Overnight escalation: Israel strikes south Lebanon with fighter jets for first time since cease-fire | LIVE

Iran denounces 'interventionist' statements by Gulf states

Iran said Friday that the joint statement by the United States and the Gulf Cooperation Council contained "interventionist, irresponsible, and provocative" positions. It also asserted that the U.S. military presence in the Gulf was a source of insecurity and division in the region.

In a statement carried by Reuters, the Iranian Foreign Ministry also reaffirmed its position that the Strait of Hormuz should be jointly administered with Oman, in accordance with the terms of the memorandum of understanding concluded with the United States.

Qassem calls for 'unconditional' Israeli withdrawal from south Lebanon

On the occasion of Ashura, Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem reiterated his call for an "unconditional" withdrawal of the Israeli army from occupied Lebanese territory in southern Lebanon.

His remarks came as ongoing negotiations between Beirut and Tel Aviv focus on a plan for "pilot zones" for the Israeli occupation army's withdrawal and deployment.

In his speech, the head of the movement again denounced the talks, calling on the Lebanese state to "take the hand extended" by Hezbollah. He argued that "the political authorities cannot go against the will of more than half of the Lebanese people."

Qassem also asserted that Hezbollah had won, in its war against Israel, "a battle against the suppression of Hezbollah, its environment, and its people."

"We are announcing it clearly: We have defeated the Israeli-American project and we are entering a new phase," he said.

Arguing that Israel does not intend to end its occupation of Lebanon, the secretary-general praised Iran's resistance.

"The United States and Israel wanted to eradicate Iran and its regime; they wanted to control the country and believed they could, but Iran stood firm," he said.

Maintaining that cooperation with Iran made it possible to defeat "the enemy and put an end to its project," Qassem said Hezbollah "intends to maintain its unity with this country, because it has become clear that its strength is reflected in that of the resistance fighters, and that this allows us to maintain a balance in order to defeat Israel and force it to withdraw."

He added that "Israel has no choice but to withdraw from all Lebanese territory, because its expansionist project has failed," again calling for an "unconditional" Israeli withdrawal.

The Hezbollah leader also said that "Lebanese sovereignty can be achieved through a return to the Nov. 27, 2024, agreement [which ended 13 months of war since October 2023] based on the party's withdrawal exclusively from the area south of the Litani River."

Addressing the Lebanese authorities, which have initiated direct negotiations with Israel in Washington despite Hezbollah's opposition, Qassem urged them "to reconsider the path forward, to work toward unity in the face of the Israeli enemy, and to stop acting under its orders," asserting that "political power cannot go against the will of more than half of the Lebanese people."

"We are ready to extend a hand, take advantage of the opportunity, because the resistance is strong," he said.

Macron to receive Oman sultan, key player in Hormuz Strait, on Monday

French President Emmanuel Macron will receive Sultan Haitham bin Tariq of Oman on Monday, marking the first visit to France by the Gulf state's leader.

Oman borders the Strait of Hormuz, and Macron will advocate for the "free and unconditional" reopening of the strategic maritime passage.

"The discussions will reaffirm the importance of supporting regional de-escalation and will address the security of maritime routes, which includes free and unconditional passage through the Strait of Hormuz," the French presidency said in a statement Friday.

Despite the agreement reached in mid-June between the United States and Iran to end the war triggered in late February by U.S.-Israeli attacks, the strait remains a major point of contention. Tehran is considering imposing "royalty rights," which did not exist before the war and which Washington opposes.

Attack on ship in Hormuz leads UN to halt evacuation plan for trapped sailors

An attack on a ship Thursday in the Strait of Hormuz led the U.N. to suspend efforts to evacuate trapped mariners as the United States warned against Iran charging fees for passage through the vital waterway.

The New York Times and other U.S. media reported that Iran struck a container ship in the strait, and the Iranian agency that claims to regulate traffic there issued a warning after the incident.

"Any passage through routes outside the framework designated by PGSA will not be covered by safe passage guarantees," Persian Gulf Strait Authority said on X.

Iran imposed a blockade of the strait during the war, sparking a global economic shock, and has since said it plans to introduce what it terms maritime service fees.

More information here.

Talks between Lebanon, Israel in Washington to continue Friday

The fifth round of U.S.-mediated talks between Israel and Lebanon, originally scheduled to conclude Thursday, will continue Friday in Washington, the U.S. State Department announced.

"Discussions between Israel and Lebanon are still ongoing as we continue to facilitate them. The two sides will resume tomorrow at 9 a.m. [1 p.m. GMT; 4 p.m. in Beirut] to continue their work toward an agreement," the State Department told AFP on Thursday.

After deadly Israeli strike Thursday near Zawtar, Hezbollah denounces another 'flagrant violation' of the cease-fire

Three people were killed Thursday afternoon in an Israeli drone strike on a car on the road between Zawtar Sharqieh and Mayfadoun. Hezbollah denounced what it called another "flagrant violation" of the ceasefire by Israel.

"The Israeli army has once again deliberately targeted Lebanese civilians as they were traveling to their homes on the Zawtar Sharqieh-Mayfadoun road, under the pretext that they posed a threat to its occupation forces," Hezbollah said Thursday evening.

The party described the strike as a third "flagrant violation" of the truce, which it said it had "respected until now."

South Lebanon: First Israeli fighter jet strikes since last Saturday

Israeli fighter jets carried out two strikes on Nabatieh Fawqa (Nabatieh) at 7:30 a.m. Friday. These were the first attacks by the Israeli occupation air force since the cease-fire took effect on Saturday, reports our correspondent in southern Lebanon.

The strikes occurred as processions were being held in the city to commemorate Ashura. Shortly after midnight, Israeli fighter jets also carried out two strikes on Beit Yahoun (Bint Jbeil).

Tensions gradually escalated overnight after nearly a week of relative calm, our correspondent reports. Artillery fire was reported after 10:30 p.m. on the outskirts of Braasheet and Beit Yahoun, which was hit by more than 15 shells.

Machine gun fire also targeted Beit Yahoun and its surroundings. Shortly after 11:30 p.m., artillery struck Kounin and Beit Yahoun, both in the Bint Jbeil district.

In addition, one person was killed and another seriously injured when unexploded Israeli ordnance detonated in the town of Mansouri (Sour).

Good morning. We are now launching our LIVE coverage of the region for today.

We are now launching our live coverage of the situation in Lebanon, where the night from Thursday to Friday was marked by an escalation in fighting in the Nabatieh region.

The Israeli occupation army carried out fighter jet airstrikes there, the first since the cease-fire took effect last Saturday.

Find our live coverage from yesterday here.