US and Israel threaten major escalation as airstrikes bombard Iran and Lebanon

US says its firepower will ‘surge dramatically’ and IDF warns of ‘surprises ahead’, as Iran launches retaliatory strikesMiddle East crisis – live updatesIsrael and the US have bombarded Iran and Lebanon with a fresh wave of airstrikes and threatened a major escalation in their joint offensive, as Iran retaliated with more attacks across a swath of the Middle East.Pete Hegseth, the US defence secretary, said US firepower was “about to surge dramatically” with the deployment of more bombers, while Eyal Zamir, the Israel Defense Forces chief of staff, said Israel was moving to a new phase of its offensive that would “further dismantle the regime and its military capabilities”. Continue reading…