War in the Middle East: latest developments

Here are the latest developments Monday in the Middle East war:

- Israel president chides Europe -

Israel's President Isaac Herzog told AFP that Europe should back his country's fight against Hezbollah, as Israeli forces carried out ground operations in Lebanon.

Lebanon was drawn into the Middle East war when Hezbollah attacked Israel on March 2 in response to the killing of Iranian supreme leader Ali Khamenei in US-Israeli strikes.

"Europe should support any effort, any effort, to eradicate Hezbollah now," Herzog said.

- Netanyahu sends Nowruz wishes -

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sent wishes to Iranians for the coming Nowruz holidays, marking the Persian new year.

"This year this holiday has special meaning...I take this opportunity to wish you a happy Nowruz -- a year of freedom. A new beginning of hope to all of you," he added, referring to the holiday that will be celebrated Friday.

- Trump wants Hormuz 'enthusiasm' -

US President Donald Trump stepped up pressure on Britain and France in particular to help secure shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran has effectively shut down, sending global oil prices surging.

"We strongly encourage the other nations to get involved with us and get involved quickly and with great enthusiasm," Trump said, after urging allies over the weekend to help as well or face a "very bad" future for NATO.

- Baghdad hotel attack -

A drone sparked a fire Monday at a luxury hotel frequented by foreign diplomats in Baghdad's fortified Green Zone shortly before air defences foiled a rocket attack at the US embassy.

Iraq was drawn into the Middle East war after having long been a proxy battleground between the United States and Iran, with strikes targeting Iran-backed groups that have claimed daily attacks on US interests in Iraq and the region.

- Fire at major UAE oil field -

A drone strike caused a fire at a major oil field in the United Arab Emirates, authorities said, as Iran continued its drone and missile strikes across the Gulf.

Authorities in the emirate of Abu Dhabi said they were still responding to the fire at the Shah oil field, without reporting injuries.

- Hezbollah targets Israeli troops -

Hezbollah said it targeted Israeli troops and vehicles in at least three Lebanese border towns, after the Israeli army announced it had begun limited ground operations in Lebanon.

- Iraq's Kataeb Hezbollah commander killed -

Iraq's powerful armed group Kataeb Hezbollah said its senior security commander Abu Ali al-Askari had been killed, without providing details on the circumstances of his death.

He was also the spokesperson in charge of issuing all key statements in the group's name.

- Drone targets Iraqi oil field -

Two drones targeted a major southern Iraqi oil field late Monday, an oil ministry spokesperson told AFP, after the second attack in four days.

Majnoon oil field was "targeted by two drones, one hit a telecommunication tower," oil ministry spokesperson Saheb Bazoun said, adding that there had been no damage.

- Hezbollah targets Israeli city -

Hezbollah said it launched an attack on Monday targeting the northern Israeli city of Nahariya, where Israeli first responders reported a man was wounded.

- Trump: unclear if new Iran leader 'dead or not' -

US President Donald Trump said that he does not know whether Iran's new supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei is still alive, adding that Washington was unclear whom it could negotiate with in Tehran.

"We don't know... if he's dead or not," Trump told reporters at the White House.

- 1 million displaced in Lebanon -

Lebanese authorities said more than one million people had registered as displaced since war erupted on March 2 between Israel and Hezbollah.

- Shrapnel falls on Jerusalem holy sites -

Israeli police said they found missile and interceptor fragments at holy sites in Jerusalem's Old City, including areas near the Al-Aqsa mosque and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.

"During the recent missile salvo fired from Iran toward Jerusalem, several intercepts occurred over the city," the police said.

- Merz: Israel's Lebanon ground offensive an 'error' -

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz warned that an Israeli ground offensive in Lebanon was an "error" which would "further exacerbate the already highly tense humanitarian situation" in the country.

"We urgently call on our Israeli friends: Do not take this path -- it would be an error," Merz said.

- Key UAE port suspends oil loading -

The UAE's state-owned energy giant ADNOC halted the loading of oil into storage tanks at their Fujairah facility, a source with knowledge of the operations told AFP, following repeated strikes on the installation.

Fujairah is home to a major port where Iranian attacks have already targeted oil storage tanks.

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