Third day of war in Iran, where apart from some celebrations for the death of Ayatollah Khamenei there are no signs of an uprising against the regime , which for the moment remains in power despite appeals to the Iranian people by Trump and Netanyahu.

And the conflict is dramatically widening. Israel has responded to Hezbollah raids, killing at least 31 people and wounding 149 in attacks on the southern outskirts of Beirut, Lebanon. This is where the Sassari Brigade, which leads the Italian contingent of the UN UNIFIL mission, is based , tasked with overseeing the implementation of Resolution 1701. General Andrea Fraticelli leads 2,800 peacekeepers, including 1,000 Italians and over 500 Sassari soldiers. The IDF has not ruled out a ground invasion against Hezbollah.

Explosions were heard overnight in Jerusalem (where there were reportedly some casualties), Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Doha . Bahrain announced one death in the Iranian attacks.

Meanwhile, Iranian security chief Larijani said that Iran "will not negotiate" with the United States. "Trump has plunged the region into chaos with his false hopes and is now worried about further losses of his troops," said Larijani, one of the country's most influential people.

Trump wants to sustain the attack on Iran "for four or five weeks if necessary," he said in an interview with the New York Times. "It won't be difficult. We have enormous quantities of munitions. You know, we have munitions stockpiled all over the world, in different countries."

Regarding Iran's future, the American president said he had "three excellent choices of candidates" to entrust with the leadership, "however, I won't reveal them yet, let's finish the job first."

Meanwhile, oil prices are soaring , aided by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz: Brent crude jumped 13% following the weekend's heavy US and Israeli attacks on Iran, settling at $82.20 a barrel, down from $72.87 on Friday. Gold, a traditional safe haven in times of crisis, and silver also rose (+1.6%), as did silver (+2%).

At 3:00 PM, Foreign and Defense Ministers Antonio Tajani and Guido Crosetto (who returned yesterday from Dubai) will report on the situation in Iran and the Persian Gulf in hearings before the Senate Foreign Affairs and Defense Committees and the Chamber of Deputies Foreign Affairs Committee.

And fear is growing for the thousands of Italians and hundreds of Sardinians stranded, especially in Dubai, due to what is one of the largest air traffic disruptions in modern history, with around 5,000 flights cancelled in the last 24 hours .

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Live updates

8:30 AM – Israel Does Not Rule Out Ground Invasion of Lebanon

The IDF's new offensive against Hezbollah "will be broad and comprehensive and could include a ground invasion," an Israeli security source told the Saudi-run Al-Hadath news channel, as reported by the Times of Israel. The source stated that there will be "no immunity for any Hezbollah politician or military figure, nor for its supporters." Israel launched dozens of strikes in Lebanon this morning, after Hezbollah fired rockets and drones at Israel overnight.

8:20 a.m. – Trump: "All Iranian leadership candidates killed."

US President Donald Trump told ABC News that the attack on Iran was “so effective that it has knocked out most of the candidates” to lead Iran.

8:00 AM – Pentagon: "There's no sign Iran is attacking the U.S."

Pentagon officials admitted during a closed-door briefing to the US Congress on Sunday that there was no intelligence suggesting Iran intended to attack US forces first, Reuters reported online, citing two sources familiar with the matter. The statements appear to undermine a key pro-war argument advanced by senior US administration officials, who argued that President Donald Trump decided to launch the strikes in part because of signs that the Iranians might strike US forces in the Middle East "preemptively."

7:40 a.m. – "The fighting against Hezbollah could last for many days."

Israeli army chief Eyal Zamir said that the fighting against the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, which began this morning, could last "many" days. "We have launched an offensive campaign against Hezbollah," Zamir said in a video shared by the army hours after rocket fire claimed by Hezbollah prompted a wave of Israeli attacks in Lebanon. "We must be prepared for several days of fighting, many."

7.30am – Attack on the British base in Cyprus

British forces said they responded to a suspected drone attack on their military base in Cyprus, the Ministry of Defense said, without reporting any casualties. The attack hit the RAF base in Akrotiri at midnight, the ministry said, adding that its forces were managing an "active situation." "Our protection in the region is at the highest level, and the base intervened to defend our people," a Ministry of Defense spokesperson said in a statement. The incident occurred as Britain agreed on Sunday to allow the United States to use British military bases to launch "defensive" strikes aimed at destroying Iranian missiles and their launchers.

7:20 a.m. – IDF: "We will intensify attacks on Lebanon."

A senior Israeli general said the army will intensify its attacks on Lebanon, after launching strikes in response to rocket fire claimed by the Iranian-backed militant group Hezbollah. "Hezbollah chose the Iranian regime over the state of Lebanon and launched an attack against our civilians... they will pay a heavy price," said Rafi Milo, head of the Israeli army's Northern Command. "The attacks continue, and their intensity will increase," he said in a military statement.

7:15 a.m. – US Embassy in Kuwait hit

A plume of smoke was observed rising from the US Embassy in Kuwait City, according to an AFP correspondent, while the BBC reported that firefighters and ambulances were spotted in the area. The smoke was spotted after loud explosions and air raid sirens were heard in Kuwait for the third consecutive day as Iran's retaliation continues.

7:00 AM – Lebanon: 31 dead and 149 wounded in Israeli raids

According to the Lebanese Ministry of Health, at least 31 people were killed and 149 injured in last night's Israeli attacks. Haaretz reports.

ALL THE NEWS ABOUT THE WAR IN IRAN

(Unioneonline)

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