Israel

The U.S. is accelerating the deployment of thousands more Marines and sailors to the Middle East, two people familiar with the decision told NBC News.

Families are fleeing their homes due to Israeli evacuation orders and airstrikes, and have no idea when they may be able to return.

Israel launched a widespread strike on Iran's world-largest gas field, triggering retaliation from Tehran against key energy sites across the Gulf.

Fadel Itani captured dramatic images of an Israel strike on a building in the heart of Beirut.

Esmail Khatib was killed in a strike in Tehran, a day after Israel killed top national security official Ali Larijani and former Basij militia chief Gen. Gholam Reza Soleimani.

“It’s very challenging, it’s very uncertain, but we took a decision to keep our airspace open since day one of the war,” Lebanon's transport minister told NBC News.

The fate of Ali Larijani will do little to change surging global oil prices, analysts told NBC News.

Israel announced the killing of Ali Larijani, Iran's top national security official, and Gholam Reza Soleimani, the head of the Basij militia used to suppress protests. Iranian authorities later confirmed both deaths.

Larijani, 67, was a pragmatist in Iranian politics who recently took a hard-line turn and directed the brutal crackdown on anti-government protests that killed thousands.

New strikes were reported across the Middle East as Iran hit back against energy infrastructure, while Tehran came under intense attacks as the war launched by the U.S. and Israel entered its third week.