CAIRO, March 31 (Xinhua) -- The U.S.-Israel-Iran conflict entered its 32nd day on Tuesday, with U.S. President Donald Trump reportedly open to ending the war even if the Strait of Hormuz remains largely closed, while Iran threatened to strike major U.S. technology firms in the region.
The following is an overview of the latest developments in the crisis affecting much of the region and beyond.
The United States
-- Trump has told aides that he is willing to end the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran even if the Strait of Hormuz remains largely closed, the Wall Street Journal reported Monday night, citing Trump administration officials.
Trump and his aides recently assessed that a mission to pry open the crucial global energy waterway would push the war with Iran beyond his timeline of four to six weeks, said the report.
-- The United States struck a large ammunition depot in the Iranian city of Isfahan using 2,000-pound bunker-buster bombs, the Wall Street Journal reported late Monday, citing an official.
Israel
-- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Israel has smashed Iran's industrial capability and is creating "new alliances" in the region.
-- The Israel Defense Forces said in a statement that four of its soldiers were killed during operations in southern Lebanon.
-- Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said in a video statement that after the fighting ends, Israel will retain the security zone in southern Lebanon up to the Litani River. He added that all residents who evacuated north will not be allowed to return to their homes, and that all houses in villages near the border will be demolished.
Iran
-- Iran's Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) said that it had hit an Israeli container ship in the Persian Gulf with ballistic missiles during a new wave of attacks against U.S. and Israeli targets, Tasnim news agency reported.
-- The IRGC warned that companies it accused of involvement in "terrorist espionage" could be targeted, naming several major U.S. technology firms and urging employees and nearby residents to leave the areas. It also said that its forces have launched drone attacks on "important and strategic" communication, telecommunication, and industrial centers affiliated with the Israeli army.
-- Iran executed two "armed terrorists" affiliated with the Mujahedin-e Khalq Organization (MKO) for their involvement in several "terror operations" in Tehran aimed at toppling the country's establishment.
-- Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi called reports that Iran fired a missile toward Türkiye "completely baseless."
-- Hassan Fartousi, secretary-general of the Iranian National Commission for UNESCO, said that U.S. and Israeli airstrikes have destroyed several historic buildings and damaged universities across Iran.
-- At least 15 people were killed, and 41 others injured in separate U.S.-Israeli strikes in two Iranian provinces, local officials said.
Lebanon
-- Five people were killed and three others were injured early on Tuesday in Israeli airstrikes in southern Lebanon, according to Lebanon's National News Agency.
-- Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said Israel has refused to respond to Lebanese, Arab, and international calls to stop the war and begin negotiations, stressing that a political solution remains the only way to restore security and stability.
France
-- The French presidency confirmed that France has not changed its policy regarding U.S. military aircraft flying over its territory, expressing surprise at recent remarks by Trump, according to local media.
In a post on his social media platform Truth Social, Trump claimed that "France wouldn't let planes headed to Israel, loaded with military supplies, fly over French territory," describing the country as "very unhelpful" and warning that the United States would "remember."
On March 5, the French military said that U.S. aircraft not involved in operations in Iran have been authorized to use certain French bases, provided they are used strictly to support regional partners' defense. France opposes U.S.-Israeli military operations against Iran, deeming them "outside international law" and refusing to endorse them.
Spain
-- Spain's Defense Minister Margarita Robles said that the United States and Israel "cannot be the ones who decide what rules apply in the world," defending Madrid's refusal to support their military operations against Iran.
Speaking in parliament, Robles reiterated the Spanish government's opposition to what it has described as a war "outside the framework of international law," stressing that Spain's response has been "firm and consistent."
Italy
-- Italy recently denied the United States permission to use the Sigonella military air base in Sicily due to a lack of prior notification and authorization, Italian media reported.
According to Corriere della Sera, Italian Air Force authorities learned that several U.S. bombers planned to land at Sigonella en route to the Middle East without prior consent from the Italian side. The flight plan was reportedly communicated only after the aircraft had already taken off.
Britain
-- Britain announced additional air defense support for Gulf partners as regional tensions escalate, with Defense Secretary John Healey confirming new deployments during visits to Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Bahrain.
Saudi Arabia
-- Saudi Civil Defense said that two people sustained minor injuries and limited material damage was reported to three houses and several vehicles after debris from an intercepted drone fell in Al Kharj governorate.
Jordan
-- Jordan raised fuel prices for April, its first increase since the regional conflict began, while absorbing part of the global price hike to limit the impact on consumers, according to the Jordanian Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources.
The United Arab Emirates
-- The United Arab Emirates (UAE) Fuel Price Committee announced sharply higher fuel prices for April, with petrol and diesel rising significantly from the previous month.
-- The UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, met with visiting Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani to discuss the regional fallout from the ongoing U.S.-Israel-Iran war and its impact on maritime security and global trade.
-- The UAE president also held a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, where the two sides discussed the ongoing military escalation and its negative impact on international maritime navigation and the global economy.
Qatar
-- Qatar called for a regional approach to safeguarding the Strait of Hormuz, stressing its importance for global trade and energy supplies. Majed Al Ansari, a spokesperson for Qatar's Foreign Ministry, said that the issue has "implications for countries worldwide" and requires "regional consensus on security and freedom of navigation."
Egypt
-- Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi and Russian President Putin spoke by phone about efforts to reduce tensions and restore stability in the Middle East, the Egyptian presidency said.
-- Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty discussed efforts to de-escalate tensions in the Middle East during a series of phone calls with his counterparts from Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and Jordan.
The consultations focused on ongoing efforts to prevent a regional explosion, emphasizing the vital importance of intensifying joint coordination with friendly nations to contain the current crisis and prevent further deterioration, according to a statement issued by the Egyptian Foreign Ministry. ■
