US-Iran war live updates: Israel to strike Lebanon ‘in coming hours’ as Bahrain oil refinery up in flames

The Israeli Defence Force says it has struck “infrastructure belonging to the Hezbollah terrorist organization” in Lebanon’s capital city of Beirut.

Earlier, the IDF warned it would be “operating forcefully” in southern Lebanon against groups which it claims assist Hezbollah.

“The Israel Defense Forces will operate forcefully against the terrorist infrastructure of Al-Qard al-Hassan Association, which constitutes a central element in financing Hezbollah’s terrorist activities and harms the Lebanese economy in service of Iranian interests,” the IDF said.

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky says his country sent interceptor drones to protect US bases in Jordan after the US requested them, in an interview with the New York Times.

Zelensky says Ukraine “reacted immediately” to the request, although did not give any specifications about the drones in the New York Times’ article.

AP is reporting an Iranian missile attack has been lauched towards parts of northern and southern Israel.

The news outlet is also reporting missiles have struck the Emirati capital of Abu Dhabi on Monday afternoon.

The Saudi Arabian ministry of defence is reporting it has intercepted and destroyed drones over the Empty Quarter desert, which it believes was heading towards the Shaybah Oil Field in the country’s east.

The ministry also reported a drone was intercepted over the Al-Jawf Region in the west of Saudi Arabia.

The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps say the newly elected Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, son of former leader Ali Khamenei, was “wounded in the Ramadan War”.

No further details were provided.

Mojtaba Khamenei has not been pictured in public since the war began.

The Israel Defense Force has issued an “urgent” warning to people in Lebanon’s south, saying it will “operate forcefully” against Hezbollah “in the coming hours”, according to IDF Arabic spokesperson Avichar Adraee.

“The Israel Defense Forces will operate forcefully against the terrorist infrastructure of Al-Qard al-Hassan Association, which constitutes a central element in financing Hezbollah’s terrorist activities and harms the Lebanese economy in service of Iranian interests,” an English translation of Adraee’s post said.

“Remaining in the area endangers your lives and constitutes a free prize for the terrorist Hezbollah, which hides behind you and sacrifices you for the survival of the terrorist regime in Tehran.”

The Army’s 1st Division has begun planning for deployment to the Middle East, a preliminary step that suggests Army leaders want to give the Albanese Government options to participate in the war against Iran, even though it has ruled out combat operations.

A senior, confidential source said work was underway to prepare the Brisbane-based division for operations in the region, although it is unclear if the Army is working on combat options, a supporting role or contributing to some kind of peacekeeping force.

Australia’s former ambassador to the US, Joe Hockey, predicted on Monday the air war would soon shift to the ground, a far-more dangerous task for the US given Iran’s mountainous geography and armed forces of approximately one million personnel.

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The state-run Bahrain News Agency is reporting the national BAPCO Energy — Bahrain’s national energy company — has declared force majeure on its operations.

Force majeure is a contractual clause which alleviates all legal parties from obligation or liability when an “extraordinary event. . .beyond the control of the parties” prevents the party — in this case, BAPCO — from completing their obligations.

“The company clarified that all local market needs are fully secured according to the proactive plans in place, ensuring the continuity of supplies and meeting local demand without impact,” the Bahrain News Agency said.

The announcement comes after footage emerged of BAPCO’s refinery, located in eastern Bahrain, up in smoke and flames on Monday.

Verified footage on social media shows the BAPCO oil refinery in eastern Bahrain up in smoke and flames on Monday morning.

BAPCO is Bahrain’s national refinery.

CNN is reporting Iranians have been called on to pledge allegiance to the new Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, by the Islamic Propagation Coordination Council.

The public has been told to “declare their bay’at” — the allegiance pledge — “simutaneously across the country” at 3pm local time, reported by the state-run Islamic Republic News Agency.