Day 14 of the war: Trump claims the war is going "well," Israel launched a new wave of strikes on Tehran, dozens killed in Lebanon including children

Day fourteen of the war between the US, Israel, and Iran brought Trump's statement that the conflict is going "well," a new Israeli offensive on Tehran, dozens of deaths in Lebanon including children, and a mysterious radio broadcast in Persian. The number of displaced Iranians reached 3.2 million.

TRUMP: THE WAR IS GOING "WELL"

US President Donald Trump declared at a White House event: "The war in Iran — that's going very well." At the same time, American intelligence services informed Congress that the Iranian regime is not at risk of imminent collapse despite the massive strikes. According to intelligence sources, the Iranian leadership is holding together, and an internal power struggle is expected only after the attacks end. Al Jazeera ↗

In an unprecedented move, the US Treasury Department authorized the temporary purchase of Russian oil already loaded on tankers — a de facto partial lifting of sanctions in exchange for market stabilization. NBC News ↗

NETANYAHU: WE ELIMINATED KHAMENEI

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivered his first speech since the start of the war. "We eliminated the tyrant Khamenei and many other senior officials," he declared. According to him, the goal of the operation is to create conditions for the Iranian people to overthrow the regime. Netanyahu also claimed that he and Trump speak "almost every day" and that their alliance is unprecedented. NBC News ↗

NEW WAVE OF STRIKES ON TEHRAN

The new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, suffered a broken leg, bruising around his left eye, and lacerations to his face on the first day of the war, in the same attack that killed his father. He has not personally appeared in public since the attack — experts note that he is in hiding, since Israel has signaled it will target any successor to the assassinated ayatollah. NBC News ↗

The Israeli military announced the start of a new "extensive wave" of attacks on Tehran, issuing evacuation orders for civilians. Since the start of the war, American and Israeli forces have struck more than 6,000 targets in Iran. More than 90 Iranian vessels have been destroyed or damaged, including more than 30 minelayers. Al Jazeera ↗

MASSACRE IN LEBANON — CHILDREN AMONG THE VICTIMS

Israeli forces killed dozens of people in Lebanon. An attack on the village of Arki near the city of Sidon killed nine people, five of them children, according to the Lebanese Ministry of Health. The total death toll in Lebanon since the start of the war has exceeded 690. Al Jazeera ↗

In Iraq, at least nine pro-Iranian fighters were killed in American airstrikes on militias. A drone attack on an allied military base near Mahmur in Erbil province killed a French soldier — Warrant Officer Arnaud Frion — and wounded six other French soldiers. These are the first casualties among French forces in this conflict. President Macron confirmed the death. NPR ↗

An American KC-135 refueling aircraft crashed in western Iraq — the cause was neither enemy nor friendly fire, the Pentagon stated. Two sailors were injured in a laundry room fire aboard an aircraft carrier involved in the operations. NBC News ↗

HORMUZ UNDER FIRE — ALREADY 20 SHIPS HIT

Iran's Revolutionary Guards continue attacking commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz. The total number of ships hit has risen to more than 20. IRGC Navy Commander Alireza Tangsiri declared that any ship sailing through Hormuz must obtain Iran's permission — otherwise it faces attack. Saudi Arabia activated an emergency plan and began transporting oil via pipeline across the desert, bypassing the blocked strait. NPR ↗

MYSTERIOUS RADIO STATION

Since the first day of the war, a mysterious shortwave radio station has been broadcasting in Persian. A male voice reads seemingly random numbers, repeating the word "tavajjoh" (attention) three times after each series. The station was first detected on February 28 on a frequency of 7910 kHz and broadcasts twice a day. On March 5, Iran began jamming the signal with its characteristic "bubble jammer" — the same type it uses to jam BBC Persian and Radio Farda — after which the station moved to a different frequency. Radio amateurs traced the source of the signal to an area of northern Italy, Switzerland, or western Germany, suggesting it is a Western intelligence operation. Numbers station expert Akin Fernandez stated: "Someone doesn't want the recipient to hear those numbers" — according to him, the jamming proves it is an operation directed against Iran, likely communication with agents in the field. The encryption uses a "one-time pad" — a single-use key that is absolutely unbreakable. RFERL ↗

HUMANITARIAN CRISIS

According to the UN refugee agency, 3.2 million Iranians have been displaced since the start of the war — most are seeking safety in rural areas. Al Jazeera ↗

Spain permanently withdrew its ambassador from Israel over "insults to human dignity." Al Jazeera ↗

OIL AND ENERGY CRISIS

Brent crude closed at $100.46 per barrel — the market completely ignored the record release of strategic reserves announced by the IEA the day before. Analysts warn that the reserves cannot bridge the shortfall caused by the blockade of Hormuz. CNBC ↗

UPDATED CASUALTY FIGURES (as of March 13, 2026)

Iran: 1,500+ dead, 17,000+ wounded. Lebanon: 690+ dead, 2,000+ wounded. Israel: 15 dead, 2,000+ wounded. Iraq: 26+ dead. Kuwait: 6 dead, 42+ wounded. UAE: 6 dead, 131+ wounded. Bahrain: 2 dead, 67+ wounded. Saudi Arabia: 2 dead, 12 wounded. Oman: 1 dead, 5 wounded. US military: 8 dead, 140+ wounded. Ships hit: 20+. Total: 2,300+ dead across 12 countries in 14 days of war.