Israel sent troops into southern Lebanon on Tuesday and warned residents of more than 80 villages to evacuate as Iran-backed Hezbollah said it was ready for an “open war” with Israel after the US-Israeli strikes on Iran. Across Tehran, explosions rang through the night and into Tuesday morning as the US and Israel continued strikes since the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Saturday.
Thousands attended solemn funerals in Iran after an alleged Israeli strike on a school in Minab killed over 150 schoolgirls, and the UN human rights office called for an impartial probe. Tehran and its allies have struck back at Israel, neighbouring Gulf states, and energy infrastructure critical to global oil and gas supplies.
The Iranian Red Crescent Society said the US-Israeli operation has killed at least 555 people. In Israel, Iranian missiles struck several locations, killing 11. Israeli retaliatory strikes against Hezbollah in Lebanon killed 52 people. Iranian state TV reported two explosions early Tuesday at a broadcasting facility in Tehran with no injuries reported.
US President Donald Trump said Washington had “the capability to go far longer” than the projected four-to-five-week timeframe for operations against Iran and did not rule out deploying ground troops, saying they “will probably not be necessary, but can be used, if required.” He defined US objectives as destroying Iran’s missile, naval and nuclear capabilities and ending its support for regional armed groups.
France, Germany and the UK said they would work with the US; Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE issued a joint statement condemning Iran and calling its actions “reckless and destabilising.” Washington urged Americans to leave major parts of West Asia immediately, citing serious safety risks; the advisory covered Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel, the West Bank, Gaza, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, the UAE and Yemen.
Iranian news agency Tasnim reported US-Israeli fighters struck central Tehran. Saudi authorities said two drones hit the US Embassy in Riyadh, causing a limited fire and minor damage; Trump vowed retaliation for the embassy attack and for the deaths of six US service members since operations began. Iran’s strikes on Gulf energy infrastructure pushed oil and gas prices sharply higher; Qatar’s state-owned petroleum company suspended all LNG production after two facilities were hit.
Iran also struck sites across Israel, with the Israeli military reporting missile interceptions over West Jerusalem, Tel Aviv and Eilat.
