Iran War LIVE Updates March 13 -2026: New Iranian Leader Warns of Continued Attacks as Israel Launches Fresh Strikes on Tehran

A chartered aircraft arranged by Iran departed southern India carrying sailors and the bodies of crew members killed in a recent IS naval attack near Sri Lanka, Reuters report.

The movements come as the Israeli-US war on Iran continues to disrupt shipping across the Strait of Hormuz.

The aircraft first left Sri Lanka carrying the bodies of 84 Iranian sailors killed when the warship IRIS Dena was struck by a US submarine torpedo on March 4.

It then landed in Kochi, southern India, before departing with sailors from another Iranian vessel and several stranded Iranian tourists.

Iranian officials confirmed the flight but declined to reveal its destination for security reasons.

Two other Iranian naval vessels involved in the same exercises sought shelter after the attack: IRIS Lavan docked in India and IRIS Booshehr docked in Sri Lanka.

Authorities say 32 survivors from the sunken ship remain in Sri Lanka alongside 208 crew members from the IRIS Booshehr.

Welcome to VoM News. If you have joined late, here is a quick recap of the latest developments in the ongoing Iran war:

• Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem says the group is engaged in an “existential battle” against Israel, vowing a long confrontation.

• An Israeli strike on a medical centre in Borj Qalaouiye, southern Lebanon, has reportedly caused several casualties, according to local media.

• An unidentified drone crashed west of Baghdad, while an airstrike targeted a brigade of the Popular Mobilisation Forces in western Iraq.

• Maritime data firm Lloyd’s List Intelligence reports that only 77 ships have crossed the Strait of Hormuz this month, highlighting major disruption to global shipping.

• Israeli evacuation orders now cover about 14 percent of Lebanon’s territory, potentially forcing more than one million people from their homes, according to the Norwegian Refugee Council.

• Bahrain sounded air-raid sirens and urged residents to move to safe areas amid fears of incoming attacks.

• An Israeli strike in Nabatieh, southern Lebanon, killed six people including a child, according to Lebanon’s National News Agency.

• Donald Trump may call off the war within weeks after hitting planned targets, according to former US envoy Elliott Abrams.

• India confirmed that two Indian nationals were killed in a drone attack in Sohar, Oman, while several others were injured.

• Explosions were reported in western Tehran as Israel announced a new wave of strikes on Iranian regime facilities.

Stay with VoM News for continuous updates on the Middle East conflict.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has launched a flash appeal for $325m to help Lebanon grapple with the humanitarian fallout of a war that has seen more than a seventh of its population flee their homes.

“Solidarity in words must be matched by solidarity in action,” said Guterres, who announced the campaign from Beirut. AJ

When the United States and Israel launched an air campaign against Iran under the reported name “Operation Epic Fury,” Donald Trump was believed to have expected a rapid collapse of Iran’s leadership similar to regime changes seen in other conflicts. However, nearly two weeks into the war, Iran’s government has continued to retaliate with strikes across the Middle East despite the loss of several senior commanders..... read more 

The US is relocating parts of the terminal high-altitude area defence (THAAD) missile-defence system along with other military hardware out of South Korea to the Middle East for its war against Iran.

Modern warfare is not limited to how precise a country's aerial strikes, drones and interceptors are. It goes way beyond, and Iran appears to have proven it, in response to the US and Israel's latest onslaught on Tehran and multiple other cities.  

As Tehran's Shahed drones and advanced ballistic missiles struck Israel and American military assets in the Gulf, thousands of kilometres away, in Michigan, a medical technology company came under a large-scale cyberattack.

At least 773 people killed in Israeli attacks since March 2: Lebanon health ministry

At least 773 people have been killed in Israeli strikes on Lebanon since March 2, the Lebanese health ministry reported.

The ministry added that 1,933 people have been wounded, including 103 children.

• Israel says it has launched about 7,600 air strikes in Iran and 1,100 in Lebanon since the war began, highlighting the scale of the military campaign.

• An official from Italy’s Foreign Ministry denied reports that Rome is negotiating with Iran to secure safe passage for Italian vessels through the Strait of Hormuz.

• The Israel Defense Forces said it is sending additional reinforcements to the northern sector bordering Lebanon to strengthen readiness for potential escalation.

• Donald Trump, President of the United States, predicted that Iran’s government could eventually fall, but said it might not happen immediately.

• Israeli warplanes have carried out fresh strikes across southern Lebanon, including in the Tyre district and Nabatieh governorate, according to Lebanon’s National News Agency.

• Antonio Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations, launched a $325 million humanitarian appeal to support Lebanon as mass displacement continues.

• The Israeli military warned that missiles had been launched from Iran, urging residents to move to protected areas after alerts were issued.

• Pete Hegseth, US Defence Secretary, dismissed concerns that the war is widening and said Americans should not worry about disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz.

• President Donald Trump also said the US would intensify strikes against Iran over the coming week as the conflict moves deeper into its third week.

Stay with VoM News for continuous updates on the Middle East conflict.

By Malik Traina ` Al Jazeera Reporting from Doha, Qatar

Despite that statement we heard from Iran, we’ve seen numerous civil infrastructure being hit or targeted by these retaliatory attacks from Iran.

In Bahrain and Oman, we saw oil infrastructure being hit – fuel tanks. We’ve seen the fire. We’ve seen the sky filled with smoke.

In Dubai, the world’s busiest commercial airport facility was attacked by drones. Also in Kuwait. Residential neighbourhoods in some cases.

In Kuwait last night, we saw two civilians being injured.

And this is what people across the region have been warning about. The escalation of this conflict. Something that nobody here wants to see.

That’s why we’ve seen officials from all of the countries in the GCC call for de-escalation.

By Tohid Asadi ~ Al Jazeera 

Reporting from Tehran

Air strikes from the US and Israel have continued on Tehran on the 14th day of the war. Attacks also hit Kashan, Isfahan, Qom and Arak.

The IRGC came out with a statement about their retaliatory strikes, talking about wave 44 of their strikes targeting Israel.

All in all we are looking at a very complicated situation. More than 1,400 people have lost their lives with many residential areas being targeted.

There are reports of drone attacks in Tehran targeting security points and Basij militia. We heard the activation of the air defence system and the sound of drones across the capital.

We are seeing air pollution from burning oil depots. A considerable proportion of Tehran’s residents have evacuated.

Sirens have gone off at Turkiye’s Incirlik airbase, located near the southeastern city of Adana, according to Turkish state news agency Anadolu.

The sirens at the airbase, which is a key NATO facility that hosts US troops, went off around 3:25am (0025 GMT) for around five minutes, said the Ekonomim business news website.

There was no immediate official comment on the incident, which took place four days after NATO air defences shot down a ballistic missile in Turkish airspace that it claimed was fired from Iran, the second in five days.

Israel says it hit ‘more than 200 targets’ in Iran

The Israeli army has claimed to hit “more than 200 targets in western and central Iran” in the past day.

Saudi Arabia says 8 more drones intercepted

The spokesperson for Saudi Arabia’s Defense Ministry said air defences have shot down eight more drones in the central and eastern regions of the country, as well as the al-Kharj governorate and west of the capital, Riyadh.

Earlier, the ministry reported 14 drones intercepted and destroyed in waves of attempted attacks. (Al Jazeera)

Welcome to VoM News. If you have joined late, here is the recap of the latest developments in the ongoing Iran war:

• Israel says its military has struck more than 200 targets across western and central Iran over the past day as a new wave of attacks hit the capital Tehran.

• Mojtaba Khamenei, Iran’s Supreme Leader, issued his first statement since succeeding his father Ali Khamenei, warning that bases hosting United States forces in the region must close or face further attacks.

• Saudi Arabia said its air defence systems intercepted eight more drones targeting central and eastern regions, including areas near the capital Riyadh.

• Reports indicate drone attacks and strikes on civilian infrastructure across Gulf states, including the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Oman, and Kuwait, raising fears of wider regional escalation.

• Donald Trump, President of the United States, suggested Iran’s new leader Mojtaba Khamenei may have been injured during the early strikes but is “probably alive”.

• A French soldier was killed and several others wounded in a drone attack on a military base near Erbil in Iraq, according to Emmanuel Macron, President of France.

• Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said it launched multiple missiles at Israeli and US positions as the conflict continues to widen.

• Global oil markets remain under pressure, with prices staying above $100 per barrel as Iran maintains an effective blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, a key route for global oil supplies.

Stay with VoM News for more updates on the Middle East conflict.