Israel asks residents of targeted area in Beirut to evacuate

Iran's president Masoud Pezeshkian has issued a statement calling Israel the "biggest threat to regional peace and security," following the Israeli air strike on what it said was Hezbollah headquarters in Beirut.

Pezeshkian called on Islamic countries to condemn Israel's attack, calling it "state terrorism" and a "blatant war crime".

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated that the Middle East and the world are at a precarious moment, after Israel's air strikes targeted southern Beirut.

"On the events of the last hours, we are still gathering information, making sure that we fully understand what happened, what the intent was. And until we have that information, I can't address in detail our response to it. So, we'll continue to work on that in the hours ahead," he noted.

He emphasized that the way Israel defends itself matters, and the choices all parties make in the coming days will determine the future path of the region.

Addressing a press conference in New York, Blinken stressed that the United States has made it clear that diplomacy, not conflict, is the way forward.

He also warned that anyone using this moment to target American personnel or interests will face decisive action, as the US will take every measure necessary to defend its people.

Hezbollah said late on Friday that it had fired a salvo of rockets on the city of Safed in Israel, its first announced attack since Israeli strikes hit the southern suburbs of Beirut hours earlier.

Israel's military confirms that 65 rockets were launched from Lebanon at northern Israel. "Some of the rockets were intercepted," the statement says.

All reports on the fate of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah are "unworthy of attention," IRGC-affiliated Fars News says.

"Given the current situation in Lebanon and the means of access to Nasrallah, there is no way for Western media to verify the accuracy of these reports," according to the report.

Iran has accused the United States of complicity in Israel's attack on Beirut.

"This barbaric attack has been carried out by bombs gifted by the American regime to the brigand Zionist regime," Iran's foreign ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani said in a statement Friday night local time.

This was Iran's first official reaction to the attack.

Kanaani called the air strike a "glaring war crime" and reaffirmed Iran's "absolute support" for the Lebanese government and Resistance.