Israel-Iran latest: Hezbollah ‘poised to strike independently of Tehran’ as flights warned to avoid airspace

As Israel awaits retaliation for the killing of Hamas and Hezbollah chiefs in Beirut and Tehran, intelligence reportedly suggests that the Lebanese militant group is poised to strike independently of Iran .

The militants are moving more quickly than their more powerful ally in planning their retaliation and are looking to strike Israel in the coming days, CNN citing sources with knowledge of intelligence on the matter as saying.

It came as Egypt ’s Civil Aviation Ministry said it had ordered its airlines to avoid Iranian airspace for three hours on Thursday following a notice that Iran would be conducting military exercises.

The ministry said the warning came in a message sent by Iran to all commercial airlines, adding that the airspace ban would be in place for three hours on Thursday morning.

Tensions have been heightened following the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran, and Hezbollah commander Fuad Shukr in Beirut.

Israel has vowed to kill Yahya Sinwar – the architect of the 7 October attacks that sparked the war in Gaza – after he was announced as the new leader of Hamas.