CAIRO, March 17 (Xinhua) -- The U.S.-Israel-Iran conflict entered its 18th day Tuesday, with Iran confirming the deaths of its top security official Ali Larijani as well as its Basij volunteer force's commander, and U.S. President Donald Trump voicing frustration over a lack of support from allies to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
Airstrikes and missile exchanges continue, with Iran reportedly deploying a new precision-guided missile.
The following is a brief overview of the latest developments in the escalating crisis affecting much of the region and beyond.
The United States
-- Trump, whose calls for allies to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz have largely been ignored, said U.S. forces "no longer need" military assistance in the Iran conflict. On Truth Social, he wrote: "WE DO NOT NEED THE HELP OF ANYONE!"
-- Joe Kent, head of the National Counterterrorism Center, resigned over the Iran war, citing the lack of an imminent threat. Kent is the first senior U.S. official to step down over the conflict.
-- The USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier, currently in the Middle East, is expected to return next week to a NATO base on Crete for refueling and possibly an investigation into a March 12 fire, Greek newspaper eKathimerini reported.
Israel
-- Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel killed Ali Larijani, secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, in ongoing strikes.
-- The Israel Defense Forces moved additional troops deeper into southern Lebanon to expand a buffer zone after Hezbollah launched rockets and drones into northern Israel.
Iran
-- Iran's Supreme National Security Council confirmed the death of Larijani, whereas Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) confirmed the death of Gholamreza Soleimani, head of the Basij volunteer force, in a U.S.-Israeli strike.
-- Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi has roundly rejected having had any new contact with Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff. Western media reported that Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei rejected proposals to reduce tensions or negotiate a ceasefire with the United States.
-- The IRGC launched a new "Haj Qasem" ballistic missile for the first time against Israel, describing it as a precision-guided weapon named after slain commander Qassem Soleimani, according to Tasnim news agency.
-- Hundreds of thousands gathered in Tehran for a mass funeral honoring 84 sailors killed in a U.S. strike on the IRIS Dena in the Indian Ocean on March 4.
-- Iran's football federation is negotiating with FIFA to move World Cup first-round matches from the United States to Mexico due to regional tensions. Mexican officials said they have no objection if FIFA approves.
Lebanon
-- Three Lebanese soldiers were killed and five others injured in Israeli strikes, the army said, as Israel launched new raids and ordered evacuations across southern Lebanon.
-- Hezbollah claimed several attacks against Israeli targets, including rocket fire at Israeli soldiers in southern Lebanon's Khiam, a barrage targeting northern Israel, and a suicide drone to strike Israeli troop positions in southern Lebanon's Maroun al-Ras. It later claimed launching rocket attacks targeting 11 Israeli settlements along the border.
-- The health ministry reported 912 dead in Lebanon since the latest Israel-Hezbollah conflict began on March 2, up from 886 a day earlier.
Türkiye
-- President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called for an end to the "senseless, unlawful and extremely wrong war in Iran as soon as possible."
-- Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan condemned Israel's killing of Iranian leaders, calling political assassinations of Iranian officials "illegal activities outside the normal laws of war." He also said he will begin a regional diplomacy tour starting Friday to discuss steps to halt the war in the Middle East.
Iraq
-- A strike on a Baghdad house killed four people, including two Iranian advisors, according to Iraqi security officials.
-- Drone attacks targeted the U.S. embassy in Baghdad multiple times, with one causing a fire with no immediate reports of casualties. The Victoria military base at Baghdad International Airport was also targeted by drone attacks.
-- The Islamic Resistance in Iraq, an umbrella body for Iraq's pro-Iranian militias, said its fighters carried out 47 military operations against "occupation bases" in Iraq and the region using "dozens of missiles and drones," without providing further details regarding specific targets or casualties.
-- Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' al-Sudani reiterated his government's opposition to any attack on oil fields and diplomatic missions, warning of the escalating conflict's impact on regional stability.
Kuwait
-- Two medical staff members were injured after debris fell onto an ambulance center in Kuwait, the country's Health Ministry said.
The United Arab Emirates
-- Eight nationals from the UAE, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, and Palestine were killed, and 157 others were injured amid regional tensions, the UAE Defense Ministry said.
Qatar
-- Jordan's King Abdullah II met Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani in Doha, calling for an immediate halt to all military actions to prevent further escalation.
Britain
-- Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said Britain will not be drawn into a wider war, stressing that decisions will reflect Britain's values and national interest.
France
-- President Emmanuel Macron said France will not participate in operations to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, rejecting comments by Trump suggesting Paris might help. ■
