The IDF says that it assassinated a senior Hezbollah commander in southern Lebanon overnight into Thursday.

Mohammad Ahmad Khreiss, identified as commander of Hezbollah’s anti-tank unit, was targeted in an airstrike in the town of Shebaa in the area of Nabatieh.

The IDF claimed Khreiss “advanced numerous attacks against the State of Israel and led the anti-tank missile attack on Mount Dov, which resulted in the death of Sharif Suad on April 26, 2024.”

“In addition, the terrorist continued to advance terror activity in southern Lebanon in a way that violated the understandings between Israel and Lebanon,” it added.

Israel Iran Tension LIVE Updates: Israel and Iran continued to attack each other, for the seventh consecutive day on Thursday, with the Israeli military saying it has struck several parts of Iran, including Tehran. The military said at least two drones from Iran were also intercepted.

The developments came amid speculation over whether the US will join Israel’s bombardment of Iranian nuclear sites. Asked about the US’s plans, President Donald Trump told reporters on Wednesday: “I may do it, I may not do it.” Senior US officials are preparing for the possibility of a strike on Iran in the coming days, according to a Bloomberg report, a sign that Washington is assembling the infrastructure to directly enter a conflict with Tehran.

On Tuesday, President Trump demanded Iran’s “unconditional surrender” and warned it could easily assassinate its supreme leader, fueling fears of American intervention. Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, however, warned the US of “irreparable damage” if it engage in military action against Iran.

On June 13, Israel launched an unprecedented attack against its arch-foe it said was aimed at preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons – an ambition Tehran denies. Iran responded to the attack with missiles and drones. On Wednesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel was “progressing step by step” towards eliminating threats posed by Iran’s nuclear sites and ballistic missile arsenal.

Israel, which is not a party to the international Non-Proliferation Treaty, is the only country in the Middle East believed to have nuclear weapons. Israel does not deny or confirm that.

Here are the Live Updates on the Israel-Iran attacks:

Tel Aviv [Israel], June 19 (ANI): Amid the ongoing conflict with Iran, Israel’s Foreign Ministry said on Thursday that Soroka Hospital in Beersheba in the southern part of Israel has suffered a direct hit in a missile attack.

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In a statement shared on X, Israel’s Foreign Ministry stated, “BREAKING: A direct hit has been reported at Soroka Hospital in Beersheba, southern Israel. More details to follow.”

🚨BREAKING: A direct hit has been reported at Soroka Hospital in Beersheba, southern Israel. More details to follow. — Israel Foreign Ministry (@IsraelMFA) June 19, 2025

IDF also confirmed that a hospital in southern Israel has been hit by a missile attack. In a post on X, IDF stated, “Several hits were identified as a result of the missile barrage–one of them hitting the largest hospital in southern Israel. More details will follow.”

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IDF made the statement in response to a post it shared on X, where it mentioned that millions of people in Israel are running to take shelter as sirens sound due to a missile launch from Iran.

“Millions of Israelis across the country are currently running to shelter as sirens sound due to a missile launch from Iran,” the IDF posted on X.

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Several hits were identified as a result of the missile barrage—one of them hitting the largest hospital in southern Israel. https://t.co/G29iJqGyiH — Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) June 19, 2025

Earlier, the IDF said that the air force had started a “wave of attacks” in Tehran and other parts of Iran. In a post on X, IDF stated, “The Air Force has now begun a wave of attacks in Tehran and other areas in Iran.”

חיל-האוויר החל כעת בגל תקיפות בטהראן ובמרחבים נוספים באיראן. — Israeli Air Force (@IAFsite) June 19, 2025

The IDF asked residents of the cities of Arak and Khondab in Iran to evacuate for their safety. In a statement issued in the Farsi language, the IDF said that it is operating in the area against Iranian military infrastructure.

🔴 هشدار فوری به کارکنان و نیز کلیه افرادی که در ناحیه قرمز رنگ نقشه در محدود شهرهای اراک و خنداب قرار دارند ⭕️ ارتش اسرائیل همچنان که در روزهای اخیر در سراسر ایران برای حمله به زیرساخت‌های نظامی رژیم ایران اقدام کرده است، در این ناحیه فعالیت می‌کند. ⭕️ شهروندان گرامی بمنظور… pic.twitter.com/r75zX5HPbc — ارتش دفاعی اسرائیل | IDF Farsi (@IDFFarsi) June 19, 2025

The conflict between Israel and Iran entered its seventh day. The conflict between the two nations started after Israel, on June 13, launched a massive airstrike on Iranian military and nuclear sites, dubbed “Operation Rising Lion”. In response, the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) launched a large-scale drone and missile operation, ‘Operation True Promise 3’, targeting Israeli fighter jet fuel production facilities and energy supply centres, Iranian News Agency (IRNA) reported.

In a statement on Wednesday, the IDF said it carried out a “series of strikes” targeting over 20 military sites in Tehran, including facilities linked to Iran’s nuclear program and missile production, CNN reported.

The IDF said that 60 Israeli Air Force fighter jets “struck weapons production sites, centrifuge production sites, as well as research and development sites of the Iranian regime’s nuclear weapons development project” over the past few hours.

The statement said, “These sites were designated to allow the Iranian regime to expand the scale and pace of its uranium enrichment purpose of developing nuclear weapons.” CNN reported.

The IDF said that the latest strikes also targeted “factories producing raw materials and components for missile assembly, as well as sites for the production of Iran’s air defence systems.” (ANI)

(The story has come from a syndicated feed and has not been edited by the Tribune Staff.)

19/06/2025 – 09:42 Civilian fatalities ‘unfortunate’ but ‘not our target’ Israeli ambassador tells FRANCE 24 More from Israeli Ambassador to France Joshua Zarka’s interview with FRANCE 24:

Responding to the civilian casualties in both Iran and Israel, Zarka acknowledged that there were “heavy tolls”.

But he insisted that Israel is not targeting civilians in Iran. “Our goal is very clear: we are attacking Iran’s nuclear programme and ballistic missile programme, and we are decapitating their military capabilities,” he said.

The civilians killed in Iran were near military targets, he said. “It’s unfortunate, but it’s not our goal to target these civilians,” said Zarka.

19/06/2025 – 09:35 China urges Israel to immediately ‘stop fighting’, evacuates 1,600 from Iran China has urged countries in the Middle East, “especially Israel”, to immediately cease fighting.

“China strongly calls on all parties involved in the conflict, especially Israel, to put the interests of the region’s people first, immediately cease fire and stop fighting,” foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said.

More than 1,600 Chinese citizens have been evecuated from Iran and hundreds of more from Israel, he added.

China has maintained communication with parties including Iran, Israel and Oman, Guo told a regular press conference in Beijing.

19/06/2025 – 09:31 Israel’s ambassador to France tells FRANCE 24 that Iran deliberately targeted hospital Israel’s Ambassador to France Joshua Zarka has contradicted Iran’s claims that only Israeli military installations — command and intelligence centres — have been targeted in Iranian strikes in an interview with FRANCE 24.

Responding to the Iranian strike that hit the Soroka Hospital in Beersheba, in southern Israel, Zarka said it was “terrible. Iranian missiles are very accurate. They [the Iranians] know exactly where the missiles will land. So they targeted this entirely civilian hospital”, he said.

19/06/2025 – 09:21 Israel orders military to ‘intensify strikes’ on Iran after missile hits hospital Israel’s defence minister has said Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei will be “held accountable” for a missile strike on an Israeli hospital and added that he has ordered the army to “intensify strikes” on the Islamic republic.

“These are some of the most serious war crimes — and Khamenei will be held accountable for his actions,” Israel Katz said, adding that he and the prime minister ordered the military “to intensify strikes against strategic targets in Iran and against the power infrastructure in Tehran, in order to eliminate the threats to the state of Israel and to shake the Ayatollahs’ regime”.

19/06/2025 – 09:17 Iraq’s top Shiite cleric Sistani warns against any targeting of Iran’s leadership Iraq’s top Shiite cleric Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani has warned against targeting Iran’s leadership, and said that the Iran-Israel war could plunge the whole region into chaos.

Any targeting of Iran’s top leadership might spark “widespread chaos that would exacerbate the suffering of its people and severely harm everyone’s interests.”

19/06/2025 – 08:56 All options ‘on the table’ senior Iranian official warns US Iran’s deputy foreign minister has warned the US against joining Israel’s war on his country, saying Iran had “all the necessary options on the table”, in comments reported by Iranian state media.

“If the US wants to actively intervene in support of Israel, Iran will have no other option but to use its tools to teach aggressors a lesson and defend itself … our military decision-makers have all necessary options on the table,” Kazem Gharibabadi said, according to state media.

“Our recommendation to the US is to at least stand by if they do not wish to stop Israel’s aggression,” he said.

19/06/2025 – 08:39 At least 47 injured in Israel after Iran missile attack: rescuers The number of injured in Iranian strikes across Israel has risen to 47, according to the Magen David Adom rescue service, with several people injured “while running to shelter”.

Three people are in serious condition, and two are in moderate condition, an MDA spokesperson said in as statement, adding that “an additional 42 people sustained minor injuries from shrapnel and blast trauma, and 18 civilians were injured while running to shelter”.

19/06/2025 – 08:35 Netanyahu blasts Tehran ‘tyrants’ hitting Soroka hospital Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has condemned the Iranian missile strike on the Soroka hospital in Beersheba and said Tehran would pay “a heavy price” for the attack.

“This morning, Iran’s terrorist dictators fired missiles at Soroka Hospital in Beer Sheva and at civilians in the centre of the country. We will make the tyrants in Tehran pay a heavy price,” Netanyahu said in a post in Hebrew on X.

19/06/2025 – 08:28 Anti-war protests erupt in several US cities As President Donald Trump weighs US involvement in Israel’s war on Iran, anti-war protests erupted in several US cities, with many carrying on into Wednesday night as demonstrators mobilised for a “national day of action”.

In Washington DC, activists protested in the Capitol hearing room Wednesday as US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth arrived for a Senate Armed Services Committee questioning on the Pentagon budget and Israel-Iran conflict.

Activists protest in the Capitol hearing room as US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth arrives for a Senate Armed Services questioning in Washington DC, June 18, 2025. (Photo: Jose Luis Magana, AP)  In New York, protesters marched on Times Square late Wednesday.

19/06/2025 – 07:50 At least 32 injured across Israel in Iranian missile attack, say rescue services

19/06/2025 – 07:44

19/06/2025 – 07:43 Hospital in Beersheba extensively damaged in Iranian attack Israel’s main southern hospital suffered “extensive damage” in an Iranian missile attack, according to a spokesperson for the Soroka Medical Center in Beersheba in southern Israel.

19/06/2025 – 07:25 ‘I may do it, I may not’: Trump weighs US involvement in Israel-Iran war President Donald Trump has left his intentions on whether the US will join the Israel-Iran conflict deliberately ambiguous, telling reporters in the White House, “I may do it, I may not do it. I mean, nobody knows what I’m going to do.”

Trump is set to receive an intelligence briefing later Thursday while Secretary of State Marco Rubio meets his UK counterpart for talks expected to focus on the conflict.

19/06/2025 – 07:10 Iranian missile barrage spaks alerts across Israel

19/06/2025 – 07:06 Israel attacks Arak heavy water reactor, Iranian state TV says Israel attacked Iran’s Arak heavy water reactor, Iranian state television said Thursday. The report said there was “no radiation danger whatsoever” and that the facility had been already evacuated before the attack.

Israel warned earlier Thursday morning it would attack the facility and urged the public to flee the area.

19/06/2025 – 07:06 US embassy in Qatar temporarily limits airbase access for its personnel The US embassy in Qatar has curbed access to the Al Udeid Air Base for its personnel, urging greater vigilance by US citizens in “an abundance of caution” amid regional hostilities.

The US base is its largest such military facility in the Middle East.

19/06/2025 – 07:05 Israeli hospital hit in Iranian missile attack Israel’s foreign ministry has reported a direct hit on a hospital in the south, after Iran fired a fresh salvo of missiles at the country.

“BREAKING: A direct hit has been reported at Soroka Hospital in Beersheba, southern Israel. More details to follow,” the foreign ministry posted on X.

A spokesperson for the hospital reported “damage to the hospital and extensive damage in various areas. We are currently assessing the damage, including injuries. We ask the public not to come to the hospital at this time.”

Senior U.S. officials are preparing for the possibility of a strike on Iran in the coming days, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the matter.

The report, citing the people, noted that the situation is still evolving and could change. Some of the people, according to Bloomberg, pointed to potential plans for a weekend strike.

Speaking to reporters earlier on Wednesday outside the White House, Trump declined to say if he had made any decision on whether to join Israel’s campaign. “I may do it. I may not do it. I mean, nobody knows what I’m going to do,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Washington Post, citing people familiar with the deliberations, reports that U.S. President Donald Trump told senior aides late Tuesday that he approved of attack plans for Iran, but was holding off to see if Tehran would abandon its nuclear program.