Israel pounded Beirut with airstrikes on Friday that the military said ‌targeted what it called militant "infrastructure" in the Lebanese capital, as the U.S. warned Iran could target universities in the country while war in the Middle East raged. Earlier Friday, Israel's military warned residents to leave seven neighbourhoods in the southern suburbs, saying strikes were imminent. Israel launched its campaign after Hezbollah fired into Israel on March 2 in solidarity with Iran after the U.S. and Israel began joint ‌strikes on Iran. Iran threatens universitiesThis week, Iran warned it would retaliate against U.S. universities in the region after its own universities were struck in attacks. On Friday, the U.S. embassy ​in Beirut warned that "Iran and its aligned terrorist militias may intend to target universities in Lebanon."

Source: CBC News April 04, 2026 02:40 UTC