CAIRO, March 6 (Xinhua) -- Tensions across the Middle East continued to escalate on Friday as U.S., Israeli, and Iranian forces traded strikes, killing scores and prompting international evacuations, while global markets and energy prices reacted to the rising conflict.
Here's a quick overview of the latest developments and their impact on the countries involved and those caught in the conflict:
The United States
-- U.S. military investigators are reviewing an apparent strike on an Iranian girls' school that killed at least 165 children, though no conclusion has been reached, western media reported.
-- President Donald Trump said the U.S. will accept no deal with Iran short of "unconditional surrender" and met with defense contractors amid concerns over weapons stockpiles, which the White House said remain sufficient.
-- U.S. stocks fell on fears of slowing growth and high inflation; benchmark crude rose 14.1 percent to 92.30 U.S. dollars a barrel, its first close above 90 dollars since 2024.
Israel
-- The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) claimed on Friday that it had struck over 400 targets in western Iran, including missile launchers and drone facilities, and dismantled an underground bunker under Tehran's leadership compound using 50 fighter jets.
-- Eight Israeli soldiers were injured in a Hezbollah rocket attack in northern Israel, five seriously; IDF Chief Eyal Zamir vowed continued action against the militant group.
Iran
-- President Masoud Pezeshkian said some countries have begun mediation efforts. He spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the crisis.
-- Iran's Revolutionary Guards claimed that a U.S. base in the UAE had been targeted as a launchpad for the Minab school strike.
-- Iran also said it launched rounds of missile and drone attacks on Israel and U.S. aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln.
Iraq
-- Pro-Iran militias said they carried out 27 attacks on regional "enemy bases" in the past 24 hours.
-- The U.S. embassy warned of threats to hotels in Iraqi Kurdistan, urging Americans to leave.
Bahrain
-- The Bahrain Defense Force announced on Friday that it has destroyed 78 missiles and 143 drones targeting the kingdom since the start of the attacks from Iran.
The United Arab Emirates
-- The United Arab Emirates (UAE)'s air defenses intercepted nine ballistic missiles and 109 drones on Friday, the Ministry of Defense said.
-- Dubai airports have handled more than 1,140 flights over the past several days to help travelers return home amid regional aviation disruptions, the aviation authorities said on Friday.
Qatar
-- The planned launch of additional liquefied natural gas production in Qatar later this year will be delayed due to escalating tensions in the Middle East, Qatari Energy Minister Saad Sherida Al-Kaabi said Friday.
-- The Qatar Civil Aviation Authority announced Friday the partial resumption of air navigation using designated contingency routes at limited capacity.
Lebanon
-- Israeli strikes since Monday killed at least 217 people and wounded 798, the Health Ministry said Friday.
-- Two Ghanaian UN peacekeepers were critically injured in an attack on their base in southern Lebanon amid ongoing hostilities between Israeli forces and Hezbollah.
Türkiye
-- Turkish flights to Iran, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, and Jordan are suspended through March 9; flights to Gulf states were also canceled Friday.
Azerbaijan
-- Azerbaijan announced on Friday that it is withdrawing its diplomatic staff from Iran following a crossborder drone incident in its Nakhchivan exclave. Iran has denied responsibility for the incident.
Britain
-- British Prime Minister Keir Starmer told Bahrain's king that four British jets being deployed to Qatar could be used to help defend the kingdom against Iranian missile and drone attacks targeting Gulf states.
France
-- France dispatched a helicopter carrier to the Mediterranean to bolster its aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle, officials said Friday, in response to the escalating situation in the region. ■
