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‘Security zone’: Israeli military plans to occupy swath of southern Lebanon

Israel’s defence minister urged the Lebanese government to disarm Hezbollah or face even greater military assaults and a long occupation that could make it impossible for families to return to their communities.

  • David Crowe

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A child searches for kitchen tools inside of the debris of a building that has collapsed after an IDF airstrike on March 18, 2026 in Beirut.

US-Iran war as it happened: Trump distances US from Israeli attack on Iranian gas field; Iran retaliates; Albanese announces fuel supply taskforce

Oil prices have surged as both sides ratchet up attacks on energy facilities. Follow our live coverage of the conflict in the Middle East and related developments in Australia.

  • Jack Gramenz, Sarah McPhee and Alexander Darling
A building collapses as smoke rises following an Israeli strike in central Beirut, Lebanon, Wednesday, March 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)

US-Iran war as it happened: Top Iranian officials killed, Trump lashes allies, Iran strike near Australian base, War could push inflation past 5 per cent

An Iranian projectile has struck near an Australian defence base in the United Arab Emirates. Follow our live coverage of the conflict in the Middle East.

  • Sarah McPhee, Jack Gramenz and Alexander Darling

A blast across the valley, black smoke over the hills – and the wounded arrive

Streets are empty, the shops are closed and dogs roam the pavements. An explosion erupts, and doctors brace for incoming patients, write David Crowe and Kate Geraghty from Lebanon.

  • David Crowe and Kate Geraghty
Plumes of smoke from two simultaneous strikes rise over Tehran on Monday.

Muted reaction to aggression by allies fails the test of our generation

There are many echoes of Australia’s past mistakes in the government’s tacit approval of Donald Trump’s unilateralism.

  • The Age's View
Flames and smoke rise following Israeli airstrikes on Dahiyeh, a southern suburb of Beirut, Lebanon, on Monday.

What is Hezbollah and why is Israel attacking Lebanon?

Israel began striking southern Lebanon on Monday in response to rockets being fired into its north. Now it says a Lebanese party chief is an assassination target. Here’s what to know.

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Mohammad Marwan has spent the past year trying to recover from his time in prison under the Assad regime.

The dictator, the rebels – and the father of three who stumbled barefoot into freedom

As Bashar al-Assad fled for Moscow, the doors of his notorious prison flew open. And one man, after six long years behind bars, made his way home, broken but alive.

  • Ghaith Alsayed and Abby Sewell
Security officers gather near destroyed vehicles at the site where an Israeli strike hit at an apartment building in Dahiyeh on Sunday.

Israel targets senior Hezbollah official in first strike on Beirut in months

The Iran-backed militant group said the strike, launched almost exactly a year after a ceasefire ended that Israel-Hezbollah war, threatened an escalation of attacks.

  • Fadi Tawil and Kareem Chehayeb
People gather near ambulances ferrying victims of the strike at Ein el-Hilweh refugee camp in Sidon.

Israel targets Lebanon with airstrike that kills 13

The Israeli military said it had hit a Hamas training compound in the deadliest attack inside Lebanon since last year’s ceasefire.

  • Mohammad Zatari

Why have some missiles penetrated Israel’s Iron Dome?

As conflict between Israel and Iran escalates, the damage is clear on the ground in both countries. How are Iran’s missiles evading Israeli defences?

  • Jackson Graham and Angus Holland