LIVE BLOG: Missiles, airstrikes, retaliation—Iran-Israel-US conflict intensifies

IDF strikes Hezbollah targets in Lebanon after projectile fire toward Northern Israel; 31 killed

Tensions in the wider Middle East conflict sharply escalated early Monday, as the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) launched a series of military strikes against Hezbollah positions across Lebanon in response to projectiles fired toward northern Israeli territory.

According to official IDF statements reposted on X (formerly Twitter), the strikes were a direct response to projectile fire directed at northern Israel and intended to counter what the military described as Hezbollah’s decision to enter the broader regional confrontation.

The IDF accused Hezbollah of acting on behalf of the Iranian regime, opening fire on Israeli civilians and contributing to instability in Lebanon itself.

"In response to projectile fire toward northern Israel, the IDF is striking Hezbollah targets across Lebanon," IDF posted on X.

In its announcement, the IDF reiterated that its forces had been preparing for such an escalation under Operation “Roaring Lion”, with troops ready for a potential all-front conflict scenario.

According to an AP report quoting Lebanon's Health Ministry, the Israeli airstrikes on Lebanon after Hezbollah attacked Israel have killed at least 31 people. The Health Ministry said that the strikes also wounded 149 people. It said about two-thirds of the dead were in southern Lebanon, the US news agency reported.

‘Burn in hell’: Sky News host Rita Panahi, who fled Iran as child, reacts to Khamenei’s death; praises Trump

Sydney/IBNS: Rita Panahi, a prominent host on Sky News Australia who fled Iran as a child, delivered a scathing reaction to the reported killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in a United States-led strike, calling it the possible end of decades of authoritarian rule, media reports said.

Speaking live on air, Panahi welcomed the development and described it as a turning point in Iran’s modern history.

“All I have to say is that after 47 years of Islamist tyranny, the dictator is dead, and Iran is on the verge of being liberated. Never thought I would see this day in my lifetime,” Panahi said during her broadcast, as quoted by NDTV.

Panahi, who was born in Iran and fled the country with her family following the 1979 Islamic Revolution, has long been an outspoken critic of the Iranian regime.

During the broadcast, she also praised US President Donald Trump for what she described as the “courage” to order the strike targeting Tehran’s leadership.

" Your father is a d*g, dirt be on your head and burn in hell," she said in Persian, the broadcaster reported.

Israeli airstrikes hit Tehran’s Gandhi Hospital amid Middle East conflict

Israeli airstrikes targeted Gandhi Hospital in Tehran on Sunday, Iranian media reported, as tensions in the Middle East continued to escalate.

Iran’s state news agency Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) shared footage on X showing apparent damage to the hospital building.

The video showed shattered glass and visible structural damage inside the facility. The extent of casualties, if any, was not immediately known.

IRNA captioned the footage: “The situation at Gandhi Hospital in Tehran following the American-Israeli aggression.”

We are going after the rest: Trump claims US sank 9 Iranian warships

US President Donald Trump on Sunday claimed that American forces had sunk nine Iranian naval vessels and “largely destroyed” Iran’s naval headquarters amid escalating tensions in the Middle East.

Posting on his Truth Social platform, Trump wrote: “I have just been informed that we have destroyed and sunk 9 Iranian Naval Ships, some of them relatively large and important.”