US-Israel war on Iran live updates: conflict spreads to Lebanon as IDF strikes Hezbollah after attack on Israel

By Adam Fulton · The Guardian World

Iran-backed Hezbollah says it launched rockets and drones at Israel in retaliation for the killing of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei Podcast: The assassination of Iran’s ayatollah – and fears for a wider conflict Full report: Trump open to talks with Iran as conflict deepens in Middle East How have you been affected by events in the Middle East? Hello and welcome to our continuing live coverage of events in the Middle East, which is reeling from the US-Israel war on Iran and the killing of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The Israeli military said early on Monday it was striking Hezbollah across Lebanon , after the militant group launched missiles and drones towards Israel in retaliation for the killing of Khamenei. Iran’s supreme leader Ali Khamenei was killed on Saturday after the US and Israel launched a war on the country to trigger regime change. The US president had earlier announced the death of the ayatollah, who ruled Iran since 1989, in a post on Truth Social. Iran’s former president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was also killed in strikes. Donald Trump warned on Sunday that combat operations in Iran were continuing and would carry on “until all of our objectives are achieved.” He continued to justify the operation, saying “an Iranian regime armed with long range missiles and nuclear weapons would be a dire threat to every American… I once again urge the Revolutionary Guard, the Iranian military police, to lay down your arms and receive full immunity or face certain death.” Trump told Fox News that 48 leaders have been killed in US and Israeli strikes on Iran. “It’s moving along. It’s moving along rapidly. This has been this way for 47 years,” he said. “Nobody can believe the success we’re having, 48 leaders are gone in one shot.” A suspected drone strike hit RAF Akrotiri – a UK base in Cyprus – the Ministry of Defence confirmed . There were no casualties in the incident at the base. The suspected strike came hours after Keir Starmer said the UK had allowed the US to strike Iranian…