Hezbollah has claimed responsibility for a fierce barrage of missiles and drones fired at northern Israel on Monday evening. The militant group said the strike was revenge for the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Targeting Haifa’s Military Sites
The Iran-backed Lebanese group said they aimed their attacks at Israeli military infrastructure near Haifa. Hezbollah described the operation as a “legitimate act of self-defence” in response to Israeli aggression and the assassination of senior regional figures. Their statement, shared on messaging apps, also portrayed the strikes as solidarity with Lebanon amid ongoing Israeli military actions.
Tensions Skyrocket After Khamenei’s Death
These attacks follow the dramatic killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader Khamenei in a joint U.S.–Israeli airstrike on Tehran last weekend. Iranian state media confirmed his death, triggering national mourning and fierce vows of retaliation from Tehran and its allied groups across the Middle East.
Israel’s air-defence systems quickly sprang to action in the north after the missile and drone launches, intercepting several projectiles. Emergency services remain on high alert, though no major casualties have been confirmed so far.
Risk of Wider Middle East Conflict
Hezbollah’s direct link of their attacks to Khamenei’s death signals a major escalation. The group had promised to challenge U.S. and Israeli aggression following the Iranian leader’s assassination. This development heightens fears of a wider war involving multiple regional and international players.
World leaders are calling for restraint, warning that further retaliations could spiral into full-blown chaos, destabilising the Middle East and threatening global security.
