Iran lashed out on Wednesday with attacks on Israel and its Gulf neighbors as Israel intensified strikes on Beirut, marking a sharp escalation in the regional war.

The attacks came after Israel killed Iranian Intelligence Minister Esmail Khatib, one of Tehran's most senior security figures. Israel's defense minister said the military carried out the strike, with Israel Katz announcing Khatib's killing and warning that "significant surprises are expected throughout this day on all the fronts," without elaborating.

Khatib had been sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury in 2022 for directing cyber-enabled espionage and ransomware attacks against the United States and its allies. The Treasury said he oversaw networks of cyber threat actors advancing Iran's political goals.

It also described Iran's Intelligence Ministry as one of the government's main security services responsible for serious human rights abuses, including crackdowns on activists, journalists, filmmakers, religious minorities, and women's rights advocates. Under Khatib, detainees were allegedly subjected to torture in secret detention centers.

His killing follows Israeli strikes that killed top Iranian security official Ali Larijani and Gen. Gholam Reza Soleimani, head of the Revolutionary Guard's Basij militia.

In response, Iran struck Israel with some of its most advanced weapons. Missiles hit near Tel Aviv, killing two people, as the Revolutionary Guard said it launched Khorramshahr-4 and Qadr multiple-warhead missiles at central Israel in retaliation for Larijani's killing.

The missiles are designed to evade air defenses and overwhelm radar systems, and footage showed at least one releasing cluster munitions over Israel.

Iran also widened the conflict across the Persian Gulf, targeting Saudi Arabia's oil-rich Eastern Province as well as Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. Saudi air defenses intercepted a ballistic missile aimed near Prince Sultan Air Base, which hosts U.S. forces, and two drones targeting Riyadh's diplomatic quarter, home to the U.S. Embassy.

Explosions were heard near Al Minhad Air Base in the UAE, where a projectile caused a small fire without injuries, according to Australia's prime minister. Missile interceptors were later seen exploding over Dubai.

Iran has also continued to tighten its grip on the Strait of Hormuz, a critical shipping lane through which about a fifth of the world's oil passes, raising fears of a global energy crisis. Oil prices have surged, with Brent crude rising above $100 per barrel — more than 40% higher since the war began.

Meanwhile, Israel intensified strikes in Lebanon, targeting what it said were Hezbollah positions. In Beirut, an apartment building was flattened about an hour after an evacuation warning — the fourth time it had been targeted. Israel claimed it was used to store "millions of dollars" for Hezbollah activities, without providing evidence.

At least 10 people were killed in central Beirut and two more in Lebanon's Bekaa Valley, according to Lebanon's Health Ministry. Israeli strikes have displaced more than 1 million Lebanese — about 20% of the population — with hundreds killed and thousands wounded.

Elsewhere, violence continued to spread. The U.S. Embassy in Baghdad came under fire for a second consecutive day, with pro-Iran militias blamed for ongoing attacks on American targets. A drone crashed inside the embassy compound on Tuesday.

U.S. Central Command said it carried out strikes using 5,000-pound bunker-buster bombs on Iranian missile sites along the country's coastline near the Strait of Hormuz.

U.S. President Donald Trump, frustrated by a lack of allied support to secure the waterway, posted online: "WE DON'T NEED THE HELP OF ANYONE!"

Inside Iran, authorities executed a man identified as Kourosh Keyvani, accused of spying for Israel's Mossad by providing images and information on sensitive locations. Rights groups have warned of potential mass executions following earlier nationwide protests that were violently suppressed.

An airstrike also hit a judiciary complex in Larestan in southern Fars province during working hours, killing and wounding staff and civilians, according to Iran's judiciary, which blamed the U.S. and Israel.

In a separate development, a projectile struck near Iran's Bushehr nuclear power plant, though the International Atomic Energy Agency said there were no injuries or damage. IAEA chief Rafael Grossi called for "maximum restraint" to avoid the risk of a nuclear accident.

Since the war began on Feb. 28 with U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran, Tehran has increasingly targeted regional energy infrastructure and military sites in an effort to raise oil prices and pressure Washington.

The toll continues to rise across multiple fronts. More than 1,300 people have been killed in Iran, while at least 14 have been killed in Israel and at least 13 U.S. service members have also died in the conflict.

The Associated Press contributed to this report