attack killed one French soldier and wounded others at a base hosting coalition troops (CNN).
Iranian projectiles targeted Gulf states early Friday, with explosions in central Dubai, interceptions over Saudi Arabia, and sirens in Bahrain. At least 16 vessels have been attacked in the Strait of Hormuz, Arabian Gulf, and Gulf of Oman (NPR).
Casualties and Humanitarian Concerns
Additional casualties include two academics killed in an Israeli airstrike on a Lebanese university Thursday and three Red Crescent aid workers wounded in Iran Friday. Mass evacuation orders in Lebanon have displaced over 1 million people.
Key Statements
Iran’s new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei warned Thursday that the Strait of Hormuz would remain closed as a “tool of pressure,” though Iran’s UN ambassador later contradicted this (CNN).
The Strait of Hormuz would remain closed as a “tool of pressure.”
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) threatened to set the region’s oil and gas infrastructure “on fire” if attacked. U.S. President Donald Trump urged oil tanker crews to “go through the Strait of Hormuz and [show some guts]” in an interview (CNN). French President Emmanuel Macron confirmed the death of a soldier in Iraq.
Economic and Political Fallout
The Pentagon and National Security Council reportedly underestimated Iran’s resolve to close the Strait (ISW). A U.S. Senate oversight hearing on the war is planned soon. Asian stocks fell amid the turmoil, and at least three ships were struck in the Strait this week (CNBC).