Iran launched long-range missiles against Israel, just hours after Israeli forces launched a ground offensive into southern Lebanon against Iran's main proxy, Hezbollah. The dramatic escalation is raising fears of an all-out war in the Middle East. We hear from two NPR correspondents in the region.

For more coverage of all sides of this conflict, go to npr.org/mideastupdates

The war in the Middle East appears to be widening, almost one year after Hamas launched its attack on Israel.

For more on what might unfold from here, Consider This host Ailsa Chang speaks with General Frank McKenzie, the retired Commander of United States Central Command.

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Email us at considerthis@npr.org.

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Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati said his country was facing “one of the most dangerous phases of its history” amid Israel’s ground incursion into southern Lebanon, which began late Monday.

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The Iranian airstrikes come in the wake of stepped-up Israeli military operations in Lebanon against Hezbollah, a group backed by Iran for decades. Israel says it shot down most of the Iranian missiles.

(Image credit: Maya Levin for NPR)

A bus carrying young students and their teachers on a school trip caught fire in suburban Bangkok, leaving more than 20 feared dead, officials and rescuers said.

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Claudia Sheinbaum is a 62-year-old environmental scientist who left academia on a political trajectory that took her from a local mayor, to running Mexico City, to winning the presidency with nearly 60% of the vote.

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The Israeli military pressed its ground incursion into southern Lebanon on Tuesday, calling the operations “limited incursions” that are targeting Hezbollah militants.

(Image credit: Maya Levin)