Israel-Hezbollah live updates: Iran vows Nasrallah killing ‘will not go unanswered’; Israel strikes Lebanon after 1,000 killed

Iran has vowed the strike that killed the Hezbollah leader and a senior Revolutionary Guards commander “will not go unanswered.”

Speaking as he departed New York, Foreign Minister Abbas Aragchi said that “We are on high alert. The countries of the region and beyond must recognize that the situation is extremely dangerous, and anything could happen at any moment.” He said the U.S. was “complicit in this crime” and that “undoubtedly, the blood of the martyrs of this incident will not go unanswered, and we will stand firmly with the resistance.”

Earlier, Iran’s parliament speaker said that the country’s network of proxies known as the axis of resistance will continue confronting Israel with Tehran’s support. He then joined lawmakers in chanting “death to Israel” and “death to America.”

The World Food Programme has launched an emergency food operation to help reach one million people impacted by the conflict in Lebanon.

“Further escalation of the conflict this weekend underscores the need for urgent humanitarian response,” it said in a post on X.

China’s foreign ministry says it is opposed to any action that violates Lebanon’s sovereignty, following the death of Hezbollah commander Hassan Nasrallah during a wave of strikes on Beirut.

“China opposes any violation of Lebanon’s sovereignty and security, opposes and condemns any actions that harm innocent civilians, and opposes any move that exacerbates conflicts and leads to an escalation of the regional situation,” it said, urging the parties concerned, “especially Israel,” to take immediate measures to cool down the situation.

The ministry also called for a cease-fire in Gaza to de-escalate tensions in the region, saying that “The tense situation between Lebanon and Israel is a spillover of the Gaza conflict.”

When Andre Kahale first heard of Friday’s strikes on Hezbollah HQ, he told NBC News, “my heart skipped a beat. Then we spent the next 24 hours fearing.”

Kahale, 65, is a dentist who lives in Hadath, about 4 miles south of Beirut. “We couldn’t sleep all night” after the strikes, he said in an interview this morning.

But, Kahale said, when the Hezbollah leader was confirmed dead, his thoughts soon turned to “his people, how they’re feeling.” He said he knew they would be “lost and sad.”

But Kahale said he also felt hope after the death of Nasrallah. “I personally feel that we are on our way to have peace in Lebanon. Finally, Lebanon is going to breathe.”

Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin spoke with Israeli Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant to discuss the situation in Lebanon last night.

Austin “made it clear that the United States supports Israel’s right to defend itself and reinforced that the United States is committed to deterring Iran and Iranian-backed partners and proxies from taking advantage of the situation or expanding the conflict,” according to a Pentagon readout of the call.

He also “emphasized that the United States remains postured to defend U.S. forces in the region,” it said.

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has confirmed in a statement that one of its top regional commanders, Abbas Nilforoushan, was killed in the same strike that killed Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah.

Nilforoushan is one of the most senior Iranian commanders to be killed in recent years.

Those displaced by Israeli airstrikes on the Lebanese capital have sought shelter, with some forced to sleep in the streets.

The IDF said this morning that an Israeli naval missile ship successfully intercepted a drone that approached Israel from the Red Sea before it entered the nation’s airspace.

Later, the IDF said eight projectiles were identified crossing from Lebanon into Israel, falling in open areas.

It did not provide details on the drone’s likely target, but sirens had sounded in the southern port city of Eilat this morning.

Israel continued to bombard Lebanon with dozens of airstrikes overnight and into the early morning. The Israel Defense Forces said it had struck Hezbollah targets, including launchers aimed at Israeli territory.

More than 1,000 people have been killed and 6,000 injured in the past two weeks of intense Israeli strikes on its neighbor, according to the Lebanese health ministry.

The State Department last night offered assistance to U.S. citizens looking to leave Lebanon, warning that citizens who remain in the country should be ready to shelter in place for an extended period of time.

The department said on its website that it “strongly encourages” Americans in southern Lebanon, near the borders with Syria or in refugee settlements to leave immediately.

“We continue to advise that U.S. citizens depart Lebanon due to the unpredictable nature of ongoing conflict between Hizballah and Israel and recent explosions throughout Lebanon, including Beirut,” a State Department advisory read.

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With tensions boiling over in the Middle East following the death of Hezbollah’s leader, Hassan Nasrallah, in a series of Israeli airstrikes, there are new fears of a wider war.