Israel-Iran War Live Updates: The conflict engulfing West Asia deepened dramatically on Friday as fresh explosions echoed across Tehran and Beirut, signalling a sharp escalation in the war involving Israel, Iran and the United States.
Israel confirmed it had carried out an air strike in Lebanon’s capital, Beirut, killing Hezbollah commander Zaid Ali Jumaa. According to the Israeli military, the operation targeted the Iran-backed militant group amid intensifying hostilities across the region.
The strike came after Hezbollah entered the widening conflict earlier this week. On Monday, the group launched attacks against Israel, saying it was acting in retaliation for the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
US and Israel Intensify Military Campaign
Overnight into early Friday, powerful blasts were reported in both Tehran and Beirut as the United States and Israel stepped up their military operations against Iran and its allies.
The US military’s Central Command said the campaign is employing “a number of new capabilities” as the offensive expands. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth also signalled further escalation, warning that the conflict could intensify in the coming days.
“If you think you’ve seen something, just wait,” he said.
The latest round of strikes underscores how rapidly the conflict is expanding beyond its initial flashpoint.
Rising Death Toll and Regional Fallout
According to state media reports from Iran and Lebanon, more than 1,200 people have been killed in Iran and over 120 in Lebanon since the current phase of the conflict began.
Iranian missile and drone strikes have also caused fatalities across several other countries in the region, adding to fears that the war could spiral into a broader international confrontation.
The conflict first erupted last Saturday when the United States and Israel launched coordinated strikes against Iran. The attack killed Iran’s 86-year-old Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, triggering swift retaliation from Tehran.
Iran responded with a barrage of missiles targeting Israel and several US military bases in Gulf nations.
Gulf States Under Fire
The violence has increasingly spread across the Gulf. Bahrain said Iranian strikes hit a hotel, two residential buildings and an oil refinery in the capital, Manama.
Elsewhere, Saudi Arabia’s Defence Ministry said three drones were intercepted east of Riyadh on Friday. The night before, air defence systems shot down three ballistic missiles aimed at a base south of the capital.
Qatar and Kuwait also reported intercepting incoming missile and drone attacks in the early hours of the morning.
Conflict Spreads Beyond the Middle East
The war has begun spilling into other regions as well. On Wednesday, US forces sank an Iranian warship off the coast of Sri Lanka, an incident that reportedly killed around 80 people.
With violence now stretching across multiple countries, the Trump administration has warned that the conflict could escalate further. NATO allies, officials say, are increasingly being drawn into the unfolding crisis, raising fears that the confrontation could widen even more.
