TEHRAN - Israel launched fresh strikes on Iran and Lebanon, where state media reported a residential building was hit on Wednesday, as Iran's Guards said they had sealed off one of the world's most vital shipping routes for energy.
Governments scrambled to evacuate citizens stranded in the Middle East, where Iran expanded a retaliatory missile and drone barrage on the fifth day of a war that sent stocks sinking.
With global energy prices already on the rise over the expanding war, Iran's Revolutionary Guards said it has "complete control" of the Strait of Hormuz, the crucial chokepoint into the Gulf.
A drone was shot down on Wednesday near Baghdad's international airport, a day after a similar attack on the facility, two security sources told AFP.
An Iraqi security source in Baghdad confirmed the incident.
The airport includes a military base that hosts a US diplomatic facility and previously housed US-led coalition troops.
Israel kept up the bombardment, with its military announcing a "broad wave of strikes" after midnight across Iran, which in the hours before had launched three waves of missile barrages at Israel.
Saudi Arabia said it intercepted two cruise missiles, while drones struck near the US consulate in Dubai, starting a fire, and against the US military base at Al-Udeid in Qatar.
The United States encouraged all Americans to leave the region if they can find commercial flights, even though air travel has been severely disrupted, while governments including Britain and France sent in chartered flights to get citizens out.
Early Wednesday, the Israeli military called on residents to leave 16 towns and villages in southern Lebanon, in an "urgent warning" before using force against Hezbollah militants.
Lebanese state media said Israeli attacks on a building killed four in Baalbek in Lebanon's east, far from the border, as well as a Beirut hotel in an area so far spared the violence.
In Aramoun and Saadiyat -- two towns south of Beirut and outside the Hezbollah's traditional strongholds -- the health ministry said Israeli strikes killed six people and wounded eight. It cautioned that this was a "preliminary toll".
It was not immediately clear what was targeted in these towns or in Baalbek, and there was no immediate comment from the Israeli military, which earlier announced "broad-scale strikes" against Hezbollah.
In Tehran, residents who have not fled remained shut away in their homes, fearing the US-Israeli bombardment.
The Iranian capital is normally home to around 10 million people, but in recent days "there are so few people that you'd think no one ever lived here", said Samireh, a 33-year-old nurse.
Authorities had previously urged people to leave the city, and police officers, armed security forces and armoured vehicles have been stationed at main junctions, carrying out random checks on vehicles.