military targets in iran, amid growing cells for de—escalation from around the world. iran should not respond. we will continue to work with allies to de—escalate the situation across the region. the scene live at a polling station in georgia, as the vote comes to an end. observers say there have been irregularities in the polls. thousands of supporters of far—right wing activist tommy robinson gather in central london for a planned protest. in separate action, an anti—racism demonstration is under way. in other news, with less than two weeks to go until the us election, beyonce endorses kamala harris�* bid to become president. i am not here as a celebrity. i am not here as a politician. i am here as a mother. cheering

hello, i'm martine croxall. israel has fired missiles into iran overnight, saying it hit military targets in the country. iran's foreign ministry says it's "entitled and obligated" to defend itself against what it called "external aggressive acts", but also said it recognised its responsibilities towards "regional peace and security". it said two of its soldiers had been killed in the attacks. israel says the strikes were on twenty military and missile manufacturing sites by three waves of fighter jets, with some reports of up to 100 israeli jets involved. the specific locations of the attacks are yet to be confirmed but iran's state media said sites in the capital tehran and in the provinces of ilam and khuzestan in the south west of

the country were targeted. explosions these pictures show iran's air defense system working to intercept israeli missiles as they head over the iranian capital. according to the pentagon, the us was briefed on the strikes beforehand, but didn't have any involvement in the operation. both britain and the united states have urged iran not to strike back. russia has warned that an "explosive escalation" in hostilities risked spiralling out of control. here's sebastian usher, from jerusalem, with the latest. weeks of anticipation ended as israel launched its retaliation on iran, lighting up the skies over tehran. waves of israeli strikes targeted military sites. the israeli army said it had aimed at facilities that produce the missiles that have been fired at israel. the idf said it had accomplished its mission after several hours and delivered another strong warning to iran. translation: if the regime in iran were to make - the mistake of beginning a new round of escalation, we would be obliged to respond.

all those threatening israel will pay a heavy price. on the streets of the iranian capital, some expressed their growing nervousness over the situation. translation: i was working a night shift, and at work - we heard the sound of cannon fire and explosion. in fact, the sound echoed across the sky. it was a terrible and horrifying sound. translation: war is frightening. - everyone has concerns about what happens during a war. the harms of war worry everyone, but i don't believe a terrible war will happen in iran. that sense of trepidation is also being felt here in israel, for weeks, where many fear that the showdown with iran could embroil the country ever deeper in a dangerous cycle of escalation, a concern also voiced by the prime minister. i am clear that israel has

the right to defend itself against iranian aggression. i'm equally clear that we need to avoid further regional escalation and urge all sides to show restraint. iran should not respond. we will continue to work with allies to de—escalate the situation across the region. the iranian foreign ministry has said the country is entitled and obliged to defend itself. the israeli strikes were in direct response to iran's ballistic missile attack at the start of the month. the ball is now back in iran's court. following israel's retaliatory strike on iran overnight, let's remind you of how we got here. tensions rose in lebanon last month when at least 32 people were killed and thousands injured in lebanon, as dozens of hand—held devices like pagers and walkie—talkies

— some owned by members of hezbollah, a group backed by iran — spontaneously exploded. ten days later, hezbollah leader hassan nasrallah was assassinated in israeli air strikes on southern beirut in lebanon. three days later, israeli tanks crossed the border into southern lebanon, opening up a new offensive in the conflict. within hours, iran had launched nearly 200 ballistic missiles towards israel. most were intercepted by israel's air defences, but mr netanyahu vowed then that israel would respond. two weeks later, the leader of hamas, yahya sinwar — who masterminded the october 7th attacks on israel — was killed in a chance encounter with israeli forces in rafah in southern gaza. it's seen as israel's biggest victory so far in its war against hamas. our middle east correspondent yolande knell gave us it was very carefully calibrated, this response, and it does seem that israel heeded the warnings from its closest ally, the us,

not to hit iran's most sensitive sites, its nuclear sites, its oil production facilities, because that could really have had a big knock—on effect economically and it really could have tipped the region into a full—scale regional war. we have had, you know, iran coming out, saying that it is going to respond to what happened, and we've got one of the semi—official news agencies talking about a proportional response, the iranians really saying that israel broke international humanitarian law here but when they're thinking about what to do next, i mean, they will be reflecting, the iranian leadership, on the fact that this was limited damage with two soldiers killed, they say, but they know that israel has the capabilities to have done much more major damage inside iran. there have been these warnings coming from the us as well, really saying that now the strikes and counter—strikes

between these two countries, the direct fire, has to stop. so, what is there in the way of international support for israel? i mean, we've had strong messages of support from the likes of the us, which was kept very much aware of what was going on, it said that it was told about israel's operation in advance but did not take part in it. they have been defending, along with the uk and others, israel's right, they say, to defend itself against what is seen as iranian aggression. now, that said, within the region you get a very different reaction. you've got the likes of saudi arabia talking about how this was a violation of iranian sovereignty, a lot of condemnation of israel, and jordan, a neighbouring country, making clear that its airspace was not used to carry out this attack, it says.

let's speak to editor of amwaj.media — mohammad ali shabani. thank you forjoining us at bbc news. as far as you can tell, what were the targets that were struck in iran? we what were the targets that were struck in iran?— struck in iran? we have yet to see, it will — struck in iran? we have yet to see, it will take _ struck in iran? we have yet to see, it will take some - struck in iran? we have yet to see, it will take some time i struck in iran? we have yet to see, it will take some time to| see, it will take some time to distribute among analysts and journalists, but what we do know so far based on public statements by both sides is that military centres have been targeted. on the israeli side there has been a declaration that miss are producing sites have been hit, sites engaged in the production of solid fuel, spare parts, things of that nature so they have been focusing on the military aspects, not on the energy infrastructure, economic centres. infrastructure, economic centres-_

infrastructure, economic centres. , ., ~' infrastructure, economic centres. , ~ , centres. why do you think these are the targets _ centres. why do you think these are the targets that _ centres. why do you think these are the targets that israel - are the targets that israel chose? i are the targets that israel chose? ~ , , ., chose? i think this is about proportionality, _ chose? i think this is about proportionality, the - chose? i think this is about | proportionality, the october the 1st missile attack on israel was focused on three military bases and an intelligent site so it was luck targeting economic centres all civilian centres or anything of that sort. i believe the us administration put heavy pressure on israel to escalate beyond control, to try to keep their attack contained.- their attack contained. there has been _ their attack contained. there has been a — their attack contained. there has been a statement - their attack contained. there has been a statement on - their attack contained. there has been a statement on the last few minutes from joe biden, saying that it is his understanding that it was military targets rather than anything else, as you suggest, that were targeted. how likely is it you think that israel will have heeded the warning from the white house to avoid nuclear installations? i from the white house to avoid nuclear installations?- nuclear installations? i think that this episode _ nuclear installations? i think that this episode may - nuclear installations? i think that this episode may not i nuclear installations? i think| that this episode may not yet be over. we have to wait and see next steps. for now, iran is inclined not to escalate further in response. however,

we are receiving reports of an increasing death toll. you mentioned earlier that of the two deaths, but that is reportedly up to four soldiers killed, this figure going up, iran may be what does have to respond in which case we will have a second round of confrontation and then we may see an expansion of targets to include sites which are not military. include sites which are not military-— include sites which are not milita . . �*, , ., ., military. iran's state media seems to — military. iran's state media seems to have _ military. iran's state media seems to have downplayed j military. iran's state media - seems to have downplayed these attacks by israel overnight. what you think might imply as to will they retaliate further? their ability to defeat the attack, i think this is a site —— sign that they don't want to continue this any further, however precise the munitions may have been, it is, there is always a human factor and things are not predictable and

here, we are seeing an increasing death toll, currently standing at four and if it increases it will be difficult for iran to ignore the attack on three provinces, 20 military sites, multiple dead,it 20 military sites, multiple dead, it is difficult for iran to ignore that completely. thank you for talking to us here on bbc news. the lebanese health ministry said that 19 people were killed in israeli strikes yesterday. earlier, a funeral was held for one of the three journalists killed by a strike in hasbaya, southern lebanon. lebanese state media has said that unifil, the united nations peacekeeping force in lebanon, has had journalists killed by a strike in hasbaya, southern lebanon. lebanese state media has said that unifil, the united nations peacekeeping force in lebanon, has had to withdraw its troops from a permanent observation post. israel had said the post was located near a hezbollah tunnel. meanwhile, hezbollah says it has launched rockets and drones into israel, including rockets fired at residential areas, and a drone attack on an airbase south

of tel aviv. the israeli military says about 80 projectiles entered israeli territory. let's speak to nafiseh kohnavard. whilst the attention is on iran, it is easy to forget that lebanon are still in the thick of this. ~ �* of this. we, here in beirut, could hear— of this. we, here in beirut, could hear explosions - of this. we, here in beirut, could hear explosions from j could hear explosions from these nine air strikes carried out by the israeli air force on the southern suburbs of beirut, but there were heavy air strikes on southern lebanon and the north—east of the country, and it still continues today. there have been at least 30 air strikes on the southern lebanon, so it shows the scale of the air strikes, but regarding the casualties, right

now, the ministry of health obligated the number. the reason is that not only are these attacks, but also because these attacks, but also because the recovery operation in some of the attack sites is still continuing, which, yesterday, one of them, after three days, they were still searching for bodies, due to the devastated areas, and mainly residential areas, and mainly residential areas, on the other hand, hezbollah and the israeli army has confirmed that at least ten israeli soldiers have been killed in the last 48 hours, and more than 2a soldiers have been injured in the fight that is going on between hezbollah and israel in southern lebanon,

inside lebanese territory, and today also we witness, there was an earthquake that was felt on the lebanese borderfrom both sides of the border, between lebanon and israel, and thenit between lebanon and israel, and then it was made clear that those waves that picked up as earthquake, in fact the reason was that the waves were created by the detonating of each part of a lebanese village on the border, by the israeli forces. they released footage from detonating that village. nafiseh kohnavard, for the moment, from beirut, thank you. election observers in georgia say there have been numerous violations in a parliamentary vote seen as crucial to relations with europe and russia.

it's one of the most important parliamentary elections since independence from the soviet union more than 30 years ago. the observers have reported violence against journalists and observers from opposition parties, infringements of voting secrecy and cases of intimidation. the georgian dream party — which has governed for 12 years — is hoping to extend its hold on power. it's being challenged by a number of opposition groupings who accuse georgian dream of jeopardising moves to join the european union — and adopting increasingly pro—russian policies. rival exit polls are split on the results. let's speak to our south caucasus and central asia correspondent, rayhan demytrie. how useful are these polls? the olls how useful are these polls? the polls closed _ how useful are these polls? tie: polls closed about an how useful are these polls? ti2 polls closed about an hour ago, and the main opposition and

government tv channels published exit polls which kind of suggest that, georgian dream is in the lead, according to the exit polls this is not official information, 56%, and the opposition combined say according to the exit polls, received 30%, whilst two separate exit polls conducted by opposition channels put them in the winning place, with over 51%, and georgian dream around 42%. this is competing information, and at this stage both sides are claiming victory, but we are waiting now for the central election commission to publish the early results. as it has been in previous elections here in georgia, the governing georgian dream has its headquarters a short distance from where we are standing. we have already seen fireworks. they are

broadcasting live and they are in celebratory mood. the same thing is happening with the opposition. so, it is not clear who won this crucial election that has been so highly anticipated by the georgian population because people are divided. on the one hand the younger generation believe that this vote is about their country's future europe. they believe that the georgian dream that has been in powerfor the past 12 years, especially in recent years, has been pushing a pro—kremlin narratives and policies in georgia, whilst the georgian dream has been talking about a choice between war and peace. they are saying that only derry can parity peace and stability in georgia, whilst they accuse the opposition of attempts to drag this country into ukraine's war.— attempts to drag this country into ukraine's war. a rally of supporters

of prominent far—right activist tommy robinson has begun in central london but mr robinson himself isn't attending because he's been detained by police since friday. at least 3,000 people are outside downing street after mr robinson announced on his x page that he was �*coming home to unite the kingdom once again�*. the 41 year old is in police custory charged with terrorism offences — after refusing to tell police the code to access his mobile phone. meanwhile, a counter protest is also taking place at piccadilly with people against the far right and welcoming refugee communities. our correspondent will vernon has been reporting from central london all day and has sent this update. there is a hefty police presence. there are three different protest going on. just a little bit further down whitehall, there is an event that was called by the activist tommy robinson, a significant turnout with many thousands of people chanting his name, and "we want tommy, and that is

because he was arrested yesterday and charged with under schedule seven of the terrorism act, not giving officers the pin numberfrom his mobile phone, and he is due to appear in monday on an unrelated contempt of court charge. his supporters are put up charge. his supporters are put up a stage near downing street, where there are several speakers from the far right and from anti—immigration movements, and they are calling for the release of tommy robinson. what you can see behind me here, just out of the square is the counterprotest to that, and that is organised by the group, stand up to racism, with other antiracism organisations taking part. i have seen a big banner with games against nazis written on it, and the third event is

organised by friends, family and supporters of the young man shot and killed by police in south london, chris kaba, the police officer charged with his murder had been acquitted, so thatis murder had been acquitted, so that is a controversial case, and his supporters were gathering here earlier also so, a significant police presence, officers drafted in from other forces sent here, to make sure that there are enough offices, enough bodies to make sure that all of these protest pass off peacefully, which they largely have. the metropolitan police say that people must disperse by 6pm today, and there have only been a handful of arrests so far. ~ ., so far. will vernon reporting from central _ so far. will vernon reporting from central london. - with the polls in the us election still close, there are concerns that if donald trump loses, he will refuse to accept the result, as he did in 2020.

our analysis editor ros atkins has been looking at why these concerns have emerged, and what might happen this time. the polls in this election remain tight, donald trump could win, kamala harris could win but what if trump loses, we can expect legal challenges, there is concern about violence, and we know what violence,