Live: Israel says it will control bridges and area south of Lebanon’s Litani River

Gulf states activated air defences as missile and drone threats were reported across the region, with the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait all responding to incoming attacks.

In the UAE, an Indian national suffered minor injuries from falling debris in Abu Dhabi after the “interception of a ballistic missile,” authorities said.

Saudi Arabia said it was responding to drones in its eastern and northern border areas, while Kuwait reported intercepting “hostile missile and drone threats".

In Bahrain, sirens sounded as authorities warned of potential danger amid the escalating situation.

A child was killed and three other civilians were wounded in the past 24 hours as US  and Israeli strikes continued across Iran, according to the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA).

The group said the latest death brings the civilian toll to 1,407 since the start of the war.

HRANA said at least 214 children have been killed since 28 Februaray 28 and reported more than 200 attacks across 15 provinces in the past day.

Iran’s health ministry has put the overall death toll above 1,500. 

The US state department issued an advisory for Americans abroad, especially in the Middle East, “to exercise increased caution” amid rising tensions linked to the war with Iran. 

In a worldwide alert, the department warned that “periodic” airspace closures could disrupt travel and said US diplomatic facilities have been targeted.

“Americans abroad should follow the guidance in security alerts issued by the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate,” the department said, urging citizens to enrol in alert systems and monitor official channels.

The advisory comes after the department ordered diplomatic posts to “immediately” review security measures amid a volatile situation and potential spillover effects.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has called an emergency meeting to address the economic fallout from the ongoing war in the Middle East. 

Senior officials, including finance minister Rachel Reeves, Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey, and key cabinet ministers, are set to attend.

“Topics expected to be covered are the economic impact of the crisis on families and businesses, energy security and the resilience of industry and supply chains alongside the international response,” the finance ministry said. 

The United Kingdom, heavily reliant on imported natural gas, is bracing for further increases in energy prices as the conflict shows no signs of easing.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guard said it launched its 75th wave of missile attacks targeting Israeli and US positions, as Israeli media reported strikes in central and southern areas, including attempts to intercept missiles over Negev.  

Hezbollah said it also carried out attacks on Israeli artillery positions in the Golan Heights using drones and fired missiles toward the town of Kiryat Shmona.

The strikes mark a further escalation as hostilities intensify across multiple fronts.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) warned that strikes around nuclear sites in Iran and Israel have pushed the war to a “perilous stage.”

WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said attacks on sensitive facilities pose serious risks to public health and environmental safety.

“I urgently call on all parties to exercise maximum military restraint and avoid any actions that could trigger nuclear incidents,” Tedros said, urging de-escalation as concerns grow over potential fallout.

He added that targeting nuclear sites increases the danger of wider regional and global consequences.

Israel’s military said it is investigating whether its own fire may have killed an Israeli civilian near the Lebanese border, in an area where Hezbollah had claimed an attack.

The army said it was “conducting a comprehensive investigation,” including “the possibility that the incident involved fire originating from IDF soldiers.”

Earlier, emergency and medical crews said a man was killed in a “direct hit” on his car by a rocket from Lebanon, marking the first fatality in northern Israel since the latest escalation. The military said it is reviewing all circumstances surrounding the incident.

Iraqi Hezbollah Brigades on Sunday said it has extended for five days its decision to suspend attacks on the US embassy in Baghdad. The group had earlier announced a temporary halt to such operations under specific conditions.

The conditions included Israel halting strikes and displacement in Beirut’s suburbs, refraining from bombing residential areas in Iraq, and the withdrawal of CIA personnel from embassy operations. There was no immediate response from US or Israeli officials.

Oil prices surged on Monday before easing in volatile trading after President Donald Trump’s threats against Iran.

US benchmark West Texas Intermediate rose 1.8 percent to above $100 per barrel, while Brent crude climbed to $113.44 before slipping to around $111 shortly after markets reopened.

Equity markets in Asia fell amid fears of a prolonged conflict. Japan’s Nikkei dropped 3.55 percent in early trading, while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index fell 0.88 percent, reflecting investor concerns over rising geopolitical risks and energy costs.

Israeli military spokesperson Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin said interceptors were launched in both cases of Iranian missile fire on Saturday but failed to stop the incoming attack.

More than 90% of launches are typically intercepted, he added. 

The two Iranian missiles injured more than 150 people in southern Israel on Saturday, hospital officials say.

Four Israeli soldiers have been lightly injured during a “safety incident” while operating in southern Lebanon, Al Jazeera is reporting, citing Israel’s Walla news outlet. 

Additionally, another soldier was lightly wounded following a drone strike near a military unit in the same area.

“We remain a loyal friend and reliable partner for Tehran,” Russian President Vladimir Putin said in a message reported by Iran’s Mehr news agency.

Putin is the latest official to congratulate Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Nowruz, the Persian New Year.

The Russian leader added he hoped Iranians would pass the current wartime difficulties with dignity.

In a statement, Israel’s Health Ministry says a total of 4,697 injured people have been brought to hospitals since the start of the war with Iran and Hezbollah in Lebanon

Out of those people, 124 remain hospitalised including 14 in “serious condition”, the ministry says.

Hezbollah says it launched a series of rocket, missile and drone attacks on northern Israel, including several targeting Israeli military facilities.

In statements on Telegram, the Lebanese group said it fired a missile salvo at an Israeli airbase in northern Israel’s Meron and a squadron of “attack drones” at another army installation near Ramot Naftali, also in the north.

In addition, Hezbollah said it fired rocket salvos at the northern Israeli communities of Manara and Zar’it.

There were no immediate reports of casualties in Israeli media.

Israeli forces are shelling the southern Lebanese town of Naqoura with artillery and phosphorus-filled rounds, Lebanon’s National News Agency is reporting.

Ground fighting reportedly broke out in the area with clashes reported between Israeli troops and Hezbollah fighters inside the town.