Israeli airstrikes pounded the southern suburbs of Beirut overnight and on Friday, smashing up city streets in an escalating conflict ​with Iran-backed Hezbollah that has sent many tens of thousands of Lebanese from their homes.

Since the US and Israel first struck Iran with bombing and missile attacks over the weekend, the speed at which this war has exploded into a regional conflict is ‘dizzying’, says the Guardian’s Oliver Holmes.

There have been a series of confirmed and unconfirmed strikes across the Islamic Republic.

Iran is roughly the same size as Alaska, 2.5 times the size of Texas and covers about one-sixth of the US land area.

The West Asia conflict expanded to include Iran-backed militias on Monday with an attack by Hezbollah on Israel. Israel struck back against the group in Lebanon while the United States pounded targets in Iran.

Latest: Israeli strikes are pounding Lebanon, including an ongoing barrage around Beirut after the Israelis issued new evacuation orders for citizens living in and around Lebanon’s capital city. “At least three buildings collapsed,

U.S. and Israeli airstrikes have pounded Tehran, the most populous city and capital of Iran. More than 30% of the country's war casualties have occurred in the city, where the American and Israeli militaries have struck Iranian leaders,

A strike on Saturday also hit 72nd Square, a residential area in the Narmak district in northeastern Tehran, where Iran’s former president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, is known to reside. That strike appeared to hit Hedayat High School, killing two students, according to the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency.