Mansouri targeted by Israeli strikes again; 2 powerful explosions reported between Markaba and Robb Thalathin | LIVE

Israeli military 'ready to resume high-intensity fighting,' chief of staff says

“We are well prepared defensively while maintaining immediate operational readiness and being prepared to resume high-intensity fighting,” Israeli military Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir said, according to a post by the army on X.

During a meeting with U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) chief Brad Cooper, Zamir said the ongoing negotiations involving Iran, Gaza and Lebanon “are the result of the Israeli military’s historic achievements on the ground.”

“Our mission is to shape reality, not be driven by it, by taking the initiative at the tactical and operational levels,” he added.

Trump says Iran must pay compensation for those it has killed and wounded

 U.S. President Donald Trump, reacting on Monday to Iran seeking compensation for the damages it has incurred during the conflict with the U.S. and Israel, said that Tehran must pay compensation for "all of the people that they have killed and gravely wounded."

Salam tells residents of Froun state is committed to restoring normal life in south Lebanon

Prime Minister Nawaf Salam received a delegation from Froun, in the Bint Jbeil district, at the Grand Serail. The delegation was headed by the village’s municipal president, Hassan Bazzi.

The meeting focused on residents’ needs, as well as their return to the village and reconstruction efforts.

Salam said the state was committed to “restoring normal life in Froun, as well as in all other villages and towns in the south.”

He said the government was working to mobilize state institutions and resources to support residents’ return and help them settle permanently in their communities, while ensuring access to livelihoods and essential services and addressing urgent needs in coordination with municipalities and other relevant authorities.

Khamenei makes 6 new appointments to IRGC and armed forces

Iran’s Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, has made six new appointments to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and the armed forces, Reuters reported.

According to a written message carried on Khamenei's social media accounts, relayed by Reuters, Major General Pilot Ali Abdollahi was appointed as chief of staff of the armed forces and Brigadier General Ahmad Vahidi as commander-in-chief of the IRGC.

Israeli army carries out two detonations in Marjayoun district

Photo received by Muntasser Abdallah

The Israeli army has carried out two large detonations between the villages of Markaba and Robb Thalathin (Marjayoun district).

Mansouri subjected to Israeli attacks

The village of Mansouri (Sour district) has been subjected to Israeli attacks. According to our correspondent, five Israeli artillery shells, sweeping operations, and three stun grenades targeted the village. Earlier today, Mansouri residents staged a protest near a Lebanese Army checkpoint in the Ameriyeh area close to the village's junction, calling for their return to the village.

Meanwhile, Israeli forces also set houses on fire in the town of Khiam (Marjeyoun district), according to our correspondent in the South.

Bint Jbeil mayor hands over report about Israel's destruction of the town to culture minister

A delegation from the town of Bint Jbeil handed Minister of Culture, Ghassan Salameh, a detailed report on the systematic destruction in the town during a meeting in the minister's office in Beirut, according to the state-run National News Agency.

The report, titled “Bint Jbeil: A Record of the Crime," provides a detailed account of the destruction that has affected residential neighborhoods, commercial, educational, health and cultural facilities, as well as sites of historical significance in the town.

The mayor said after the meeting that he hopes the minister will forward the report to the relevant international organizations "to underscore that what is happening constitutes a war crime."

According to the mayor, Salameh said during the meeting that the Lebanese government is preparing to meet to reaffirm the delegation's demands and "reject everything the Israeli enemy is doing" in Bint Jbeil and other southern villages.

Rajji tells Egyptian counterpart that Lebanon intends to continue negotiations with Israel 'in a manner that preserves its sovereignty and rights'

Lebanese Foreign Minister Joe Rajji held a phone call with his Egyptian counterpart, Badr Abdelatty, during which they discussed, among other issues, the ongoing negotiations between Lebanon and Israel, according to a statement from the Lebanese Foreign Ministry.

During the call, Rajji outlined the latest developments in the direct talks, reaffirming “Lebanon’s determination to continue the negotiation process in a manner that preserves national sovereignty and guarantees Lebanon’s rights.”

The two ministers also discussed the broader regional situation. The call also addressed preparations for the Arab League ministerial meeting, scheduled to take place in Cairo in September. They stressed the importance of continued coordination between Beirut and Cairo ahead of the meeting, which comes amid a regional context that, in their view, requires “unity in the Arab position” and increased consultations among member states.

Mansouri municipality calls on state to exert pressure to ensure residents’ return to village

The head of the Mansouri municipality called on the Lebanese state to take action to ensure that residents of the village can return to their homes, during the peaceful protest organized by residents near a Lebanese Army checkpoint in the Ameriyeh area close to the village's junction.

In a statement to our correspondent Muntasser Abdallah, the mayor said the protest “is not directed against anyone, but is a protest against being prevented by the Israeli enemy from entering our town and returning to our homes.”

He also called on the "Mechanism committee to pressure Israel to allow residents to return to their homes."

Israeli forces infiltrate in the western outskirts of Mais al-Jabal

Israeli forces infiltrated the western outskirts of the village of Mais al-Jabal (Marjeyoun district), more specifically in the Hoshin area. In parallel, the Israeli army has targeted a house with artillery shelling in the area, while opening fire with machine-guns. A fire has broken out in the site as a result of the attacks.

Israeli artillery shelling has also targeted the village of Bani Haiyyan (Marjayoun), sparking fires in the wooded area between the village and Markaba.

Iran says Saudi Arabia-Pakistan-Turkey defense shows 'shift in perception' toward US

The mutual defense agreement concluded between Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkey last week shows a “shift in perception” in the region toward the United States, Iran’s Foreign Ministry said Monday, adding that it did not feel targeted by the pact.

“Countries in the region have realized that security is not a commodity that can be purchased from those who make false promises,” spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said during his weekly press conference, referring to the United States, an ally of the countries that signed the pact.

“Countries in the region can no longer rely on the security guarantees promised by the United States as they did in the past,” Baghaei added. He said Tehran had “no reason to worry that this treaty is directed against it,” pointing to the “deep religious, historical and civilizational ties” between the three countries and Iran.

Mansouri residents stage protest, calling for their return to the village

Photo received by Muntasser Abdallah

Residents of the village of Mansouri (Sour district) have begun gathering near a Lebanese Army checkpoint in the Ameriyeh area close to the village's junction, calling for their return to the village, according to our correspondent in the South.

Last Wednesday, the Israeli army issued an evacuation order to the village after Israeli soldiers had been killed and wounded in the explosion of an improvised explosive device in Majdal Zoun, in the Sour district.

Israeli army drops explosive barrels on Ali Taher heights

A small Israeli drone has dropped explosive barrels on the Ali Taher heights (Nabatieh district), according to our correspondent in the South.

Israel negotiations: Aoun speaks with Simon Karam

The Lebanese presidency said on X that President Joseph Aoun spoke with Simon Karam, head of the Lebanese delegation tasked with negotiations with Israel and a former ambassador. Karam briefed him on the substance of the discussions held in Rome last week. The president also gave him his directives for the next stage, the presidency added.

New Israeli demolition in Majdal Zoun

This morning, the Israeli army carried out a new demolition in Majdal Zoun, in the Sour district, our south Lebanon correspondent Mountasser Abdallah reported.

Israeli artillery fire on Ali Taher heights continues into early morning

Israeli artillery fire targeted the Ali Taher heights, a strategic hill south of Nabatieh. Bombardment in the area continued until 3 a.m. this morning. Artillery shells also targeted the outskirts of Zawtar Sharqieh.

The Israeli army is encircling Ali Taher in preparation for launching a battle if the Lebanese Army does not agree to enter the area, take control of it, dismantle Hezbollah’s military infrastructure and evacuate its fighters. Israeli forces have tightened their encirclement of Ali Taher.

According to our information, around 40 fighters, including Hezbollah members as well as some members of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, are reportedly surrounded there.

Hezbollah has reportedly rejected all proposals to open a secure passage allowing its men to evacuate the military facility and hand it over to the Lebanese Army, in exchange for the removal of the weapons located there.

Another night of Israeli demolitions in several areas of south Lebanon

Sunday night into Minday was marked by another escalation in south Lebanon as Israeli forces carried out several major demolition operations in Kfar Tibnit, Haddatha and between Taybeh and Deir Siryane, our regional correspondent Mountasser Abdallah reports.

Around 11 p.m., a major demolition in Kfar Tibnit, in the Nabatieh district, was heard as far away as the Zahrani area. After midnight, the Israeli army carried out another demolition in Haddatha, in the Bint Jbeil district, before another explosion was reported between Taybeh and Deir Siryane, in the Marjayoun district. Israeli drones also flew over the area during the night.

The night was also marked by heavy Israeli artillery fire, targeting in particular the Deir neighborhood of Nabatieh Fawqa, as well as Mansouri (Sour).

Good morning and welcome to our live coverage of events in the Middle East, a month after hostilities between Washington and Tehran resumed, even though U.S. bombardments have ceased for more than a week. Iran has made the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz conditional on the lifting of the U.S. blockade on its ports and an end to U.S. attacks and threats.

The conflict has also spread to a new front in Saudi Arabia, where the kingdom is facing Yemen’s Houthi rebels.

We will also be following the situation in south Lebanon, where the Israeli army continues to occupy several hundred square kilometers along the border.