Israeli forces have launched strikes in Lebanon and Iran, prompting Iranian retaliation that threatens to escalate into all-out war in the Middle East. Sirens sounded across Israel as Iran targeted Israeli military bases in response to previous attacks.
Key points
Israeli forces launched strikes in Lebanon and Iran.
Iran retaliated by targeting Israeli military bases.
Houthi rebels supported Iran with missile launches.
The violence threatens to escalate into all-out war.
Sirens sounded across Israel during the attacks.
Mentioned in this story
HezbollahHouthi rebelsLebanonIranIsrael
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Israeli forces launched strikes in Lebanon and Iran, and Iran has attacked Israel in retaliation. The violence is threatening to plunge the Middle East back into an all-out war. This morning, sirens sounded across Israel after Iran and its allies, Yemen's Houthi rebels, launched missiles. Iran said it targeted two Israeli military bases in retaliation for Israeli strikes on Iranian radar sites. Israel struck central and western Iran early today after attacking Hezbollah targets in Beirut, the capital of Lebanon.
Israeli security forces examine a fragment of an intercepted Iranian missile in northern Israel, early Monday, June 8, 2026.
Israeli security forces examine a fragment of an intercepted Iranian missile in northern Israel, early Monday, June 8, 2026.
Rami Shlush/AP
Rami Shlush/AP
🎧 Iran has warned that any strikes by Israel on the southern suburbs of the Lebanese capital would be considered a red line, NPR's Jane Arraf tells Up First. Iran has called for a ceasefire in Lebanon as part of a broader Iran-U.S. deal. Last night, Israel targeted an apartment building, killing two people. Arraf, who is in Beirut, says that apartment buildings in the areas of Lebanon still under threat by Israel have been leveled by airstrikes. Despite the destruction, some residents, including the elderly and disabled, are still trying to live in these neighborhoods. Tyre was once a thriving coastal city, similar to Miami, but after the new strikes, displaced families began setting up tents on the beach near shuttered restaurants, with some individuals simply sleeping on the sand.
Q&A
What triggered the recent Israeli-Iranian strikes?
The recent strikes were triggered by Israeli attacks on Iranian radar sites, leading Iran to retaliate by targeting Israeli military bases.
How are the Houthi rebels involved in the Israel-Iran conflict?
The Houthi rebels from Yemen launched missiles in support of Iran during the recent escalation of violence against Israel.
What are the potential consequences of the escalating violence in the Middle East?
The escalating violence threatens to plunge the Middle East into an all-out war, impacting regional stability and security.
What locations were targeted in the Israeli and Iranian strikes?
Israeli strikes targeted Hezbollah positions in Beirut, Lebanon, while Iran attacked two Israeli military bases in retaliation.
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Picture show
An exterior view of the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago.
An exterior view of the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago.
Lucy Hewett for NPR
Lucy Hewett for NPR
The Obama Presidential Center is opening its doors later this month on the South Side of Chicago. During a press preview, NPR and other media toured the building and grounds, which highlighted the legacy of the Obama presidency. The center is a vibrant campus featuring basketball courts, gardens, ball fields, a children's playground, a branch of the Chicago Public Library and an eight-story museum that rises over it all. Inside the museum, visitors will find numerous exhibits that not only recount the lives of the former president and first lady but also reflect the broader narrative of the nation, starting with the Declaration of Independence. The museum illustrates America's ongoing journey toward becoming a more perfect union, a theme that Obama often returned to in his speeches. Take a look inside with these photos.
Apart from the indigenous people, the Great Nicobar island’s population consists mainly of a few thousand settlers, who live in sleepy villages alongside dense forests.
Apart from the indigenous people, the Great Nicobar island's population consists mainly of a few thousand settlers, who live in sleepy villages alongside dense forests.
Over the past few years, there's been a debate in India over the future of an island that hosts less than than 0.0007% of its population.
The Hindu nationalist government of Narendra Modi wants to turn the sleepy Great Nicobar island into a trading center and a bustling township — "The Singapore of India," as some call it.
The mega-project is estimated to cost more than a billion dollars and nearly a million trees. Critics say this would be an environmental disaster. They say the project could also endanger the Shompen, one of the last hunter-gatherer communities in the world that remain isolated from the modern world.
India's ruling party, which sees the project as a "strategic gateway" to counter China in the Indian Ocean, has bristled at the criticism. Journalists visiting Great Nicobar have reported being under police surveillance. When NPR made a low-profile visit to the island early this year, residents were eager to talk, although some requested anonymity for fear of reprisals. That fear was palpable: after our return, the local police started a formal inquiry into the reasons for our visit. Those we spoke to reported being questioned by the police. Local authorities also barred free access to areas marked for a contentious transshipment port.
The tussle in Great Nicobar is emblematic of many state-backed infrastructure projects across India. While the Modi government is eager to push ahead with such ambitious projects in the name of the economy or national security, the clamor to protect nature has grown sharper as India sees a rise in heatwaves, glacial floods, and extreme rainfall in recent years.
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FIFA World Cup 2026 signage is displayed at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif., Monday, June 1, 2026.
FIFA World Cup 2026 signage is displayed at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif., Monday, June 1, 2026.
Jae C. Hong/AP
Jae C. Hong/AP
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Researchers have installed a thermal camera system on an island in San Francisco Bay to help spot heat from whales' exhalations. The changing climate has driven the animals into areas where ship strikes have been deadly.
