Israel intensified its military campaign against Iran on Monday while exchanging fire with Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon, as the fallout from two days of US-Israeli strikes widened across West Asia. Iranian retaliatory attacks hit Gulf states and a British military base in Cyprus, raising fears of a broader regional war.

US President Donald Trump vowed to avenge the deaths of American service members and warned that the conflict could continue for weeks.

Israel steps up Tehran strikes

The Israeli military said it had launched a new “broad strike” in the “heart of Tehran”, targeting what it called “key elements of the regime”. AFP journalists reported loud explosions across the Iranian capital that shook residential buildings.

Iran appointed Revolutionary Guards general Majid Ebnelreza as acting defence minister after his predecessor was killed in earlier US–Israeli strikes.

Hezbollah front opens in Lebanon

Israeli attacks on Hezbollah positions in southern Lebanon triggered mass displacement, with thousands fleeing the border region. The Israeli army urged residents to evacuate but said there was no immediate plan for a ground invasion.

Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam announced an “immediate ban” on Hezbollah’s military and security activities and called on the group to hand over its weapons to the state.

Iran vows retaliation

Iran’s security chief Ali Larijani wrote on X: “We will fiercely defend ourselves and our six thousand years old civilisation regardless of the costs and will make the enemies sorry for their miscalculation.”

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said it launched waves of missile and drone strikes on Israel, targeting security sites in Tel Aviv, Haifa and east Jerusalem, as well as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office. Explosions were heard over Jerusalem later in the day.

Gulf and Cyprus targeted

Iran said it fired 15 cruise missiles at a US air base in Kuwait and struck vessels in the Indian Ocean. A drone also hit Britain’s RAF Akrotiri base in Cyprus, forcing an evacuation, while two others were intercepted.

QatarEnergy halted LNG production after a processing facility and power plant were hit. A tanker attack off Oman killed one crew member, and a vessel in Bahrain was struck by “unknown projectiles”.

The US embassy in Kuwait urged Americans to shelter in place, saying: “Take cover in your residence on the lowest available floor and away from windows. Do not go outside.”

Rising casualties and damage

The Iranian Red Crescent said “131 cities have been affected” by US–Israeli strikes “and, regrettably, 555 of our compatriots have been killed”. Iranian officials also confirmed the deaths of three Guards members and five army personnel.

Iranian media reported damage to Tehran’s UNESCO-listed Golestan Palace, with “windows, doors and mirrors” affected by blast reverberations.

However, UN nuclear watchdog chief Rafael Grossi said there was “no indication” that Iran’s nuclear facilities had been hit.

US casualties and war timeline

The US military confirmed a fourth service member had died. Trump said he would avenge the deaths and urged Iran’s Revolutionary Guards to surrender or face “certain death”.

He told the Daily Mail the war could last “four weeks”, saying: “It's always been a four-week process. We figured it will be four weeks or so.”

Larijani responded that “Iran, unlike the United States, has prepared itself for a long war.”

Saudi oil and energy fears

Saudi Arabia said operations at its Ras Tanura refinery were partially halted after an attack caused a fire, and the kingdom raised its military readiness to “full alert”.

European gas prices surged more than 50 per cent amid fears of supply disruptions following strikes on Qatari energy infrastructure.

Diplomatic rifts and global reactions

Britain allowed the US to use its bases for “defensive” strikes, drawing criticism from Trump, who said: “It took far too much time. Far too much time.”

China called for a ceasefire, with foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning urging talks. Beijing later said it “supports Iran defending sovereignty”.

Iran ruled out negotiations with Washington, with Larijani saying Trump’s “delusional fantasies” had plunged the region into chaos.

US claims major IRGC blow

The US Central Command said it had destroyed the IRGC headquarters, declaring: “America has the most powerful military on earth, and the IRGC no longer has a headquarters.”

Top US officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, are set to brief Congress on the operation.