Hezbollah's firing of missiles at Israel was retaliation for Khamenei killing, official says

March 9 (Reuters) - The Lebanese Iranian-backed militant group Hezbollah's launch of missiles towards Israel was retaliation for the killing of Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah ​Ali Khamenei, a senior official from the group said on Monday.

Senior Hezbollah official Mohammed Raad said in an address that the group would defend its existence, "no matter the price".

Khamenei was ​killed in strikes on Iran by the U.S. and ⁠Israel on the first day of their air war. Hezbollah's strikes against Israel have prompted Israel to bombard Hezbollah strongholds in Beirut and southern Lebanon, forcing hundreds of thousands to leave their homes.