CAIRO, March 13 (Xinhua) -- The U.S.-Israel-Iran conflict entered its 14th day on Friday, with Washington signaling plans to intensify strikes in the coming week, Tehran pressing on with retaliatory attacks, and the political and economic fallout continuing to ripple across the region.

Here is a brief overview of the latest developments and the regional crisis that has affected nearly all neighboring countries and beyond.

The United States

-- U.S. President Donald Trump told Fox News that the United States plans to strike Iran "very hard over the next week," and that it would escort oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz if necessary.

-- During a press conference, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Trump will be the one to decide "the pace, tempo and timing" of the Iran conflict.

The United States will not allow the Strait of Hormuz to "remain contested or with a lack of flow of commercial goods," he said. He also said there is no clear evidence that Iran has placed mines in the strait.

Hegseth said although the United States is happy to partner with Israel, "our objectives are our objectives." He claimed that Iran's missile capabilities are down 90 percent.

-- During a press briefing, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Dan Caine said the ongoing U.S. military operation against Iran remains "complex, dangerous, and difficult."

-- The Wall Street Journal reported that the U.S. Central Command is asking for additional ships to be sent to the Middle East amid plans to escort vessels through the Strait of Hormuz.

-- A U.S. defense official told Fox News Friday the Pentagon is sending the USS Tripoli, a Marine Amphibious Ready Group, and the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit to the Middle East with about 2,500 U.S. Marines.

Israel

-- The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it struck a key bridge over the Litani River in southern Lebanon in the morning, alleging the bridge was used by Hezbollah militants to pass from northern to southern Lebanon "to build up its power and prepare for combat."

The IDF also said it completed a series of strikes against Hezbollah's economic and military targets in Beirut, the Bekaa Valley in eastern Lebanon, and other areas on Thursday.

Iran

-- Iran's army said it has launched drone attacks from across the country on the headquarters of the Israeli General Staff in southern Israel's city of Beersheba since morning. Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps said it launched the 44th wave of missile and drone attacks on different Israeli targets and U.S. bases in the West Asia region.

-- Iran's official news agency IRNA reported that at least one person was killed in a mass rally in Tehran to mark International Quds Day, an annual event expressing support for Palestinians and condemnation of Israeli actions. It said the dead, a woman, was killed "in the bombing of Tehran" by Israel and the United States.

-- Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei told Xinhua in a recent interview that Iran is determined to defend itself against the U.S. and Israeli "aggression" as long as it takes.

-- Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Majid Takht-Ravanchi on Thursday denied reports saying that Iran had begun laying mines in the Strait of Hormuz.

-- Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Friday that his administration does not propose and pursue any policy without coordination with Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei.

Iraq

-- The Iraqi Civil Aviation Authority announced a new 72-hour extension of the country's airspace closure amid ongoing regional tensions.

-- The Islamic Resistance in Iraq, an umbrella group for Iraq's pro-Iranian militias, said its fighters targeted two U.S. KC-135 refueling aircraft over western Iraq.

-- Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' al-Sudani and French President Emmanuel Macron held phone talks Friday to discuss regional developments following an attack that killed a French soldier in northern Iraq.

Oman

-- Two expatriate workers were killed and several others injured after two drones crashed in the Wilayat of Sohar in northern Oman, the Oman News Agency reported, citing a security source.

The United Arab Emirates

-- The United Arab Emirates' Defense Ministry said its air defense systems intercepted seven more ballistic missiles and 27 more drones launched from Iran. Official figures showed that the country has intercepted altogether 285 ballistic missiles, 15 cruise missiles and 1,567 drones since the start of the regional conflict.

-- The United Arab Emirates' General Civil Aviation Authority said the country's national carriers have restored 44.6 percent of their operating capacity compared to pre-conflict levels.

Lebanon

-- Israeli airstrikes continued to pound southern Lebanon on Friday night, killing at least 13 people and hitting the Nepalese battalion's compound of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon.

-- The Lebanese Public Health Ministry said the death toll from Israeli attacks on Lebanon since March 2 has risen to 773, with 1,933 injuries.

-- In a meeting with visiting UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in Beirut, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun urged an end to Israeli attacks and voiced hope for stronger international support during what he described as a critical phase. Aoun said over 800,000 people have been displaced by the conflict.

-- Mohammad Choucair, president of the Beirut and Mount Lebanon Chamber of Commerce, said Lebanon's commercial production fell 50 percent, industrial production 50 percent, and agricultural production 40 percent, affected by the shutdown of production units across the country, along with disruptions to exports to Gulf countries.

-- Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem said Friday that the group has prepared for a "long confrontation" with Israel and will not retreat, describing the current conflict as an existential battle.

Türkiye

-- The Turkish Defense Ministry said it intercepted a ballistic munition from Iran that entered Turkish airspace. In response, Iranian Ambassador in Ankara Mohammad Hassan Habibollahzadeh denied Iran's involvement, saying the incident could be carried out by "third elements."

-- The first Turkish-owned ship has passed through the Strait of Hormuz after receiving permission from Iranian authorities, Türkiye's Transport and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloglu said Friday, noting that 14 others are still waiting in the area. He said around 800 vessels of various types are present in the strait.

-- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Friday evening that his country will not get dragged into the war triggered by U.S.-Israeli attacks on Iran, following the interception of a third ballistic missile that entered Turkish airspace.

France

-- French President Emmanuel Macron said a French soldier was killed and six others were wounded in a drone attack in Erbil province in Iraq's northern semi-autonomous Kurdistan region. It was reportedly the first French military death in the latest Middle East conflict that began late February.

Macron later told a news conference that the attack was "unacceptable." He said France's position in the Middle East conflict remains "defensive."■