**Middle East Conflict Escalates as Iran, Israel, and Lebanon Experience Violence** Tensions in the Middle East continue to rise as Iran, Israel, and Lebanon experience increased violence. On Tuesday, Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard claimed that Tehran was still building missiles, despite a claim by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that the Islamic Republic no longer had the capability. General Ali Mohammad Naeini, the spokesman for the Revolutionary Guard, stated that the war would continue until the enemy is exhausted, and that the Iranian public expects this outcome. In a separate development, Sri Lanka refused permission to the United States to station two warplanes at an airport in the island's south. According to President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, the US had requested to bring two warplanes armed with eight anti-ship missiles from a base in Djibouti to the Mattala International Airport from March 4 to 8. The request was denied, with Dissanayake stating, "They wanted to bring two warplanes armed with eight anti-ship missiles and we said 'no'." Israel's military announced that it struck sites in southern Syria, alleging that the strikes were in response to attacks against the country's Druze minority. The strikes targeted a Syrian "commander centre" and weapons depots. Syria's state-run SANA news agency did not immediately acknowledge the attack, which would mark the first Israeli attack on Syria since it launched its bombardment with Iran alongside the US. In Lebanon, Israeli jets struck towns in southern Lebanon, causing multiple injuries, according to state media. The strikes targeted the towns of Bafliyeh and Hanine in the Tyre and Nabatieh regions. Additionally, a video supposedly showing an Iranian soldier being targeted in a Tehran strike was widely shared by pro-Israel accounts and Israeli media, but has been revealed to be AI-generated. Iran's Revolutionary Guard also claimed that its missile industry had scored a "perfect 20," which is considered a benchmark of success in the country. General Naeini stated, "Our missile industry score is 20 and there is no concern in this regard because we are producing missiles even during war conditions, which is amazing, and there is no particular problem in stockpiling." The general's comments suggest that Iran is continuing to invest in its missile program despite the ongoing conflict.