By Laila Bassam, Alexander Cornwell, Andrew Mills and Maha El Dahan BEIRUT/TEL AVIV/DOHA/DUBAI, March 2 (Reuters) - Israel launched new air strikes targeting Iran and expanded its assault to include attacks on Iran-backed Hezbollah militants in Lebanon on Monday,

The West Asia conflict expanded to include Iran-backed militias on Monday with an attack by Hezbollah on Israel. Israel struck back against the group in Lebanon while the United States pounded targets in Iran.

Iran and Iranian-backed militias fired missiles at Israel and Arab states and Israel and the United States pounded targets in Iran as the war expanded Monday with statements of defiance and warnings of more U.

The Lebanese militia fired its first rockets since 2024 at the neighboring country, in retaliation for the killing of Iran’s supreme leader

The UAE announced it was closing its embassy in Tehran, describing the strikes on civilian sites, residential areas, airports and ports, as a serious and irresponsible escalation

This attack marked Hezbollah's first action against Israel's northern regions since 2024, officially joining the conflict alongside Iran. The IDF announced that it precisely struck senior Hezbollah

Beirut residents fled in panic as Israeli jets struck Hezbollah strongholds in response to a midnight barrage, an expansion of the war between Israel, the U.S. and Iran.

Follow NBC News' live coverage as the U.S. and Israel attack Iran, Tehran hits back across the Gulf and Hezbollah strikes from Lebanon while Iran chooses a new supreme leader after the killing of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Israel carried out air strikes on the Hezbollah-controlled southern suburbs of Beirut, with more than a dozen explosions rocking the Lebanese capital. Israel said it also struck senior Hezbollah militants near Beirut. Stay with us for the latest developments.