US-Israel Iran War Live Updates

Reports from various Lebanese news sources indicate that Sadiq al-Nabulsi, a respected scholar and influential spiritual leader, lost his life in a targeted Israeli assault on the seaside city of Saida.

According to US Secretary of State Pete Hegseth, the recently negotiated US-Iran agreement effectively insulates Tehran from acquiring a nuclear arsenal. Hegseth emphasized that the current Iranian regime, having witnessed the demise of several high-ranking officials in US-Israeli operations, recognized that a compromise was preferable to the impending consequences.

Israeli military spokesperson Avichay Adraee has accused Hezbollah of relocating from Beirut’s southern suburbs to other areas of the city, a claim made without any supporting evidence. This assertion bears a striking resemblance to the Israeli narrative used to justify its military campaigns against Palestinian populations in Gaza. Adraee further implicated Hezbollah in putting Beirut residents at risk, stating that there is no safe haven for its members. In a social media post, he warned Hezbollah operatives that the Israeli military will relentlessly pursue and strike against them with overwhelming force, wherever they may be. The Israeli military’s actions have been widely condemned, particularly in light of President Salam’s assertion that the assault on densely populated areas of Beirut and other parts of Lebanon was an attack on defenceless civilians.

In response to the escalating violence in Beirut, the American University of Beirut Medical Centre is urgently appealing for blood donations from individuals with all blood types to support first responders battling the devastating aftermath of Israeli airstrikes on the city.

In a scathing rebuke, President Joseph Aoun has denounced the Israeli attacks that have left hundreds of people dead and injured across Lebanon, further tarnishing Israel’s “disturbing legacy” of flouting “fundamental human principles”.

“These egregious acts of aggression – which brazenly disregard all rights and cavalierly disregard agreements and commitments – have consistently showcased an appalling lack of regard for international laws and conventions,” Aoun stated in a formal declaration.
“For over fifteen months since the November 2024 ceasefire agreement, we have witnessed an unprecedented scope of transgressions and breaches committed with unbridled impunity,” he noted, referencing the fragile truce.

The current conflict in Lebanon has sparked widespread outrage, with many drawing parallels to the 1982 Israeli invasion of the country. A staggering 100 air strikes were unleashed within a 10-minute window, targeting areas in Beirut that were deemed unrelated to Hezbollah. Critics of Netanyahu are vocal in their condemnation, accusing the Israeli prime minister of orchestrating a disastrous defeat and compromising Israel’s position on Iran. Senior politicians have publicly lambasted Netanyahu, labeling him a deceitful and cowardly leader.

The escalation of the conflict has brought the Lebanese front into sharp focus for Israelis, who have suffered significantly more casualties than in the war with Iran. A swift resolution without Israeli control would be a catastrophic blow to the country’s political landscape. In response, the Israeli government and military have issued a stern warning, vowing to intensify their attacks against Hezbollah and reject any perceived linkage between the Iranian and Lebanese fronts. Israel seeks to dictate the terms of the conflict’s conclusion, as it feels it was left out of the decision-making process on the Iranian front.

The city was rocked by a series of deafening blasts that echoed from multiple directions, sending shockwaves through the southern suburbs and other areas. The unexpected nature of the strikes caught residents off guard, plunging the streets into chaos. The sounds of wailing children and frantic cries for help filled the air as people scrambled to escape the destruction. Injured individuals were seen rushing to hospitals, while others abandoned their vehicles in the midst of traffic congestion.

The locations targeted by Israel’s military were largely unexpected, raising questions about the presence of Hezbollah in these areas. Notably, many of the sites hit were not known to be significant strongholds of the militant group. According to the Israeli military, the recent strike represents the largest operation since the beginning of last month, with approximately 100 sites targeted.

As the conflict escalates, the Israeli military chief has vowed to continue striking Hezbollah with unwavering determination. The ongoing nature of the operation suggests that a swift resolution is unlikely, leaving the situation in a state of uncertainty.

Israeli military spokesperson Avichay Adraee has made a claim that Hezbollah has relocated from Beirut’s southern suburbs to other areas of the city, a move he says puts local residents at risk. This assertion echoes the Israeli government’s past justifications for military actions, including the assault on Gaza. Adraee’s statement on social media platform X warned Hezbollah members that “there is no safe place” for them, and that the Israeli army would continue to pursue and target them with force wherever they are found. The Israeli military’s actions have resulted in a large-scale assault on densely populated areas of Beirut and other parts of Lebanon, according to President Salam, who described the victims as “defenceless civilians”.

Overnight, a ceasefire announcement sparked optimism that Lebanon would be included, but it soon became apparent that the country was not part of the agreement. The Israeli military issued a series of warnings this morning, culminating in a nationwide operation that saw widespread strikes across the country. One of the targeted areas was the al-Abbassieh neighbourhood, which had previously been hit during the assault. Several outlying locations in the city were also under attack, with two missiles striking the central peninsula of Tyre, jutting out into the Mediterranean Sea. As a result of the ceasefire exclusion, people who had been planning to return to southern Lebanon after the announcement were forced to reconsider, with traffic that had been flowing from the north to the south overnight now coming to a halt.

A devastating Israeli aerial assault on a cemetery in the Bekaa Valley village of Shmestar has resulted in the tragic loss of at least 10 lives and left four others seriously injured, according to eyewitness accounts relayed by Lebanon’s National News Agency. The victims were civilians attending a funeral when the attack occurred.