The week in photos: March 7-13, 2026

MANILA, Philippines – On March 9, oil prices jumped about 7% to settle at their highest since 2022 as Saudi Arabia and other OPEC members cut supplies during the expanding US-Israeli war with Iran. In addition to energy supply disruptions, Iran’s hardliners staged a show of force, taking to the streets to proclaim their loyalty to new Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, whose rise appeared to dash hopes of a swift end to war in the Middle East.

On March 11, Israeli strikes battered Beirut’s southern suburbs, lighting up the skyline with flashes of red and setting buildings on fire, after the Lebanese armed group Hezbollah launched a volley of rockets into northern Israel. The strikes have killed more than 600 people in Lebanon and uprooted 800,000 more, Lebanese authorities said.

The United States and Iran have signaled no quick end to their war, with US President Donald Trump saying it was necessary to finish the job and Iran warning that the world should be ready for oil at $200 a barrel after striking tankers in Iraqi waters and other ships near the vital Strait of Hormuz on March 12.

Meanwhile, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations’ foreign and economic ministers on March 13 called for an immediate halt to the war in the Middle East and said the effects of surging oil prices and disrupted trade are already hitting Southeast Asia’s economies. The ministers call for global energy supply chains to be kept open and to activate regional mechanisms to mitigate the economic fallout.

Catch more stories in these photos from the week that was:

Balendra Shah, a rapper-turned-politician and the prime ministerial candidate for RSP, waves a national flag after winning the election, in Damak, Jhapa district, Nepal, on March 7, 2026. PHOTO BY ADNAN ABIDI/REUTERS

A cat walks among toy cars at a zoo in the park of miniatures in Bakhchisarai, Crimea, on March 8, 2026. PHOTO BY ALEXEY PAVLISHAK/REUTERS

People take part in a demonstration to mark International Women’s Day, in Valletta, Malta, on March 8, 2026. PHOTO BY DARRIN ZAMMIT LUPI/REUTERS

Zorro Ranch, a property formerly owned by Jeffrey Epstein, stands behind a protest sign that reads ‘Justice for all’ on International Women’s Day near Stanley, New Mexico, on March 8, 2026. PHOTO BY REBECCA NOBLE/REUTERS

Israeli tanks take position on the Israeli side of the Israel-Lebanon border, following an escalation between Hezbollah and Israel amid the US-Israeli conflict with Iran, on March 8, 2026. PHOTO BY AMIR COHEN/REUTERS

A mourner lies on a grave as she attends a funeral ceremony for victims of Israeli and US strikes, in Tehran, Iran, on March 9, 2026. PHOTO BY MAJID ASGARIPOUR/WANA VIA REUTERS

A currency dealer walks in front of an electronic board displaying the Korea Composite Stock Price Index and a news report on the US-Israeli conflict with Iran, at the dealing room of a bank in Seoul, South Korea, on March 9, 2026. PHOTO BY KIM HONG-JI/REUTERS

Students sit in front of the University of Havana to protest against class disruptions amid energy and internet shortages, in Havana, Cuba, on March 9, 2026. PHOTO BY NORLYS PEREZ/REUTERS

Models present creations by designer Matthieu Blazy as part of his Fall/Winter 2026/2027 Women’s ready-to-wear collection show for fashion house Chanel during Paris Fashion Week in Paris, France, on March 9, 2026. PHOTO BY STEPHANE MAHE/REUTERS

A baby Peruvian friar monkey named Punch, named after the Japanese monkey Punch, who was separated from his mother at birth and trafficked from the Peruvian Amazon, hugs a stuffed animal at Parque Huascar Zoo, in Lima, Peru, on March 9, 2026. PHOTO BY ANGELA PONCE/REUTERS

The coats of gold medallist and guide Sergei Siniakin of Russia and a member of Team Ukraine are pictured after the women’s sprint classic vision Impaired victory ceremony of the Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympics at Tesero Cross-Country Skiing Stadium in Lago, Italy, on March 10, 2026. PHOTO BY SARAH MEYSSONNIER/REUTERS

A fuel pump attendant updates the price board following the latest fuel price increase at a gas station in Manila on March 10, 2026. The adjustment reflects higher pump prices driven by rising global crude oil costs amid escalating Middle East tensions, which have raised concerns over possible supply disruptions. PHOTO BY RAPPLER

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. addresses the United Nations General Assembly at the UN headquarters in New York City, on March 10, 2026. PHOTO BY BRENDAN MCDERMID/REUTERS

Families of victims of the drug war, along with human rights advocates, post wanted posters of former president Rodrigo Duterte and his co-accused along Katipunan Avenue in Quezon City on March 11, 2026. This symbolic event is held to continue their call for justice for the victims of extrajudicial killings and to mark the first anniversary of Duterte’s arrest and detention at the International Criminal Court in The Hague. PHOTO BY JIRE CARREON/RAPPLER

Host Conan O’Brien poses during the red carpet rollout for the 98th Academy Awards in Los Angeles, California, on March 11, 2026. PHOTO BY CARLOS BARRIA/REUTERS

A delegate in an ethnic minority costume arrives before the closing session of the National People’s Congress at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, on March 12, 2026. PHOTO BY TINGSHU WANG/REUTERS

Musicians play music for people sheltering in a public bomb shelter after sirens warning of incoming missiles from Iran sounded during their performance in a bar nearby, in Tel Aviv, Israel, on March 12, 2026. PHOTO BY ITAI RON/REUTERS

A foreign tanker carrying Iraqi fuel oil is damaged after catching fire in Iraq’s territorial waters, following unidentified attacks that targeted two foreign tankers, according to Iraqi port officials, near Basra, Iraq, on March 12, 2026. PHOTO BY MOHAMMED ATY/REUTERS

Iranian missiles fly towards Israel, as seen from Hebron, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, on March 13, 2026. PHOTO BY MUSSA QAWASMA/REUTERS

A demonstrator holds a portrait of Iran’s late supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei at Times Square during an Al-Quds Day rally in Manhattan, New York City, on March 13, 2026. PHOTO BY DAVID DEE DELGADO/REUTERS

– with reports from Reuters/Rappler.com