Vessel hit by projectile in Strait of Hormuz; Israeli drone strike near Nabatieh | LIVE

Another vessel hit by a projectile in the Strait of Hormuz

An oil tanker reported being struck by an unidentified projectile near Omani waters in the Strait of Hormuz, the U.K. Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) agency said today.

The vessel sustained damage to its bridge, but all crew members are reportedly safe. No oil spill had been reported at the time of the agency’s statement.

This marks the second incident in the Strait of Hormuz in recent days, following a drone strike launched from Iran on Thursday evening against a Singapore-flagged vessel.

Israeli drone drops a sound bomb near Lebanese Army checkpoint in southern Lebanon

An Israeli army drone dropped a sound bomb near a Lebanese Army checkpoint in Nabatieh al-Fawqa, according to our correspondent in the region. An Israeli drone also targeted the area.

Bahrain condemns Iranian drone attacks on its territory

Today, Bahrain condemned what it described as “Iranian drone attacks” on its territory, claimed by Iran, the country’s official news agency reported, adding that Bahrain fully reserves the right to defend its sovereignty and security.

Tehran says it carried out “defensive strikes” against U.S. targets in response to last night’s attacks

Iran said its armed forces had carried out “defensive strikes” against targets linked to the U.S. military, while warning countries on the southern shore of the Arab-Persian Gulf against allowing the United States to use their territory to launch attacks against Iran.

Iran did not specify the nature or location of the targets.

The announcement came after Tehran denounced overnight U.S. airstrikes targeting its southern coast, describing them as a “violation of the United Nations Charter and Article 1 of the memorandum of understanding” intended to end the war between the two countries, according to a statement from its Foreign Ministry.

The strikes had earlier been claimed by U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), which said it had targeted “missile and drone storage sites” as well as “coastal radar systems” in response to the “unilateral and unjustified attack” Friday evening against a merchant vessel transiting the Strait of Hormuz. The previous day, a drone attack originating from Iran had targeted a Singapore-flagged vessel as it attempted to cross the strait.

Israeli army tanks spotted near Kfar Shuba

Israeli army tanks were spotted on the outskirts of Kfar Shuba, in the Hasbaya district, alongside machine-gun fire in the area, our correspondent in southern Lebanon reported.

Israeli drone drops a sound bomb near Kfar Tebnit

An Israeli drone dropped a sound bomb near Kfar Tebnit (Nabatieh).

Israeli drone drops a sound bomb near Kfar Tebnit

An Israeli drone dropped a sound bomb near Kfar Tebnit (Nabatieh).

Iran denounces “flagrant violation” of agreement after U.S. strikes

Iran said today that U.S. strikes carried out the previous day on its territory constituted a “flagrant violation” of the protocol agreement reached with the United States and aimed at ending the war in the Middle East.

Iran “strongly condemns the airstrikes carried out by the American terrorist army on the evening of Friday, July 26, against several sites located on Iran’s southern coast,” the Iranian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

The strikes “constitute a flagrant violation of Article 2(4) of the United Nations Charter and a flagrant violation of paragraph 1 of the protocol agreement” reached with the United States in mid-June, the ministry added.

‘It would not be surprising if we soon hear about the establishment of a direct telephone line between Lebanon and Israel,’ reports Maariv

“It would not be surprising if we soon hear about the establishment of a direct telephone line between the military headquarters at the Kirya, or the Northern Command, and Lebanese Army command posts in southern Lebanon,” the Israeli daily Maariv reported.

“Israeli and Lebanese officers have been speaking for several months in Washington as part of the official negotiations between Beirut and Jerusalem. These discussions have given rise to a coordination mechanism between the two sides, and military coordination implies a direct line,” it added.

Israeli forces release seven Lebanese and Syrians abducted from Ain Arab

The mukhtar of Ain Arab, Mokhtar al-Ahmad, told our correspondent that Israeli forces released at 1 a.m. the Lebanese and Syrians they had abducted from the village. Their number was seven, not eight as previously reported.

They include three Lebanese: Ali Moussa Ibrahim, his son Mohammad, and Nasser al-Raja, as well as four Syrian farmers.

The mukhtar added that the Lebanese Army took charge of the released individuals, all of whom have since returned to Lebanon.

Framework agreement between Lebanon and Israel: U.S. State Department announces $100 million in immediate humanitarian aid

The U.S. State Department announced Saturday $100 million in immediate humanitarian aid after Lebanon and Israel concluded a framework agreement that it said “constitutes a step toward restoring the sovereignty of the Lebanese state.”

The State Department said that the signing of the tripartite framework agreement between Lebanon, Israel and the United States marks a major new step in U.S. President Donald Trump’s efforts to establish lasting peace and stability in the region.

It also praised what it described as the “courage” of the Lebanese and Israeli governments in taking this step, saying that the United States would remain fully engaged in implementing the framework agreement and would provide “$100 million in immediate humanitarian assistance in coordination with the United Nations.”

It said the two governments had approved a framework that “charts a path out of conflict and establishes a process aimed at restoring Lebanon’s sovereignty, disarming Hezbollah and dismantling its infrastructure, while enabling Israel to return to its borders once the threat it poses to its citizens has been eliminated.”

The department added that the agreement provides for the “creation of the Trilateral Military Coordination Group for Lebanon,” under U.S. supervision and facilitation, to enable both parties to implement the framework.

It said the framework offers Lebanon a path out of its crisis and Israel a realistic path to eliminating the threat on its northern border.

It also reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening the capabilities of the Lebanese Armed Forces so they can extend sovereignty across all Lebanese territory, stating that the Department of Defense is prepared to provide the Lebanese Army with more than $30 million through existing authorizations and appropriations, in support of the president’s vision for lasting peace in Lebanon.

Iran: Sirik port suffered no damage following U.S. attack

No damage was caused to the port of Sirik following the U.S. attack in the area, Iran’s Mehr news agency reported, citing a local source.

Iran: Sirik port suffered no damage following U.S. attack

No damage was caused to the port of Sirik following the U.S. attack in the area, Iran’s Mehr news agency reported, citing a local source.

Fragile calm in southern Lebanon this morning

Calm has prevailed in most villages in southern Lebanon since last night and throughout this morning. No military action or significant security incidents have been reported so far, although vigilance remains high following violations and intermittent escalations in recent days, according to our correspondent in the region.

Overnight explosion Marjayoun district

Yesterday, shortly after 11 p.m., a powerful explosion occurred between the villages of Marqaba and Talloussa (Marjayoun district), the nature of which has not yet been determined, according to our correspondent in southern Lebanon.

Initial assessments suggest that the Israeli army may have demolished houses in the area.

Vance warns that the United States will respond to any Iranian attack with “violence”

U.S. Vice President JD Vance warned Friday that the United States would respond to any Iranian attack with “violence.”

“Iran signed a cease-fire agreement. We respected it. If they have disagreements regarding the implementation of the protocol agreement, they can pick up the phone. But violence will only beget violence,” he wrote on X.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards say they struck U.S. military positions in the region

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, Tehran’s ideological military force, announced Saturday that they had attacked U.S. positions in the Gulf region in retaliation for U.S. strikes in Iran, according to state television IRIB.

The U.S. military had earlier announced strikes against targets in Iran in response to an attack on a commercial vessel in the Strait of Hormuz, which Washington attributed to Tehran.

“If the aggression is repeated, our response will be broader than this,” the Revolutionary Guards warned.

The United States bombed ‘missile and drone storage sites’ in Iran

The U.S. military carried out strikes against Iran overnight “in response to an attack the previous day on a commercial vessel transiting the Strait of Hormuz,” U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) announced. The raids targeted “Iranian missile and drone storage sites as well as coastal radar systems.”

Although CENTCOM did not specify where the attacks took place, Iranian media cited by Reuters had earlier reported explosions heard in Sirik, in southern Iran.

In its statement, CENTCOM denounced the attack the previous day on a vessel in the Strait of Hormuz as “unjustified” and described it as “a clear violation of the cease-fire.”

Good morning and welcome to the live coverage

Good morning and welcome to our live coverage of the situation in Lebanon, where Hezbollah supporters demonstrated in Beirut on Friday evening against the framework agreement concluded with Israel.

We will also be following developments across the region, particularly in Iran.