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Hello and welcome to NewsHour from the BBC World Service.

We're coming to you live from London.

I'm Leila Nathu.

On the programme, we will, of course, be bringing you all the latest developments in the rapidly escalating

war in the Middle East. We'll take you to Iran, to Lebanon and to the Gulf states, but we will

also find time to bring you a few other stories from around the world today. But let us begin

with the situation in the Middle East. Israel has carried out fresh strikes against Iran. Its military says it's hit

the regime's leadership compound, which includes the presidential office and the Supreme

National Security Council. It's also targeted the Tehran headquarters of Iran's state broadcaster.

Meanwhile, Lebanon is being drawn deeper into the war. Israel bombed Beirut and sent troops to the south of the

country as the Iran-backed group Hezbollah again launched rockets at Israel. There is still major

disruption to global air travel. Tens of thousands of passengers have been left stranded after

key airports, including hubs in Dubai, Doha and Abu Dhabi were closed following Iran's retaliation against the Gulf states.

Meanwhile, President Trump has warned what he called the big wave in the war with Tehran was yet to come,

but there's still no unified message from his administration as to the justification and aims of the war.

We'll start in Iran, where, as a reminder,

the government doesn't allow independent reporting

and the internet has been cut off for many living there.

Our correspondent Joe Inwood has put together this account

of the impact the conflict is having across the country.

A huge fireball rises into the sky in the city of Sanandage.

...