Iran–Israel war LIVE updates: Israel strikes Beirut as Hezbollah missiles cross border; evacuations ordered

Israel launched a barrage of air strikes on Beirut on Monday after the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah fired missiles across the border earlier in the day, marking a sharp escalation in the widening regional conflict.

The strikes targeted Beirut’s southern suburbs, according to Lebanese state media. It is the first time in more than a year that Hezbollah has claimed a direct strike against Israel. The Israeli military said it intercepted one projectile that crossed the border, while several others landed in open areas. No injuries or damage were reported.

Hezbollah said its missile and drone attacks were carried out in retaliation for the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and in response to what it described as repeated Israeli aggressions.

The escalation follows an intensifying military campaign against Iran. On Sunday, the United States and Israel struck targets across the country, dropping heavy bombs on ballistic missile sites and destroying warships, according to officials. The strikes came after the killing of Khamenei and other senior Iranian leaders. Iranian authorities said more than 200 people have been killed since the start of the attacks.

Tehran vowed revenge, launching missiles and drones at Israel and several Gulf Arab states in a counteroffensive that killed four people and wounded dozens more.

In a joint statement, the United States and Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates strongly condemned Iran’s missile and drone attacks.

The UAE announced it was closing its embassy in Tehran and recalling its ambassador, describing the strikes on civilian sites, including residential areas, airports and ports, as a serious and irresponsible escalation. The move marks the strongest condemnation yet by a Gulf state since Iran began targeting the region.

Oil prices jumped 7 per cent on Monday to their highest levels in months as fighting between Iran and Israel intensified, damaging tankers and disrupting shipments from the key oil-producing region.

Ali Larijani, secretary of Iran’s National Security Council and a former speaker of parliament, has dismissed US media reports suggesting he sought to revive nuclear talks with Washington following the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader.

“We will not negotiate with the United States,” Larijani wrote in a post on X.

Al Zajeera reported that the denial came after The Wall Street Journal reported that he had approached the US through Omani mediators in the wake of Ali Khamenei’s death.

Gold and silver prices climbed more than 3 per cent on Monday as investors rushed to safe-haven assets amid intensifying conflict between the US, Israel and Iran.

On the Multi Commodity Exchange, April gold futures rose 3.12 per cent to Rs 1,67,155 per 10 grams, while March silver futures gained 3.04 per cent to Rs 2,91,249 per kg on an intra-day basis.

Analysts said heightened geopolitical tensions, including Israeli strikes on Tehran and retaliatory attacks on Israeli territory and US bases in the Gulf, have fuelled risk aversion. IANS reported that a sharp rise in crude oil prices and uncertainty over global trade policy have further supported bullion, although a firmer US dollar limited additional gains.

The Karnataka government has swiftly activated its emergency response machinery after sweeping airspace closures across several Middle Eastern nations disrupted international flight operations, leaving scores of passengers — including many Kannadigas — stranded far from home.

Read more

Former Indian foreign secretary Nirupama Rao has described the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, as more than a single event, calling it a signal that could reshape international norms.

In a strongly worded reflection, Rao argued that when targeted killings are framed as “defining moments”, the vocabulary of global conduct begins to shift. Actions once seen as extraordinary risk becoming normalised, she suggested, warning that the erosion of long-standing norms could have far-reaching consequences.

She said the implications for India are immediate. A significant share of India’s energy supplies pass through the Strait of Hormuz, millions of Indians live and work in the Gulf, and strategic projects such as Chabahar port operate in an increasingly uncertain environment. Oil price volatility, she noted, quickly feeds into domestic economic pressures.

Rao called for steadiness and restraint, arguing that India’s strategic autonomy should mean safeguarding national interests while avoiding rhetoric or actions that deepen instability. “The language we use matters,” she said, urging a focus on sovereignty, maritime stability and the protection of civilians as the global order faces mounting strain.

Malaysian PM Anwar Ibrahim has called for an immediate ceasefire, urging all sides to protect civilians and return to meaningful negotiations.

The Malaysian prime minister said the crisis “cannot be resolved by force” and instead requires diplomacy, restraint and political will to prevent further escalation.

Security analysts have warned that a sustained wave of drone attacks could pose serious risks to Gulf states such as Qatar, Kuwait and Bahrain, all of which lie within roughly 500km of Iran’s coastline.

Experts say that if Iran were to deploy long-range drones capable of switching navigation systems mid-flight, key infrastructure — including airports, ports and energy facilities — in cities such as Doha and Manama could become increasingly vulnerable.

The prospect of sustained daily drone launches has raised concerns about regional stability, economic disruption and the security of expatriate communities across the Gulf.

India’s benchmark indices, the BSE Sensex and the Nifty 50, fell nearly 1 per cent as the escalating West Asia conflict pushed crude oil prices higher and sparked a flight to safe-haven assets.

Rising energy costs and heightened geopolitical tensions weighed on investor sentiment, dragging equities lower in early trade.

Amazon Web Services said power to one of its data centres in the United Arab Emirates was temporarily shut down after objects struck the facility, causing sparks and a fire, according to a Reuters report.

The UAE has been rocked by Iranian retaliatory missile and drone strikes following US and Israeli attacks on Iran. The strikes have hit airports, ports and residential areas across the country and the wider Gulf region.

China has strongly condemned the killing of Iran’s supreme leader, describing it as a “grave violation” of the country’s sovereignty and security.

A spokesperson for the Chinese foreign ministry said the attack “tramples on the purposes and principles of the UN Charter and basic norms governing international relations”, adding that Beijing “firmly opposes and strongly condemns” the move.

China also called for an immediate halt to military operations and warned against further escalation, urging coordinated international efforts to safeguard peace and stability in the Middle East and beyond.

The US military has announced the first American casualties since President Donald Trump intensified strikes on Iran.

As the conflict entered its second day, Mr Trump said 48 Iranian leaders had been killed and claimed US forces had begun sinking Iran’s navy, with nine warships destroyed so far and operations continuing against the remaining vessels.

Meanwhile, a new opinion poll indicated that only one in four Americans supports military strikes against Iran.

An Iraqi Shiite militia has claimed responsibility for a drone attack targeting US troops at the airport in Baghdad, in the latest escalation following the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei.

The group, Saraya Awliya al-Dam, is among several militias that emerged in Iraq after the 2003 US-led invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein. There was no immediate comment from the US or Iraqi authorities.

The development comes as Iranian-backed groups, including Lebanon’s Hezbollah, have joined the conflict sparked by the US–Israeli air campaign against Iran’s leadership.

Pope Leo XIV has called for an end to what he described as a “spiral of violence” in the Middle East, following the launch of US and Israeli strikes on Iran and subsequent retaliatory attacks.

Addressing crowds gathered in St Peter's Square during his weekly Angelus prayer on Sunday, the pontiff warned of the risk of a catastrophe “of enormous proportions” if hostilities continue to intensify.

“I appeal to the parties involved to assume the moral responsibility to stop the spiral of violence before it becomes an irreparable chasm,” he said.

The Pope stressed that lasting stability cannot be achieved through force or threats, arguing instead that peace must be built on “reasonable, genuine and responsible dialogue”. Weapons, he said, bring only destruction, suffering and death.

Leo XIV, the first American-born leader of the Catholic Church, also urged diplomatic efforts to regain prominence in resolving the crisis. “May diplomacy recover its role and may the good of peoples be promoted,” he added.

In a message resonating with historical and philosophical weight, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge expressed the party’s deepest condolences to the bereaved family, the people of Iran, and Shia communities worldwide. “In this moment of profound grief, we extend our solidarity to all those navigating this grave crisis,” Kharge said, framing the tragedy as a loss felt far beyond Iran’s borders.

Read more

The Israel Defense Forces on Monday urged residents in nearly 50 villages in Lebanon to evacuate ahead of possible retaliatory strikes after Hezbollah fired into Israel.

The Hezbollah attack was described as a response to the joint US–Israeli air campaign that reportedly killed Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei. The Israeli military called on civilians in eastern and southern Lebanon to leave their homes and move at least 1,000 metres away from villages into open areas.

The island kingdom of Bahrain said one person was killed by shrapnel from an intercepted missile, marking its first reported fatality since the war began. The victim, a foreign worker, was at Salman Industrial City working on a boat.

Bahrain – home to the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet – said it intercepted 61 missiles and 34 attack drones launched against it. However, some projectiles struck buildings and the naval base, causing damage.

Residents of south Lebanon fled by car after Israel launched strikes in response to Hezbollah rocket fire on Monday, an AFP journalist reported.

Heavy traffic streamed out of the region towards the city of Sidon, with vehicles packed with families and some carrying mattresses strapped to their roofs.

Pete Hegseth set to hold his first press conference since the US–Israeli strikes on Iran began, the Pentagon announced. The briefing is scheduled for 8:00 a.m. local time (6:30 p.m. IST) and is expected to address the ongoing joint military campaign.

Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, will also take part in the briefing, the Pentagon said.

Hegseth is set to visit Congress on Tuesday alongside Secretary of State Marco Rubio to brief lawmakers on the progress of the military operation, the White House announced on Sunday.

Opposition Democrats have criticised the administration, saying they were not consulted before the operation began.