A drone struck the Italian base in Erbil, Iraq, last night . Defense Minister Guido Crosetto confirmed the news, having personally interviewed the base commander. According to reports , no Italian soldiers were injured . The drone, a shahed, was likely not heading inside the base but rather lost altitude and struck a military vehicle. The Italian contingent was unharmed and is currently staying in the bunker.

Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani expressed his "firm condemnation" of the incident: "I just spoke with the Italian ambassador to Iraq. Fortunately, all our soldiers are well and safe in the bunker . I express my solidarity and gratitude to them for their daily service to the homeland."

On the 13th day of the war, Iran's new Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, also made his first statement: "We will avenge the blood of our martyrs," he said (although he did not appear on video), before adding: "The Strait of Hormuz must remain closed."

From the United States, Donald Trump reiterated: "Iran is on the brink of defeat, they're at the end of the line. They have no navy, no air force, no anti-aircraft guns, nothing. They have no control systems. We must win this war quickly." The US president also displayed confidence regarding the situation in the Strait of Hormuz, where three ships were hit yesterday and where Tehran, according to informed sources, has planted a dozen mines : "Hormuz is safe, it's in excellent shape, we've destroyed all the ships."

The news of March 12th

10:50 PM – Six French soldiers injured in drone strike in Erbil

Six French soldiers were injured in a drone attack in Erbil, Iraqi Kurdistan, according to the French General Staff.

10:45 PM – IDF: "Several Hezbollah command centers in Beirut and southern Lebanon hit."

The Israeli military announced that it had "launched several waves of attacks against Hezbollah infrastructure in Beirut and southern Lebanon," specifically targeting "several Hezbollah command centers, from which terrorists operated to launch terrorist attacks against the State of Israel and its civilians." Shortly before the attacks, "measures were taken to mitigate the risk of harm to civilians, including early warnings, the use of precision munitions, and aerial surveillance," the IDF stated, "determined to operate against the terrorist organization Hezbollah, following its deliberate decision to attack Israel on behalf of the Iranian regime."

9:00 PM – Iran: "We will destroy the region's oil and gas infrastructure."

Iran has threatened to devastate the region's oil and gas industry if its energy infrastructure is attacked during the war with the United States and Israel. "We will set fire to the region's oil and gas at the slightest attack on Iranian energy infrastructure and ports," said a spokesperson for the Iranian military's Central Operations Command, known as Khatam al-Anbiya.

8:55 PM – Netanyahu: "Beirut must stop Hezbollah or Israel will."

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned the Lebanese government: "It would be better for you to stop Hezbollah than for Israel to do so."

7:15 PM – Tajani: "I think our troops will be moved soon."

"The conditions of our soldiers in Erbil are good, they're all well. It's a matter of seeing how long they'll stay there. Since there's a war going on, it's unlikely they'll be able to train the Kurds against Daesh. I believe they'll be moved quickly," Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani told Tg4.

5:15 PM – Ministry of the Environment: "Italy will release 10 million barrels of reserves."

Italy will participate in the coordinated release of a portion of its emergency oil reserves. This announcement was made by the Ministry of Economic Development (MES) following the agreement reached among the member countries of the International Energy Agency (IEA) to contribute to the stabilization of international energy markets. The planned release for our country is 9.966 million barrels, corresponding to approximately 2.5% of the total barrels made available by the IEA countries to address the current oil emergency.

4:50 PM – Israel: "Prayer in all holy sites has been temporarily suspended."

The Iranian regime is launching missiles at Jerusalem, the capital of Israel. One of them hit just a few hundred meters from the Old City, the Western Wall, the Al-Aqsa Mosque, and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. "The protection of human lives and the safety of worshippers are our priority. For this reason, prayers at all holy sites have been temporarily suspended," the Israeli Foreign Ministry wrote in X.

4:08 PM – Trump: "Iran's national team is welcome to the World Cup, but it's better if they don't come ."

"The Iranian national soccer team is welcome to the World Cup, but I don't think it's appropriate for them to be there, for their lives and safety," Donald Trump wrote in Truth.

4:07 PM – Pasdaran: "Hormuz will remain closed on Mojtaba's orders."

Iran's Revolutionary Guards have vowed to keep the strategic Strait of Hormuz closed, following a call from the Islamic Republic's new leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei. "In response to the commander-in-chief's order, we will deliver the heaviest blows to the enemy aggressor, maintaining the strategy of closing the Strait of Hormuz," said Guards Navy Commander Alireza Tangsiri in a post on X.

3:56 PM – Oil: Brent returns above $100, as threats over Hormuz intensify.

The escalating threats between Iran and Israel, as well as the attacks, are accelerating oil prices. Brent crude is back above $100 a barrel, up nearly 9%, while WTI is above $95. Statements on the Strait of Hormuz by Iran's new Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, are weighing heavily: "The Strait of Hormuz will continue to be closed to put pressure on Iran's enemies," he said in his first statement since taking office. This comes at a time when US President Donald Trump has threatened to dismantle Iran's electricity capacity in an hour.

3:20 PM – Israel: "Missile hits Jerusalem just meters from the Temple Mount."

"The Iranian regime is launching missiles at Jerusalem, one of which hit just a few hundred meters from the Old City, the Western Wall, the Al-Aqsa Mosque, and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre," the Israeli Foreign Ministry wrote in X. "Protecting the lives and safety of the faithful comes first. That is why prayer in all holy sites has been temporarily suspended," the message added.

2:30 PM – Mojtaba Khamenei's first statement

"All US bases in the region should be closed immediately, otherwise we will continue to attack them." This is what Iran's new Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, said in his first statement, which not only didn't appear on camera but didn't even make his voice heard. A speaker read his words on state television, with the leader's image in the background. "The Strait of Hormuz must remain closed," the Ayatollah said. "Iran believes in friendship with its neighbors, but it will continue to attack US bases," the new Supreme Leader added. "We will never retreat," he continued. " We will avenge the blood of our martyrs, we will avenge the blood of all our citizens. Our enemies will pay the price, because there will be revenge." And finally: " We promise the late Supreme Leader that we will follow the path and do our best to continue what we have done in the past, and I ask all of Iran's different political leaders to do their utmost to demonstrate unity ." Yesterday, Tehran's ambassador to Cyprus confirmed that Khamenei had been injured in the first day of US and Israeli bombing, on February 28, which killed six members of his family, including his father, Ali Khamenei.

1:50 PM – Crosetto: "The current 141 soldiers in Erbil were already scheduled to return."

"We've already brought 102 people back to Italy from that mission, we've moved about forty to Jordan, and the current 141 are already being planned for their return, which isn't easy, because it's not possible to send a plane, so it must be done by land, probably via Turkey." Defense Minister Guido Crosetto told Tg1 news about the Italian contingent in Erbil.

12:45 PM – WSJ: Strait of Hormuz at risk of prolonged closure

Escalating Iranian attacks and the U.S. government's decision to suspend military escorts for oil tankers passing through the Strait of Hormuz are raising the prospect of a prolonged closure that would stifle exports through the world's most important energy transport route, the Wall Street Journal reports.

12:25 PM – IDF launches largest attack from Hezbollah-Iran: 200 rockets

Hezbollah last night carried out its largest attack on Israel, coordinated with Iran, since the start of the new war, the IDF reported. "Last night, Hezbollah coordinated a simultaneous attack with Iran, launching approximately 200 rockets and 20 drones against cities and towns across Israel," army spokesman Nadav Shoshani told reporters. "All of this was combined with ballistic missiles launched by Iran at the same time," he added, making it "Hezbollah's largest missile bombardment" since the start of the war.

11:50 a.m. – IDF: "Iranian nuclear site in Talegan hit."

The Israel Defense Forces announced that they had targeted the Talegan facility, "used for nuclear weapons development in Tehran." "In recent years, this site has been used to develop explosives and conduct tests as part of the Amad project," a statement read.

11:30 a.m. – Katz: "If they don't stop Hezbollah, we'll take Lebanon."

"I warned Lebanese President Joseph Aoun that if their government doesn't know how to control the territory and prevent Hezbollah from opening fire on Israel, we will take the territory and do it ourselves," Defense Minister Israel Katz said during a meeting with IDF generals. "Hezbollah launched heavy bombardments against the State of Israel yesterday. The army responded forcefully," Katz said, adding that he and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu "instructed the IDF to prepare for an expansion of its activities in Lebanon and to restore security in the north."

11:15 a.m. – Tehran: "We will lose all restraint if the US and Israel attack our Gulf islands."

Iran's powerful parliament speaker, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, warned that Tehran will "abandon all restraint" if the United States and Israel attack any of its Gulf islands. "Any aggression against the soil of the Iranian islands will shatter all restraint. We will abandon all restraint and shed the blood of the invaders in the Persian Gulf," Ghalibaf said in a post on X. It was unclear which islands he was referring to, but an Axios report cited US officials as saying that capturing Kharg is on the table if the Middle East war escalates.

11 a.m. – Massive explosion at Iran's Fordow nuclear facility

A powerful explosion at Iran's Fordow nuclear facility is reported by Israeli public television Kan, citing a Saudi report.

11:00 a.m. – Tehran: "US ship hit in the Gulf."

Iran's Revolutionary Guards said they struck a Marshall Islands-flagged vessel, which they claimed was US-owned, in the northern Gulf. On their website, Sepah News, the Guards stated that the Safesea vessel was "one of the assets of the US terrorist army" and that it "was struck in the northern Gulf after ignoring and failing to comply with warnings and alerts." According to the maritime tracking portal MarineTraffic, the only Safesea vessel in the Gulf area is the Safesea Vishnu, currently in the Persian Gulf off the coast of Kuwait (last reported 14 hours and 43 minutes ago). This crude oil tanker, flying the Marshall Islands flag, is 228.6 meters long and 32.57 meters wide.

10:40 a.m. – Hezbollah: "A new phase begins; we are ready for a long war."

A high-ranking Hezbollah political source told ANSA that the pro-Iranian armed movement has entered "a new phase of the war" with the launch of "150 missiles" toward Israel overnight. "We are ready for any scenario and prepared for a long war," the source said, contacted by telephone but requesting anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media. "For us, it is an existential war against the enemy," the source reiterated.

10:30 am – Israel launches large wave of attacks in several areas of Iran simultaneously

The Israeli Air Force says it is carrying out a new wave of large-scale strikes in Iran, targeting several areas of the country simultaneously.

10:05 AM – Kuwait Airport Damaged After Drone Attack

Drone strikes have caused damage to Kuwait International Airport, local authorities said after the facility was again targeted during Iran's attacks on the Gulf. "Civil Aviation announces that Kuwait International Airport has been targeted by several drones, causing only material damage," authorities said in a statement, adding that no casualties were reported.

10:00 AM – IDF evacuation warning issued in Douris area, Lebanon

An urgent evacuation warning was issued by the Arabic-language spokesperson for residents of the Douris area in Lebanon's Baalbek district. "The army will soon attack military infrastructure belonging to the terrorist organization Hezbollah. We urge residents of the building marked in red on the attached map and the surrounding buildings to leave: you are near facilities used by the terrorist organization Hezbollah. For your safety, you are advised to evacuate immediately and move at least 300 meters away. Remaining in the area of the marked building exposes you to risk," the military spokesperson wrote on X.

9:20 a.m. – Tehran: "We targeted the headquarters of the Israeli security service."

The Iranian military said it targeted Israeli military bases and the Shin Bet national security service, as the war enters its thirteenth day. "The Zionist regime's Palmachim and Ovda air bases, as well as the Shin Bet headquarters, were targeted by drones of the Islamic Republic of Iran Army," the military said in a statement broadcast on state television.

9:10 am – A third ship attacked during the night near the Strait of Hormuz

A third civilian vessel was attacked overnight, according to the UK Maritime Trade Operation (UKMTO), which continues to advise caution when traveling through the Gulf. The BBC reports this. In addition to the two oil tankers attacked off the Iraqi coast, a vessel was attacked off the coast of the United Arab Emirates. At 6:19 a.m. local time (3:19 a.m. CET), UKMTO received a report of a container ship "hit by an unknown projectile, causing a small fire on board," approximately 35 nautical miles off the coast of the Emirates, near the Strait of Hormuz. The crew was unharmed.

8:40 AM – Media reports explosions heard in downtown Dubai

Explosions were heard in downtown Dubai, according to an Agence France Presse reporter on the scene.

8:30 a.m. – Erbil base commander: "The personnel are fine, they were protected."

"The personnel are fine; they were protected inside the bunker when the explosion occurred, and they're all fine." Stefano Pizzotti, commander of the Erbil base in Iraqi Kurdistan, told Sky Tg 24. The alarm was raised at 8:30 PM, "so, following established procedures, we safely moved to our assigned bunkers. Shortly before 1 AM local time, there was an airborne threat." "The alarm has now ended," but "Coalition bomb disposal experts are securing the area."

8:20 a.m. – Fuel depot in Bahrain on fire

A video released by the Bahrain National Communications Center shows firefighters battling massive flames at a fuel depot in Muharraq following an Iranian attack, CNN reports. Earlier, Bahrain's Interior Ministry said Iranian strikes had targeted fuel tanks at the facility in the kingdom's northern governorate on Thursday morning and warned residents of four nearby towns and villages to stay indoors and close their windows.

8:10 a.m. – BBC: "Iran attacks oil facilities in Iraq, Bahrain, and Oman."

Iran's ongoing attacks have sparked a series of fires in the Gulf region, according to the BBC. In addition to two oil tankers set alight after an attack near the southern Iraqi port of Basra, a major fire broke out in Bahrain after Iran targeted oil and fuel tanks near the international airport. The smoke, the BBC reports, is so thick that authorities are urging residents to keep their windows closed. In Oman, firefighting teams are still working to contain a fire in fuel tanks following yesterday's attack on the port of Salalah. Oman has now ordered the evacuation of ships at its oil export terminal as a precautionary measure.

8:00 a.m. – Tehran: "We will defend ourselves."

Esmail Baghaei, spokesman for Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, told Corriere della Sera that "a shameful aggression" was carried out in Iran, carried out "by two nuclear-armed regimes. We had just concluded the third round of nuclear negotiations in Geneva and agreed on the next one, and suddenly they attacked." Araghchi continued: "We were on high alert for a repeat of what happened in June. But we decided to reengage, and for the second time in nine months, they betrayed the diplomatic process. They carried out a massacre in Minab." A "targeting error" for the US: "They used two Tomahawks. The aim was simply to ensure maximum casualties. They killed around 170 innocent people, many of them children." And again on Donald Trump: "He doesn't care about human rights or Iranians. At first, the protests were peaceful, then, after America's interventionist rhetoric, some infiltrators and terrorists worked to increase the death toll. They killed at least 200 police officers. First they said Iran killed 100,000 people. Then 60,000. Do you know the number? It's 3,170."

Abbas Araghchi then returns to the war: "We do not feel enmity toward our neighbors. But the US military presence in the region has caused insecurity. We are not attacking our neighbors; we are defending ourselves from aggressors who are using their territories." And finally: "I understand they don't like it; we are in close contact with them. In June, we attacked the US base in Qatar, exercising maximum restraint, but this time they assassinated our supreme leader, our most important commanders. Do you expect a nation with such a rich civilization, a sovereign state, to remain inert in the face of this atrocious aggression? We have asked our neighbors not to allow the US to abuse their territory."

(Unioneonline)

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