Iranian drone shot down: Talks with Tehran 'remain scheduled,' White House says | LIVE

Drone shot down: US-Iran talks 'remain scheduled,' White House says

Planned talks between U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian officials remain scheduled for now, the White House said Tuesday, shortly after the U.S. military shot down an Iranian drone in the Arabian Sea.

White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt told Fox News that Witkoff is expected to meet with the Iranians later this week. They "remain scheduled as of right now, but of course, the president has always a range of options on the table, and that includes the use of military force,” she said.

US shoots down Iranian drone approaching aircraft carrier, official says

The U.S. military shot down on Tuesday an Iranian drone that approached the Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier in the Arabian Sea, a U.S. official told Reuters on Tuesday.

The Iranian Shahed-139 drone was flying towards the carrier and was shot down by a F-35 U.S. fighter jet.

Explosion heard in the vicinity of Kfar Kila, Odaisseh

The sound of an explosion was heard in the vicinity of the villages of Kfar Kila and Odaisseh (Marjayoun district), according to our correspondent in the South. Details of the explosion remain unclear.

UNIFIL says Israeli drone dropped stun grenade 50 meters away from peacekeepers

The UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) stated that the Israeli army dropped a stun grenade about 50 meters away from its peacekeepers in the village of Kfar Kila (Marjayoun district) this morning, adding that "such use of armed drones is unacceptable."

In its statement, UNIFIL noted that no one was hurt in the incident, and the patrol continued. The peacekeeping force added that it had informed yesterday both the Israeli and Lebanese armies about its activity in Kfar Kila.

"We reiterate to the Israeli army its obligation to respect the Blue Line, ensure the safety of peacekeepers, and cease attacks on or near them," UNIFIL added.

Our correspondent in the south, Muntasser Abdallah, reported this morning that a small Israeli drone dropped a stun grenade at 9 a.m. on the vicinity of a house in the village of Kfar Kila. The same house was detonated by an Israeli force that infiltrated into the village last night. It remains unclear if this is the same incident mentioned by UNIFIL.

Nawaf Salam says he 'won't allow' Lebanon to be dragged into new conflict

Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said Tuesday that he will not allow Lebanon to be dragged into a new conflict, according to the state-run National News Agency (NNA).

Hezbollah had recently warned that any attack on Iran, its regional sponsor and backer, would be seen as an attack on the group.

"We will never allow anyone to drag the country into another adventure," Salam said during the World Governments Summit in Dubai, in response to a question about comments made by Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem last week.

Salam called on his people to "rally around the state" and on his "Arab brothers" to participate in the international conference in support of the Lebanese Army scheduled for March 5 in Paris. "We need their support," he said.

Read more here.

Macron says Iran must 'respect' the 'revolution' and 're-engage in discussions'

French President Emmanuel Macron said on Tuesday, according to AFP, that Iran must "respect its people in the face of the revolution" that took place in January and the "terrible repression" by the authorities, but also "re-engage in the discussions that are expected" on nuclear issues, ballistics, and regional stability.

Questioned by the press during a visit to Haute-Saone in eastern France, the head of state did not call for regime change in Tehran, because "that cannot be decreed into a microphone held out by the President of the French Republic."

"I believe in the sovereignty of peoples, and therefore it is the peoples who change their rulers," he said.

"Iran's responsibility today is, on the one hand, to respect its people in the face of the revolution that has taken place and the terrible repression we have seen," "to free political prisoners, and then to reopen the discussions that are expected of it on the nuclear issue on the one hand, on the ballistic issue on the other, and finally on regional stability, since there are still many militias destabilizing Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon," said the French president.

Syria: Government forces enter the predominantly Kurdish city of Qamishli, according to official Syrian news agency

Syrian government forces began entering the predominantly Kurdish city of Qamishli in northeastern Syria on Tuesday, in accordance with an agreement between Damascus and the Kurds, according to the official Sana news agency.

An AFP correspondent on the ground saw a column of security forces consisting of armored vehicles and other vehicles advancing towards Qamishli, the main Kurdish-majority city in the autonomous zone established by this minority.

Iran on 'maximum defensive readiness' ahead of talks with US in Istanbul

Iran is on "maximum defensive readiness" ahead of talks with the U.S. in Istanbul and is prepared for any eventuality, an Iranian diplomatic source told Reuters.

According to the source, Tehran is adopting "neither optimism nor pessimism" about the outcome of the talks.

The source added that the Istanbul meeting will reveal whether Washington "intends to hold serious and constructive discussions," specifying that Tehran's defense capabilities are non-negotiable.

Witkoff lands in Israel

U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff landed at Ben Gurion Airport in Israel ahead of his meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other Israeli officials to discuss the Iranian issue.

Last Friday, senior military officials from the U.S. and Israel met at the Pentagon in Washington to discuss possible scenarios for a new military confrontation with Iran, according to Reuters.

Israeli fire kills at least three and injures fifteen in Gaza in 24 hours

Israeli fire has killed at least three people and injured fifteen in the Gaza Strip in 24 hours, according to a statement from the Palestinian enclave's Ministry of Health.

According to the ministry, other victims are still trapped under the rubble and inaccessible to rescue workers.

Since the start of the cease-fire, Israel has killed 529 people in Gaza and wounded 1,462 others, the ministry said.

Rescue workers have recovered 717 bodies from under the rubble in the Gaza Strip during the cease-fire.

Since the Oct. 7, 2023, Israel has killed 71,803 Palestinians in Gaza and wounded 171,570 others, according to Gaza medical authorities.

Jean-Noel Barrot expected in Beirut on Feb. 6

L'Orient-Le Jour has learned that French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot is expected in Beirut on Friday, Feb. 6, as part of a regional tour that also includes Syria and Iraq.

He is expected to meet with President Joseph Aoun, Speaker of Parliament Nabih Berri, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, and Army Chief Rodolph Haykal.

The minister is expected to discuss preparations for the conference in support of the army scheduled for March 5 in Paris, as well as the renewal of France's and the international community's support for the government's disarmament efforts.

Barrot's visit will take place just before the Cabinet meeting, at which General Haykal is expected to present his vision for the second phase of the Hezbollah disarmament plan, which concerns the region between the Litani and Awali rivers.

Qatar says diplomatic efforts are 'continuing very intensely' with Iran

Qatar said Tuesday that diplomatic efforts were continuing "intensively" in the region with a view to negotiations between Iran and the United States, for which Tehran has said it is preparing.

"Efforts are continuing very intensively," said Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesman Majed Al-Ansari at a press conference in Doha, according to AFP.

"We are working in tandem with all our neighbors and friendly nations with whom we are currently collaborating," he said, citing Turkey, Egypt, Oman, and Saudi Arabia.

Iran: 139 foreign nationals arrested during protests, according to Iranian agency

Iranian authorities arrested 139 foreign nationals in the country during the protest movement that broke out in December and was violently suppressed, local media reported on Tuesday.

"During the examination of files related to the rioters, it was established that 139 of those arrested are foreigners," the Tasnim news agency reported, quoting the police chief of the city of Yazd (in central Iran), Ahmad Negahban, according to AFP. The nationalities of these individuals were not specified.

According to Negahban, they were involved "in organizing, inciting, and leading the riots, in some cases in contact with networks outside" Iran.

Curfew in the Kurdish city of Qamishli, Syria; Government forces deployed

Local Kurdish authorities imposed a curfew on Tuesday in the predominantly Kurdish city of Qamishli in northeastern Syria, where Syrian government forces are expected to deploy later today, according to an AFP team on the ground.

Damascus security forces already entered the city of Hasakeh, which was under Kurdish control, on Monday under an agreement with Damascus to integrate Kurdish institutions and troops into the Syrian state.

According to the AFP team, activity has come to a complete standstill in Qamishli, where a 24-hour curfew has been imposed and Kurdish security forces are deployed in force.

A column of government security forces is due to enter the city at midday, with a limited number of personnel and vehicles, according to the commander of the internal security forces for the province of Hasakeh, Marwan al-Ali, appointed by Damascus.

Israel fires stun grenade around house in Kfar Kila (Marjayoun)

An hour ago, an Israeli drone targeted the area surrounding a house in Kfar Kila (Marjayoun) with a stun grenade.

Israeli forces had infiltrated the area last night and detonated a building on the outskirts of the village.

Fire breaks out on Tuesday in a bazaar west of Tehran

A major fire broke out on Tuesday in a bazaar west of Tehran, according to Iranian state media, quoted by AFP, with the cause of the blaze remaining unclear for the time being.

The fire broke out in a local market in the Jannat Abad neighborhood, an area full of stalls and shops, said Jalal Maleki, a spokesman for the Tehran fire department, quoted by state television.

"The fire is so big that it can be seen from different parts of the city," he said.

Israel opposes the use of the Palestinian Authority symbol in the new logo of the Gaza Strip Management Committee

The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a statement on Monday saying that "Israel will not accept the use of the Palestinian Authority symbol" in the logo of the Gaza Strip Management Committee.

This statement follows the adoption by this committee of technocrats of a new logo that is almost identical to the emblem of the Palestinian Authority, represented by an eagle.

This logo replaces another one, representing a phoenix in the colors of the Palestinian flag against a backdrop of building silhouettes.

The United Arab Emirates says it believes Iran 'needs to reach an agreement'

Iran must reach an agreement with the United States, a senior United Arab Emirates official said on Tuesday, as talks on Iran's nuclear program are expected to resume following threats of U.S. intervention.

"Iran now needs to reach an agreement," said Anwar Gargash, advisor to the Emirati president, at a conference in Dubai, arguing that the country must "restore its relations with the United States."

"I would like to see direct negotiations between Iran and the United States lead to agreements so that we no longer face these problems," he added, referring to the current tensions in the region.

Trickle of Palestinians get to leave and enter Gaza as Rafah crossing reopens

World Health Organisation officials help with the evacuation of Palestinian patients and war-wounded people to leave the Gaza Strip for treatment abroad through the Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt, days after it was opened by Israel for

A dozen Palestinian returnees were allowed into Gaza from Egypt late Monday after the long-awaited reopening of the Rafah border crossing was marred by delays.

Their arrival came hours after a small group of medical evacuees was ferried from the territory into Egypt for medical care.

The step was mostly a symbolic one, with few people allowed to travel and no goods allowed to pass through.

The limitations were apparent Monday as crossings fell well short of the 50 people officials had said would be allowed to move in each direction.

Israel blows up a building in Kfar Kila

The Israeli army infiltrated an area on the outskirts of Kafr Kila (Marjayoun) overnight and detonated a house.

Iran, US to hold nuclear talks on Friday, some regional countries to participate, say sources

Iran and the United States will resume nuclear talks on Friday in Turkey, Iranian and U.S. officials told Reuters on Monday, while a regional diplomat said representatives from countries such as Saudi Arabia and Egypt would participate.

U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi will meet in Istanbul in an effort to revive diplomacy over a long-running dispute about Iran's nuclear program and dispel fears of a new regional war.

Turkey and other regional allies have sought de-escalation.

"Qatar, Saudi Arabia, UAE and Egypt, as well as some other countries, will attend the Istanbul meeting. There will be bilateral, trilateral and other meetings," the diplomat said.

Read more here.

Hello and welcome to our live blog

We will be providing live coverage of news in Lebanon, Gaza and the Palestinian territories, and the rest of the region.

We are following closely developments between the United States and Iran, as well as the situation in southern Lebanon and Gaza, which Israel continues to attack daily.

Read our Morning Brief for the latest roundup of news from yesterday and what to expect today.