Global Pulse

分类： world

  • Russian troop build-up threatens city seen as key to seizing Ukraine’s Donbas

    Russian troop build-up threatens city seen as key to seizing Ukraine’s Donbas

    The battle for Kostyantynivka, a strategically critical hub in eastern Ukraine’s Donbas region, has entered a tense new phase as Russian infiltration advances and Ukrainian officials offer conflicting accounts of control on the ground. This fight carries major stakes for Moscow’s long-stated war goal of fully seizing the entire Donbas, as the city acts as a key gateway to Ukraine’s final major eastern strongholds of Kramatorsk and Sloviansk. If Kostyantynivka falls, Russian forces would open a clear path to push deeper into remaining Ukrainian-held territory in the region.

    Accounts from frontline personnel and official sources paint a starkly different picture of the current situation. Senior Ukrainian commander Brigadier General Oleksandr Bakulin, whose 19th Corps oversees defense of Kostyantynivka and surrounding areas, has publicly insisted that “the situation remains under control” and that Russian forces have not secured any lasting gains. He did, however, acknowledge that roughly 130 Russian troops are currently operating within the city’s boundaries. This official stance contradicts claims from Russia’s defense ministry, which says its troops are rapidly progressing in the city’s southwestern sector, have already encircled key Ukrainian military contingents, and released on-the-ground footage to back up their assertions.

    Anonymous Ukrainian frontline officers who spoke to the BBC have painted a far grimmer picture than Kyiv’s public narrative, confirming that the city now functions largely as a contested “grey zone” where no single side exercises full control. Russian troops have advanced from the south and been spotted as far north as the city’s outskirts, sneaking into rear areas of Ukrainian positions that are extremely hard to dislodge amid dense urban terrain. The summer growing season has added to defensive challenges: thick tree cover provides extra concealment for advancing Russian troops, allowing them to move into areas that would normally be classified as a Ukrainian drone “kill zone” where any open movement is quickly targeted.

    Russian forces have adapted their tactics to counter Ukraine’s surveillance and strike advantage via drones, putting a new priority on eliminating Ukrainian drone launch sites to clear a path for infantry assaults. Unlike Ukraine, which relies on drones to directly target Russian infantry, Russian forces use heavy artillery, multiple rocket launchers and military aviation to strike Ukrainian positions, leaving drone units to focus on hunting Ukrainian drone operators. Frontline Ukrainian drone pilots report that limited personnel and resource shortages leave them unable to target enemy drone crews at scale. This gap has allowed Russian drone operations to continue unimpeded, forcing Ukrainian units to cede ground incrementally. “Since we devote little time to [searching and targeting] enemy pilots, they can freely operate, detect our positions and we are forced to roll back. This is how the frontline moves,” one anonymous Ukrainian drone pilot explained.

    While Russian progress has been slow, often limited to just 100 meters of advance per day as troops fight building by building, the tactical approach mirrors the strategy that allowed Russia to capture Pokrovsk and other major eastern Ukrainian cities: advancing along the city’s flanks to encircle it and cut off Ukrainian supply routes. In recent days, Russian defense officials have announced the capture of several small villages west of Kostyantynivka, moves that bring Moscow closer to fully cutting off resupply for Ukrainian troops inside the city. Ukrainian frontline monitors DeepState has warned that the city’s fall is “a matter of time,” and its capture will make holding Kramatorsk “extremely dangerous” by complicating Ukrainian logistical operations across the region.

    Supply shortages and a lack of reinforcements have compounded Ukrainian defensive challenges. Delivering ammunition and personnel to frontline units has become extraordinarily difficult, as land routes are constantly targeted and large logistics drones are regularly intercepted by Russian forces. Multiple frontline soldiers report that their units have not received enough reinforcements to replace combat losses, and that senior commanders downplay lost positions to avoid orders to retake ground that is already untenable. “We don’t have enough people to hold on to what we still control, let alone organise assaults,” one soldier told the BBC.

    The fight for Kostyantynivka comes amid a broader stalemate along most of Ukraine’s frontline, with Kyiv claiming it has recaptured more territory this year than it has lost, while its long-range strikes on Russian supply lines and energy infrastructure have created major disruptions deep behind enemy lines. Recently, Russian-installed authorities in occupied Crimea were forced to suspend public fuel sales amid widespread shortages caused by Ukrainian strikes on supply routes. Kyiv’s repeated attacks on oil refineries in Moscow, St. Petersburg and other Russian cities have also sought to bring the reality of the war to Russian civilians far from the front. Observers note that Russia’s push to rapidly capture Kostyantynivka is partly intended to shift domestic and international attention away from these Ukrainian successes and the resulting fuel disruptions.

    Even as Ukrainian forces face mounting pressure, frontline troops say they continue to hold parts of the city. One drone pilot emphasized that defensive outcomes can still change if Ukrainian command adjusts its approach: “But unless we change our approach and start destroying their logistics and targeting their pilots, they will continue advancing.”

  • Ninety-two percent of Israelis think Iran has won war, new poll finds

    Ninety-two percent of Israelis think Iran has won war, new poll finds

    When Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu launched the US-backed Israeli military campaign against Iran in late February, the Israeli government laid out two unambiguous, ambitious goals: dismantle Tehran’s nuclear and ballistic missile development programs and bring about the collapse of the ruling Iranian government. Months later, after Washington and Tehran reached a preliminary agreement and ongoing negotiations continue in Switzerland, a newly released public opinion survey has found that an overwhelming 92 percent of Israeli citizens are convinced that Iran emerged as the winner of the conflict.

    Conducted jointly by the Agam Institute and Hebrew University of Jerusalem between June 17 and June 20, the poll surveyed 3,644 Israeli adults aged 17 and older, using a demographically weighted sample designed to accurately reflect the country’s overall population. Pollsters noted the survey carries a maximum margin of error of 2.2 percentage points at a 99 percent confidence level, lending significant statistical weight to its findings.

    The results reveal deep public dissatisfaction with the war and its negotiated outcome: 83 percent of respondents agree the campaign has eroded Israel’s long-term national security, while 86 percent hold an entirely negative view of the final deal. This widespread public sentiment aligns closely with the perspective of Israel’s top political and military leadership, many of whom frame the end of the Iran war as a pivotal shift that will diminish Israel’s strategic influence across the Middle East.

    Netanyahu has repeatedly claimed the campaign delivered significant strategic gains and eliminated a major existential threat to Israel, but three-quarters of Israelis – 72.5 percent – do not accept this assertion. The widespread skepticism has fueled growing political uncertainty around the prime minister’s hold on power. Overall, nearly 88 percent of respondents say Israel failed to achieve either of its core original war goals, or only met a small fraction of them. More than half – 56 percent – rate Netanyahu’s leadership and management of the Iran conflict as poor or an outright failure.

    Notably, the public’s negative assessment of the Iran war outcome has not translated to broad support for an Israeli military withdrawal from southern Lebanon, a longstanding sticking point in the US-Iran negotiations. Iran has consistently maintained that no permanent ceasefire can hold as long as Israeli forces carry out airstrikes across Lebanon and maintain a forward military presence several kilometers inside southern Lebanese territory.

    The poll found that 48 percent of Israelis back the ongoing Israeli military campaign in Lebanon, which the Israeli government frames as a targeted operation against Hezbollah, the Iran-aligned Lebanese political and military organization. Even among respondents who acknowledge the campaign could spark a direct clash with US President Donald Trump, majority support for the operation holds steady among this group.

    This independent reporting is part of Middle East Eye’s ongoing coverage of conflict and politics across the Middle East and North Africa region.

  • Parisians cool off in canal amid ‘red alert’ heatwave

    Parisians cool off in canal amid ‘red alert’ heatwave

    As record-breaking heat continues to grip much of Western Europe, France has rolled out its highest-level heat warning across nearly half of its administrative regions, marking one of the most severe early summer heat events the nation has faced in recent years. Meteorological agencies confirm that temperatures have already climbed to unprecedented levels for this time of year, with forecasts predicting no immediate relief for affected areas in the coming days.

    For residents in the French capital Paris, where temperatures have pushed well into the mid-30s degrees Celsius and stayed high even after sunset, escaping the oppressive heat has become a daily priority. With public cooling centers operating at capacity and indoor air conditioning not universally available across the city’s older residential buildings, thousands of Parisians have flocked to the city’s urban canals to wade, swim, and lower their body temperatures. Families set up makeshift shade along the banks, young people gather in the cool canal water, and many long-term residents say this level of sustained heat is unusual for the region.

    Public health officials have urged residents to stay hydrated, check on vulnerable neighbors including elderly and unhoused populations, and avoid strenuous outdoor activity during peak heat hours between 11 a.m. and 8 p.m. The red alert level triggers additional emergency response measures across affected regions, including extended hours for cooling sites and increased staffing at local hospitals to handle heat-related illnesses. Climate researchers note that extreme heat events like this are becoming more frequent and more intense across Europe as a result of global climate change, prompting governments to update their heat response plans to protect public safety.

  • Nobel Peace Prize winner triumphs at Ethiopian polls but fears grow of new conflict

    Nobel Peace Prize winner triumphs at Ethiopian polls but fears grow of new conflict

    Ethiopia’s recent general election has delivered a resounding victory to Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and his ruling Prosperity Party, cementing the incumbent’s hold on power for another five-year term as the country grapples with deep-seated security challenges and regional instability. With 438 of 501 declared parliamentary seats already secured by the Prosperity Party, Abiy is set to be sworn in for a new term in early October. Supporters of the prime minister point to his pledges to continue driving economic transformation across Africa’s second most populous nation, where the capital Addis Ababa has already seen widespread rapid infrastructure development in recent years. But critics and regional analysts warn that the lopsided election result, overshadowed by widespread opposition boycotts, ongoing insurgencies and broken peace accords, could deepen divisions and push the country back into large-scale conflict. Abiy first rose to power in 2018, amid widespread anti-government protests that shook the long-standing ruling coalition. Initially celebrated for his promises of national reconciliation and democratic opening, he quickly drew backlash from politicians of the northern Tigray region, which had dominated Ethiopian national politics for more than 20 years. Just one year after taking office, Abiy was awarded the 2019 Nobel Peace Prize, primarily for his diplomatic efforts to end two decades of hostilities with neighboring Eritrea. That breakthrough has since unraveled, however, creating a dangerous new web of regional alliances that threaten stability across the Horn of Africa. The 2020-2022 Tigray civil war, which killed an estimated 600,000 people and pushed millions to the brink of famine, formally ended with a November 2022 peace deal brokered by the African Union. But tensions have remained high, and the entire Tigray region – home to six million people across 36 electoral constituencies – was completely excluded from the recent general election, as fears of renewed fighting grow. Both sides have repeatedly accused one another of violating the terms of the 2022 peace accord. In the weeks leading up to the election, Tigray’s dominant Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) restored its pre-war regional administration, disbanding an interim body appointed by Abiy’s government. Local reports have emerged of forced recruitment of young Tigrayan men to rearm, claims that TPLF-aligned local authorities deny, saying civilians are only receiving voluntary self-defense training. But regional analysts note that the rising tensions are driven by actions from both Abiy and TPLF leadership. Cameron Hudson, an Africa analyst and former U.S. State Department official, explained that Abiy’s government has stepped back from the terms of the peace deal and made threatening military moves toward Tigray, while TPLF actions have stoked fears of preparations for renewed conflict. The regional dynamic has been further complicated by a dramatic shift in alliances along the Ethiopia-Eritrea border. When the Tigray war broke out, Eritrean troops fought alongside Abiy’s federal forces against the TPLF, with widespread allegations of atrocities against Tigrayan civilians that Eritrean and Ethiopian authorities have denied. Today, Abiy’s repeated public calls for Ethiopia to regain access to a Red Sea port – lost when Eritrea gained independence in 1993 – have pushed relations between Addis Ababa and Asmara to a breaking point. Eritrea now accuses Ethiopia of imperial ambitions, and Asmara has formally aligned with the TPLF, raising the prospect that any new conflict in Tigray would draw in a neighboring sovereign state. Ongoing insurgencies in two of Ethiopia’s most populous regions, Amhara and Oromia, have further disrupted the election process. On voting day, 143 polling stations failed to open in the two regions due to safety threats from anti-government armed groups: the Fano militia in Amhara and the proscribed Oromo Liberation Army (OLA) in Oromia, both of which demand greater regional autonomy and rejected the election and its final results. Beyond Ethiopia’s borders, the country is also embroiled in the ongoing civil war in neighboring Sudan. Multiple international reports have accused Addis Ababa of providing support to the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), one of the main warring factions in Sudan’s conflict, claims that the Ethiopian government has repeatedly denied. Eritrea and the TPLF, meanwhile, are known to maintain close ties with the Sudanese military, which is fighting the RSF, creating a connected web of conflict that analysts warn could spill across regional borders. The international community has already begun to sound the alarm over rising tensions. The European Union has called for immediate de-escalation in northern Ethiopia, while the United States – a key broker of the 2022 Tigray peace deal – recently announced targeted visa restrictions on hardline TPLF members and their immediate families, citing their role in undermining efforts to resolve the regional crisis. While many analysts do not expect an immediate return to full-scale civil war, they warn that the ongoing low-level polarisation and tension creates a dangerous powder keg. Magnus Taylor, a Horn of Africa analyst at the International Crisis Group, explained that the current dynamic leaves the door open for miscalculation: with the federal government in Addis Ababa convinced the TPLF is aligned with Ethiopia’s foreign enemies, even small clashes could escalate into a full regional conflict centered on Tigray. Opposition figures in Tigray echo that concern, noting that both sides have refused to return to negotiated talks to resolve outstanding differences. For the upcoming months following the election, analysts say the path Abiy chooses will shape the entire future of Ethiopia. While some observers worry the prime minister will use his newly consolidated political power to attempt a military solution to the ongoing Tigray conflict, his supporters maintain he will focus on delivering the economic transformation he has promised to a country that has long struggled with poverty and instability.

  • Ukrainian attacks prompt Russian-held Crimea to halt civilian gasoline sales

    Ukrainian attacks prompt Russian-held Crimea to halt civilian gasoline sales

    A new and severe chapter of disruption has hit Russian-occupied Crimea, as local occupation authorities announced a full suspension of civilian gasoline sales starting Sunday, following a sharp escalation of Ukrainian targeting of fuel and energy infrastructure across the Black Sea peninsula and adjacent southern Russian regions.

    Sergey Aksyonov, the Moscow-appointed head of Crimea’s occupation administration, confirmed that overnight Ukrainian strikes left four civilians dead and 28 others injured, though he declined to publicly disclose the exact sites targeted in the attacks. Shortly after releasing the casualty update, Aksyonov announced the fuel sales restriction via social media, noting the suspension would remain in place for an unspecified period. Under the new rule, fuel distribution is limited exclusively to state-affiliated entities tasked with maintaining basic operations and security for the occupied republic. “I ask everyone to remain calm and to only trust official sources of information,” he added in his statement.

    Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy later publicly acknowledged the targets of the attacks, confirming that a Crimean oil depot and an oil transportation facility in Russia’s southern Krasnodar Krai were among the sites hit. Zelenskyy framed the strikes as a component of Ukraine’s so-called “long-range sanctions” campaign aimed at undermining Russia’s military energy infrastructure. “Russia understands only strength, and our long-range strength is certainly working for peace,” he wrote in a public statement.

    Earlier the same day, Russian officials in Krasnodar Krai reported that a Ukrainian drone attack had ignited a large fire at a Black Sea oil terminal in the village of Chushka. The strike also hit a passenger and cargo ferry operating in the area, killing one person, according to local Russian authorities.

    This suspension of civilian fuel sales marks the culmination of weeks of repeated Ukrainian strikes on Crimean fuel supply lines, creating the most acute energy crisis the peninsula has faced since Russia’s illegal 2014 annexation. While localized fuel shortages have occurred after previous attacks, the current disruption is unprecedented in scale. As far back as late May, occupation authorities already implemented strict rationing, capping sales at 20 liters of fuel per vehicle per week via prepaid coupons. These allocations sold out within moments of being released on an official Telegram channel, leaving motorists waiting in multi-hour queues to refuel.

    Social media platforms have been flooded with local residents sharing pleas for fuel updates and tips for available supplies, while authorities have opened a dedicated hotline to assist stranded tourists visiting the peninsula. Some drivers have resorted to transporting fuel back to Crimea from Krasnodar Krai via the Kerch Strait Bridge, though regulations limit personal carry to 100 liters per vehicle. Unregulated fuel speculation has also flourished amid the shortage, with black market sellers charging twice the official market rate for gasoline.

    In an unusual public admission of the crisis’s severity, the Kremlin has acknowledged the scope of the fuel shortage and pledged to roll out emergency measures to resolve the issue quickly. The latest Ukrainian successes on the energy front have underscored Kyiv’s growing ability to inflict meaningful damage on Russian logistical and infrastructure targets amid the ongoing full-scale invasion, even as Russian offensive advances across Ukraine have stalled in recent months. On June 11, the war marked its 1,569th day, surpassing the total duration of World War I.

  • France restricts public alcohol consumption and outdoor sports as heat wave bakes parts of Europe

    France restricts public alcohol consumption and outdoor sports as heat wave bakes parts of Europe

    As an intense, record-breaking heat wave spreads across Western Europe, French authorities have rolled out a sweeping set of emergency measures to mitigate risks, including activating wildfire monitoring for emergency services and military units, limiting public alcohol consumption, and scrapping multiple outdoor recreational events.

    On Sunday, Météo-France, the country’s national weather service, placed roughly one-third of French territory under its highest-level red heat alert, with unseasonably high temperatures recorded across the entire nation. Some regions saw mercury climb to 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) on Sunday, and forecasters warn even hotter conditions will settle over the country on Monday. Compounding the risk, air conditioning remains far less common in French residential and public buildings than in many other warm-climate nations, leaving many residents with limited options to cool down.

    To protect crowds visiting popular tourist sites, iconic landmarks including the Eiffel Tower have installed misting cooling stations, one of dozens of adaptive measures rolled out by national and local leaders to cut heat-related health risks.

    The crisis comes amid new warnings from the World Health Organization’s European regional office, which released a report earlier this month finding that more than 200,000 Europeans have died from heat-related causes over the past four years, with the vast majority of these fatalities entirely preventable. The WHO also warned that the entire 2024 summer season is projected to see consistent above-average temperatures, which can trigger dangerous health outcomes ranging from painful heat exhaustion to fatal heat stroke. To address this systemic risk, the WHO has urged all European governments and public institutions to roll out comprehensive national heat action plans, such as opening free public cooling centers, implementing mandatory midday work breaks, or adopting flexible shift schedules to keep workers out of the dangerous peak afternoon sun.

    France’s annual Fête de la Musique, held every summer solstice, has emerged as a top priority for public safety officials. The nationwide celebration draws millions of attendees to thousands of free concerts held in public squares, club venues, and open-air spaces across the country, growing into a major tourist draw that brings international visitors to communities large and small. To reduce strain on emergency response teams, the French government has ordered event organizers to restrict alcohol sales, a rule designed to preserve capacity for first responders to focus care on the most vulnerable populations.

    Public officials are particularly concerned about high-risk groups: unhoused people living on exposed urban streets, and elderly residents, both in nursing homes and those living alone in residential properties. France’s devastating 2003 heat wave, which killed an estimated 15,000 older people, remains a defining national reckoning with the lethal danger of unmanaged extreme heat.

    In additions to public health measures, the government announced Saturday that it was boosting wildfire preparedness across at-risk regions and ordering enhanced monitoring of water supplies for the country’s extensive network of nuclear power reactors, which rely on consistent water access for safe operation.

    While authorities have not ordered widespread school closures, they note that shutdowns will only be implemented as a last-resort measure. For ongoing end-of-year academic exams scheduled for afternoon hours, many have been moved to cooler morning slots or rescheduled entirely to reduce heat exposure for students.

    Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu convened an interagency crisis meeting Saturday to coordinate the government response, and has scheduled a second follow-up meeting for Sunday as peak heat arrives. Lecornu has also instructed cabinet ministers to develop long-term plans to improve France’s resilience to future heat waves, explicitly including expanded access to air conditioning where necessary, as the country adapts to more frequent extreme heat events driven by climate change.

  • Israeli strike kills Al Jazeera cameraman in central Gaza

    Israeli strike kills Al Jazeera cameraman in central Gaza

    On a Saturday in June 2026, an Israeli airstrike directed at a residential property in Gaza’s central Al-Bureij refugee camp claimed the life of Ahmed Samir Wishah, a veteran Palestinian journalist and cameraman working for Al Jazeera. Local Al Jazeera correspondents on the ground confirmed Wishah was one of two fatalities from the raid, which also left at least one additional Palestinian wounded.

    Al Jazeera issued an immediate, forceful statement condemning the killing, calling the deliberate targeting of one of its correspondents a “heinous crime”. The network emphasized that the attack represents a blatant new violation of international humanitarian law and established global norms, adding that it aligns with what the outlet describes as a sustained, systematic Israeli policy of targeting working journalists to suppress reporting on the reality of the conflict in Gaza.

    The Israel Defense Forces has publicly confirmed it carried out the strike that killed Wishah, but has offered no verifiable evidence to back its unsubstantiated claim that the journalist was affiliated with Hamas as a “terrorist”.

    Wishah’s death adds to a steep rising toll of Palestinian lives lost on that single Saturday, bringing the total fatality count for the day to 10. Other casualties include four members of one family – two of them children – killed when their home in central Gaza City was hit by an Israeli strike. Additional deaths included a man killed in an attack north of Gaza City, and a woman shot dead by Israeli forces in the northern Gaza town of Beit Lahia, according to on-the-ground Al Jazeera reporting.

    The New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), a leading press freedom watchdog, released a statement saying it was deeply alarmed by Wishah’s killing. The organization noted the death underscores the ongoing devastating impact the Israel-Gaza war has had on media workers covering the conflict. “CPJ is investigating the circumstances of this incident and calls for a thorough and transparent inquiry by the Israeli authorities,” the group said.

    Notably, Wishah’s death comes just two months after his brother, fellow Al Jazeer Mubasher journalist Mohammed Samir, was killed in an Israeli double-tap airstrike in April. Mohammed was targeted while driving to cover a developing story in the region. Colleagues of Ahmed Samir Wishah told reporters they had been concerned for his safety for months, after an Israeli incitement campaign targeted him specifically for his reporting on the conflict in Gaza over the past two years.

    CPJ data confirms that at least 260 Palestinian journalists have been killed since the start of Israel’s military campaign in Gaza in October 2023. Wishah is the 12th journalist on Al Jazeera’s staff to lose his life in the Gaza Strip over the course of the campaign.

  • Iran recloses Strait of Hormuz after Israeli attacks on Lebanon

    Iran recloses Strait of Hormuz after Israeli attacks on Lebanon

    Tensions in the Middle East have escalated sharply once again after Iran ordered a full closure of the strategically critical Strait of Hormuz, a retaliatory move triggered by Israeli military attacks on southern Lebanon that violated a newly brokered ceasefire. The closure order was first issued by Iran’s Khatam-al Anbiya Central Headquarters in an official statement carried by the country’s state-run Mehr News Agency, with confirmation and a formal security warning later issued by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

    In its official announcement, the Khatam-al Anbiya headquarters confirmed that all commercial vessel traffic through the key waterway has been suspended, framing this measure as an initial, proportional response to what it described as the enemy’s breach of signed ceasefire commitments. The statement warned that if Israeli aggression continues, Iran will implement additional, more far-reaching countermeasures to force adversaries to uphold their international agreements. The IRGC echoed this warning, advising all civilian and commercial vessels to avoid approaching the strait for their own safety, noting that any unauthorized entry would put vessels and crews at severe security risk. In its justification for the closure, the IRGC explicitly named two triggering factors: ongoing Israeli strikes against Lebanese territory and repeated violations of the ceasefire framework by the United States.

    The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world’s most vital energy chokepoints, carrying roughly 20 percent of the global supply of crude oil and liquefied natural gas every day. This is not the first closure of the waterway in 2025: Iran effectively shut down the strait for nearly four months starting in late February, when Israel and the United States launched large-scale military operations across the region. The strait was only reopened earlier this week, after U.S. President Donald Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian signed a preliminary truce agreement to end hostilities across all fronts, including the Lebanese-Israeli border.

    The latest closure followed a deadly wave of Israeli air and ground strikes across southern Lebanon launched on Saturday, just one day after Israel and the Lebanese armed group Hezbollah reached a Qatari- and U.S.-mediated ceasefire deal. The civilian death toll from Saturday’s attacks has risen to at least 29, according to multiple Lebanese official sources.

    Lebanon’s civil defense agency confirmed that 16 people were killed and 12 more wounded in a series of targeted strikes on the southern city of Nabatieh. Lebanon’s National News Agency (NNA) reported that an Israeli strike on the village of Barish, located near the coastal city of Tyre, killed four members of a single civilian family. Near the major southern city of Sidon, another Israeli attack on a local village left at least seven people dead and 13 others injured. Additional strikes claimed one life in the Shehour municipality of Tyre, another in the town of Sohmor in Lebanon’s western Beqaa Valley, and one Lebanese army officer was killed in an air strike targeting the Kfar Rumman-Nabatieh road, according to an official statement from the Lebanese military.

    In its official statement following the officer’s death, the Lebanese army condemned the unprovoked attacks, noting that the continued brutal Israeli assaults have the clear goal of derailing any diplomatic effort to restore lasting stability to Lebanese territory.

    The breaches of the ceasefire come at a critical diplomatic moment, as Iran and the U.S. move forward with efforts to implement a broader memorandum of understanding (MoU) designed to end cross-regional hostilities. The Friday ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah was secured after weeks of mediation by Qatari and U.S. diplomatic teams, with follow-up implementation talks scheduled to take place over the weekend at a secure venue in Switzerland. Iran’s foreign ministry confirmed that its official negotiating delegation planned to travel to Switzerland to follow up on the agreement and demand that all counterparties meet their signed commitments, according to comments from ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei carried by the official Islamic Republic News Agency.

    Switzerland’s foreign ministry confirmed Saturday that it had prepared a discreet, secure venue at Burgenstock to host the implementation talks, describing the location as a neutral, reliable setting for the sensitive negotiations. Citing the confidentiality of the discussions, the ministry declined to release further details on participating delegations or the specific content of the talks under way.

    The closure of the strait is expected to send immediate shockwaves through global energy markets, given the waterway’s outsize role in global fossil fuel trade, and raises fears of a further widening of hostilities across the Middle East that could disrupt global energy supplies for an extended period.

  • Iran says it has closed Strait of Hormuz over Israeli attacks in Lebanon

    Iran says it has closed Strait of Hormuz over Israeli attacks in Lebanon

    Tensions have flared once again across the Middle East following Iran’s announcement that it has shut down the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global energy chokepoint, in response to fresh Israeli airstrikes on southern Lebanon that Tehran says violate a newly signed US-brokered ceasefire deal. The competing claims over the strait’s status have already roiled energy market expectations, just as high-stakes direct negotiations between Washington and Tehran are set to get underway in Switzerland on Sunday.

    Iran’s military justified its move by pointing to deadly Israeli attacks in southern Lebanon that occurred less than 24 hours after an initial ceasefire between Israel and Iran-aligned Hezbollah went into effect. The strikes, which killed at least 20 people, marked a clear breach of the core terms of the ceasefire agreement reached between Washington and Tehran earlier this week, Iranian officials argue. That initial deal, signed by the leaders of both nations, requires an immediate and permanent end to all military operations across every front, including Lebanon, and outlines a 60-day window for further negotiations to finalize a comprehensive permanent peace agreement. A key provision of the preliminary accord also required Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, which Tehran first blocked in February after the US and Israel launched joint attacks on the country that killed Iran’s supreme leader.

    Almost immediately after Iran’s closure announcement, US Central Command pushed back against the claim. Spokesperson Tim Hawkins told reporters Saturday that commercial shipping traffic continues to flow unimpeded through the waterway, adding that US military forces are actively monitoring the situation to maintain free passage and that “Iran does not control the Strait of Hormuz”. Tracking data from BBC Verify offers a mixed picture: at least five oil tankers transited the strait Saturday, matching Centcom’s report that 55 merchant vessels passed through the waterway on the day, but several other vessels were recorded making U-turns away from the passage.

    The strategic strait is one of the world’s most critical energy infrastructure chokepoints. According to 2025 estimates from the US Energy Information Administration, roughly 20 million barrels of crude oil and petroleum products pass through the strait each day, accounting for approximately 20% of global oil and liquefied natural gas trade, with an annual total value of nearly $600 billion. It is the only deepwater passage connecting major Gulf energy exporters to global markets, capable of accommodating the world’s largest crude tankers.

    As the standoff over the strait intensifies, US Vice President JD Vance departed Washington Saturday for the upcoming US-Iran talks in Switzerland, with Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif set to attend the opening of negotiations. Pakistan has served as a neutral mediator throughout the conflict, hosting a previous round of US-Iran talks in Islamabad back in April. Speaking to reporters before his departure, Vance outlined the two core priorities for the negotiations: making progress on the Iranian nuclear issue and securing a lasting ceasefire in Lebanon. When asked about ongoing clashes between Israel and Hezbollah, Vance downplayed the severity of recent violence, saying “Things are actually getting better there, and things are slowing down a little bit.” He added that the US’s fundamental goal is sustained security for both Israel and Lebanon, and the broader region, that will require ongoing management.

    Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei confirmed ahead of the talks that Tehran will be demanding that all parties fully uphold their commitments under the existing preliminary agreement. Former President and current leading US political figure Donald Trump injected a new layer of unpredictability into the process Saturday, posting on social media that if Washington and Tehran fail to reach a viable negotiated deal, the US should impose its own tolls on commercial shipping transiting the Strait of Hormuz.

    The latest violence in Lebanon has deepened the humanitarian crisis in the country, where Lebanon’s health ministry reports that 4,057 people have been killed since hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah resumed in March. Both sides have repeatedly accused one another of violating Friday’s ceasefire. On Saturday, the Israeli military said it carried out strikes on dozens of Hezbollah targets after the group launched more than 50 projectiles at Israeli forces in southern Lebanon. Lebanese state media reported that an Israeli strike killed an entire family of four in the town of Barich, and the Israeli military confirmed one of its soldiers was killed in battle Saturday. Israeli officials have previously stated they have no plans to withdraw their forces from southern Lebanon, and insist the conflict with Hezbollah is separate from the broader war against Iran. For its part, Hezbollah argues that Israel’s continued attacks in Lebanon are a deliberate attempt to sabotage the broader US-Iran peace negotiations.

    The US government has publicly criticized Israel’s ongoing military operations in Lebanon, which entered the conflict after Hezbollah launched retaliatory rocket strikes on Israel following the February US-Israeli attacks that killed Iran’s supreme leader. Tehran’s initial closure of the strait in February sent immediate shockwaves through global energy markets, underscoring the outsized geopolitical and economic risk of any disruption to the passage.

  • Israel kills at least 29 in Lebanon, one day after ceasefire deal

    Israel kills at least 29 in Lebanon, one day after ceasefire deal

    Just 24 hours after a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hezbollah was announced to de-escalate cross-border tensions, a fresh wave of Israeli air and ground strikes across southern Lebanon and the western Beqaa Valley has left at least 29 people dead, shattering fragile hopes for regional stability.

    Lebanon’s civil defence agency confirmed Saturday that 16 civilians lost their lives and 12 more were wounded in a string of attacks targeting the Nabatieh district in southern Lebanon, with rescue crews working nonstop from dawn to pull survivors from rubble and respond to ongoing bombardment. Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency (NNA) labeled an Israeli strike on the village of Barish, near the coastal city of Tyre, a “massacre,” after it killed four members of a single family. Additional strikes left seven dead and 13 injured near the southern city of Sidon, one dead in the Shahour municipality of Tyre district, and one more dead in Sohmor, a town in Lebanon’s western Bekaa region. The Lebanese army announced in a post on X that one of its officers was killed in an Israeli airstrike on the Kfar Rumman-Nabatieh road.

    In its statement, the Lebanese army condemned the ongoing brutal assault, noting that the attacks clearly aim to block any diplomatic path to restoring stability across the country. The Israeli military, for its part, claims the strikes are a retaliatory measure against Hezbollah, responding to projectile attacks targeting Israeli troops deployed in southern Lebanon that took place overnight.

    Hezbollah confirmed the overnight confrontation, saying its fighters ambushed Israeli forces that attempted to infiltrate the strategic Ali Taher hills overlooking Nabatieh, under the cover of the newly announced ceasefire. “Our fighters confronted the enemy with appropriate weapons after the infiltration attempt last night,” the group said in its official statement.

    Hassan Fadlallah, a Lebanese parliamentarian aligned with Hezbollah, emphasized Saturday that the group retains the full right to retaliate for the Israeli attacks. He argued that any ceasefire is meaningless as long as Israel continues to occupy Lebanese territory, adding that Israel must fully honor the ceasefire terms by halting all attacks on Lebanese soil and withdrawing from occupied positions. “The resistance has the full right to confront this enemy when it attacks us, as it is the aggressor and the occupier,” Fadlallah said.

    The fresh escalation comes as the United States and Iran worked to implement a broader memorandum of understanding (MoU) designed to end hostilities across the entire region. The tentative U.S.-Iran deal has sparked fierce anger among hardline Israeli officials, who have publicly denounced the agreement across social media. Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich called the deal “bad for Israel” and claimed Israel would be forced to continue its campaign against Iran independently. National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir added that “Trump’s agreement does not bind us.”

    U.S. President Donald Trump has openly criticized Israeli actions in the wake of the new strikes, saying that “too many people have been killed in Lebanon” and arguing that Israeli military tactics have been disproportionate and indiscriminate. Earlier this week, Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian signed a preliminary agreement to halt hostilities on all regional fronts, including the Israel-Lebanon border. However, follow-up negotiations scheduled for Friday in Switzerland were indefinitely postponed after an earlier Israeli strike killed 18 people in Lebanon.

    The Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire announced Friday afternoon was mediated by both Qatar and the United States. Just hours before the deal was signed, Ben-Gvir posted on X that “all of Lebanon must burn,” responding to the deaths of four Israeli soldiers in southern Lebanon. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi condemned the post, saying it reflects the official position of the Israeli government and constitutes “a threat to all of humanity.”

    “This is not a rant by a random genocidal lunatic. It is a public post by the national security minister of the Israeli regime,” Araghchi wrote on X. Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Saeed Khatibzadeh reaffirmed Tehran’s stance in an interview with Al Jazeera Arabic Friday, saying Iran’s willingness to continue negotiations with Washington depends on the U.S. demonstrating the seriousness required to force Israel to comply with the MoU’s terms. Khatibzadeh warned that Israel’s “continued war-making” would bring “serious and immediate” consequences. “There will be no peace or stability in Lebanon and the region without ending the occupation and Israel’s commitment to international law,” he added.