By Humeyra Pamuk

WASHINGTON, March 16 (Reuters) - President Donald Trump's administration on Monday urged U.S. diplomats abroad to push allies to designate Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and Lebanon-based Hezbollah as terrorist groups, citing elevated risk of attack, according to an internal State Department cable seen by Reuters.

Two Iranian women footballers have trained with the Australian club Brisbane Roar after seeking asylum in the country, with one of them uploading a picture alongside a senior FIFA official saying: "Everything will be fine."

Seven members of Iran's football delegation competing in the Women's Asian Cup sought sanctuary in Australia last week after they were branded "traitors" at home for refusing to sing the national anthem at their opening game.

SEOUL, March 17 (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on a phone call with South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun on Monday that cooperation among countries to secure safety in the Strait of Hormuz is more important than ever to stabilize the global economy and oil prices, Seoul said.

South Korea has said it would carefully consider U.S. President Donald Trump's call for countries including South Korea, Japan and China to deploy navy ships to the Middle East to form a coalition to ensure safe passage through the waterway.

By Humeyra Pamuk and Bo Erickson

WASHINGTON, March 16 (Reuters) - U.S. Vice President JD Vance on Monday expressed support for the way President Donald Trump was handling the war in Iran and said he trusted him to make sure that "the mistakes of the past" are not repeated.

Vance's comments appeared to be an effort to counter questions about whetherhis well-known anti-war and isolationist views put him at odds with Trump. Since the war began on February 28, Vance had not publicly offered unequivocal support for it.

CAIRO, March 16 (Reuters) - Iraq's interior ministry said on Monday that a drone hit a hotel in Baghdad without causing casualties or material damages.

Security sources earlier said a drone hit Al-Rasheed hotel in the Green Zone, which houses governmental buildings and the U.S. embassy, as fire and smoke were seen rising.

After examination, it was determined a drone had collided with the hotel's upper fence, the ministry said, condemning any attempts to target diplomatic envoys in the country.

By Samia Nakhoul

DUBAI, March 16 (Reuters) - Gulf Arab states did not ask the U.S. to go to war with Iran, but many are now urging it not to stop short by leaving the Islamic Republic still able to threaten the Gulf’s oil lifeline and the economies that depend on it, three Gulf sources told Reuters.

WASHINGTON, March 16 (Reuters) - The number of U.S. troops wounded in the war against Iran has risen to about 200, the U.S. military said on Monday, as the conflict enters its third week.

In a statement, the U.S. military's Central Command said the vast majority suffered minor injuries and 180 troops had already been returned to duty.

(Reporting by Phil Stewart and Idrees Ali; Editing by Chris Reese)

WASHINGTON, March 16 (Reuters) - Secretary of State Marco Rubio has designated as wrongfully detained in Iran 70-year-old Iranian-American Kamran Hekmati, his cousin said on Monday.

"This designation is an official recognition by the U.S. Government that Kamran is being held on false charges in an effort by the Iranians to leverage the U.S. Government," Shohreh Nowfar said in a statement.

(Reporting by Jonathan Landay; Editing by Chris Reese)

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

In an exclusive interview at his Jerusalem residence, the Israeli head of state also said the US-Israeli war with Iran marked a "historical juncture".

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

"They should understand that if you want to get anywhere, sometimes you need to win war."

By Kanishka Singh

WASHINGTON, March 16 (Reuters) - A "significant Israeli ground offensive" in Lebanon must be averted since it could have devastating humanitarian consequences, Canada, France, Germany, Italy and Britain said in a joint statement on Monday.

Lebanon was sucked into the war in the Middle East on March 2 after the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah opened fire at Israel. Hezbollah said it aimed to avenge the killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed on the first day of the U.S. and Israel's war on Iran.