Hezbollah Targeted as Regional Fighting Intensifies
Tel Aviv: Israel launched fresh air strikes on Tehran on Monday and expanded its offensive to target Iran-backed Hezbollah positions in Lebanon, widening a conflict that has already rattled global markets. Israeli officials said the military struck sites linked to Hezbollah after the group fired missiles and drones toward Israel in retaliation for the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader.
The Israeli military reported intercepting at least one projectile from Lebanon, while others landed in open areas. Meanwhile, Israeli jets carried out strikes in Hezbollah-controlled southern Beirut, triggering more than a dozen explosions. Residents fled on foot and by car as blasts shook the Lebanese capital.
Despite a U.S.-brokered ceasefire agreed in 2024, tensions flared again. Israel warned that Hezbollah would bear responsibility for further escalation and urged civilians in parts of southern and eastern Lebanon to evacuate.
U.S. Casualties Confirmed as Trump Urges Iranian Revolt
At the same time, U.S. President Donald Trump indicated the joint U.S.-Israeli campaign could continue for weeks. The U.S. military confirmed it has struck more than 1,000 Iranian targets since Saturday. However, officials also confirmed the first American casualties, with three service members killed at a base in Kuwait.
Trump praised the fallen troops and vowed to press ahead until Washington achieves its objectives. He urged Iran’s military and security forces to surrender, promising immunity, and called on Iranians to rise against their government.
Iran’s leadership council temporarily assumed the Supreme Leader’s duties following his death. Although uncertainty surrounds Tehran’s political future, analysts caution that entrenched power structures, including the Revolutionary Guards, remain influential.
