Israel strikes Iran, Lebanon as Hormuz tensions rattle global markets

Fresh Israeli airstrikes pounded Iran and Lebanon on Wednesday, as Iran’s Revolutionary Guards claimed control of the strategic Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most critical energy corridors.

The escalating conflict, now in its fifth day, has shaken global markets and sent oil prices climbing amid fears of prolonged instability across the Middle East. Governments raced to evacuate stranded citizens as missile and drone exchanges intensified.

Energy Chokepoint Under Threat

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards declared they had “complete control” over the Strait of Hormuz — the narrow passage through which roughly one-fifth of the world’s seaborne oil flows.

However, US President Donald Trump countered that American forces had “knocked out” Iran’s navy, air force and radar systems, insisting the US Navy stood ready to escort tankers safely through the waterway.

The US military disclosed it had struck nearly 2,000 targets in Iran since launching joint operations with Israel last Saturday — attacks that reportedly killed Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Lebanon Drawn Deeper

The conflict widened further as Israeli forces carried out what they described as a “broad wave of strikes” across Iran, while also targeting positions in Lebanon linked to the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah.

Lebanese state media reported that Israeli strikes hit a residential building in Baalbek, killing four people, and also targeted a hotel in Beirut. In the towns of Aramoun and Saadiyat, south of Beirut, at least six people were killed and eight wounded, according to the health ministry, which described the toll as preliminary.

The Israeli military issued urgent evacuation warnings to residents of 16 towns and villages in southern Lebanon ahead of operations against Hezbollah.

Regional Fallout

Saudi Arabia said it intercepted two cruise missiles, while drones reportedly struck near the US consulate in Dubai and targeted the American military base at Al-Udeid in Qatar.

The United States urged its citizens to leave the region where commercial flights remain available, even as airspace disruptions complicated evacuations. Britain and France deployed chartered flights to extract their nationals.

In Tehran, once bustling streets turned eerily quiet as residents sheltered indoors. Security forces increased checkpoints, and armoured vehicles were stationed at major junctions.

The Iranian Red Crescent reported that 787 people had been killed in Iran since the hostilities began, a figure that could not be independently verified. In Lebanon, at least 52 people have reportedly died, with over 30,000 displaced, according to the United Nations.

War Rhetoric Intensifies

US Central Command chief Admiral Brad Cooper described the American buildup as the largest in the Middle East in a generation. President Trump suggested further Iranian leadership figures may have been killed in subsequent strikes, though he stopped short of declaring regime change as the objective.

Iran, for its part, vowed severe retaliation. Revolutionary Guard General Ebrahim Jabbari warned that if Iran’s key centres were targeted, it would strike economic hubs across the region.

As the confrontation widens, concerns mount over the stability of global energy supplies, civilian safety, and the risk of a broader regional war.