The world just woke up to a new Middle East on Wednesday which stands on the precipice of major war between Iran and its proxies and Israel, following the overnight Israeli assassination of Ismail Haniyeh, the top political leader of Hamas, during an inauguration event for Iran's new president. Haniyeh, who is based in Qatar, and an Iranian security guard were killed reportedly while in the Iranian capital. Hamas has since condemned the "treacherous Zionist raid on his residence in Tehran."

Iran is vowing "severe" punishment, with the Islamic Republic's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Khamenei, announcing in English and Farsi on X, "The criminal, terrorist Zionist regime martyred our dear guest in our territory and has caused our grief, but it has also prepared the ground for a severe punishment."

And Iran's newly sworn-in president Masoud Pezeshkian in a statement cited in state media said the country will "defend its territorial integrity, dignity, honor, and pride, and will make the terrorist occupiers regret their cowardly act."

Taking out Haniyeh was the second high-profile assassination attributed by Israel in a matter of hours, following the Tuesday airstrike in Beirut that killed Hezbollah's top military leader and right-hand man to Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah, Fuad Shukr. 

That attack was massive and on a neighborhood and buildings in the south of the capital, with Lebanon's Health Ministry saying three people, including two children, have been killed, with at least 74 wounded. Emergency workers are still searching under the rubble, and thus the civilian death toll is likely to rise further.

And now there are emerging reports of another Israeli air raid - this time on Syria's capital of Damascus (unconfirmed) - with likely casualties. A large cloud of smoke was seen rising over the Damascus suburb of Sayyidah Zaynab at around 3pm local time. It is an area which sees a constant influx of Iranian religious pilgrims, and Israel has bombed it frequently, saying each time it is targeting Iranian military assets and proxies.

Adding to this volatile mix, the US military also overnight launched its first military action in Iraq in months, reportedly striking militia combatants who attempted to launch a drone attack. The Pentagon is calling the new military action a defensive airstrike.

The US State Department and US administration have reportedly expressed confusion at the rapid series of Israeli actions in the last hours...