Trump threatens to strike power stations in Iran; Continued Iranian attacks on Jordan, Kuwait, Bahrain | LIVE

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).