Northern Israel / Beirut — Tensions on the Israel–Lebanon border have exploded after Hezbollah launched a heavy rocket and missile barrage on an Israeli military site in northern Israel, declaring the strike a direct response to the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in US–Israeli air raids.

Shortly after sunset, sirens wailed across border communities as dozens of rockets and several guided missiles targeted a major IDF artillery and intelligence base near Kiryat Shmona. Israeli officials say multiple projectiles penetrated the initial defense envelope, hitting storage areas and support buildings. At least several soldiers are reported killed and more wounded, with helicopters evacuating casualties under continued fire.

In Beirut’s southern suburbs, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah hailed the attack as “the opening chapter of strategic revenge for the martyr Khamenei,” insisting the group was acting “as part of the united resistance front led by Tehran.” State and party media broadcast footage of launch crews firing from concealed positions in southern Lebanon, overlaying the images with speeches vowing that “every drop of the Leader’s blood will echo on the northern front.”

Israel’s war cabinet convened an emergency session as fighter jets roared north to strike suspected launch sites, command bunkers and weapons depots across southern Lebanon and the Bekaa Valley. Officials warned Lebanese authorities that they would be held responsible for any further escalation, even as Beirut’s fragile government pleaded it had no control over Hezbollah’s actions.

Analysts say the attack marks a dangerous fusion of two crises: Iran’s confrontation with the US and Israel over Khamenei’s killing, and the long‑simmering Israel–Hezbollah front. With Tehran cheering from behind the scenes and both sides trading vows of revenge, the risk is clear — the border clash could quickly morph into a full‑scale Lebanon war, this time tied to a far larger regional firestorm.