Kushner in Israel to revive Gaza peace plan; KRG prime minister's office attacked by drones | LIVE

Israeli army destroys homes, trees in Mais al-Jabal

The Israeli army is carrying out earthmoving work on the western outskirts of Mais al-Jabal (Marjayoun), where bulldozers are demolishing homes and private properties and clearing rubble, reports our correspondent in the South.

The Israeli army also removed concrete blocks that had been placed on the road connecting Mais al-Jabal to Shaqra and bulldozed eucalyptus trees in the area.

Earlier, Israeli army vehicles infiltrated the occupied village of Bani Hayyan (Marjayoun). Israeli forces typically establish positions on the outskirts of occupied villages and enter them to conduct operations, according to our correspondent.

Israeli artillery also fired from Hadatha toward the valley connecting the town to Haris (Bint Jbeil). Artillery fire was also directed at the outskirts of Talloussa-Wadi Slouqi (Marjayoun).

In addition, an Israeli drone dropped a stun grenade on Haddatha.

Iran cites several reasons for 'long talks' with Oman

Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesperson said that his country's talks with Oman to reach an agreement on navigation of the Strait of Hormuz are long due to the complexity of the subject, the number of actors involved, and efforts by some countries to undermine the process, according to Reuters. The spokesperson added that the talks will continue.

Iran considers missing pilots prisoners in Qatar

Iran's Foreign Ministry said it will consider three missing pilots prisoners in Qatar, despite denials from Doha, until their fate is officially clarified, AFP reports.

Tehran says the Iranians disappeared while taking part in an operation against the U.S. air base at Al-Udeid, Qatar, on March 2, shortly after the outbreak of the Middle East war.

On Saturday, Iranian authorities claimed for the first time that the pilots had been captured in Qatar. Until then, they had said that one pilot was killed and three others were missing after their mission. "It is imperative to obtain clarification on their situation," Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baqaei said at a weekly press conference. He added that until their situation is clarified, Iran will consider them prisoners and do everything possible to determine what happened to them.

Qatar denies holding the pilots. Doha says it sent Iran an invitation in April to share details of the search and rescue operations, but that the Iranian side has yet to respond.

Drones attack office of Iraqi Kurdistan prime minister

Two drones attacked the office of the prime minister of Iraq's Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), the KRG security agency announced, according to Reuters.

According to a KRG statement, the attacks were launched from Iranian territory. No casualties were reported.

Iran's hard-line leaders spent last two months preparing for more intense conflict with US

Iran's most hard-line leaders have reportedly spent the past two months preparing for a more intense conflict with the United States rather than relying on the memorandum of understanding reached in mid-June, according to Iranian and Arab officials cited by The Wall Street Journal.

Iranian leaders reportedly viewed the agreement as an attempt by the U.S. and Israel to ease pressure on the global economy and buy time before a larger attack. Their preparations include transferring greater control of the regular army to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, appointing veterans of the Iran-Iraq War and previous domestic crackdowns to key positions, expanding counterintelligence operations and accelerating missile and drone production.

Iran has also reportedly sought to strengthen its control over the Strait of Hormuz by attacking ships and expand operations into the Red Sea. Arab intelligence officials cited by the newspaper said communications between Iran and allied militias in Yemen and Iraq indicate a strategy aimed at escalating the war and increasing the costs for the United States.

According to the officials, Iranian leaders are increasingly considering offensive operations on their adversaries' territory, raising particular concern among smaller Gulf states such as Kuwait.

Shipping traffic slows in Hormuz after attacks on oil tankers

Shipping traffic in the Strait of Hormuz slowed sharply over the weekend, according to data available Monday morning, following attacks on oil tankers, while talks between the United States and Iran aimed at ending the Middle East conflict remain stalled, Reuters reports.

According to Kpler's maritime tracking data, five cargo ships transited the strait Saturday, while none were recorded Sunday, compared with 31 transits over the previous weekend. Among the ships that transited the strait Saturday were an empty very large crude carrier (VLCC) with its automatic identification system (AIS) deactivated and a very large LNG carrier flying the Indian flag, which took a route via Iran. A small tanker carrying Iranian fuel oil also left the strait, according to the data.

Maritime traffic appeared to have ground to a halt after the United Arab Emirates announced that three ships operated by national oil company ADNOC had been attacked while transiting the region last week. The United States stated that it was capable of maintaining a naval blockade of Iran indefinitely.

Some ships can, however, transit the strait undetected by disabling their transponders. Even so, current numbers are a far cry from the more than 130 ships per day that transited the Strait of Hormuz before the start of the war launched by the United States and Israel against Iran in February.

Before the war, the waterway carried approximately one-fifth of the world's crude oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) shipments.

The sharp drop in Strait of Hormuz traffic underscores the waterway’s strategic importance, with roughly one-fifth of global crude oil and LNG shipments at risk of disruption if the slowdown persists.

Kushner to meet Netanyahu today after talks with Hamas

U.S. envoy Jared Kushner is scheduled to meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Israel to try to advance the U.S. peace plan for Gaza, which the Israeli leader has so far rejected outright, AFP reports.

Kushner, who is also President Donald Trump's son-in-law, met with leaders of the Palestinian movement Hamas in Egypt on Sunday. Hamas agreed in late July to a U.S. roadmap intended to launch the second phase of the plan, which calls for the disarmament of the Islamist movement and an Israeli withdrawal from the Palestinian territory. Netanyahu has officially rejected the document, demanding the "genuine" disarmament of Hamas.

According to sources who requested anonymity, Kushner emphasized the disarmament of the movement during Sunday's meeting with the Hamas leadership and called for "verifiable" measures. He stated that "Gaza can never again be a source of terror for Israel," one of the sources said.

Hamas, which has governed the Gaza Strip since 2007, claimed responsibility for the deadly Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israeli territory, triggering a retaliatory war in the enclave.

Kushner also emphasized that Hamas would have no future role in governing Gaza, according to the sources.

Memorandum of understanding between Washington, Tehran expires today

The 14-point memorandum of understanding between Iran and the United States expires Monday. Signed remotely on June 17, 2026, by U.S. President Donald Trump and Iranian President Massoud Pezechkian, it paved the way for 60 days of negotiations aimed at "the immediate and permanent end of the war on all fronts, including in Lebanon."

Despite the agreement, both sides exchanged airstrikes during the 60-day period.

The memorandum notably provides for the gradual lifting of U.S. sanctions on Iran and restrictions on maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz. It stipulates that Iran "will never produce nuclear weapons." Washington and Tehran also commit to "guaranteeing the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Lebanon."

Negotiations between the United States and Iran are at a standstill. If no agreement is reached to extend the cease-fire, military operations could resume in Iran, while the Strait of Hormuz could see further military developments.

The memorandum expires Monday, and the absence of an extension could allow military operations to resume in Iran, while further military developments remain possible in the Strait of Hormuz.

Israeli strike on Qantara overnight, artillery fire on Ali Taher, other locations in south Lebanon

Overnight in southern Lebanon was marked by Israeli artillery fire on the heights of Ali Taher (Nabatieh district), on terrain in Mansouri (Sour), and on Wadi Slouqi, Wadi Hujeir and Qantara (Marjayoun), reports our correspondent in the South. Bursts of gunfire also targeted Haddatha (Bint Jbeil) as Israeli vehicle movements were observed in the area.

In addition, four shells hit Mansouri, simultaneously with machine-gun fire from the vicinity of Beit Siyad directed toward the town.

The Israeli Air Force also conducted a raid on Qantara (Marjayoun).

Good morning. We are now launching our live coverage of south Lebanon and the region.

We are now launching our live coverage of the situation in southern Lebanon and the Middle East, as the 14-point memorandum of understanding between Iran and the United States expires today.