US-Israeli war spreads in a vicious assault on Lebanon

Smoke rising after an attack on Bushehr, Iran

Donald Trump’s bluster over Iran cannot hide that things aren’t going to plan—but the United States’ only answer is more death and destruction.

US war secretary Pete Hegseth said Friday would be “the highest volume of strikes that America has put over the skies of Iran and Tehran”. And he claimed that Iranian missile and drone strikes are down 90 percent at a briefing.

Trump declared the war is “going well” and the US military remains “unsurpassed”.

But, on the same day, both the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Saudi Arabia reported heavy attacks from Iran.

The US and Israel have killed at least 1,400 people in Iran—but the US is suffering its own casualties. It confirmed that six soldiers died in a plane refueling crash over Iraq on Thursday and that at least 140 troops have been injured so far.

Meanwhile, Israel also attacked Tehran during the al-Quds Day, Friday, killing at least one person.

Amid the destruction, Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu remains determined to force regime change in Iran. “We will create optimal conditions to do this, including airstrikes—to try to give Iranians the space needed to take to the streets,” he claimed while murdering Iranians.

As Israel pushes the war on Iran, it has launched a vicious assault on Lebanon.

Israeli finance minister, far right Bezalel Smotrich, declared that “very soon, Dahiya in south Lebanon will look like Khan Younis” in Gaza.

Already, Israel has killed 770 people in Lebanon and has now issued evacuation orders in south Lebanon. The Norwegian Refugee Council says that the threat of displacement applies to 14 percent of Lebanon.

The resistance group Hezbollah is retaliating, launching some 200 rockets into Israel on Wednesday. Its counter-attacks have continued throughout the week, striking Israeli tanks on Friday morning.

Defence minister Israel Katz responded to the attacks on Friday, claiming that Israel’s offensive “is just the beginning”. He said Lebanon “will pay an increasing price” through strikes on Lebanese national infrastructure” for failing to disarm Hezbollah.

Rather than supporting Hezbollah’s defence, president Joseph Aoun said that “entering into a direct confrontation with the Israeli aggression would lead to turning Lebanon into a second Gaza”.

He has promised to make good on the military ban he placed on Hezbollah at the beginning of the war, which has proved ineffective so far.

With the scaling cost of the war, over 250 US organisations have signed a letter calling on the US Congress to halt funding Trump’s military adventurism.

Over $11 billion was spent in the first six days of the war alone, which they point out is diverting funding away from social needs in the US.

Oil prices remain over $100 a barrel, putting enough pressure on global markets to force the US to lift sanctions of Russian oil to aim to reduce prices.

Members of the International Energy Agency unanimously agreed to released 400 million barrels of oil, a supply boost intended to put downward pressure on prices.

Meanwhile, Keir Starmer’s announced on Friday that British Typhoon jets have “extended their action to Bahrain”.

But one YouGov poll shows that just 10 percent of Britain strongly supports the US’s war, compared to 37 percent who strongly oppose.

Even the hardliners have flip-flopped due to the unpopularity of the war. Nigel Farage has now urged, “Let’s not get involved in another foreign war,” having initially said that Britain should “take the gloves off” and get involved. And Tory leader Kemi Badenoch has also toned down her hawkish stance.

The unpopularity of the war and Britain’s complicity is a strong basis to build the anti-war movement.

Join the Stop Bombing Iran demonstration, 12 noon, Saturday 21 March, Central London