Netanyahu says will respond with 'force Iran has never seen' if it attacks Israel
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed on Tuesday that Israel would strike back if attacked by Iran, warning the Islamic Republic would face a level of force it had never encountered.
"If Iran makes the grave mistake of attacking Israel, we will respond with a force that Iran has never seen," Netanyahu said at a televised press conference.
Israel's Netanyahu says a Palestinian state in Gaza 'will not happen'
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed Tuesday that he would not allow the establishment of a Palestinian state in the Gaza Strip, asserting that Israel would maintain security control "from Jordan to the sea."
"I'm hearing that I will allow the establishment of a Palestinian state in Gaza — this hasn't happened and it will not happen... I think you all know that the person who has repeatedly blocked the establishment of a Palestinian state is me," Netanyahu said in a televised press conference.
"Israel will exercise security control from the Jordan to the sea, and that applies to the Gaza Strip as well."
Iran neighbors will be considered 'hostile' if territory used to launch attack: IRGC
IRGC says Iran neighbors will be considered 'hostile' if territory used to launch attack.
Israeli sonic bomb detonates over Aita al-Shaab
An Israeli drone launched a sonic bomb over the village of Aita al-Shaab in Bint Jbeil, according to our correspondent
Syria's al-Sharaa to meet Putin in Russia on Wednesday
Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa will meet Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on Wednesday for talks, the Kremlin said, in the former rebel commander's second visit to Russia since he ousted Kremlin-ally Bashar al-Assad in 2024.
The meeting comes as Moscow seeks to secure agreements to maintain its two military bases in Syria, and as Sharaa pushes for the extradition of Assad, whom Russia has been sheltering since his removal from power over a year ago.
"A discussion is planned on the status of bilateral relations and prospects for developing them in various fields, as well as the current situation in the Middle East," the Kremlin said in a statement Tuesday.
Russia was a key ally of Assad during the bloody 14-year Syrian civil war, launching air strikes on rebel-held areas of Syria largely controlled by Sharaa's Islamist forces.
Assad's ouster from power in December 2024 dealt a major blow to Russia's influence in the region and laid bare the limits of Moscow's military reach as the Ukraine war grinds on.
Russia withdrew troops and equipment on Tuesday from an airport in Kurdish-held northeast Syria where its forces were based, according to an AFP correspondent.
Iran warns of 'destructive consequences' if Revolutionary Guards listed as terror group by EU
Iran has warned of "destructive consequences" if the country's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps is listed as a terrorist organization by the EU, state media reported Tuesday, after Italy's foreign minister urged Brussels to go ahead with the designation.
Rome's top diplomat Antonio Tajani on Monday said he would propose the idea "in coordination with other partners" at a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Brussels later this week.
It comes after unrest erupted in Iran last month over the rising cost of living which, according to officials, began as peaceful demonstrations before turning into what they described as "foreign-instigated riots" involving killings and vandalism.
Tehran summoned Italy's ambassador to the Islamic republic, Paolo Amadei, and condemned Tajani's remarks as "irresponsible", warning of "destructive consequences" if the bloc went ahead with the move, the official IRNA news agency reported.
The ministry urged Rome to "reconsider its misguided stance on Iran," IRNA said.
At least 3,117 people were killed in the protests, according to official figures, while international non-governmental organizations have reported higher death tolls.
The protests, which triggered an unprecedented communications shutdown across Iran, have largely subsided.
Russia pulls forces, heavy weapons from Qamichli Airport in Syria
Russia has withdrawn forces and heavy equipment from a small base at Qamichli airport in northeastern Syria’s Kurdish-led autonomous region, a military source said, with an AFP correspondent confirming the move.
The pullout comes as Kurdish forces, who still control Qamichli, suffered a major setback against the Syrian army, ceding large areas in northern and northeastern Syria.
"Russian forces are removing their equipment and heavy weapons from the airport," the source said.
Syria: Europe, US call for avoiding 'security vacuum' that could benefit IS
Europe and the U.S. call for avoiding "any security vacuum" that could benefit the Islamic State (IS) group, reports AFP.
Hezbollah member killed in strike in Batoulieh
Hezbollah announced the death of one of its members, Hussein Ahmad Mardina, alias Tha’er, in the Israeli strike that targeted a motorcycle earlier in the town of Batoulieh.
Israel says it eliminated Hezbollah members operating in underground facility in Nabatieh
The Israeli military said it conducted a strike on Monday and "eliminated Hezbollah terrorists operating in an underground facility belonging to Hezbollah in the Nabatieh area."
Israel also accused the party of "violating the cease-fire by attempting to rehabilitate the targeted site."
Gaza: UNICEF works to get nearly half Gaza's children back to school
UNICEF announced Tuesday that it has given new impetus to its emergency program to get children back to school in the Gaza Strip, now targeting nearly half of the Palestinian territory's school-age youth.
"UNICEF is scaling up its learning efforts in Gaza, as part of one of the largest emergency programs ever deployed in the world. Our back-to-school program will benefit 336,000 children," UNICEF spokesperson James Elder told reporters in Geneva, as reported by AFP.
According to estimates from the Ministry of Education, Gaza has more than 758,000 school-age children.
"Nearly two and a half years of attacks on schools in Gaza have jeopardized an entire generation." Currently, 60 percent of school-age children do not have access to in-person education ... and more than 90 percent of schools have been damaged during the conflict,” he added.
Iran: Currency plunges to record low
The Iranian currency has plummeted to a record low, trading at 1.5 million rials per U.S. dollar, according to several currency-tracking websites, Reuters reports.
The spark that ignited the protest movement that swept the Islamic Republic of Iran in late 2025, and was violently suppressed by authorities, resulting in thousands of deaths in January, originated with traders affected by the rapid depreciation of the rial against the dollar, which had reached a historic low at the end of December.
Qassem speech: Baabda reiterates 'decision on war, peace' remains with state
The Lebanese presidency will not "officially" comment on Monday's speech by Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem, in which he stated that his party was "concerned about the need to confront the American threat" against Iran and was "not neutral" in a conflict involving its Iranian patron, a source close to the Baabda Presidential Palace told L'Orient-Le Jour.
"But we reiterate that the decision [regarding the state's monopoly on weapons and the power to declare war and peace] has been made," the source said. President Joseph Aoun "will not back down on this," the source added.
Gaza: Paris calls for implementation of second phase of peace plan
France has called for the implementation of the second phase of the peace plan for Gaza, the day after the body of the last hostage was returned to the Palestinian territory, a condition set by Israel for continuing the plan.
"There are now no more hostages in Gaza," declared Pascal Confavreux, spokesperson for the French Foreign Affairs Ministry, in a message posted on the X platform, emphasizing the "immense relief."
"Entering the second phase of the peace plan for Gaza must now allow us to move from a cease-fire to a lasting peace, the massive delivery of humanitarian aid, and the re-establishment of a credible political horizon for achieving a two-state solution, with both states living in peace and security," he added.
The second phase of the Trump plan, secured last October, calls for the disarmament of Hamas, the gradual withdrawal of the Israeli army, which still controls approximately half of the Gaza Strip, and the deployment of an international force.
1 killed in Israeli drone strike on Sour district
The person targeted in the Israeli drone strike on the Sour district was killed, according to our correspondent in southern Lebanon.
Initial reports indicated one person was seriously injured and evacuated to a hospital in Sour.
According to our correspondent, residents of the area suggest the person killed was directly targeted while walking on the road.
Iran: Verified death toll surpasses 6,000, according to HRANA
A human rights organization said Tuesday it had confirmed the deaths of more than 6,000 people during the protests that rocked Iran earlier this month, adding that it was still investigating 17,000 other potential deaths.
Human rights organizations are denouncing a bloody crackdown on these protests and are struggling to consolidate their death toll — which could be much higher — particularly due to a nationwide internet blackout since Jan. 8.
Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), based in the United States, now says it has verified the deaths of 6,126 people, including 5,777 protesters, 86 minors, 214 members of the security forces, and 49 bystanders.
The organization added that it is still seeking to confirm 17,091 deaths.
Israeli drone strike on motorcycle in Sour district
An Israeli drone strike targeted a motorcycle in the town of Batoulieh, in the Sour district, seriously injuring at least one person, reports our correspondent in southern Lebanon.
Sharaa to meet Putin in Moscow on Wednesday
Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa will meet his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Wednesday, the pro-government television channel Syria TV announced on Monday.
2 Palestinians killed by Israeli army in Gaza
Two Palestinians were killed by Israeli army fire in Gaza, Haaretz reports.
US believes Hamas disarmament comes with form of amnesty, according to US official
The United States believes Hamas's disarmament in Gaza comes with a form of amnesty for the Palestinian group, a U.S. official told Reuters on Monday.
Speaking on condition of anonymity to reporters, the official made the remarks on the occasion of the return of the body of the last Israeli hostage held by Hamas.
"We hear a lot of Hamas members talking about disarmament. We think they will. If they don't disarm, they will have broken the agreement. We think disarmament will come with some kind of amnesty, and frankly, we think we have a very good disarmament program," the official said.
Trump informed Iranian government is at weakest since 1979 revolution: NYT
Several reports from U.S. intelligence agencies submitted to President Donald Trump indicate a weakening of the Iranian government, according to several informed sources, The New York Times reports.
According to the report, Trump was informed that Iran's grip on power is at its lowest level since the overthrow of the 1979 revolution.
The report adds that widespread protests in Iran, particularly in areas long considered regime strongholds, have "shaken some elements of the Iranian government."
Baghaei: Arrival of aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln will not affect Iran's resolve in face of protests
Iran "will not allow any threat to national security, even in its early stages, to reach the stage of action," a senior Iranian military official told state television on Monday.
"The arrival of such a warship will not affect Iran's resolve" in the face of the protests, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei also stated, according to AFP.
Rather than acting as "a deterrent," the "concentration and accumulation of foreign forces" would "increase their vulnerability and make them easy targets," he warned.
Trump: We have a large armada near Iran, larger than in Venezuela
“We have a large armada near Iran. Larger than in Venezuela,” U.S. President Donald Trump told the Axios website, alluding to the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in early January.
His remarks come after the aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln and its escort arrived in the Middle East “to promote regional security and stability,” according to the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM).
Victims of Israeli overnight strike on Kfar Roummane identified
The victims of Monday night's Israeli strike on the heights of Ali Taher, near the entrance to the town of Kfar Roummane in the Nabatieh district, have been identified.
According to our correspondent in southern Lebanon, they are Samer Hoteit, from Doueir, and Ahmad Abdel Nabi Ramadan Al-Sayed Ahmad, an Egyptian civilian.
Israeli drones drop bombs on Yaroun
After 11:30 p.m. on Monday, two drones dropped two bombs on a house in the city of Yaroun.
Then, at 1 a.m. on Tuesday, another drone dropped a third bomb on the same location, according to our correspondent in southern Lebanon.
Good morning! We are now launching our live coverage of the news from the Middle East.
We will be following developments in southern Lebanon and Gaza, which remain under Israeli bombardment despite cease-fires, as well as in Syria, still the scene of tensions and violence between the new regime and the SDF, and in Iran, following the protests of recent weeks.
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