Iran conflict: Israel bombs Beirut as war enters day seven

By Goli Innocent

The widening war involving Iran and Israel entered its seventh day on Friday, with fresh air strikes hitting parts of Beirut after the Israeli military announced what it described as the “next phase” of its campaign.

Tension rose sharply in the Lebanese capital after Israeli forces issued an unusual evacuation warning to residents of Beirut’s southern suburbs, urging them to leave immediately to avoid incoming strikes. The alert triggered panic across the area as families rushed out of their homes.

Within hours, explosions rocked the suburbs as Israeli jets carried out strikes it said were aimed at positions linked to Hezbollah. Roads leading out of the area were jammed with vehicles as frightened residents tried to escape the bombardment.

“We fled from the suburbs, we were humiliated,” one resident told AFP after leaving the neighbourhood in haste.

According to Lebanese authorities, at least 123 people have been killed and more than 680 injured since the fighting spread into the country earlier in the week. Nearly 90,000 people are believed to have been displaced by the violence.

The conflict has also spread beyond Lebanon. A naval clash was reported near the coast of Sri Lanka where a United States submarine reportedly struck an Iranian warship, while Azerbaijan warned of retaliation after a drone attack damaged an airport.

Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump rejected the idea that Mojtaba Khamenei son of Iran’s late supreme leader Ali Khamenei could take over leadership of the country, describing him as “unacceptable” and insisting Iran needed a leader who would “bring harmony and peace.”