Rubio hails Lebanon for 'move towards peace' after meeting president Aoun | LIVE

Jordan summons Iranian chargé d'affaires over 'continued aggression'

Jordan's Foreign Ministry said Sunday it had summoned the Iranian embassy's chargé d'affaires in Amman to protest what it described as Iran's "continued brutal and unjustified aggression."

In a statement, the ministry said it had delivered a formal protest message condemning the attacks targeting Jordanian territory and called for them to stop "immediately."

Israeli army blows up structures in Haddatha, strikes near Kfar Roummane

The Israeli army continued its operations in south Lebanon on Sunday, carrying out a controlled demolition in Haddatha (Bint Jbeil), while another explosion was reported in Kfar Tibnit (Nabatieh).

An Israeli drone also launched two consecutive missile strikes near the General Security center in the Universities neighborhood on the outskirts of Kfar Roummane (Nabatieh). According to local reports, the strike targeted the area around a pickup truck belonging to the South Council but did not hit it. No casualties were reported.

South Lebanon: Flares, gunfire and stun grenades reported

The Israeli army fired illumination flares over the outskirts of Shakra toward the Wadi al-Slouki area in the Bint Jbeil district.

Elsewhere in the same district, an Israeli military drone dropped a stun grenade on the outskirts of Haddatha, near the town of Harris. Israeli forces also opened machine-gun fire toward Braasheet.

In the Sour district, the Israeli army again dropped a stun grenade on Mansouri, our correspondent reports.

Rubio hails Lebanon for 'move towards peace' after meeting president

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun in Washington on Sunday, hailing the country for its "move towards peace" after the latest round of Lebanon-Israel talks.

Rubio "commended the courage of the Government of Lebanon, under President Aoun’s leadership, for their determined effort to reclaim Lebanon's sovereignty, disarm Hezbollah and dismantle its terrorist infrastructure, and move towards peace," the State Department said.

Rubio meets Lebanon's president, discusses Israel-Lebanon framework agreement

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun on Sunday to discuss implementation of a U.S.-brokered framework agreement signed by Israel and Lebanon on June 26 aimed at ending their conflict, the State Department said.

"The Secretary commended the courage of the Government of Lebanon, under President Aoun’s leadership, for their determined effort to reclaim Lebanon’s sovereignty, disarm Hezbollah and dismantle its terrorist infrastructure, and move towards peace," State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott said in a statement.

Aoun-Rubio meeting concludes, Lebanese presidency says

The meeting in Washington between President Joseph Aoun and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has concluded, the Lebanese presidency said in a post on X, without providing further details.

Iran: IAEA urges 'military restraint' after attack on nuclear plant under construction

The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on Sunday called for "military restraint" after an attack on a nuclear power plant under construction in Iran, which Tehran blamed on the United States.

Earlier Sunday, the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran said U.S. forces had "in an aggressive and brutal act contrary to international law" struck the Darkhovin nuclear power plant, currently under construction, with "a number of projectiles," according to a statement carried by state television.

Washington launched fresh airstrikes against Iran on Sunday in retaliation for the deaths of two U.S. service members in attacks in Jordan, as Tehran continued targeting neighboring countries allied with Washington.

The Darkhovin facility, under construction since 2022 in southwestern Iran, is "at a very early stage of construction and contained no nuclear material at the time of the last IAEA inspection," the Vienna-based agency said on X.

The attack therefore poses "no radiological risk," the IAEA added

Hezbollah Rally in Sour against framework agreement between Lebanon and Israel

Hezbollah organized a rally in Sour on Sunday afternoon to denounce “the agreement of humiliation and shame,” referring to the framework agreement signed in June between Lebanon and Israel, reports our correspondent in south Lebanon.

The sit-in drew several dozen people, including Hezbollah MP Hassan Ezzeddine, Amal Movement MP Ali Khreiss, and representatives of Palestinian factions in the region, as well as local and religious figures.

Ezzeddine asserted that the resistance is a “firm option for defending the territory and sovereignty,” viewing the framework agreement as “a means for Israel to achieve its political objectives following its military failure, granting it what it could not conquer through war.”

He argued that the political class has made gratuitous concessions and abandoned its national priorities, emphasizing the importance of resistance and rejecting any attempt to disarm it. He asserted that “tomorrow’s Lebanon will be neither an American protectorate nor an Israeli colony.”

MP Ali Khreiss emphasized his rejection of direct negotiations with Israel, the framework agreement, and the pilot zones, demanding Israel’s “unconditional withdrawal” from all Lebanese territory, the return of displaced persons to their villages, the reconstruction of destroyed areas, and the release of prisoners held by Israel. He also affirmed the strength of the ties between the Amal Movement and Hezbollah and their shared position.

Israeli defense minister warns that his country will retaliate 'with all its might' against an Iranian attack, according to AFP

The Israeli defense minister warned Sunday that his country would respond forcefully if attacked by Iran, after Israel and Jordan intercepted an Iranian missile targeting the Jordanian border port of Aqaba.

“If Iran fires missiles at Israel, we will strike back with all our might,” Israel Katz said during a visit to an emergency response center, adding that, if necessary, “we are prepared to take both defensive and offensive measures” against Tehran.

Aoun arrives at US State Department for talks with Rubio

President Joseph Aoun arrived at the U.S. State Department to meet Secretary of State Marco Rubio, marking the start of his official meetings in Washington, according to the Lebanese presidency on X.

South Lebanon: Large explosion rocks Kfar Tibnit as homes set ablaze

The Israeli army carried out a large explosion in Kfar Tibnit (Nabatieh), the blast of which was heard across villages in Nabatieh and Marjayoun, with smoke visible in the area, according to our South Lebanon correspondent. Israeli forces also set homes on fire in the village.

Israeli drones twice dropped stun grenades over Mansouri (Sour,) while Israeli artillery fired three shells at Deir Siryan (Marjayoun).

Salam voices 'unwavering support' for Kuwait and Jordan after Iranian attacks

Prime Minister Nawaf Salam "strongly condemned" Iran's attacks on targets in Kuwait and Jordan, carried out in response to U.S. strikes on Iranian territory, and expressed Lebanon's "unwavering support" for both countries during phone calls with Kuwaiti Prime Minister Sheikh Ahmad Abdullah al-Ahmad al-Sabah and Jordanian Prime Minister Jafar Hassan.

According to a statement from the Grand Serail on X, Salam described the attacks as "a blatant violation of the security and territorial integrity of Kuwait and Jordan, and a direct threat to the security of the Arab region."

Jordanian army says it intercepted 3 Iranian missiles targeting kingdom

The Jordanian army said it intercepted three Iranian missiles targeting its territory, according to state television cited by Reuters.

Israel says Iranian missile targeting Aqaba intercepted by Israeli and Jordanian forces

Israeli and Jordanian forces intercepted an Iranian missile targeting the Jordanian city of Aqaba, near Israel's Eilat on the Red Sea, the Israeli army told AFP on Sunday.

A military spokesperson said both Israeli and Jordanian forces intercepted the projectile following reports of explosions near Eilat.

Shortly before the announcement, air raid sirens sounded in Jordan's capital Amman and other parts of the country, according to AFP and Jordanian public broadcaster Al Mamlaka.

Kuwait desalination plant hit for second time

A power and water desalination plant was attacked for the second time in two days, according to Kuwaiti authorities cited by Reuters.

Iran says it stopped several vessels attempting to cross the Strait of Hormuz

Iran's Revolutionary Guards said on Sunday that they had stopped several vessels attempting to pass through the Strait of Hormuz without authorization, amid escalating tensions with Washington over control of the strategic waterway.

"Four vessels acting maliciously and with the support of American terrorists attempted to cross the Strait of Hormuz ... while ignoring warnings," the Guards said in a statement. They added that two of the vessels were disabled after an accident, while the other two abandoned their attempts to continue.

Jordanian authorities deny evacuation of Aqaba airport and port

Jordanian authorities on Sunday denied to AFP that they had evacuated Aqaba's international airport and port on the Red Sea, as announced shortly earlier by the U.S. Embassy.

"The airport and port are operating normally," government spokesperson Mohammed Momani told AFP, also denying reports of potential threats after the U.S. Embassy said the facilities had been evacuated due to unspecified "specific and credible threats."

Iran says it stopped several vessels attempting to cross the Strait of Hormuz

Iran's Revolutionary Guards said they stopped several vessels attempting to pass through the Strait of Hormuz without authorization, amid escalating tensions with Washington over control of the strategic waterway.

The Guards said four vessels, allegedly acting "maliciously" and with the support of "American terrorists," ignored repeated warnings. Two were disabled after an accident, while the other two turned back, according to a statement.

Air raid sirens sound in Bahrain, interior ministry says

Air raid sirens sounded across Bahrain on Sunday as the Gulf kingdom continued to face Iranian attacks targeting U.S.-allied states in the region.

"The sirens have been activated. Citizens and residents are urged to remain calm and head to the nearest safe location," Bahrain's Interior Ministry said. An AFP journalist reported hearing the sirens in the capital, Manama.

Joseph Aoun arrives in Washington, to meet Rubio on Sunday

President Joseph Aoun and First Lady Neemat Aoun arrived at Joint Base Andrews near Washington on Saturday evening (Beirut time) ahead of an official visit to the U.S. capital.

Aoun is scheduled to meet U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday, July 21.

He begins his official meetings on Sunday with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and is also expected to meet senators and other U.S. administration officials.

Upon his arrival, Aoun met Lebanon's ambassador to the United States, Nada Hamade Mouawad, who briefed him on the Lebanese community in the U.S. and other matters related to his visit.

Read Yara Sarkis' article here for more on the history of Lebanese presidents' visits to Washington.

Hezbollah MP Ali Fayad accuses Lebanese authorities of covering Israeli attacks in south Lebanon

Speaking at a funeral in Hadath for a slain Hezbollah fighter, Hezbollah MP Ali Fayad accused the Lebanese authorities of providing political cover for Israeli strikes, demolitions and the burning of homes in south Lebanon.

He said the state had legitimized Israel's actions by accepting the framework agreement, which he described as "a scandal by every national and international standard," and accused the authorities of "negotiating the terms of Lebanon's surrender" while allowing Israel to entrench its occupation of the south.

Fayad also called for "greater caution in Lebanon" amid the escalating confrontation between Iran and the United States.

Several residents of the Marjayoun and Hasbaya districts call for reopening of the main road linking the region to Saida

Residents, municipalities, mukhtars and local officials in the Marjayoun and Hasbaya districts have called on the Lebanese authorities and international organizations to urgently reopen the Marjayoun–Nabatieh (Khardali) road, the main route connecting the region to Saida, Beirut and Mount Lebanon.

They say the road has remained closed since the start of the war despite the cease-fire, and are urging authorities to reopen it to civilians, students, public employees and emergency response teams, according to our correspondent in south Lebanon.

South Lebanon: Israeli demolitions

The Israeli army carried out overnight demolitions between Kounin and Beit Yahoun (Bint Jbeil), between Zawtar Gharbieh and Mayfadoun (Nabatieh), as well as in Khiam, Deir Siryan and Taybeh (Marjayoun). Explosions also rocked Mansouri for the first time since the war resumed, while several homes were set ablaze in Haddatha.

An Israeli drone struck land between Haddatha and Harris, wounding two civilians with shrapnel. Israeli troops later advanced toward the outskirts of Haddatha, fired machine guns toward Harris and withdrew. Artillery shelled Haddatha, while machine-gun fire targeted the direction of Qantara.

Elsewhere, drones struck the strategic Ali Taher hill, the outskirts of Nabatieh Fawqa and Mayfadoun, while Israeli fighter jets bombed Kfar Tibnit. Our correspondent also reported that one of the Lebanese soldiers wounded by the explosion of a suspicious object in Mansouri on Saturday is a lieutenant from Sheikh Mohammad in Akkar.

US consulate in Erbil targeted by drone attack

An explosives-laden drone was intercepted near the U.S. consulate in Erbil, in Iraq's Kurdistan region, according to security sources cited by Reuters.

Kuwait's army says it is responding to an Iranian missile and drone attack

Kuwait's military said it was responding to a fresh wave of Iranian missile and drone attacks, a day after Tehran struck the Gulf state, damaging a power plant and an oil facility.

Air defenses were engaged as warning sirens sounded across Kuwait City. Iranian retaliation has increasingly targeted Kuwait, where several U.S. military bases are located. On Saturday, Kuwait announced that a second power generation and desalination plant had been hit.

United States claims new strikes on Iran

U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said it launched a new wave of airstrikes on Iran in retaliation for an IRGC attack in Jordan that killed two American soldiers.

CENTCOM said it targeted Iranian coastal surveillance and air defense systems, maritime capabilities, and missile and drone storage sites, marking its eighth consecutive day of strikes on Iran. Iranian media reported U.S. attacks near Sirik and Hajiabad in Hormozgan province.

Iran's military said it responded by launching explosive drones at two U.S.-used military bases in Kuwait. Army commander Gen. Ali Abdollahi warned that any further U.S. attack would be met with a "decisive and devastating" response and impose even greater costs than in previous wars.

Good morning and welcome to our live coverage of developments in the Middle East

Welcome to our live coverage of developments in the Middle East, where tensions continue to escalate as the United States and Iran exchange strikes.

We are also following developments in south Lebanon, where the Israeli army continues to occupy hundreds of square kilometers along the border while carrying out strikes and demolition operations.