Israel relentlessly attacking Mansouri, in Sour, with artillery shells and a strike | LIVE

Qatari Prime Minister to visit Tehran on Thursday to 'discuss ways to reduce tensions'

Qatar Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani will travel to Tehran on Thursday, where he will meet with several Iranian officials to discuss ways to reduce tensions, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Majed Al-Ansari announced Wednesday on X.

South Lebanon: Israel targets Mansouri, strikes Sarbine

The Israeli army intensified its attack on Mansouri in the evening, firing at least ten artillery shells from a Merkava tank and conducting an airstrike with two missiles.

Furthermore, an Israeli army drone dropped another stun bomb toward the town and dropped explosive materials on the village in the Sour district, which had been targeted throughout the day.

At the same time, the Israeli air force carried out an airstrike on Sarbine, in the Bint Jbeil district.

In Rome, Italian army chief told Haykal 'Lebanon’s stability is a strategic priority'

At the conclusion of his two-day visit to Italy, the Lebanese army commander-in-chief, Rodolph Haykal, was received by his Italian counterpart, Luciano Portolano, who affirmed that “Lebanon’s stability is a strategic priority,” according to a Lebanese Army press release.

The Italian army chief also “welcomed the friendly relations between the two countries” and “emphasized the importance of supporting the Lebanese army given its essential role in maintaining security and stability.”

The Lebanese and Italian sides also “discussed the essential role of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon [UNIFIL], in which the Italian contingent participates, as well as that of the Italian Bilateral Military Mission in Lebanon [MIBIL, which has been operating in Lebanon since 2015] and the Military Technical Committee for Lebanon [MTC4L, established in March 2024],” the troop wrote on X.

Following President Joseph Aoun’s visit to Rome a week ago, “Italy’s vision and role for the period following UNIFIL were also discussed,” the statement continued.

Haykal also met with the Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, who “emphasized the need to establish peace in Lebanon, noting that the army plays a major role in preserving the country’s security.”

South Lebanon: Airstrike targets Mansouri

An Israeli airstrike targeted the town of Mansouri (Sour district) early this evening, reports our correspondent in southern Lebanon.

While the village had been attacked several times during the day, this was the first airstrike targeting it on Wednesday.

Shortly afterward, an Israeli Merkava tank fired artillery shells at the town.

South Lebanon: Major Israeli explosion in Bani Hayyan, numerous homes and infrastructure targeted

A major explosion carried out by the Israeli army targeted numerous homes and infrastructure in Bani Hayyan, in the Marjayoun district, reports our correspondent in southern Lebanon.

The sound of the explosion was heard a great distance away, and residents of nearby towns felt tremors in the ground, he adds.

A video shows thick clouds of smoke rising from the site of the explosion.

Israeli army blows up homes between Yohmor al-Shaqif and Deir Siryan

The Israeli army blew up homes in the area between the towns of Yohmor al-Shaqif (Nabatieh), and Deir Siryan (Marjayoun.)

Israeli artillery shelling targeted the towns of Mansouri (Sour) and Deir Siryan (Marjayoun), and dropped a sound bomb over Mansouri.

Iran threatens ‘hostile media’ as ‘potential military targets’

Brigadier-General Abolfazl Shekarchi, the spokesperson for Iran’s armed forces, says hostile media outlets can be considered military targets, according to Iran’s state-run Fars news agency.

“Media outlets like BBC, Iran International, and Radio Farda are directly connected to [and supported by] Mossad, the CIA, and enemy intelligence organisations,” Shekarchi said.

He said individuals employed by these organisations “can even be included in the list of potential military targets because, in our view, these are not media outlets”.

“These pseudo-media outlets are the source of promoting, advertising, and spreading violence in the world, and they have disrupted the mental wellbeing of humanity,” he said.

Israeli army drone drops a stun grenade on Mansouri

An Israeli army drone dropped a stun grenade on Mansouri (Sour), our correspondent in south Lebanon reported.

This locality, located in the western sector between Sour and Naqoura and divided in two by the “Yellow Line” imposed by Israel, has been one of the main targets of Israeli attacks in South Lebanon in recent weeks.

According to the head of Mansouri’s municipality, the repeated attacks by the Israeli army could be a sign of “a full-scale invasion of Mansouri, or at the very least the total destruction of the locality, which has been emptied of its residents."

South Lebanon: Israeli army says it destroyed '400 terrorist infrastructures' in recent weeks

The Israeli army claimed it had “destroyed more than 400 terrorist infrastructures” over the past few weeks, in a propaganda message published on its Hebrew-language X account. According to the Israeli military, which has been carrying out systematic destruction in numerous villages it occupies in southern Lebanon, it also destroyed large quantities of weapons, including “anti-tank missiles, anti-aircraft missiles, explosives, Kalashnikov-type weapons, and mortar shells.”

Iranians will not back down in war with US: Pezeshkian

Iran’s president says the Iranian people will fight if necessary and will not back down in the war with the US, Al Jazeera reported.

Pezeshkian praised the June 17 MoU, which expired earlier this month, saying Iran was considered victorious because of it by the international community.

The president added that Iran’s problems stemmed from Washington’s economic sanctions, but that its people would not allow the US to succeed in its goals.

Witkoff and Kushner head to CENTCOM headquarters to assess the 'situation on the ground'

White House envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, who are leading negotiations with Iran, are heading Wednesday to the headquarters of the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) in Tampa to attend briefings on the “situation on the ground,” according to a source familiar with the matter, Axios reported.

Earlier in the day, the same outlet reported that U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio had told several foreign ministers from allied countries in recent days that, “for the time being,” the United States is not expected to launch new strikes against Iran and would instead favor other means of applying pressure.

According to senior U.S. officials cited by Israel’s Channel 12, this policy is expected to remain in place until after the U.S. midterm elections, in early November.

Trump says Iran’s supreme leader is wounded, but not dead

U.S. President Donald Trump said Wednesday that he did not believe Iran’s Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, was dead.

“I don’t think he’s dead. He was very seriously wounded,” Donald Trump said during an interview with conservative host Glenn Beck.

The Iranian Supreme Leader, who was elected at the start of the war between his country and the United States in March, following the assassination of his father, former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, on February 28, has yet to make any public appearances or even send a voice message, limiting himself to written messages. It is highly likely that he was wounded in the same Israeli-American strike that killed his father, and his absence from his father’s funeral in mid-July has fueled speculation about his health, and even his possible death.

Iran and Oman reach agreements on share of Hormuz and revenues, Revolutionary Guards say

Iran and Oman have reached agreements on their share of the Strait of Hormuz and its revenues, Iran's Revolutionary Guards spokesperson said, according to a report by the semi-official Tasnim news agency on Wednesday.

The spokesperson said the U.S. was obstructing negotiations between Oman and Iran, leading to them being delayed

Israeli artillery shelling targets Bani Hayan and Kfar Roummane; explosion in Braasheet

Israeli artillery shelling targeted the towns of Bani Hayan (Marjayoun) and the vicinity of the Dabsha site, on the outskirts of Kfar Roummane (Nabatieh), our correspondent in the south reported.

Separately, an Israeli military explosion occurred on the outskirts of Braasheet, toward Aitaroun (Bint Jbeil.)

Iran’s president says US will gain 'nothing' from economic pressure

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said the United States would achieve “nothing” from its new economic pressure on the Islamic Republic, local media reported.

“With the measures planned by the government’s economic authorities, the United States will gain nothing from its economic pressure at this stage, just as it gained nothing during the war,” Pezeshkian said, according to the ISNA news agency.

“Our principle is to understand and resolve problems through dialogue and negotiations, but at the same time, we will resist economic pressure, as we have done so far and will continue to do,” he added.

Iran: Army says damaged weapons systems rebuilt after war

Iran’s army said all weapons systems damaged during the war have been “rebuilt” and that new systems have also been imported into the country.

“All the systems of the forces that were damaged have been rebuilt, and new systems have also been imported,” army spokesman Mohammad Akraminia told state television.

“New systems have arrived through the defense industry and the army, while some have also been imported from abroad. These weapons have strengthened our combat capabilities,” he added.

Joseph Aoun: Negotiations face obstacles but remain preferable to war

President Joseph Aoun said Lebanon decided to engage in negotiations with Israel to avoid the devastation and tragedies of war, stressing that talks remain “far preferable to war” despite the obstacles and difficulties they face.

“We decided to engage in negotiations to avoid the devastation and tragedies caused by war. It is true that these negotiations are neither easy nor quick and face obstacles and difficulties, but they remain far preferable to war,” Aoun said at Baabda Palace during a meeting with a delegation from the Maronite General Council.

“We share the same objectives: liberating the South, deploying the army to the border, securing the release of prisoners, allowing residents to return and rebuilding,” the president added. “As it has become clear, these objectives cannot be achieved through war. There is therefore no other choice but negotiation.”

Iran says Qatar is unaware of fate of missing Iranian pilots

Iran says Qatar has told Tehran it does not know the fate of Iranian pilots who went missing after their aircraft were downed during an operation in Qatar, and has urged Doha to step up efforts to determine their whereabouts, state-affiliated Tasnim reported Wednesday.

Iran said earlier this month that three of the four missing pilots were believed to have been captured alive by Qatari forces. Tehran has called on the International Committee of the Red Cross to help establish their status.

The pilots went missing after two Iranian Su-24 aircraft were downed on March 2 while returning from a mission targeting U.S. forces in Qatar, according to Iranian officials. One of the four pilots was later confirmed dead, while the fate of the other three remains unclear.

Pezeshkian and Putin expected to meet next week

The Iranian and Russian presidents are planning to meet at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in Kyrgyzstan next week.

Iran’s ambassador to Russia, Kazem Jalali, said on Wednesday that Pezeshkian and Putin would meet on the sidelines of the summit, which will commence in the capital, Bishkek, on Monday.

Iran says it upgraded military capabilities, rebuilt war-damaged infrastructure

Iran has upgraded its military capabilities and rebuilt infrastructure damaged during the war, Iranian army spokesperson Mohammad Akraminia said, according to Al Jazeera.

Akraminia said Iran plans to shift from a defensive to an offensive posture to protect itself against the threat of further U.S. attacks. He said Iran carried out several “preemptive operations” during the final phase of the war, including a strike on a U.S. base in Jordan that he described as an effective deterrent.

He also said Iran would offer a financial reward to anyone who captures U.S. soldiers if they enter Iranian territory.

On the Strait of Hormuz, Akraminia said vessels would be monitored by Iran before entering the passage and would only be allowed to transit with Iranian approval.

Homes demolished in Houla

The Israeli army is demolishing homes in Houla (Marjayoun), our south Lebanon correspondent reports.

Netanyahu: No diplomatic deal possible with 'these savages' in Iran

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said a diplomatic deal was not possible with the "savages" who rule Iran as he hailed US President Donald Trump's new campaign of economic pressure.

Recounting a recent meeting with Trump, Netanyahu told an event late Tuesday that they had discussed the possibility of diplomacy with Iran and said: "I doubt, however, that an agreement can be reached with that group there, with those savages. I tell you — an agreement cannot be reached."

Issa: Hezbollah has not handed over its weapons, so why ask Israel to do everything?

Grand Mufti Abdel Latif Derian, the country’s highest Sunni religious authority, received U.S. Ambassador Michel Issa at Dar al-Fatwa this morning to discuss the general situation in Lebanon, according to the state-run National News Agency.

After the meeting, Issa said the United States stands with Lebanon and wants to contribute to its sovereignty. “I discussed Lebanon’s future and the importance of coexistence with Mufti Derian.

I assured him that the United States stands with the Lebanese people and wants Lebanon to be a safe and independent country,” he said. He added that the positions of the United States and the Grand Mufti were “close.”

Issa also said that “no agreement to end the Israeli aggression has yet been reached because Hezbollah has not handed over its weapons.”

“The party does not want to do anything, so why ask Israel to do everything?” he asked.

US stands with Lebanon and seeks to support its sovereignty, Issa tells Derian

Grand Mufti Abdel Latif Derian received U.S. Ambassador Michel Issa at Dar al-Fatwa this morning to discuss the general situation in Lebanon, according to the state-run National News Agency.

After the meeting, Issa said the United States stands with the Lebanese people and wants Lebanon to be “a safe and independent country.” He said his positions and those of the Grand Mufti were “close.”

Issa also said that “no agreement to end Israeli aggression has yet been reached because Hezbollah has not handed over its weapons.” “The party does not want to do anything, so why ask Israel to do everything?” he asked, in comments broadcast by MTV.

South Lebanon: Mansouri remains under Israeli fire

Israeli artillery fire targeted Mansouri again this morning, while Israeli military vehicles carried out earthmoving operations in Bouyout al-Siyad, in the Sour district, our south Lebanon correspondent reports.

An Israeli drone also exploded over Mansouri.

South Lebanon: Four Israeli detonations reported in Bint Jbeil this morning

The Israeli army carried out four detonations in Bint Jbeil this morning, our south Lebanon correspondent.

Israeli overnight strikes hit Nabatieh and Marjayoun districts

Israeli airstrikes overnight targeted a house in Nabatieh Fawqa, as well as Taybeh and Deir Syrian in the Marjayoun district, south of the Litani River.

An Israeli Merkava tank also shelled Mansouri several times, while medium-caliber machine-gun fire targeted Haddatha.

Artillery fire hit the strategic Ali Taher heights and nearby Dabsheh hill, as well as Dohat Kfar Roummane and Mayfadoun.

The Israeli army also set fire to homes in several parts of Khiam on Tuesday night.

Israeli drone carrying unexploded missile found in Habboush

An Israeli drone was found this morning in Habboush, Nabatieh, carrying a missile that had failed to detonate, our correspondent reports.

The Israeli army also carried out a demolition operation in Majdal Zoun and shelled Mansouri and Wadi Slouqi.

Rubio says no new US strikes on Iran 'for time being'

 Secretary of State Marco Rubio has told several foreign ministers from allied countries in recent days that "for time being" the United States is not expected to launch new strikes against Iran, and will instead focus on other means of pressure, Axios reported on Tuesday, citing a U.S. official and a second source with knowledge of the matter. 

Trump says all mines removed or destroyed in international waters of Strait of Hormuz

U.S. President Donald Trump said the U.S. Navy had removed or destroyed “all the mines” in the international waters of the Strait of Hormuz.

Trump also warned Iran against laying new mines and said any vessel doing so would be destroyed.

Strait of Hormuz traffic remains below 10-day average

Five vessels carrying commodities transited the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday, broadly unchanged from the previous day but well below the 10-day average of 15 vessels, according to preliminary Kpler data reported by Reuters.

Oman and Iran discuss temporary shipping corridor through Strait of Hormuz

Oman and Iran are discussing a temporary shipping corridor and joint demining operations in the Strait of Hormuz, but Tehran says the strategic waterway will not reopen until the United States ends the war.

Oman said talks would continue on a permanent corridor and the future management of the strait, while Iran called for regional solutions.