March 19, 2026

An Israeli strike has destroyed a building in central Beirut, as missiles continue to hit areas far from where the Iranian-backed Hezbollah group has its strongest presence.   A BBC team was jolted awake around 05:00 (03:00 GMT) by the sound of the blast. The Israeli military had issued a warning at 04:00 to evacuate…

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Wednesday confirmed that Iranian Intelligence Minister Esmaeil Khatib was killed in a recent attack.   In a post on social media platform X, Pezeshkian expressed sorrow for the death of Khatib, Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council Ali Larijani, who was killed on Tuesday, Defence Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh, who…