CAIRO, March 20 (Xinhua) -- As many Muslim countries began celebrating Eid al-Fitr on Friday, clashes between Iran and the U.S.-Israel alliance entered their 21st day, with the fallout causing casualties and destruction across several regional countries.
The following is a brief overview of the latest developments in the escalating crisis affecting much of the region and beyond.
The United States
-- The Pentagon is sending three more warships and roughly 2,200 to 2,500 more Marines to the Middle East, marking the second deployment of Marines to the region within a week as the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran escalates, multiple U.S. media outlets reported on Friday.
-- U.S. officials confirmed that the USS Boxer and two other amphibious assault ships, along with Marines of the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit, have deployed from their home port of San Diego, California, and are heading to the Middle East, said the reports.
-- U.S. President Donald Trump lashed out at NATO allies, calling them "cowards" for their reluctance to help escort ships through the Strait of Hormuz, a vital global energy corridor bordered by Iran to the north. "Without the U.S.A., NATO IS A PAPER TIGER!" Trump wrote in a post on his social media platform Truth Social.
Israel
-- The Israeli military said that its air force, acting on intelligence, killed Ali Mohammad Naini, spokesperson and head of public relations for Iran's Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC), in an overnight strike in Tehran.
-- In an earlier statement, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said that it struck military infrastructure sites in southwestern Syria overnight to defend members of the country's Druze population. The statement added that the strikes were carried out in response to the attacks against the residents of a Druze city in the southern Sweida province.
-- The military says it detected waves of Iranian missiles during the day, and that defense systems have been working to intercept them.
-- Israel says it attacked dozens of Iranian military targets in Tehran and east of the capital during raids overnight and earlier Friday. The military said it struck factories and sites, including those where components for long-range ballistic missiles are developed.
Iran
-- Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi warned his British counterpart Friday against providing any assistance to the U.S. and Israeli aggression against Iran, cautioning that such support would fuel further escalation, the Iranian Foreign Ministry said.
-- Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei stressed that the recent attacks on parts of Türkiye and Oman were not carried out by the Iranian armed forces or its allies. He made the remarks in a message to extend congratulations on the arrival of Eid al-Fitr, which marks the end of the holy month of Ramadan, and Nowruz, the beginning of the Iranian new year that falls on March 21, according to a statement published on his website.
-- Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian said that his country does not seek war with Muslim states, according to the official news agency IRNA.
-- The IRGC said in a statement that it struck targets in Israel, Kuwait, and Saudi Arabia in attacks during the day.
Lebanon
-- Lebanon's Hezbollah on Friday rejected accusations by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) that it was behind a dismantled network accused of security and financial crimes, calling the claims "fabricated" and baseless.
-- At least 20 people were killed and 57 others injured in Israeli airstrikes across Lebanon over the past 24 hours, according to official figures. The latest casualties bring the cumulative death toll to 1,021, with a total of 2,641 people wounded since the escalation of hostilities on March 2.
-- Meanwhile, displacement continues to rise sharply in the country as ongoing strikes force more residents to flee their homes. A total of 134,616 displaced people are currently sheltering in 644 centers across the country, the figures show.
Saudi Arabia
-- Saudi Arabia said it has intercepted and destroyed a drone in the country's eastern region. In a statement, the Defense Ministry's official spokesperson did not provide further details on the origin of the drone or whether there were any casualties or damage.
The United Arab Emirates
-- The UAE said on Friday its air defense systems intercepted four ballistic missiles and 26 drones launched from Iran, while its security department dismantled a network related to Hezbollah and Iran.
-- The Ministry of Defense said its air defense systems had dealt with 338 ballistic missiles, 15 cruise missiles and 1,740 drones targeting the UAE, since Feb. 28, when the United States and Israel launched attacks on Iran.
-- Earlier on Friday, the UAE State Security Department said it had dismantled a network "funded and directed" by Lebanon's Hezbollah and Iran, with its members arrested.
Kuwait
-- One of Kuwait's key oil refineries came under another round of drone attacks early Friday, sparking a fire in parts of the facility, according to the Kuwait Petroleum Corporation. The state-run company said several drones struck the Mina Al-Ahmadi refinery, which was also attacked Thursday, setting off fires that were quickly brought under control.
Iraq
-- The NATO mission in Iraq has commenced the temporary withdrawal of its personnel from the country due to security concerns, a high-ranking security source told the Iraqi News Agency on Friday.
-- The source described the move as a temporary measure prompted by the ongoing conflict and concerns over the safety of mission members, adding that they will return as soon as the war ends and the security situation in Iraq stabilizes.
Yemen
-- Yemen's Houthi movement is considering blocking the Bab el-Mandeb Strait to ships from aggressor countries against members of the so-called "axis of resistance," RIA Novosti reported.
-- Mohammed al-Bukhaiti, a member of the Houthis' political bureau, said that if the group were forced to close the strait, it would only attack vessels belonging to states that carry out aggression against Iran, Lebanon, Palestine and Iraq. ■
