Israeli military strikes Litani River crossings in Lebanon

Welcome to our live coverage of day 19 of the war in Iran, where Tehran has fired retaliatory fresh barrages early on Wednesday at Israel and its neighbouring countries, as it looks to avenge the IDF’s killing of two of its top security officials the day prior.

Israel announced on Tuesday that it has eliminated the powerful Iranian security chief, Ali Larijani, and Gholam Reza Soleimani, who heads the all-volunteer Basij paramilitary unit of the Revolutionary Guard Corps in overnight strikes on Tehran.

Iran deployed advanced multiple warhead missiles in its attacks on central Israel, killing two people in a strike on a building in the city of Ramat Gan, raising the death toll in the country to 14.

Tehran’s neighbours in the Gulf, including Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Kuwait have reported early interceptions of incoming Iranian drones and missiles on Wednesday, while an attack on Iraq saw the US embassy compound sustaining a direct hit.

Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump has hinted at a potential exit from NATO after the defence alliance ruled out deploying naval assets in his bid to assemble a global coalition to reopen the Strait of Hormuz to address soaring energy costs. Brent crude continued to trade over $100 a barrel on Wednesday.

Follow our live blog for the latest updates from our journalists in the region and worldwide.