CAIRO, March 8 (Xinhua) -- Regional tensions remain high on Sunday as the U.S.-Israeli attacks crippled more Iranian facilities. Amid the tensions, Iran has selected its new supreme leader, launched a new wave of retaliatory strikes across the Middle East, prompted more flight suspensions, and drawn condemnation from Arab states.
Here's a quick overview of the latest developments and the impact of the retaliatory attacks on countries directly caught up in the regional crisis:
The United States
-- U.S. President Donald Trump threatened that Iran's new supreme leader will not last long without his approval, saying, "He's going to have to get approval from us. If he doesn't get approval from us he's not going to last long."
-- He also said Saturday that the U.S. military has destroyed 42 Iranian navy ships and paralyzed Iran's communications over the past three days. "That was the end of the navy. We knocked out their air force, we knocked out their communications, and all telecommunications is gone," Trump said.
Israel
-- Israeli Defense Ministry said the military has killed Abu al-Qassem Babayian, who had recently been appointed the head of Iran's Supreme Leader's military office. Its army also hit Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Space Force headquarters as well as the IRGC's air force headquarters in Tehran, and the Ain al-Hilweh Palestinian refugee camp in the southern Lebanese city of Sidon.
-- Israel partially resumed its outbound flights at the Ben Gurion International Airport for the first time since the joint U.S.-Israeli attacks on Iran began on Feb. 28.
Iran
-- Iran's Assembly of Experts announced in a statement that Mojtaba Khamenei, son of Ali Khamenei, was selected as Iran's new supreme leader, citing "the decisive vote of the respected representatives" of the assembly.
-- Iran's IRGC launched a new wave of attacks on the Israeli cities of Tel Aviv and Beersheba, as well as the Al-Azraq airbase in Jordan, using "next-generation" missiles.
-- Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said that Iranians would not allow the "enemies" to seize even a single inch of the country's territory.
-- Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei strongly condemned the U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iranian fuel depots, calling them "war crimes and crimes against humanity."
-- Iran's Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters Spokesman Ebrahim Zolfaghari urged Muslim states in the region to prevent U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iranian fuel and energy facilities, warning that Tehran would respond with similar actions if strikes continue.
Iraq
-- Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein on Sunday urged the conflicting parties to immediately cease military operations and resort to diplomatic solutions, noting that Iraq will not allow its territory to be used for attacks against neighboring countries. He condemned attacks targeting areas throughout Iraq and ongoing military campaigns against Iran.
Kuwait
-- Kuwait's armed forces said that they have intercepted multiple missile and drone attacks targeting the country, while a drone strike hit fuel storage tanks at Kuwait International Airport.
Bahrain
-- Bahrain's Interior Ministry said Iranian attacks continued in Bahrain, with three people reported injured and key facilities damaged.
-- Bahrain's King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa expressed deep regret over what he called unprecedented attacks targeting the country and other Arab and friendly nations. He said that Bahrain has always been and will remain a nation of peace that has never initiated hostility.
The United Arab Emirates
-- The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) said that the country is in a state of defense in response to what it described as "Iranian aggression," after more than 1,400 ballistic missiles and drones were launched targeting infrastructure and civilian sites across the country.
-- Airports in the country partially resumed flight operations, following disruptions caused by recent regional tensions.
-- UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan held a phone call with Trump on the latest regional developments, during which the UAE president called Iran's attacks on the UAE and other countries a violation of their sovereignty and a threat to regional security and stability, the Emirates News Agency reported.
Saudi Arabia
-- The Saudi Civil Defense said that a "military projectile" struck a residential area in Saudi Arabia's Al-Kharj governorate, killing two people and injuring 12.
Lebanon
-- Lebanese Foreign Minister Youssef Rajji condemned the attacks on British bases in Cyprus in a message to his Cypriot counterpart, after Cypriot authorities said explosive-laden drones involved in the assault had been launched from Lebanese territory.
-- Lebanese Social Affairs Minister Haneen Sayed said that about 517,000 displaced people have been registered on Lebanon's government relief platform as Israeli attacks continue across the country.
-- Lebanon's Health Ministry said from March 2 until Sunday noon, the death toll in the country from clashes with Israel has risen to 394, including 83 children and 42 women, with 1,130 injuries. Nine rescue workers have also died.
Türkiye
-- Turkish Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Abdulkadir Uraloglu said on social media platform X that Türkiye's national flag carrier Turkish Airlines, its low-cost airlines AJet and Pegasus Airlines, as well as Turkish-German airline SunExpress, have cancelled their flights to Iraq, Syria, Lebanon and Jordan until the end of March 13.
Flights to Qatar's Doha, Kuwait, Bahrain, the UAE's Dubai and Abu Dhabi, and Saudi Arabia's Dammam have also been cancelled until the end of March 13, he said, adding that Pegasus Airlines has removed its flights to Iran from the plan until March 12, and Turkish Airlines until March 20.
Azerbaijan
-- Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev held a phone call with his Iranian counterpart Pezeshkian, during which Aliyev expressed his condolences "over the death of numerous civilians in the recent events in Iran," and stressed the importance of investigating the drone attack on Azerbaijan's Nakhchivan exclave on Thursday, which Pezeshkian said "had no connection with Iran," read a statement by the Azerbaijani Presidency.
Egypt
-- Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi expressed concern over the regional military escalation, warning of its serious repercussions including higher energy prices, disrupted supply chains, and transport chaos. He urged a diplomatic solution to the Iran nuclear issue, cautioning that an expanded conflict could plunge the entire region into chaos.
-- The Arab League Council condemned Iranian strikes against Jordan, the UAE, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar, Kuwait and Iraq.
Describing Iran's actions as "illegal, unprovoked, and a flagrant violation" of national sovereignty that undermine regional peace and security, it declared that any aggression against a member state constitutes an attack on all members under the Arab League Charter. ■
