Ghalibaf says Tehran has no reason to honor US memorandum of understanding without benefits
Iran’s top negotiator in talks with Washington, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, said Wednesday that Iran has “no reason to adhere to such an agreement” if it does not gain any benefits from its memorandum of understanding with the United States.
Iran’s national security depends on maintaining “Iranian arrangements” in the Strait of Hormuz, Ghalibaf said in a statement published on Telegram.
He said Iran’s approach to the war with the United States and negotiations aimed at ending it must be based on national interests, national security and a long-term perspective, adding that Tehran has no choice but to rely on its own strength.
Israel claims it killed three Hezbollah members in Beit Yahoun
The Israeli army claimed it killed three Hezbollah members in Beit Yahoun, in the Bint Jbeil district of southern Lebanon, as Lebanon-Israel negotiations concluded in Rome under U.S. mediation.
Israeli army continues strikes and demolitions in southern Lebanon
Israel hit an area between Beit Yahoun and Braasheet (Bint Jbeil district), according to L’Orient Today’s south Lebanon correspondent.
It also fired white phosphorus shells at the outskirts of Braasheet, while Israeli artillery shelled Beit Yahoun.
Two rounds of artillery fire targeted the town of Houla (Marjayoun). Israel also demolished homes and civilian structures in Deir Siryan (Marjayoun). Explosions were also reported on the outskirts of Kounine (Bint Jbeil).
A major demolition operation was also heard Tuesday evening in Kfar Tibnit (Nabatieh), with the blast echoing across several villages in the Nabatieh and Marjayoun districts.
Israel launched a stun grenade on the Kfar Roummane highway (Nabatieh), and three missiles on the outskirts of Aita al-Jabal (Bint Jbeil), according to our correspondent.
Lebanon, Israel conclude US-brokered talks on 'pilot zones' in Rome
Lebanon and Israel concluded U.S.-brokered talks in Rome on Wednesday, with a U.S. official saying they had made progress on implementing a plan that could see occupying Israeli forces begin to withdraw from some parts of southern Lebanon within days.
In written comments distributed to journalists, a U.S. official described the two days of talks as "productive and positive."
"We agreed on the structure and guidelines for the pilot zone process, to be finalized and implemented in the coming days," the official said.
Araghchi in Doha for Sheikh Hamad’s funeral, a few days after Iranian strikes on Qatar
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi traveled to Doha to attend the funeral of the former Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, according to the Iranian news agency ISNA. This condolence visit comes just a few days after Iranian retaliatory strikes on Qatari territory.
On Sunday, Iran claimed to have targeted U.S. sites in Qatar — a country acting as a mediator between Washington and Tehran in the context of the war with Iran. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps announced on Sunday that it had targeted Al Udeid Air Base, the largest U.S. military base in the Middle East, located in Qatar, using ballistic missiles.
Lebanese-Israeli talks in Rome come to a close
The Lebanese-Israeli talks, held in Rome, have concluded following discussions on several outstanding issues between the two sides, notably those relating to the "two pilot zones," reports the state-run National News Agency (NNA).
US military announces new 'wave of strikes' in Iran
The U.S. military announced it launched a new “wave of strikes” in Iran, starting at 10 GMT (1 p.m. in Beirut).
“These strikes are intended to further reduce the military capabilities of Iranian forces used to attack commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz,” the U.S. Central Command explained on its X account.
Bahraini army says it has repelled Iranian attacks
Bahrain has claimed to have repelled further Iranian attacks, after the Iranian Revolutionary Guard C0rps (IRGC) claimed to have struck facilities belonging to the U.S. Fifth Fleet based in the kingdom.
“Air defense systems intercepted and destroyed several treacherous air attacks carried out by Iran on Wednesday morning,” the Bahraini military said in a statement.
Strikes against ‘strategic targets’ in Iran: Trump convenes his security team
U.S. President Donald Trump held a meeting yesterday in the "Situation Room" to discuss a major offensive against Iran, which would be broader in scope than the strikes currently being carried out around the Strait of Hormuz, three sources familiar with the matter told Axios.
According to these sources, the meeting focused on new plans for "devastating strikes" against "strategic targets" in Iran, in addition to the operations already targeting Iranian targets in the Strait of Hormuz.
Donald Trump was flanked by his top national security officials, including Vice-President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, Chief of Staff Dan Caine, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, and other senior officials.
Attack on ship in Strait of Hormuz: Body of Indian seafarer found
The body of an Indian seafarer, who had been missing following an attack on a merchant ship in the Strait of Hormuz, has been found, a trade union official has said. Heramb Karmarkar, a 30-year-old marine engineer from Pune (western India), had been missing since Sunday’s attack on the GFS Galaxy, which flies the Cypriot flag.
“On Tuesday evening, I received a call from the ship’s owner informing me that Heramb Karmarkar’s body had been found by the Omani coastguard,” Manoj Yadav of the Forward Seamen’s Union of India told AFP. “This happened nearly 60 hours after we learnt he was missing,” he added.
The other 23 crew members, including ten Indian nationals, were rescued on Sunday.
Netanyahu is due to travel to the United States on Saturday, according to a senior Israeli official
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is due to travel to the United States on Saturday, a senior Israeli official told Reuters.
According to the same source, Netanyahu is hoping to meet with U.S. President Donald Trump, but it is not yet certain whether the meeting will take place.
Who are the ‘Bashan Pioneers,’ the Israeli settlers eyeing southern Syria?
Israeli settlers have entered southern Syria several times in recent months. The far-right “Bashan Pioneers” want to settle beyond the occupied Golan Heights.
We looked into who they are, their recent crossings and the settlement project behind them. Read the full report here.
Israel: Soldier convicted of sending videos of missile interceptions to Iranian agent
Israel: A soldier has been convicted of sending videos of missile interceptions to an Iranian agent, according to the army, as reported by AFP.
Iran: 7 soldiers killed in US strikes on south-east of country
The Iranian army has announced the deaths of seven soldiers by U.S. strikes carried out in the last few hours in south-eastern Iran, amid an escalation that is jeopardizing the memorandum of understanding with Washington.
“This morning, the U.S.. terrorist army fired 13 missiles” at a barracks near the town of Iranshahr, 1,500 kilometers from Tehran, the army said in a statement, adding that seven soldiers had been killed.
Iran: further US strikes on Bushehr, in the south-west of the country
The port city of Bushehr (south-west), home to Iran’s only nuclear power station, has been targeted by further U.S. strikes which caused no casualties, according to the state news agency IRNA.
“The American enemy attacked three locations in Bushehr today,” the city’s governor, Mohammad Mozafari, told IRNA, following a previous attack amid escalating military tensions between Tehran and Washington.
Tehran says the Strait of Hormuz will remain closed until US ‘acts of aggression’ cease
The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) have announced that the Strait of Hormuz will remain closed until U.S. “acts of aggression” cease, and have threatened to block other strategic export routes, in a statement broadcast on Iranian state television.
“The fighters’ retaliatory operations will continue, and the Strait of Hormuz will remain closed until the United States puts an end to its acts of aggression,” said the IRGC. “The enemy... must also expect the closure of other oil and gas export routes that serve the interests of the United States and its allies,” it continued.
“Oil and gas exports from the region will be accessible either to everyone or to no one.”
Oil prices rise slightly
Oil prices are rising slightly this morning during the Asian trading session following their sharp rise on Tuesday, after Donald Trump announced he was abandoning his plan to impose a tax in the Strait of Hormuz.
After climbing by more than 5% on Tuesday, the price of a barrel of North Sea Brent crude, for September delivery, was up 1.37% at $85.89 at around 1:20 a.m. GMT.
The price of its U.S. equivalent, West Texas Intermediate (WTI), for August delivery, rose by 1.10% to $80.21.
Another night of Israeli bombings and gunfire in southern Lebanon
The Israeli army continued its operations in southern Lebanon during the night from Tuesday to Wednesday, carrying out a series of strikes on several border villages, reports our correspondent in the region.
At around 10.30 pm, Israel blew up homes in Haddatha (Bint Jbeil), followed by further similar operations targeting houses in Beit Yahoun and the town of Bint Jbeil.
A major demolition was also reported near Qantara (Marjyoun) at around 6 am, the blast having been heard in several neighboring villages, whilst further east, houses were destroyed by explosives in Khiam.
At the same time, machine-gun fire targeted residential neighborhoods on the outskirts of Zawtar Gharbieh and Mayfadoun in the Nabatieh district, whilst Israeli drones flew over several areas in the south.
Washington tightens sanctions against Iran’s oil transport infrastructure
The U.S. government announced yesterday that it was tightening sanctions against Iran’s oil sector, targeting in particular the transport infrastructure, including around 50 individuals and entities linked to the network of oil magnate Mohammad Hossein Shamkhani. According to the Treasury Department, the sanctions specifically target Iranian nationals who also hold Dominican passports, individuals based in Dubai, as well as a Danish national and an Italian national. Around ten vessels linked to Shamkhani are also targeted, whilst around ten other vessels were already subject to sanctions.
“The Iranian regime survives through deception, and the Shamkhani network is one of its most profitable drivers. The Treasury Department is shutting down the financial infrastructure that enables the regime to continue threatening US national security and global shipping,” said Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, quoted in a statement. Mohammad Hossein Shamkhani is the son of Ali Shamkhani, a close adviser to Iran’s former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Both men were killed in February, on the first day of the Israeli-U.S. offensive against Iran. He is also reportedly linked to the Tagor, an oil tanker belonging to the Russian "ghost fleet" that was boarded by the French navy in the Atlantic in early June, according to the website Opensanctions.org.
According to Washington, the Shamkhani network, which operates between Iran and the United Arab Emirates, circumvents sanctions through a group of ostensibly legitimate consultancy and shipping companies that manage all aspects of the network’s fleet.
Trump threatens to strike power stations in Iran
Donald Trump stated last night on Fox News that he would strike power stations and bridges in Iran next week if no agreement were reached with Tehran.
“It’s going to go very badly for them because next week it will be the turn of the power stations. Next week it will be the bridges’ turn,” unless the Iranians “sit down at the negotiating table,” said the U.S. president. Asked how long the U.S. strikes would last, Donald Trump replied: “They will continue until I say that’s enough.”
On Tuesday evening, the United States launched fresh strikes against Iran and resumed its blockade of Iranian ports, although Donald Trump decided against imposing tariffs on ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz, which lies at the heart of the conflict. The resumption of this naval blockade at 8 p.m. GMT, along with the air strikes — on a scale not seen since the April cease-fire – is undermining diplomatic efforts to ensure the sustainability of the memorandum of understanding signed on June 17.
Hello and welcome to our live news blog
Hello and welcome to our live coverage of events in Lebanon and the broader region, where the U.S. and Iran are on the brink of reigniting the war which temporarily halted with a truce on April 8.
To catch up on yesterday's blog, click here.
To read our Morning Brief, click here.
Iranian forces claim to have attacked US targets in Jordan, Bahrain and Kuwait
Iranian forces claimed this morning to have struck U.S. sites in Kuwait, as well as in Jordan and Bahrain, according to state television, after the United States launched further strikes against Iran.
In Jordan, the Iranian military deployed drones against hangars used by U.S. forces at the Al-Azraq base, and against a facility housing F-18 fighter jets, according to a statement broadcast on state television.
The Jordanian armed forces, for their part, announced that they had destroyed three Iranian ballistic missiles that had entered the country’s airspace, according to a statement from the army.
As for Kuwait, the The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) struck the Mina Abdullah logistics center used by the U.S. military, according to another statement. The IRGC further stated that they had targeted U.S. naval facilities in Bahrain, including military equipment depots, fuel storage sites and a command center for the US Fifth Fleet, according to a statement broadcast on state television.
Overnight, the U.S. military had claimed responsibility for a new series of strikes against Tehran, saying it had targeted dozens of military targets, including drone and missile facilities and coastal defense sites. Iranian state media reported explosions in Iran overnight, notably near the port city of Bandar Abbas and on the island of Qeshm, both located on the Strait of Hormuz, as well as in the city of Ahvaz (south-west).
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