Middle East Eye

Israeli forces carried out a new wave of airstrikes, artillery fire, and demolitions across southern Lebanon, while Turkey revoked the operating licence of Iran's Bank Mellat in Istanbul. The US and Denmark announced a Greenland security deal, and Iran executed a man convicted of spying for Israel.

The Lebanese Army returned to its main post in Deir Mimas after an Israeli force withdrew following a tense standoff, while Saudi Aramco halted October crude shipments to European refiners after an attack on its East-West pipeline. Iranians staged the largest pro-regime rally since the war began, and a UN agency estimated the Hormuz blockade has cost Arab nations $150 billion.

The IRGC claimed it struck a Togo-flagged tanker attempting an illegal passage through the Strait of Hormuz, while hundreds of thousands rallied in Tehran for the 'Sacrifice for Iran' campaign. A UN fact-finding mission said there are grounds to believe the US committed war crimes in Iran and Tehran committed crimes against humanity. Israeli operations continued in southern Lebanon and Gaza.

The US House voted 220-204 to end military action in Iran, while the IRGC claimed it shot down its 52nd US MQ-9 drone over Qeshm Island. In Gaza, a war-damaged building collapsed in Gaza City, killing at least 16 Palestinians and leaving around 100 missing. The Houthis claimed they downed a Saudi F-15 over Marib, and the Trump administration is preparing a $2.8 billion bomb sale to Israel.

Houthi ballistic missile and drone attacks wounded 13 civilians in southern Saudi Arabia, drawing a pledge of a "firm" response from the Saudi-led coalition. Iran's IRGC claimed it shot down a fourth American MQ-1 drone over the Strait of Hormuz, while Tehran said its foreign minister will visit Beijing. Israeli strikes killed at least two Palestinians in Gaza and eliminated two Hamas commanders, and IDF troops dismantled a Hezbollah rocket-launcher hideout in southern Lebanon.

Iran's nuclear chief was barred from the IAEA General Conference in Vienna after Austria revoked his visa, drawing protests from Tehran and a US statement opposing his attendance. Israeli strikes continued across southern Lebanon, where Prime Minister Netanyahu pledged to keep destroying Hezbollah infrastructure, and the IDF chief ordered legal action over the NAZA film. Protests spread across Syria over fuel price hikes, while Houthi forces seized additional Red Sea islands.

A planned Oman meeting on Strait of Hormuz arrangements was postponed at Saudi Arabia's request, while Iran's IRGC claimed it destroyed a U.S. MQ-1 drone over the strait. Israeli strikes continued in Gaza and southern Lebanon, and Houthi forces claimed attacks on Saudi Arabia as Yemeni government forces advanced in Taiz.

An Iranian commercial vessel was struck near the Strait of Hormuz, killing one crew member, as Houthi forces claimed missile and drone attacks on a Saudi military base in Sharurah. Israel carried out airstrikes and artillery fire across southern Lebanon, while Iraq seized a drone-launching platform linked to the earlier Saudi pipeline attack.

BRICS leaders adopted a joint declaration urging maximum restraint in the Middle East and backing a Gaza ceasefire and two-state solution, while Iran-backed Iraqi militias denied responsibility for the attack that shut Saudi Arabia's East-West pipeline. Lebanese President Joseph Aoun visited Nabatieh and said no new negotiations with Israel are underway, as explosions continued in southern Lebanon.

Houthi forces captured the strategic island of Perim (Mayyun) in the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, completing their control of the waterway after seizing the entire Yemeni Red Sea coastline. President Trump declined Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's request for direct US strikes on the Houthis, offering intelligence support instead. The IDF and Shin Bet killed Hamas's Khan Younis Brigade commander Muhammad Yazouri in an overnight strike in southern Gaza.

The US military destroyed five Iranian oil tankers after attempted missile attacks on a Navy warship, prompting IRGC claims of retaliatory strikes on the Al-Azraq airbase in Jordan and multiple vessels in the Strait of Hormuz. Jordan intercepted 18 of 20 ballistic missiles. Netanyahu announced he will sue Haaretz over its report that the UAE warned him before Oct. 7. Israeli artillery and controlled explosions continued in southern Lebanon.

Houthi missile and drone strikes on Saudi energy facilities wounded 73 people, including women and children, and halted operations at some sites. Israeli ministers called for recognizing Argentina's Falklands claim and expelling the UK ambassador ahead of expected British settlement trade restrictions. A new Haaretz investigation says UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed explicitly warned Netanyahu of Hamas plans days before October 7, which Netanyahu's office denies.

Overnight Israeli airstrikes killed at least 11 people, including two children and two paramedics, in the southern Lebanon town of Kfar Reman, while Iran announced it will designate a restricted zone outside the Strait of Hormuz in the coming days. In the West Bank, a Palestinian was killed during a settler rampage in Hajja and an Israeli was stabbed at a farming outpost before troops shot the assailant dead. The IDF struck Hamas sites in Gaza after an explosive device hit an engineering vehicle, and Nauru opened an embassy in Jerusalem.

Israeli strikes killed at least four people and wounded 20 in southern Lebanon after Hezbollah launched two drones at IDF troops, while the IRGC claimed ballistic missile attacks on a US aircraft carrier and destroyer in the Strait of Hormuz. Netanyahu called Qatar a hostile state, and Yemeni government forces claimed control of Hays district amid intensified fighting.

A US missile strike hit an Iranian oil tanker near Kharg Island, with Iranian state media reporting four projectiles struck the vessel and no casualties. Israeli strikes killed at least three and wounded 23 in southern and eastern Lebanon after Hezbollah launched a drone at IDF troops. The Pentagon polygraphed about 50 Joint Staff members over leaks on munitions shortages, and US intelligence assesses Iran is weighing major escalation before the midterms.

Israeli settlers besieged three Palestinian homes in the West Bank village of Qusra for five nights, drawing sharp US criticism, while the UAE accused Iran of attacking two ADNOC tankers in the Strait of Hormuz. Israeli strikes killed a Hamas commander in Gaza City, and a British firm began containing a massive oil spill from a grounded Russian shadow fleet tanker off Oman.

Dozens of Israeli settlers besieged three Palestinian families in the West Bank village of Qusra, cutting off water and power, prompting the IDF chief to deploy troops on leave and drawing sharp US criticism. The White House said Israel must do more to prevent settler violence, while US Ambassador Mike Huckabee said Washington was 'VERY involved' in efforts to end the siege. Separately, Israel struck a Hamas commander in northern Gaza in the first airstrike in over a week, and Defense Minister Israel Katz drew a US rebuke after saying Israel would remain in southern Lebanon.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu formally rejected the US-backed Board of Peace 15-point Gaza plan, vowing no IDF withdrawal until Hamas is genuinely disarmed. Iran ruled out resuming direct talks with the US, citing breaches of the Islamabad MoU, while Houthi forces claimed a drone attack on Saudi Aramco’s Jizan refinery. In southern Lebanon, the IDF demolished a Hezbollah tunnel shaft and uncovered weapons caches, and Israeli forces advanced into Daraa and Quneitra countryside in Syria.

The UAE says Iran targeted an ADNOC tanker with a missile in the Strait of Hormuz, drawing Gulf condemnation. The IRGC says reopening the strait is contingent on US acceptance of Iranian conditions and is unrelated to ongoing Iran-Oman talks. Israeli forces advanced and shelled multiple towns in south Lebanon, and an IDF soldier was moderately wounded in an operational accident. Netanyahu seeks an additional $17 billion in military spending. Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan signed a collective defense pact.

Two IDF reservists were killed and four seriously wounded by an IED in southern Lebanon, amid a surge in Israeli strikes and ceasefire violations. Iran and Oman are finalizing a deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, while shipping through the strait has collapsed to near zero. In the West Bank, armed settlers torched homes in Khirbet al-Tuba, injuring at least six Palestinians.

The US completed an 11th consecutive night of strikes on Iran, expanding the target set to new provinces, while the IRGC claimed it disabled multiple radar systems in Kuwait and the Iranian Army asserted drone attacks on US equipment there. President Trump approved a 30-year civilian nuclear agreement with Saudi Arabia without major safeguards, and the Netherlands announced a ban on imports from Israeli settlements effective September 22.

The US completed a 10th consecutive night of strikes on Iran as the IRGC claimed attacks on US bases in Bahrain, Kuwait, and Jordan. The Houthis threatened a maritime embargo on Saudi Arabia, while Hamas elected Khalil al-Hayya as its new political chief. Israel and Lebanon began a pilot zone framework in southern Lebanon, and Qatar formally condemned Iranian strikes on its territory.

The US launched a ninth consecutive night of strikes on Iran, targeting military command centers and air defense sites, while the IRGC claimed ballistic missile strikes on US military aircraft in Jordan and renewed missile attacks on Bahrain. The IRGC also asserted that two oil tankers exploded in the Strait of Hormuz, which it described as an unsafe route. A third US service member was confirmed killed in Iraq during a controlled detonation of an Iranian drone, and unidentified remains were found at the site of an earlier Iranian strike in Jordan. Secretary of State Rubio signaled that the US remains open to a diplomatic solution.

Iran launched ballistic missiles at the Jordanian city of Aqaba; US air defenses intercepted three, while a fourth landed in an open area. Israel fired Iron Dome interceptors at falling fragments near Eilat, with no damage or injuries. The attack came as the US completed an eighth night of strikes on Iran and Iran retaliated with drone and missile attacks on Kuwait and Bahrain, causing a fire at a Kuwaiti power plant. Israeli ministers joined a far-right march toward Gaza calling for resettlement, and the IDF declared the area a closed military zone.

The US launched a seventh consecutive night of strikes on Iran, targeting bridges, energy infrastructure, and a port surveillance tower, while Iran’s IRGC and army claimed retaliatory drone and missile attacks on US bases in Kuwait, Bahrain, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia. Kuwait reported intercepting drones and missiles, and the IRGC declared the Strait of Hormuz “completely closed” after halting vessels. A Palestinian teenager died from wounds sustained in a settler attack in the West Bank, and Israeli forces destroyed three schools in southern Lebanon.

The US launched a sixth consecutive night of strikes on Iran, hitting bridges, a port, and energy sites, while Iran’s IRGC claimed retaliatory attacks on US bases in Syria, Kuwait, Jordan, Oman, and Qatar. Hezbollah denied reports of a shift in its stance on Gaza and negotiations with Israel. Israeli forces continued operations in Lebanon and the West Bank, and satellite images revealed damage inside Iran’s Bushehr nuclear plant.

The US launched a third consecutive night of strikes on Iranian military targets, as the IRGC claimed a ballistic missile attack on a US air base in Jordan. Houthi rebels struck Saudi Arabia’s Abha airport in retaliation for a strike on Sanaa airport, and oil prices hit a one-month high amid escalating Hormuz tensions.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry said a US-Iran memorandum of understanding will not be signed on Sunday, contradicting Pakistani and US signals that a deal was imminent. Hezbollah announced a “new phase” of operations to liberate all of south Lebanon, and the IDF struck over 70 Hezbollah sites in the past day. CENTCOM intercepted Iranian drones targeting ships in the Strait of Hormuz.

A US-Iran memorandum of understanding is in final consensus stages, with Tehran downplaying Trump's timeline for a weekend signing. CENTCOM intercepted Iranian drones targeting ships in the Strait of Hormuz. An IDF evacuation order was issued for 20 villages in south Lebanon, and a Hezbollah drone was downed over Metula. Four UK activists were jailed for a violent raid on an Israeli defense factory.

The United States launched a second consecutive night of airstrikes on Iranian air defense, surveillance, and communication targets, while Iran announced the full closure of the Strait of Hormuz and retaliated with missile and drone strikes on US bases in Kuwait and Bahrain. President Trump threatened further attacks if Iran does not agree to a deal, as the IDF reported a suspicious aerial target near Misgav Am and strikes in Lebanon's Beqaa Valley.

Israel and Iran announced a mutual halt to direct attacks on June 8 after US President Trump warned Prime Minister Netanyahu that Israel would be 'on its own' if it continued strikes. The IDF intercepted a Houthi drone over Eilat and continued operations in southern Lebanon, where strikes killed at least 14 people. The ICC suspended its chief prosecutor over sexual misconduct allegations.

Iran launched a ballistic missile barrage at central and southern Israel overnight, the first such attack since the April truce, prompting Israeli retaliatory strikes on military and petrochemical targets across Iran. US President Trump urged Prime Minister Netanyahu not to retaliate, saying a diplomatic deal with Tehran was close. The Home Front Command canceled school nationwide and ordered hospitals underground. The Houthis declared a naval blockade on Israel-linked vessels in the Red Sea.

Two IDF soldiers were killed in separate incidents in southern Lebanon, while Hezbollah launched rockets at northern Israel for the first time since Wednesday. The Pentagon raised its counterintelligence threat assessment for Israel to the highest level. In the West Bank, a Palestinian car-ramming lightly injured a settler after settlers blocked a road and threw stones. France and allies are coordinating sanctions over settler violence.

A seven-month-old Palestinian baby was killed and his parents wounded when IDF troops fired on their vehicle in Hebron. Hezbollah rejected the US-brokered ceasefire, launching rockets and surface-to-air missiles at northern Israel, while the IDF killed two Hezbollah operatives in southern Lebanon. France opened a war crimes probe into Israel's treatment of flotilla activists, and Ireland banned Israeli ministers Smotrich and Ben Gvir.

Hezbollah formally rejected the US-brokered ceasefire with Israel, even as Lebanon said its army would deploy to pilot zones anyway. A UNIFIL peacekeeper was killed and two wounded by mortar fire in southern Lebanon, which the IDF attributed to Hezbollah. The US House passed a symbolic war powers resolution to limit Trump’s military actions in Iran, drawing a sharp rebuke from the president. The IAEA called on Iran to explain enriched uranium stockpiles and restore inspector access.

Iran launched ballistic missiles and drones at Kuwait and Bahrain, killing one and wounding 63 at Kuwait’s airport, while the US struck Iran’s Qeshm Island in self-defense. President Trump confirmed calling Netanyahu ‘f***ing crazy’ over Lebanon fighting. Hezbollah continued rocket and drone attacks on northern Israel, and the IDF struck targets in southern Lebanon, killing a Lebanese soldier. The fourth round of Israel-Lebanon talks continued in Washington.

Iran launched ballistic missiles and drones at Kuwait and Bahrain, striking Kuwait’s international airport and wounding several people, while the US conducted self-defense strikes on Iran’s Qeshm Island. US and partner forces intercepted multiple projectiles, and the IRGC claimed retaliatory strikes on US bases in Kuwait. Hezbollah carried out 13 attacks on Israeli forces in southern Lebanon, wounding four soldiers, as Israel-Lebanon talks continued in Washington. The IAEA confirmed a drone attack on the UAE’s Barakah nuclear plant, calling it of “extreme gravity.”

Hezbollah fired multiple rocket salvos at northern Israel overnight, with one projectile striking a shopping center in Kiryat Shmona and causing damage but no injuries. The IDF intercepted several rockets and issued new evacuation warnings for seven villages in southern Lebanon, while Israeli airstrikes and drone strikes continued across the south. The US-Iran deal remains unresolved after a White House Situation Room meeting ended without a decision, and Iran denied any final understanding has been reached.

The IRGC launched a retaliatory attack on a US base in Kuwait following overnight American strikes near Bandar Abbas, Iran. An IDF soldier was killed and two reservists wounded in a Hezbollah explosive drone attack on a military zone near the Lebanese border. The IDF began striking Hezbollah infrastructure in Tyre after ordering evacuations. The UN added Israel to its blacklist of perpetrators of sexual violence in conflict zones, prompting Israel to reportedly cut ties with UN Secretary-General Guterres. The US reimposed sanctions on UN rapporteur Francesca Albanese.

Israel confirmed the killing of Hamas's new military chief Mohammed Odeh in a Gaza strike, while intensifying airstrikes in Lebanon that killed at least 31 people. Hezbollah launched over 15 drones at Israel and threatened to topple the Lebanese government. US-Iran negotiations continued with Secretary of State Rubio saying a deal could take 'a few days,' even as Iran condemned recent US strikes as a ceasefire violation.

The US conducted self-defense strikes on Iranian mine-laying boats and missile sites near Bandar Abbas, while Israel expanded ground operations beyond the security zone in southern Lebanon and intensified airstrikes that killed at least 12 in Mashghara. Iran condemned the US strikes as a 'gross violation' of the ceasefire, and Hezbollah launched multiple drone and rocket attacks on Israeli positions. US-Iran talks in Qatar continue, with Secretary Rubio stating a deal could come in days.

A Hezbollah explosive drone killed an IDF soldier and seriously wounded another in southern Lebanon, while the US and Iran continued to negotiate a ceasefire deal that Israeli officials warn ignores Israel's security interests. The British navy is preparing to clear mines from the Strait of Hormuz once a deal is signed, though a US official says no mines have been found. Northern Israeli mayors say the emerging deal would be a 'death blow' if Hezbollah remains intact.

Hezbollah drone attacks wounded 10 Israeli soldiers in southern Lebanon, including a brigade commander and a combat photographer, as the Knesset overwhelmingly advanced a bill to dissolve parliament. Iran confirmed it is reviewing a US proposal delivered via Pakistan, while President Trump said talks are in 'final stages' and warned of renewed strikes if no deal is reached. The US lifted sanctions on UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese, and settler violence flared in the West Bank.

President Trump postponed a planned military strike on Iran for the second time in 36 hours, citing Gulf mediation and 'serious negotiations,' while Brent crude held above $110. Israeli Finance Minister Smotrich announced the ICC prosecutor had secretly requested his arrest warrant and retaliated by ordering the demolition of a West Bank Bedouin village. Hezbollah explosive drones struck Israeli territory near the Lebanon border, lightly wounding two, as the IDF struck over 25 Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon. Iran warned it would open 'new fronts' if attacked again, and air defenses activated over multiple Iranian cities.

Iran submitted a new 14-point proposal via Pakistan, which a senior US official dismissed as containing only 'cosmetic improvements.' The IDF killed a senior Palestinian Islamic Jihad commander in Baalbek, Lebanon, and intercepted a Gaza-bound flotilla off Cyprus. Hezbollah launched rockets and drones at Israeli forces in southern Lebanon, triggering sirens in northern Israel.

Prime Minister Netanyahu’s corruption trial was postponed for security reasons as the IDF struck over 30 Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon, killing several operatives. Settler activists repeatedly crossed illegally into Syria, and a new death penalty law for West Bank Palestinians came into effect. President Trump warned Iran that 'the clock is ticking' amid stalled talks.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office confirmed a secret wartime visit to the UAE, which Abu Dhabi denied, as President Trump met with Xi Jinping in Beijing amid tensions over Iran. Hezbollah launched multiple attacks on Israeli forces in southern Lebanon, and IDF officers warned that Jewish terror accounts for up to 80% of incidents in the West Bank. Saudi Arabia reportedly struck Iran-backed militias in Iraq during the war.

US President Donald Trump is seriously considering resuming combat operations against Iran after rejecting Tehran’s latest ceasefire proposal as “unacceptable,” while reports reveal the UAE secretly struck an Iranian oil refinery during the war. In Lebanon, an Israeli airstrike killed six civilians in Kafr Dounine, and Hezbollah claimed a guided-missile hit on an IDF Merkava tank. The Knesset passed a law establishing a special tribunal and allowing the death penalty for October 7 perpetrators, and EU foreign ministers approved sanctions on violent Israeli settlers and Hamas leaders after Hungary lifted its veto.

The IDF struck over 85 Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon and issued evacuation warnings for nine villages, while the US expects Iran's response to a ceasefire proposal. Hezbollah drone attacks wounded three Israeli soldiers, and settler violence escalated in the West Bank. The US imposed new sanctions on entities aiding Iran's drone program, and a Russia-Ukraine ceasefire was announced.

The IDF confirmed it killed Hezbollah Radwan Force commander Ahmed Ali Balout in a precise strike on Beirut’s Dahieh suburb, while Hezbollah launched rockets and explosive drones at Israeli troops in southern Lebanon. Iran is reviewing a US proposal to end the war, and President Trump paused the Hormuz escort operation after Saudi Arabia denied airspace access. In Gaza, the son of Hamas’s chief negotiator was killed in an IDF strike.

President Trump suspended Project Freedom naval escorts in the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday, citing “great progress” toward a US-Iran agreement, while Hezbollah explosive drones wounded three Israeli soldiers in southern Lebanon and the IDF struck 25 Hezbollah targets. A Washington Post satellite analysis revealed Iranian strikes have damaged or destroyed at least 228 US military assets across 15 Middle East bases, far exceeding official US acknowledgments. A joint World Bank-UN-EU report priced Gaza reconstruction at $71 billion.

Hezbollah rockets targeted Avivim in northern Israel on Sunday, with no casualties reported, as the IDF continued operations in southern Lebanon, killing two Hezbollah gunmen and seizing weapons caches. Israel approved the purchase of two additional squadrons of F-35I and F-15IA fighter jets, doubling fleet sizes. President Trump reviewed Iran's 14-point peace proposal but expressed skepticism, while the US announced the withdrawal of 5,000 troops from Germany amid a deepening rift with Europe over the Iran war. A cargo ship was attacked near the Strait of Hormuz, and Iran's Foreign Minister discussed ending the war with his German counterpart.

The UAE announced it will leave OPEC effective May 1, fracturing the oil cartel amid the Hormuz crisis, while the IDF demolished two vast Hezbollah attack tunnels in southern Lebanon built with direct Iranian guidance. Hezbollah launched coordinated drone strikes on IDF positions, and Lebanese Army soldiers were injured in an Israeli airstrike during a rescue operation.