UN News

Qatar confirmed indirect US-Iran talks on reopening the Strait of Hormuz are ongoing, with no direct negotiations planned. A cargo ship was struck by a projectile near the strait, and its crew abandoned the vessel with one person missing. Israel and Lebanon began a seventh round of US-brokered talks in Rome, focusing on pilot zones and cessation of hostilities. The Houthis claimed a drone strike on Saudi Arabia’s Najran airport. In Gaza, a mass funeral was held for 112 Palestinians recovered from rubble two years after an Israeli airstrike.

The US is deploying dozens of refueling aircraft to Israel in preparation for a potential expansion of strikes on Iran, while the IRGC vows to continue retaliatory attacks until calm returns to southern Iran. The Lebanese army redeployed to two southern towns under a framework deal with Israel, and the UN chief called for a new diplomatic push amid escalating US-Iran hostilities. Israeli settlement activists were detained after illegally crossing into Syria.

The US struck targets near Iran’s Bushehr nuclear plant, prompting Iranian ballistic missile salvos at Jordan, Kuwait, Bahrain, and Qatar. Khamenei’s funeral culminated in Mashhad with calls for revenge, while the IRGC warned foreign forces out of the Strait of Hormuz. Israel rejected Trump’s Lebanon withdrawal claim, and Palestinian elections were called for November.

Iran prepares for Ayatollah Khamenei’s funeral with up to 20 million mourners expected and dignitaries from 100 countries attending, while Tehran warns the US and Israel against any attacks. A bomb blast at a Damascus cafe killed at least five and wounded 16. In Lebanon, Hezbollah and Amal ministers reiterated their rejection of direct talks with Israel, and the IDF killed a Hezbollah operative at the Ali al-Taher ridge. Syrian Foreign Minister al-Shaibani visited Beirut, expressing openness to meeting Hezbollah.

The IDF struck three Hezbollah command centers in southern Lebanon overnight in response to continued attacks on Israeli forces, while Defense Minister Katz said Israel will not withdraw “a millimeter” until Hezbollah is disarmed. The US and Iran agreed to halt strikes and will hold talks in Doha on Tuesday, though Iran denied technical meetings are planned. Israel confirmed the killing of Hamas’s head of military security in Rafah last week, and an IDF assessment warned Hamas is preparing to resume fighting.

US President Donald Trump threatened to strike Iran “very hard” again, saying Tehran had taken too long to negotiate a nuclear deal and would “pay the price.” The IDF confirmed that the Ramat David airbase sustained minor damage from falling fragments during Iran’s ballistic missile attack earlier this week, with no injuries or operational impact. Hezbollah continued to target Israeli forces in southern Lebanon with drones, missiles, and artillery, while Israeli airstrikes killed at least 17 people across the south, including two in a drone strike on a car in Sidon.

Two IDF officers were wounded in a firefight with Hezbollah operatives in southern Lebanon, and another was injured by an explosive drone, as Prime Minister Netanyahu stated the IDF would not withdraw from southern Lebanon in the near future. The IDF also announced the killing of Hezbollah's chief engineer, Abed Harb, in a strike last week. Meanwhile, the IAEA reported it has been unable to inspect Iranian nuclear facilities, and Iran claimed its navy fired warning shots at US destroyers in the Oman Sea.

Iran’s Supreme Leader has ordered that the country’s near-weapons-grade enriched uranium stockpile must remain in Iran, directly countering a key US and Israeli demand for any peace deal. Meanwhile, US intelligence assesses that Iran is rebuilding its military capabilities—including drone production—faster than expected during the ceasefire. In southern Lebanon, Hezbollah continued attacks on Israeli forces with drones and missiles, while Israel deported all foreign activists from the intercepted Gaza flotilla amid international condemnation of a video showing National Security Minister Ben-Gvir taunting detainees.

A Hezbollah explosive drone struck a parking lot near Rosh Hanikra in northern Israel, wounding three civilians, two seriously, in what the IDF called a “blatant violation” of ceasefire understandings. The attack came as Israeli and Lebanese delegations convened in Washington for a third round of direct talks, with Israel proposing a phased plan for Hezbollah disarmament. In the Strait of Hormuz, a commercial vessel was seized and diverted to Iran, while another cargo ship was sunk off Oman, drawing condemnation from India. The IDF expanded airstrikes across southern Lebanon and the Western Bekaa, and Prime Minister Netanyahu announced Israel would sue the New York Times over a column alleging widespread sexual abuse of Palestinian prisoners.

US President Donald Trump rejected Iran’s latest ceasefire response as “totally unacceptable,” while Hezbollah launched multiple loitering glider attacks on IDF vehicles in southern Lebanon. EU foreign ministers approved sanctions on violent Israeli settlers and settler groups, and Prime Minister Netanyahu convened an urgent security meeting amid the diplomatic impasse.