LIVE UPDATES: IDF Targets Hezbollah and Hamas Leadership as Iranian Missile Barrage Hits Central Israel

The IDF eliminates Iran's Larijani and Hamas' naval head as sirens sound in central Israel. U.S. forces in Baghdad face rocket attacks as regional conflict intensifies.

By: AXL Media

Published: Mar 17, 2026, 7:21 PM EDT

Source: Information for this report was sourced from The Jerusalem Post.

Strategic Eliminations of Hostile Leadership

The IDF confirmed the successful elimination of several high-priority targets within the last 24 hours. Most notable was the death of Ali Larijani, Iran’s top official, who was killed in a precision strike. Following the operation, IDF Spokesperson Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin issued a direct warning to Mojtaba Khamenei, stating that he is not immune and that Israeli forces will find and kill him. In Gaza, the military also announced the death of Younes Mohammed Hussein Alian, the Commander of Hamas’ Northern Gaza Brigade in the Naval Array. Officials stated Alian was actively restoring naval capabilities and posed an imminent threat to forces in the region.

Aerial Assaults and Infrastructure Damage

Late Tuesday night and early Wednesday morning saw a dual-front aerial assault on Israeli territory. Two rounds of sirens were triggered across central Israel by Iranian missiles, with at least eight shrapnel impact sites identified. In Ramat Gan, a man and a woman in their 70s were killed by falling debris. Simultaneously, the IAF launched preemptive strikes in Lebanon against launch cells and platforms. The IDF has since issued evacuation orders for southern Lebanon in anticipation of a larger than standard rocket barrage from Hezbollah.

U.S. Military Movements and Diplomatic Resistance

The U.S. continues to face regional pushback as diplomatic facilities and the embassy in Baghdad’s Green Zone were targeted by drone and Katyusha rocket attacks. While U.S. officials are deploying 5,000 Marines to the Strait of Hormuz to ensure freedom of navigation, President Trump expressed frustration after NATO and other global allies declined to join a maritime coalition. Reports of a massive U.S. ground invasion to retrieve enriched uranium from Isfahan are currently being characterized as exaggerated, with the primary focus remaining on ballistic and naval threats.