Brent closes at $103.14, up 42% since the start of the war in Iran
Trump: "We're being nice. I could take out things within the next hour, power plants that create the electricity, that create the water — they have desalinization all over the place. We could do things that would be so bad they could literally never rebuild as a nation again.… pic.twitter.com/LjFOhYutcl
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) March 13, 2026
The price of Brent crude oil surged by 42% since the start of the war in Iran, as hydrocarbon deliveries from Gulf countries dropped sharply.
From $72.48 per barrel on February 27, Brent closed today at $103.14. This represents a 42% increase in 15 days and 11% in the past week alone.
Meanwhile, the price of West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude closed at $98.71, marking a 47% increase since the beginning of the war.
Damage was caused at at least three sites in central Israel in Iran's cluster bomb missile attack this evening, according to first responders.
— Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) March 13, 2026
One of the impacts, possibly by a sub-munition or other fragments, sparked a blaze on the roof of a building in a central town.
A… pic.twitter.com/N5f0l4QhgR
13/03/2026 21:26
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards launch missile and drone attack on Israel
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), together with Hezbollah, launched a new missile and drone attack on Friday, they announced this evening.
According to the Guards, the attack involved Kheibar missile missiles and targeted:
- Haifa, the major port in northern Israel
- Caesarea in central Israel
- Zarit
- Shlomi near the Lebanese border
- the “military-industrial complex” in Holon
Naval forces of the Guards and the army also targeted U.S. bases in Erbil in northern Iraq and Al Dhafra Air Base in the United Arab Emirates.
The statement said the operation is part of the annual Iranian event known as Quds Day (“Day of Support for the Palestinians”).
Earlier today, the Israeli military bombed an area of Tehran near where a pro-government demonstration had been organized to mark the occasion.
13/03/2026 21:17
Trump on Iran: We are being good by not completely destroying the country
Donald Trump made a phone appearance on Fox News on Friday, once again stating that the United States could have completely destroyed Iran’s infrastructure but “we are being nice.”
“We are being nice,” he said, adding that “I could destroy things within the next hour — power stations, water facilities, they have desalination plants everywhere. We could do things so devastating that they literally could never rebuild as a nation. We’re trying to be nice. They go out and shoot civilians everywhere, but we don’t do that.”
Lebanon: Death toll rises to 773 since the start of the war
Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon have killed 773 people, including 103 children, and injured 1,933 others since the start of the war, the Lebanese Health Ministry announced today.
The previous toll released by authorities yesterday, Thursday, stood at 687 dead.
13/03/2026 18:01
F1 races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia heading toward cancellation
The Formula 1 races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia are heading toward cancellation and will not take place, according to information from Sky News.
A Grand Prix had been scheduled in each country next month — Bahrain was set to host the race on April 12, while Saudi Arabia would follow the next weekend, on April 19.
Official confirmation of the decision is expected within the next 48 hours, as there has been no improvement in the clashes in the Middle East in recent days.
13/03/2026 17:54
Iran says it launched a joint attack against Israel with Hezbollah
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) say they launched missile attacks against Israel jointly with Hezbollah, according to the Iranian state news agency Tasnim.
So far, no casualties or damage have been reported from this latest round of attacks.
13/03/2026 17:50
Trump will end the war diplomatically “when the time comes,” says UAE official
Donald Trump will achieve a diplomatic solution to the war with Iran “at the appropriate moment,” and Tehran must stop attacks against its neighbors in order for mediation efforts to begin, said United Arab Emirates official Lana Nusseibeh.
Nusseibeh expressed confidence that the war will end through negotiations. However, she told Reuters that neighboring countries have been shaken by the fact that Iran launched attacks against them.
“Ultimately, it will be a diplomatic solution, but there must be that critical moment, and I believe President Trump will lead us all to that moment when the time is right,” Nusseibeh said.
Asked about mediation efforts, she said Iran must first halt its attacks:
“It is difficult to talk about mediation when we are under attack… Mediation can only happen when the guns fall silent.”
13/03/2026 17:49
Explosions and black smoke in Tel Aviv after warning of Iranian missile launches
Explosions were heard today in Tel Aviv, in central Israel, where air raid sirens sounded, according to AFP journalists in the area, after the Israeli military reported missile launches from Iran.
The explosions were heard as far as Jerusalem, about 70 kilometers from Tel Aviv.
AFP journalists saw black smoke rising from two locations in the Tel Aviv metropolitan area.
13/03/2026 17:41
Rome denies talks with Iran about creating a safe corridor in the Strait of Hormuz
There are no negotiations with Iran to ensure the safe passage of Italian ships or oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz, a source from Italy’s Foreign Ministry told Reuters, denying a related report by the Financial Times.
“In their diplomatic contacts, Italian leaders aim to create the conditions for a general military de-escalation, but there are no secret negotiations aimed at ensuring passage only for certain commercial vessels at the expense of others,” the source said.
13/03/2026 17:34
Trump: The war with Iran will end “when I feel it, okay?”
When asked when the war with Iran might end, Donald Trump replied:
“When I feel it, okay?”
13/03/2026 17:32
Trump: Putin may be helping Iran “a little”
Donald Trump said on Friday that he believes Russia is helping Iran “a little,” but cited U.S. support for Ukraine as justification.
Specifically, when asked whether he believes Russian President Vladimir Putin is backing Iran after U.S. strikes on the country, Trump told Fox News Radio:
“I think maybe he’s helping a little, yes, I assume so. And he probably thinks we’re helping Ukraine, right?”
“Yes, we are helping Ukraine,” Trump continued. “And so Putin says that, and China would say the same. You know, it’s like they do it and we do it. Honestly, they do it and we do it.”
Hegseth: Iran’s new supreme leader has been injured and possibly disfigured
“We know that the new, so-called — not really — supreme leader has been injured and may have been disfigured,” said the U.S. Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth.
Mojtaba Khamenei, who was appointed to succeed his father, released his first statement yesterday, but he did not appear in person and did not read it himself. Hegseth described the statement as “weak.”
“There was no voice and there was no video. It was a written statement,” he said.
“Iran has many cameras and many voice-recording devices. Why a written statement? I think you know why.”
“His father is dead. He is frightened, he is injured, and he lacks legitimacy. It’s chaos for them. Who is in charge? Perhaps even Iran itself does not know. With every passing hour, we know — and they know — that the military capabilities of their evil regime are collapsing.”
IDF video of bombing of the Litani River bridge used by Hezbollah to move members to southern Lebanon
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced that it struck a bridge over the Litani River, which Hezbollah had been using as a “key crossing” to move its members from northern to southern Lebanon.
According to the Israeli military, Hezbollah used the bridge “to move from the northern to the southern part of the country, prepare for battle against IDF troops, and carry out operations against the citizens of the Israel, putting Lebanese civilians at risk and causing widespread destruction in residential areas.”
Two dead after drone crash in Oman
Two people were killed in Oman after a drone crashed in the province of Sohar, according to the country’s state news agency.
The Oman News Agency, citing a security source, reported that the drone fell in the al-Awahi industrial area, killing two people and injuring others.
The two victims were foreign nationals, according to the report.
Sirens sound in southern Israel
Israeli media report that sirens are sounding in southern Israel after authorities announced that a missile launch from Iran had been detected.
A Haber: Ballistic missile launched from Iran toward Incirlik base
The Turkish TV channel A Haber reported that a ballistic missile was launched from Iran toward the NATO base at Incirlik Air Base.
According to the same source, images circulating on social media are not from a missile strike, but rather from fragments of the missile after it was intercepted. Sources cited by the Turkish outlet said no explosion from the missile occurred.
Two dead and three injured in Israeli attack in Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley
Two people were killed and three seriously injured in an Israeli strike on an apartment in the Bekaa Valley in Lebanon, according to the National News Agency (Lebanon).
According to the report, the attack targeted a member of the Islamic Group, seriously wounding the man and killing his two sons.
Sirens at the NATO base of Incirlik in Adana, Turkey
Sirens were heard early Friday morning at the NATO air base at Incirlik Air Base, near the southeastern Turkish city of Adana, according to the state news agency Anadolu Agency.
Residents of Adana, located about 10 km (6 miles) from the base, woke up around 3:25 a.m. local time to sirens that sounded for about five minutes, according to the financial news website Ekonomim.
“Watch what happens today to these deranged scumbags,” Trump says
U.S. President Donald Trump made a post on Truth Social on Friday morning that appears to foreshadow a major strike against Iran.
Iranian media: Explosions in Tehran
Iranian media reported early Friday morning that explosions were heard in Tehran, as the war raging in the Middle East continues for a 14th day.
According to the news agencies Tasnim News Agency and Fars News Agency, explosions were heard overnight in several areas of the Iranian capital.
The strongest blasts occurred in southern Tehran, according to Tasnim, as the conflict involving Iran has intensified.
Saudi Arabia says it intercepted 50 drones in recent hours
Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Defense announced that its air defense shot down 10 additional drones heading toward the kingdom’s eastern and central provinces, bringing the total number of drones that entered Saudi airspace within a few hours to nearly 50.
This attack represents a higher-than-usual number of aerial threats for the kingdom, which has previously seen sites such as the U.S. embassy in Riyadh, oil infrastructure, and a military base hosting U.S. forces targeted.
Explosions in central Dubai
Powerful explosions occurred in central Dubai, where thick smoke was seen rising, journalists from Agence France-Presse reported early in the morning.
An AFP correspondent in the United Arab Emirates reported that he felt the building he was in shake and heard a strong explosion.
Iran-aligned armed group says it will target “French interests in Iraq and the region”
The armed group Ashab al-Kahf (“People of the Cave”), which is aligned with Iran, announced early today that it is targeting “all French interests in Iraq and the region” after the deployment of the aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle and other elements of the French armed forces to the Gulf region.
“We announce from tonight that all French interests in Iraq and the region will be subject to our attacks,” the Iraqi armed group said on Telegram, calling on civilians to remain at least 500 meters away from a base in Iraqi Kurdistan where French troops are stationed.
However, the group did not immediately claim responsibility for the attack that killed a French non-commissioned officer and injured at least five other French soldiers yesterday, Thursday.
Macron: French soldier killed during attack in Iraq
A non-commissioned officer of the French armed forces was killed “during an attack” in the Erbil region of Iraqi Kurdistan, French President Emmanuel Macron announced on X early this morning.
Warrant Officer Arnaud Frion, of the 7th Battalion of Alpine Chasseurs, an infantry unit based in Vars, “fell for France during an attack in the Erbil region in Iraq,” Macron said, stressing that “the war with Iran cannot justify such attacks.”
He was one of six French soldiers injured in a drone raid yesterday in the Erbil area, according to France’s military command, which informed AFP.
Ballistic missile hits the city of Zarzir in northern Israel
According to Israel’s Magen David Adom emergency service, 57 people were lightly injured in a ballistic missile attack on the city of Zarzir in northern Israel, with one woman in more serious condition due to shrapnel.
Mystery surrounding U.S. aerial tanker crash in Iraq
A dramatic situation has emerged following CENTCOM’s announcement that a U.S. KC-135 aerial refueling tanker crashed in Iraq.
CENTCOM stated that the crash “was not caused by hostile or friendly fire.” However, hours later, a pro-Iranian group in Iraq claimed responsibility for shooting it down, according to Reuters.
The group Islamic Resistance in Iraq reportedly said in a Telegram post that it downed the aircraft “in defense of the sovereignty and airspace of our country.”
According to reports, six military personnel were on board the U.S. aircraft, and a search operation to locate them and the KC-135 is currently underway.
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