Regional Conflict Spreads Across Middle East With Rising Casualties

The conflict that erupted after the United States and Israel launched strikes on Iran on February 28 has expanded across the Middle East, leaving thousands dead and injured in several countries.

According to figures released by governments, militaries, health authorities and rescue organizations, casualties have been reported in Iran, Israel, Lebanon, Gulf states, Iraq, Jordan and Syria. However, AFP said it has not been able to independently verify all of the reported tolls.

Iran

Iran has recorded the highest number of casualties in the conflict. The Iranian health ministry announced on March 8 that more than 1,200 people had been killed, including around 200 women and 200 children under the age of 12, while more than 10,000 civilians were injured.

The Human Rights Activists News Agency later reported on March 11 that the death toll could be significantly higher, estimating at least 1,825 fatalities. According to the group, the victims include 1,276 civilians, among them at least 200 children, along with 197 military personnel and 352 people whose status remains unclassified.

Due to reporting restrictions inside Iran, journalists have not been able to independently verify the figures or access strike locations.

Israel

Authorities in Israel have reported 14 deaths since the start of the conflict.

Emergency responders said 12 civilians, including four minors, were killed by Iranian missile strikes inside the country. In addition, the Israeli military reported that two soldiers were killed during combat operations in southern Lebanon.

Lebanon

Lebanon has also suffered heavy losses as fighting intensified between Israel and Hezbollah.

The Lebanese health ministry reported 850 people killed, including 66 women and 107 children, since the start of the war. Another 2,105 people were wounded.

Officials said 31 paramedics were among those killed, while the Lebanese army confirmed that three soldiers had died in the conflict. Hezbollah has not released details about its casualties.

Gulf States

Across the Gulf region, authorities and the United States Central Command reported 26 deaths, including 13 civilians, linked to Iranian attacks.

Among the incidents reported:

• Kuwait confirmed six deaths, including two soldiers, two border guards and two civilians, one of them an 11-year-old girl.

• The United Arab Emirates reported six deaths, including four civilians and two military personnel killed in a helicopter crash attributed to a technical malfunction.

• Saudi Arabia confirmed two civilian deaths.

• Bahrain reported two fatalities, according to the interior ministry.

• Oman said a mariner was killed at sea and two others died in a drone attack on an industrial area.

• Qatar reported 16 injuries but no deaths.

CENTCOM also confirmed the deaths of seven US service members in the region, including six in Kuwait and one in Saudi Arabia.

Iraq

In Iraq, armed groups and officials reported at least 49 deaths since the conflict began.

France said an Iranian drone strike killed a French soldier in the Kurdistan region. Meanwhile, the US military reported that a refuelling aircraft crashed in western Iraq, killing all six crew members, though the incident was not linked to hostile fire.

Pro-Iran armed factions said 35 fighters were killed in strikes they blamed on the United States and Israel. Kurdish rebel groups also reported that five Iranian Kurdish militants were killed in strikes attributed to Iran.

Other incidents included a drone attack on Erbil airport that killed an airport guard and a civilian death caused by rocket shrapnel following a strike southeast of Baghdad.

Jordan

Jordan has not reported fatalities but said 28 people were injured by falling debris from Iranian missiles and drones across various parts of the kingdom.

Syria

In Syria, state media reported that eight people were injured by falling debris during exchanges of fire between Iran and Israel.