US warns security situation in Lebanon volatile, urges citizens to leave

The U.S. Embassy in Lebanon warned on Friday that the security situation in Lebanon is "volatile and unpredictable" and urged its citizens to leave the country while commercial flights remain available, reported Xinhua.

In a statement, the embassy said airstrikes, drone operations, and rocket attacks continue across several parts of the country, particularly in southern Lebanon, the Bekaa region, and parts of Beirut.

The embassy warned that Iran and allied armed groups may intend to target universities in Lebanon, noting that Iran has specifically threatened American universities across the Middle East.

Also on Friday, five people were killed and 15 others wounded in separate Israeli strikes on southern Lebanon and the Bekaa region, according to Lebanon's National News Agency.

Meanwhile, Lebanon's Health Ministry said in its daily report that the total death toll from Israeli attacks on Lebanon since March 2 has risen to 1,368, while the number of wounded has increased to 4,138.

Cross-border fighting has continued along the Lebanon-Israel border since March 2, when Hezbollah launched rockets toward Israel for the first time since a ceasefire agreed on Nov. 27, 2024, triggering intensified Israeli airstrikes across southern and eastern Lebanon.