Iran and Israel launch new attacks across the region, hitting capitals and key infrastructure, as the conflict disrupts oil supplies and displaces thousands.

PARIS: Loud explosions rocked Tehran on Tuesday as Israel said it struck a high-ranking Iranian commander in the capital.

Iran simultaneously targeted industrial and diplomatic sites across the Middle East, threatening to open “the gates of hell” on the United States and Israel.

The conflict, now in its fourth day, began with US and Israeli strikes over the weekend that killed Iran’s supreme leader.

New air strikes also hit Beirut’s southern suburbs, an area controlled by Hezbollah, causing extensive damage.

Hezbollah said it retaliated by targeting an Israeli military facility at Maayan Baruch with rockets.

Israel’s Foreign Minister Gideon Saar urged countries worldwide to sever diplomatic ties with Iran.

“The foreign minister told the ambassadors that… countries around the world must cut off their relations with (Iran),” a statement from his office said.

Iran appealed to the UN Security Council to act, with foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei stating it had a duty to stop the war.

Oil prices surged past $85 a barrel as the war disrupted supplies, with the Strait of Hormuz effectively closed.

Precious metal prices fell sharply, with gold dropping over 4% as traders moved into energy and the US dollar.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards warned of more intense attacks, with spokesman Ali Mohammad Naini promising “the gates of hell” for the US and Israel.

Israel ordered its forces to take more positions inside Lebanon to create a buffer zone, prompting a Lebanese army pullback.

The UN nuclear watchdog confirmed “recent damage” to the entrance buildings of Iran’s underground Natanz nuclear site.

Explosions were also reported in the Gulf capitals of Manama, Bahrain and Doha, Qatar.

The UN refugee agency said hostilities have displaced at least 30,000 people in Lebanon.

A series of explosions were heard over Jerusalem after Israel detected fresh missile launches from Iran.

The Iranian Red Crescent said 787 people have been killed nationwide since the strikes began.

Tech giant Amazon said two of its data centres in the UAE were “directly struck” by drones, disrupting cloud services.

US President Donald Trump criticised the UK’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer, saying the US-UK relationship was damaged.

France deployed Rafale fighter jets over the UAE to protect its bases from Iranian attacks.

China called for all sides to maintain safety in the Strait of Hormuz and cease military operations.

Drone debris caused a fire at an oil zone in the UAE’s Fujairah, while a drone hit a fuel tank at an Omani port.

Two drones struck the US embassy in Riyadh, sparking a fire condemned by Saudi Arabia as a “heinous attack”.

 The Sun Malaysia