Ali Khamanei’s son Mojtaba Khamenei tipped to become Supreme Leader; Trump’s nuclear claims dismissed by UN; Australia economic impact set to be substantial; US assets targeted

The Israeli military has ordered the evacuation of part of southern Lebanon, telling residents to move north of the Litani River in the third day of full-scale hostilities with Iran-backed Hezbollah.

Although Israel has warned residents to leave dozens of villages in southern Lebanon, Wednesday’s evacuation order was the largest yet.

On Tuesday, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said he had authorized the army to advance and take control of additional positions in Lebanon, where Israeli troops have held many hills since the war with Hezbollah in 2024.

Israeli attacks have killed dozens of people in Lebanon since Monday, according to Lebanon’s health ministry. Thousands of Lebanese have already fled their homes.

The war in the Middle East spilled into Lebanon on Monday, when Hezbollah opened fire, saying it aimed to avenge the killing of Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in a US-Israeli strike.

Reuters