The Israeli military initiated what it described as a “broad-scale” attack in Iran’s capital, Tehran, hours after conducting strikes against Hezbollah targets in Lebanon, escalating a conflict that began with a joint US-Israeli strike on Iranian leadership earlier this week.
The strikes on Hezbollah strongholds, confirmed by the Israeli Defense Minister, followed a barrage of rockets and drones launched by the Iranian-backed group toward northern Israel, including the cities of Haifa and Tel Aviv. Hezbollah claimed the attacks were retaliation for the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. According to the Israel Defense Forces, two of three rockets fired toward Tel Aviv were intercepted, with the third landing in an open area.
Lebanon’s Prime Minister Nawaf Salam condemned Hezbollah’s actions as “irresponsible” and announced an immediate ban on the group’s military activities. This move comes after Hezbollah launched “missiles and a swarm of drones” at a military base in northern Israel on Monday, marking a significant escalation in the conflict, according to CNN reporting.
The intensification of hostilities follows a period of heightened tension since the initial US-Israeli strikes on Iran. Iran responded with missile and drone launches toward Israel and Gulf Arab states hosting US military bases. The Pentagon has indicated that Iran’s retaliatory missile strikes are decreasing, though the situation remains volatile.
Israeli officials have vowed a forceful response to Hezbollah’s actions. Defense Minister Israel Katz stated that Hezbollah’s leader, Naim Qassem, is now a “marked target for elimination.” The IDF confirmed the killing of a Hezbollah operative who fired an anti-tank missile in southern Lebanon, responding with a drone strike.
The conflict is increasingly impacting civilians. Lebanon’s disaster management unit reported 52 people were killed by Israeli strikes in the country on Monday. Approximately 85,000 people have been displaced within Lebanon, according to the Lebanese government. Israeli families in Haifa have reportedly been sheltering in underground car parks due to missile and rocket attacks.
Hezbollah’s actions have drawn criticism even from within Lebanon, with Prime Minister Salam characterizing them as “suspicious.” However, Hezbollah’s leader previously denounced Khamenei’s assassination as “the height of crime,” signaling a commitment to retaliatory measures. The group has close financial and ideological ties to Iran, and had been widely expected to join the conflict.
The IDF has been conducting near-daily strikes in Lebanon since a ceasefire ended a war between Israel and Hezbollah 15 months ago, accusing the group of rearming and rebuilding its forces. In November, Israel claimed to have killed Hezbollah’s Chief of Staff, Haytham Ali Tabatabai.
As of Tuesday, Hezbollah continued to fire dozens of rockets and drones at northern Israel, claiming to have downed an Israeli drone and targeted Merkava tanks. The IDF has not commented on the claim of a downed drone.
