World

It takes a huge amount of capability, technology and firepower to defeat ballistic missiles – meaning a tit-for-tat air war would favour Israel, backed by the US, over Iran. The head of the UK armed forces told Sky News over the summer that he does not believe any of the UK’s opponents – including Tehran,

It took a moment to understand what we were seeing as streaks of orange crossed the sky above out heads to be met with balls of fire drifting up in the opposite direction. This was Iran’s missile barrage against Israel, and Israeli air defences fighting back. Standing close to the Israeli border with Syria, our

Iran has launched missiles into Israel, the Israeli military says. Reports said warning sirens sounded in Jerusalem shortly after 5.30pm UK time. Earlier today, the US warned that Iran was getting ready to launch the attack and Israelis were subsequently told to “stay close to a protected space”. Israel-Lebanon latest: Follow live updates An unnamed

Israel’s military forces have crossed the border into southern Lebanon to conduct what it described as “limited, localised and targeted raids” against Hezbollah. The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) says it is targeting Hezbollah locations in the border area of southern Lebanon which “pose an immediate threat to Israeli communities in northern Israel”, including stockpiles and

Iran has pledged a “decisive reaction” to Israel’s onslaught against Iranian allies across the region, but Tehran seems to have badly miscalculated the risk its arch foe is willing to take. In the face of such a multi-pronged assault, the regime might even be wondering whether they, or rather their nuclear sites – seen as

The far-right Freedom Party finished first in the Austrian general election, early projections show. Led by Herbert Kickl, a former interior minister who was dismissed over the country’s Ibiza scandal, the party is projected to finish first on 29.1% of the vote, according to election researchers Arge Wahlen for PULS 24 TV. They are projected

Israeli defence minister Yoav Gallant has held talks over the possibility of expanding Israel’s military offensive – as tanks were pictured on the country’s border with Lebanon. In a statement on Saturday, Mr Gallant’s office said he was conducting “an operational situation assessment” regarding what it called “the expansion of IDF (Israel Defence Forces) activities

The pictures from Beirut are unnerving to stay the least, the predictions for the immediate future even more so. With the dust still settling from this game-changing assassination of Hassan Nasrallah, there are pressing questions crying out for answers. Most of all, is the Middle East about to erupt into a regional conflict that threatens

The leader of Hezbollah is dead. This is a very big moment, not just in this conflict but for the future of the Middle East. In 2006, the last Lebanon War, Israel tried and failed to kill him. Last night, in a huge series of strikes on southern Beirut, they finally hit their target. Read

Israel has unleashed a series of huge strikes on Beirut, with its military saying it struck the central headquarters of the militant group Hezbollah. The attack shook windows across the Lebanese capital and sent thick clouds of smoke billowing into the air. Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah was the intended target of the strike and a

Satellite imagery appears to show China’s new nuclear-powered submarine sinking at a shipyard while under construction, a senior US defence official has said. The sinking of China‘s first Zhou-class submarine represents a setback for Beijing as it seeks to increase the size of what is already the world’s largest navy. It comes as Beijing has

After a week of air strikes in the neighbourhood of Dahieh, the shock of an explosion is rarely followed by surprise.  When we arrived in this densely populated part of southern Beirut, the street was filled with glass and rubble and weary-looking faces. This is the fourth time in a week that this area has

The UN’s highest body has heard the direst warning yet about the escalating situation in Lebanon. Addressing an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres was not mincing his words: “Madam President, excellencies. Hell is breaking loose in Lebanon. As I told the General Assembly yesterday, we should all be

The Israeli airstrikes have left people in the south of Lebanon feeling there are no safe places around here now. Dozens more were killed in another intense day of Israeli bombing including more children – with whole families missing and unaccounted for. Follow latest: Israel preparing ‘for possible ground invasion’ One Lebanese army general told

Emergency workers have been struggling to cope with the sudden spike of people fleeing their homes in the south of Lebanon as the Israeli forces continued their campaign of airstrikes across the country. The capital, Beirut, was struck for the third time in five days as the Israeli military said it had targeted and “eliminated”

Lebanon will be in a “very difficult place” if Hezbollah “gambles more” in a conflict with Israel, a Lebanese government minister has told Sky News. Israeli airstrikes since early on Monday have killed 564 people, including 50 children and 94 women, and left another 1,835 people wounded in Lebanon, its health ministry has said. Israel

Israel has vowed it will not cease its attacks on Hezbollah – and that strikes will only be accelerated. Amid fears of all-out war in the region, 558 people were killed in Israeli strikes in Lebanon this week. The recent escalation comes on the back of pager and radio explosions targeting Hezbollah, which have largely

At least 274 people have been killed in Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon – including 21 children – according to the country’s health minister. Israel attacked hundreds of Hezbollah targets on Monday in Lebanon‘s deadliest day since 7 October, with 39 women also reported killed and 1,024 people wounded. After Hezbollah was rocked by pager and

Hezbollah’s deputy chief signalled the group had entered a “new phase” in its battle with Israel as thousands gathered in Beirut for the funeral of a key commander killed in an airstrike on Friday. The militant group’s second in command, Naim Qassem, vowed to press on with greater intensity with rocket attacks into northern Israel

At least 30 people have been killed and dozens are injured after a methane leak sparked an explosion at a coal mine in eastern Iran, state media reports. The explosion struck a mine in Tabas, some 335 miles southeast of the capital, Tehran. The state-run IRNA news agency said authorities had sent emergency personnel to