Air strikes continue as Iran war spills into second week

By Nathan Morley

The Israeli Air Force says it has launched a wave of strikes across three areas of Iran. Israel says it is targeting Tehran, Isfahan and southern Iran simultaneously. 

In central Israel, one person was killed and another seriously injured when a missile hit a construction site, according to an emergency services spokesperson. At a separate location, a man in his 30s was taken to a hospital with severe shrapnel wounds.

Thick black smoke was seen rising over the southern suburbs of Beirut on Monday morning following Israeli strikes. On Sunday, Lebanon’s health minister, Rakan Nassereddine, said Israeli strikes had killed 394 people in the past week.

Earlier, UNICEF said the escalating hostilities in Lebanon and the toll on children were “gravely concerning.” According to the agency, at least 83 children have been killed and 254 wounded since March 2 as fighting intensified. On average, more than 10 children have been killed each day over the past week, with about 36 injured daily.

Meanwhile, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the European Union must be prepared to project its power more assertively and can no longer rely on a rules‑based international system.