![CORRECTION / A fireball ascends from the site of an Israeli airstrike that targeted an area in Beirut's southern suburbs on March 6, 2026. Israeli air strikes battered Lebanon on Friday, sending the death toll since March 2, up to at least 217, according to Lebanese authorities, as the premier warned "a humanitarian disaster is looming". (Photo by AFP via Getty Images) / "The erroneous mention[s] appearing in the metadata of this photo by - has been modified in AFP systems in the following manner: [STR] instead of [Omar YAMAN ]. Please immediately remove the erroneous mention[s] from all your online services and delete it (them) from your servers. If you have been authorized by AFP to distribute it (them) to third parties, please ensure that the same actions are carried out by them. Failure to promptly comply with these instructions will entail liability on your part for any continued or post notification usage. Therefore we thank you very much for all your attention and prompt action. We are sorry for the inconvenience this notification may cause and remain at your disposal for any further information you may require."](https://www.constitutionpatriots.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Israel-strikes-Beirut-and-Lebanon-in-retaliation-for-Hezbollah-rocket.jpg)
OAN Staff Katherine Mosack
3:18 PM – Friday, March 6, 2026
As Operation Epic Fury nears its seventh day, the U.S.-Israeli offensive against Iran has spiraled into a broader regional conflict, with Israeli strikes now reaching deep into Beirut.
Throughout the night and into early Friday morning, Israeli warplanes pounded Dahiyeh, the southern Beirut stronghold of the Iranian-backed terror group Hezbollah.
Seeking to dismantle Hezbollah’s infrastructure following a rocket barrage into northern Israel on Monday, the Israeli military targeted the group’s leadership headquarters and a drone storage facility.
During the operation, the IDF also confirmed the elimination of Zaid Ali Jumaa, a high-ranking commander who oversaw the Hezbollah’s rocket and drone capabilities.
Israel had already ordered evacuations in the suburbs of Beirut on Thursday prior to the overnight airstrikes. Additionally, Israeli officials had warned all innocent civilians to leave areas of southern and eastern Lebanon — which similarly hosts the Muslim terrorist group — in the widest evacuation orders ever handed out.
Since the onset of the February 28th conflict with Iran, Lebanese officials report that over 95,000 people have been displaced from their homes. During this same period, the nation’s health ministry has documented a rising human toll, with Israeli strikes allegedly claiming 123 lives and leaving more than 600 others wounded.
On Friday, Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam condemned both Israel and Hezbollah, declaring that Lebanon and its people “did not choose this war.” Salam also issued a statement on Monday banning Hezbollah from conducting military operations.
“We announce a ban on Hezbollah’s military activities and restrict its role to the political sphere,” Salam said. “We declare our rejection of any military or security operations launched from Lebanese territory outside the framework of legitimate institutions.”
The Islamist group said on Monday that its attack on an Israeli missile defense facility near Haifa was a retaliation for the killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Following the confirmation of Ayatollah Khamenei’s death in an Israeli strike on his compound last Saturday, the remnants of his regime have struggled to fill the sudden power vacuum. Additionally, amid the chaos of ongoing military activity, the deceased leader’s funeral services have been postponed.
According to White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, Operation Epic Fury has successfully eliminated 49 high-ranking Iranian officials so far. While President Trump has identified Mojtaba Khamenei as the most likely successor to his father, he has publicly rejected the younger Khamenei’s potential leadership, labeling him a “lightweight.”
Meanwhile, the transition of power remains in total disarray. Earlier this week, Israeli forces bombed a building in Qom, Iran, where members of the Assembly of Experts — the 88-cleric body responsible for electing the Supreme Leader — were reportedly meeting to cast their votes for the new leader.
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