A loud explosion was heard in the area shortly after residents were warned to leave, according to the witness. The strike formed part of a broader wave of Israeli attacks across Lebanon, including additional raids on the Lebanese capital as well as southern and eastern regions.

Lebanon’s health ministry said earlier strikes on Beirut killed at least six people and wounded 24 others. Separate airstrikes in southern and eastern Lebanon killed at least 14 people, the state news agency reported, citing the ministry.

The Israeli military said it had begun targeting Hezbollah positions in southern Lebanon, indicating a widening scope of operations beyond isolated strikes. Wednesday’s attacks suggest a sustained escalation, with multiple regions coming under fire within a single day.

The latest strikes add to a growing toll from the conflict. More than 800 people have been killed in Lebanon since the escalation began, while over 800,000 have been displaced from their homes, according to available figures.

The escalation follows Hezbollah’s March 2 attack on Israel, which the group said was carried out in response to the killing of Iran’s supreme leader. Israel has since launched an expanded offensive, drawing Lebanon deeper into a broader Middle East conflict.

Israel said the missiles dispersed multiple submunitions mid-air, complicating interception efforts. The overnight attack killed two people in Tel Aviv, bringing the total death toll in Israel since the start of the war to at least 14, according to Israeli authorities.

Iran described the strike as a direct response to the assassination of Larijani, one of the most senior figures killed since the conflict began more than two weeks ago. Tehran confirmed his death on Tuesday, following earlier Israeli statements that he had been targeted in an airstrike.

Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, which Larijani had previously headed as secretary, said his son and deputy, Alireza Bayat, were also killed in a separate Israeli attack on Monday night.

In a separate development, Iran said a projectile struck near the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant on Tuesday evening but caused no damage or injuries. The country informed the International Atomic Energy Agency of the incident.

IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi renewed calls for maximum restraint, warning of the risk of a nuclear accident if strikes continue near sensitive facilities.

The United States and Israel have said their campaign aims in part to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapons programme. The strikes have killed multiple senior Iranian officials, including Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in the opening phase of the conflict.

Iran’s newly appointed supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei has rejected proposals to de-escalate, according to a senior Iranian official. Speaking at his first foreign policy meeting since taking office, he said it was not the right time for peace and that Iran would continue its confrontation until its adversaries accepted defeat and paid compensation.

The exchange of strikes underscores the intensifying trajectory of the conflict, with both sides expanding targets and rhetoric while international agencies warn of broader regional and nuclear risks.

Iran’s semi-official Fars news agency reported that Larijani, 67, died in the strike, while Israel’s Defence Minister Israel Katz said earlier that he had been targeted and killed in an Israeli operation. There was no immediate independent confirmation of the circumstances of the attack.

Larijani, a prominent figure from a clerical family that rose to influence after the 1979 Islamic Revolution, held a series of senior roles across Iran’s political and security establishment.

A former commander in the Revolutionary Guard during the Iran-Iraq war, he later led the state broadcaster and served as secretary of the Supreme National Security Council.

He was also speaker of parliament for 12 years, consolidating his position as a key intermediary between Iran’s political factions and the office of the supreme leader.

As one of Khamenei’s trusted lieutenants, Larijani played a central role in shaping Iran’s nuclear strategy, which sought to advance atomic capabilities while avoiding direct confrontation with Western powers. He was a frequent interlocutor in negotiations, presenting Iran’s position in public and diplomatic settings.

His portfolio extended beyond nuclear policy to include managing regional alliances and overseeing internal security responses during periods of unrest.

Despite being viewed by some analysts as relatively pragmatic compared to other hardline figures, Larijani was accused by Western officials of involvement in the suppression of anti-government protests earlier this year. The crackdown, which resulted in thousands of deaths, led Washington to impose sanctions on him last month.

Following the launch of U.S.-Israeli strikes on Feb. 28, Larijani publicly accused Iran’s adversaries of attempting to destabilize and weaken the country, while warning against domestic dissent.

His death comes amid intensifying military exchanges that have targeted senior Iranian figures, raising questions about the resilience of Tehran’s leadership structure and the future direction of its security and nuclear policies.

“In a precise strike in Tehran: The IDF eliminated the Commander of the Basij Unit,” the Israeli military said in a statement, adding that Soleimani had led the Basij for the past six years.

It said the operation was carried out by the Israeli Air Force based on intelligence.Israeli media reported that Larijani, a senior figure in Iran’s political and security establishment, was also targeted for assassination, though no confirmation on his status was immediately available.

The Basij is a volunteer paramilitary force operating under Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and has played a central role in enforcing internal security.

Israel’s military said the Basij had led “main repression operations” during recent mass protests in Iran, which it cited as part of the rationale for the strike.

Iran experienced widespread unrest that peaked in January, with demonstrations challenging the clerical establishment. According to rights groups, the crackdown that followed resulted in thousands of deaths and tens of thousands of arrests.

The Israeli military said the strikes were part of broader operations that yielded “significant preventive achievements overnight,” quoting Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir.

The targeting of senior Iranian figures in Tehran, if confirmed, would mark a notable escalation in Israel’s operations, extending beyond regional proxy engagements into direct action within Iran’s capital.

There was no immediate response from Iranian authorities regarding the reported strikes or casualties.

The statement marks a further escalation in the ongoing conflict between Israel and Iran, where both sides have intensified military operations targeting senior leadership figures.

Conflicting accounts emergeWhile Israeli officials declared Larijani dead, earlier reports citing Israeli sources indicated that his fate remained unclear following strikes that targeted him, leaving uncertainty over whether he had been killed or wounded.

Iran has not issued any official response confirming his death.Key figure in Iran’s power structureLarijani, a senior political and security figure, has played a central role in Iran’s leadership apparatus, particularly after the reported killing of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in earlier U.S.-Israeli strikes that reshaped the country’s command structure.

His removal, if confirmed, would represent one of the most significant blows to Iran’s leadership since the start of the current conflict.

The reported strike comes amid a wider Israeli campaign targeting Iran’s military and security elite. Israeli operations have also reportedly killed other senior figures, including commanders linked to the Basij militia, a key internal security force.

The targeting of high-ranking officials signals a strategy aimed at weakening Iran’s command-and-control capabilities as hostilities continue to expand across the region.

The developments underscore the widening scope of the conflict, which has already drawn in multiple regional actors and disrupted energy markets and security dynamics across the Middle East.

With no confirmation from Tehran and conflicting accounts still emerging, the situation remains fluid.

The escalation comes in the third week of the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran, which has left at least 2,000 people dead and disrupted critical energy flows through the Strait of Hormuz.

Gulf targets hitIranian strikes hit oil and transport infrastructure in the UAE, where a drone struck a facility in Fujairah for a second consecutive day and debris from an intercepted missile fell in Abu Dhabi, killing one person, authorities said.

Rockets and drones also targeted the U.S. embassy in Baghdad in what Iraqi security sources described as the most intense such assault since the conflict began, though U.S. officials said no injuries were reported.Iran’s attacks have also extended to other Gulf states, including Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Kuwait, signalling a broader regional response.

Trump remarks and intelligence warnings.Trump said the scope of Iran’s retaliation had come as a surprise. “They weren’t supposed to go after all these other countries in the Middle East.

Nobody expected that. We were shocked,” he said.However, U.S. officials and sources familiar with intelligence assessments said the president had been warned before the conflict that strikes on Iran could provoke retaliatory attacks against Gulf allies, particularly if Tehran perceived them as supporting U.S. operations.

There was no pause in hostilities, with Iran launching overnight missile strikes on Israel, demonstrating continued long-range strike capability despite sustained bombardment.

Israel said it carried out a fresh wave of strikes on targets in Tehran and positions linked to Hezbollah in Beirut, and signalled plans for several more weeks of military operations.

Energy and market impactThe widening conflict has kept the Strait of Hormuz largely constrained, as U.S. allies declined to join efforts to secure the waterway.

The disruption has raised concerns over energy supplies, pushed up oil prices and intensified fears of inflation globally.

The conflict between the United States, Israel and Iran has entered its third week, with the Strait of Hormuz — a corridor for roughly one-fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas flows effectively constrained by Iranian drones and naval mines.

Several U.S. partners, including Germany, Spain and Italy, said they had no immediate plans to send warships to secure the passage, citing legal and political constraints.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Berlin lacked a mandate from the United Nations, the European Union or NATO, and added that Germany had not been consulted prior to the launch of military operations.

Trump, speaking in Washington, said some countries had expressed willingness to assist but criticised others for what he described as a lack of enthusiasm despite long-standing U.S. support.

The disruption in the Strait of Hormuz has heightened fears of supply shocks and inflationary pressure, as energy markets react to restricted flows through one of the world’s most critical maritime chokepoints.Iran has targeted oil infrastructure across the Gulf, including facilities in the United Arab Emirates.

Drone strikes hit an oil facility in Fujairah for a second consecutive day, while operations at key sites, including the Shah gas field in Abu Dhabi, were suspended.

Airspace closures and temporary halts at major hubs, including Dubai’s international airport, underscored the wider economic and logistical impact.

There was no pause in hostilities, with Israel saying it struck Iranian infrastructure in Tehran and positions linked to Hezbollah in Beirut. Israeli officials have indicated plans for at least three more weeks of military operations.

Iran launched overnight strikes on Israel, demonstrating continued long-range capabilities, while warning it would target energy assets in any country facilitating attacks on its territory.

Tehran has also accused the UAE of serving as a launch point for recent U.S. strikes on Kharg Island, a major Iranian oil export hub, signalling a potential widening of the conflict’s geographic scope.

In an interview, Herzog said “Europe should support any effort… to eradicate Hezbollah,” while also welcoming diplomatic initiatives, including an offer by Emmanuel Macron to host direct talks between Israel and Lebanon.

The Israeli military said its troops had begun “limited and targeted ground operations” against Hezbollah strongholds in southern Lebanon, describing the campaign as part of broader defensive efforts to dismantle infrastructure and neutralize threats to northern Israel.

The operations followed intensified air and artillery strikes in border areas. Military chief Eyal Zamir said more than 400 Hezbollah fighters had been killed in the latest phase of fighting.

Lebanon’s government said more than one million people had been displaced within two weeks of fighting. Authorities reported that Israeli strikes since March 2 had killed 886 people, including 111 children, according to state figures.

The conflict widened after Hezbollah launched attacks on Israel on March 2, citing retaliation for the killing of Ali Khamenei in U.S.-Israeli strikes. Israel has since responded with extensive air raids and troop incursions.

Hezbollah said it fired rockets and drones at northern Israel, including the city of Nahariya, where emergency services reported injuries and property damage.

Regional and international concern has grown over the potential for further escalation. Turkey condemned Israel’s ground operations, warning of worsening instability and the risk of a humanitarian crisis.Leaders of Canada, France, Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom said a large-scale Israeli offensive could have severe humanitarian consequences and lead to a prolonged conflict.

Israel’s defence minister Israel Katz said displaced Lebanese civilians should not return to areas south of the Litani River until security conditions for northern Israel residents improve, as the military signalled operations would continue as needed.

Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Abdullah II made the remarks during a meeting in Abu Dhabi on Monday, where they discussed intensifying military activity and its implications for regional security, according to the Jordan News Agency.

The two leaders condemned what they described as Iranian aggression, saying recent attacks targeted their countries and violated sovereignty as well as international law. Their statements were also carried by the Emirates News Agency.

They warned that continued escalation posed risks not only to regional stability but also to global peace and security.Arab stance on conflictBoth leaders reiterated that Arab countries had neither initiated nor participated in the conflict, which they said began on Feb. 28.

Instead, Gulf and broader Arab states have focused on containing the crisis and preventing it from widening.They pointed to ongoing diplomatic efforts by the Gulf Cooperation Council and other regional actors aimed at reducing tensions.

The leaders stressed the need to halt military escalation and prioritise dialogue, urging a return to diplomatic channels to address the crisis.

Their meeting comes amid growing concerns over the spillover effects of the conflict, including threats to national sovereignty and disruptions to regional security dynamics.

The latest strike marks another escalation in the widening confrontation involving Iran, Israel and regional armed groups, which has expanded across several fronts in recent days.

Lebanon’s Hezbollah said its fighters were involved in “direct clashes” with Israeli forces late on Saturday in the southern Lebanese town of Khiam.The group said the fighting involved light and medium weapons as well as rocket-propelled projectiles.

Israeli authorities did not immediately comment on the reported engagement.Cross-border exchanges between Israeli forces and Hezbollah have intensified as the broader conflict spreads across the region.

Lebanon is preparing to form a delegation aimed at negotiating with Israel in an effort to halt the war with Iran-backed Hezbollah, a Lebanese official said.

“Negotiations are on the table and preparations are underway to form a delegation, but neither the timing nor the location has been determined,” the official said, adding that Paris and Cyprus were being considered as potential venues for talks.

Israel has not publicly committed to participating in such negotiations.

Lebanon’s health ministry said Israeli strikes had killed 826 people since the start of the latest conflict with Hezbollah, including 65 women and 106 children, while 2,009 others had been wounded.

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said Ankara feared Israel was “moving toward a new genocide under the pretext of fighting Hezbollah” during its ongoing assault on Lebanon.