Israel strikes central Beirut as US targets Iran's missile sites along the Strait of Hormuz

Israel launches a series of strikes on Lebanon's capital Beirut and orders evacuations in the country's south, as it continues its offensive against Hezbollah.

One blast flattened a building in the city centre - this isn't the so-called Hezbollah heartland of southern Beirut, but an area surrounded by businesses and hotels, writes the BBC's Wyre Davies from the scene.

Meanwhile, the US military says it has used powerful "deep penetrator" bombs to hit Iranian missile sites along the Strait of Hormuz; the vital waterway for transporting oil has been effectively blocked by Iran since the war began.

Iran's army chief warns of a "decisive" response after Israel killed security chief Ali Larijani, the most senior official to be killed since Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

His death deepens a crisis at the heart of Iran's leadership, writes BBC Persian's Amir Azimi.

Retaliatory strikes by Iran and its allied militia groups continue - in Israel, two people are killed in Tel Aviv, with blasts and drone interceptions reported in the UAE's Dubai, Iraq and Saudi Arabia.

In Iran, residents are living in constant dread, with a woman in Tehran telling the BBC she's too scared to go to work - leaving home "is like gambling with my life".

Israel attacks central Beirut as Iran renews attacks on Gulf states.

Waves of strikes have been reported across the Middle East overnight. Here's the latest.

• At least six people have been killed in Israeli attacks on central Beirut, according to Lebanon's health ministry
• One of the blasts flattened a building in Beirut's city centre.This isn't the so-called Hezbollah heartland in the south, but an surrounded by businesses and hotels, writes the BBC's Wyre Davies from the scene
• In Tel Aviv, Israel, two people have been killed following Iranian strikes, after Tehran vowed to retaliate for the killing of security chief Ali Larijani
• Explosions were also reported at the US embassy compound in Iraq's capital, Baghdad, in the early hours
• Elsewhere in the Gulf, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Qatar all reported intercepting attacks, while air defence alerts sounded in Bahrain
• Late on Tuesday, the US announced that it had struck Iranian missile sites along the Strait of Hormuz with bombs that are capable of penetrating bunkers

Kuwait and Qatar report interceptions - as alerts sound in Bahrain

Elsewhere in the Gulf, Kuwait says its air defences were deployed to intercept missile and drone attacks shortly before 00:00 GMT.

At around the same time, authorities in Bahrain sounded its sirens and issued a warning for its residents to take shelter.

Qatar's Ministry of Defence says it also intercepted a missile attack targeting its territory in the early hours of Wednesday.