March 3 (Reuters) - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he expected the war against Iran was "not going to take years", as the conflict widened with Israel attacking Iran-backed Hezbollah targets in Lebanon and Iran hitting Gulf states that host U.S. bases.

U.S. President Donald Trump initially projected the war to last four to five weeks, but since sought to justify a broad, open-ended war on Iran.

Netanyahu rejected the idea of the conflict lasting years, like previous wars in the region.

By Andrea Shalal and Andreas Rinke

WASHINGTON, March 3 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump hosts German Chancellor Friedrich Merz at the White House on Tuesday for talks on sensitive topics ranging from U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran to Trump's new tariff threats and the German leader's recent visit to China.

DUBAI, March 3 (Reuters) - The U.S. State Department said on Tuesday it has ordered the departure of non-emergency U.S. government personnel and family members from Bahrain, Iraq and Jordan.

The order comes as the U.S. monitors security risk linked to its conflict with Iran.

(Reporting Jana Choukeir; Writing by Elwely Elwelly; Editing by Tom Hogue and Christopher Cushing)

Pakistani nationals hauled suitcases across the border from neighbouring Iran, describing missiles being launched and travel chaos as they scrambled to leave the country that the United States and Israel hit with strikes over the weekend.

AFP journalists saw a steady trickle of people passing through large metal gates at the remote border crossing between Iran's Mirjaveh and Taftan in Pakistan's western Balochistan province.

Powerful explosions have rocked Iran's capital Tehran since Saturday, with embassies from countries around the world telling their citizens to leave.

WASHINGTON/BEIJING, March 3 (Reuters) - The U.S. military campaign against Iran has put Chinese leader Xi Jinping on the back foot ahead of an expected summit with U.S. President Donald Trump, who for the second time in as many months has turned America's military against one of Beijing's close partners.

TAIPEI, March 3 (Reuters) - Taiwan supports the international community's efforts to help Iran's people pursue freedom and democracy and hopes that they can enjoy these things soon, the island's foreign ministry said on Tuesday, offering its backing to the U.S. and Israel.

Taiwanese leaders, including President Lai Ching-te, have drawn parallels between Israel's security situation and Taiwan's own, given the stepped-up military pressure that the Chinese-claimed island has faced from Beijing in recent years.

By Kanishka Singh and Ismail Shakil

WASHINGTON, March 2 (Reuters) - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday that the U.S. and Israel's war against Iran may take "some time" but it will not take years.

The U.S. and Israeli air war ⁠against ​Iran began with attacks against Tehran on Saturday, killing Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, and prompting Iranian retaliation against Israel and missile attacks at Arab nations with U.S. bases across the Middle East.

US equities joined a global equity rout Tuesday due to surging oil prices, but cut their losses after President Donald Trump announced steps to safeguard commerce in the Strait of Hormuz.

The waterway, which accounts for the transport of about one-fifth of global crude supplies, has been mostly devoid of traffic since the United States and Israel launched military attacks on Iran Saturday.

By Idrees Ali and Phil Stewart

WASHINGTON, March 2 (Reuters) - U.S. Marines opened fire on demonstrators during the storming of the Karachi consulate over the weekend, two U.S. officials said on Monday—a rare use of force at a diplomatic post that could sharply escalate tensions in the country amid widespread protests over the killing of Iran's leader.

Ten people were killed on Sunday when protesters breached the compound’s outer wall after Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in strikes on Iran.

By Timour Azhari

March 3 (Reuters) - The U.S. embassy in Riyadh was hit by two drones resulting in a limited fire and some material damage, the kingdom's defence ministry said in a post on X on Tuesday, citing an initial assessment.

The drone attack came amid ongoing Iranian missile and drone strikes on Gulf states that host U.S. bases, following U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran on Saturday.

Reuters was not immediately able to confirm the circumstances of the incident.