Israel launched extensive airstrikes across Lebanon on Monday, widening a regional conflict that intensified after a joint Israel-US assault on Iran ordered by Donald Trump aimed at toppling Tehran’s clerical leadership.
Israeli forces struck targets in Beirut and southern Lebanon after Hezbollah fired rockets toward Israel, saying the attack was in retaliation for the killing of Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Israel also reported “large-scale strikes” in central Tehran, while the US military expanded operations inside Iran.
Washington said earlier strikes destroyed the headquarters of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). In response, Iran launched missiles and drones across the Middle East, with casualties reported in Israel and the United Arab Emirates. Explosions were also heard in Doha, Dubai and Manama, according to AFP correspondents.
Trump vowed to sustain the offensive for up to five weeks, telling The New York Times that the United States and Israel had sufficient ammunition. The Pentagon said three US service members were killed and five seriously wounded in the operation, dubbed “Epic Fury,” with Trump promising to “deliver the most punishing blow” in retaliation.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu joined Trump in urging Iranians to rise against their government. In a video message, Trump called on Iranian security forces to lay down their arms or face “certain death.”
Iranian officials rejected the calls. Ali Larijani, head of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, said Tehran would not negotiate with the United States, accusing Trump of plunging the region into chaos. President Masoud Pezeshkian described Khamenei’s killing as a “declaration of war” and vowed revenge.
In Lebanon, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam criticised Hezbollah’s rocket fire as “irresponsible,” warning it endangered national security and risked further Israeli attacks. Residents fled southern Lebanon as explosions rocked Beirut and the city of Sidon.
In Israel, Iranian missile strikes killed at least nine people in Beit Shemesh and wounded dozens more, following an earlier fatality near Tel Aviv. Additional injuries were reported in Jerusalem.
Iran announced an interim leadership council including Ayatollah Alireza Arafi following Khamenei’s death, as authorities moved to stabilise the government. The conflict has drawn mixed international reactions, with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer saying the UK would allow the US to use its bases for defensive purposes but would not join offensive action.
Iran’s retaliatory strikes have also targeted Gulf states and shipping lanes, including reported drone hits near Oman’s Duqm port and attacks in the Strait of Hormuz, sending oil prices higher. Tehran claims to have struck the USS Abraham Lincoln, though the Pentagon said its missiles “didn’t even come close.”
