CAIRO, March 12 (Xinhua) -- The U.S.-Israeli-Iran conflict entered its 13th day on Thursday. Tensions escalate across the Middle East as Iran's new supreme leader threatens to widen the conflict, Israel prepares for expanded operations, and the United States describes its military action as both a "war" and a preventative "excursion."
Here is a brief overview of the latest developments and the regional crisis that has affected nearly all neighboring countries and beyond.
The United States
-- U.S. President Donald Trump said Wednesday the U.S. military operation in Iran is both a war and a short-term "excursion."
"You just said it is a little excursion and you said it is a war. So, which one is it?" Trump was asked by one of the reporters traveling with him in the U.S. state of Ohio.
"Well, it's both," Trump answered. "It's an excursion that will keep us out of a war, and the war is going to be, I mean for them it's a war."
Israel
-- Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said he and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had instructed the military to "prepare to expand IDF (Israel Defense Forces) operations in Lebanon." He said the goal was to "restore peace and security to the northern communities."
-- The Israeli military said it had struck the Taleghan facility in Tehran, describing it as a site used in Iran's efforts to advance its nuclear capabilities.
It also struck Basij Force roadblocks and soldiers in Tehran. "The IDF (Israel Defense Forces) recently identified that soldiers of the Basij Unit had established roadblocks in several locations across Tehran," the military said.
The Israeli army also launched a new series of airstrikes in Beirut targeting Hezbollah targets.
Iran
-- In his first message as supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei has called for the continued closure of the Strait of Hormuz and pledged to open new fronts in his country's conflict with the United States and Israel. He also pledged that his country will take revenge for the people killed in the Israeli-U.S. strikes and that all U.S. bases in the region will be targeted.
-- Iran's Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) said that a Marshall Islands-flagged vessel linked to the United States had been struck in the Gulf after ignoring warnings from Iranian naval forces. The IRGC said U.S. "aggression" had created insecurity in the waterway.
-- The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees said in a report that up to 3.2 million people are now temporarily displaced inside Iran as a result of the ongoing conflict.
Iraq
-- Iraqi Oil Minister Hayan Abdel-Ghani said the country will keep crude oil production at around 1.4 million barrels per day, less than a third of the level before the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran.
Bahrain
-- Bahrain's Interior Ministry said four citizens have been arrested on suspicion of spying for Iran's IRGC.
The United Arab Emirates
-- The United Arab Emirates (UAE)'s Ministry of Defense said a total of 278 ballistic missiles, 15 cruise missiles and 1,540 drones have been intercepted since Feb. 28. To date, the attacks have killed six people and injured 131 others, it added.
-- The UAE Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation said the country's labour market remains stable despite ongoing regional tensions, supported by an integrated work system, advanced digital infrastructure and government services.
Lebanon
-- Lebanese health authorities report that the death toll from Israeli strikes has risen to 687 since the outbreak of cross-border fighting.
Türkiye
-- In a speech at the presentation of the Ataturk International Peace Award to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Türkiye is engaged in "intense" diplomatic efforts to prevent a spillover in the war in the Middle East.
-- Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said Iran's territorial integrity must not be questioned, warning against pursuing "regime change" in Iran.
-- Türkiye's Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources said the country will release 11.6 million barrels of crude oil from its strategic reserves as part of the International Energy Agency's largest-ever coordinated stockpile release.
Egypt
-- Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty held phone calls with his counterparts from Qatar, the UAE, Bahrain, Oman, and Germany, urging a new comprehensive vision for regional security and efforts to end the U.S.-Israel war on Iran and Tehran's retaliatory attacks through continuous communication.
France
-- French oil major TotalEnergies, one of the seven supermajor oil companies, said it will lose 15 percent of its global production as it shuts down operations in Qatar, Iraq, and the UAE amid the Middle East conflict. Enditem
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