Lebanese president and former army general
The US has carried out repeated air and naval strikes across Iran to degrade Tehran's ability to threaten shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. Iran has responded with missile and drone attacks on US bases and Gulf allies, and the IRGC has warned civilians near US forces to stay away; the exchanges have closed much of the strait and pushed oil prices higher.
A US-brokered framework has linked an Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon to the disarmament of Hezbollah, and Lebanon’s rival camps have hardened. Pro-Hezbollah protesters have blocked roads and warned of civil war if disarmament is forced. Israeli troops remain in the south and hundreds of thousands of people remain displaced.
Lebanese President Aoun has travelled to Washington to present a written plan to disarm Hezbollah and secure Israel’s withdrawal from southern Lebanon under a US-backed framework. Trump has pledged support for Lebanon and its army as talks aim to curb Hezbollah and stabilise the border, with pilot zones showing tentative progress amid ongoing Israeli strikes.
President Donald Trump has said the United States will soon target Pickaxe Mountain, a deeply buried complex near Iran’s Natanz enrichment site. The mountain has remained off-limits to inspectors while satellite analysis shows continued excavation and hardened tunnel entrances; experts say the site could house centrifuge assembly or future enrichment deep underground.
Lebanon and the United States are pressing to turn the June framework for Israel-Lebanon into a concrete plan. Washington has resumed talks on security and to secure a Lebanese army‑led presence in the south, amid Israeli operations and Hezbollah opposition. Aoun is in Washington seeking guarantees on withdrawal and reconstruction, while signs of progress remain uncertain.
Lebanon has deployed its army to Zawtar al‑Gharbiya as part of a US‑brokered framework that ties phased Israeli withdrawals to Lebanese army control and verified removal of Hezbollah arms. Israel has continued strikes and presence near some villages, residents report damage, and the US is coordinating pilot‑zone implementation.
Iran has launched fresh attacks across the Gulf and Jordan as US-led strikes continue; Kuwait is hit for a fifth day running; two tankers back away from Bab al‑Mandeb after Houthis warn of Red Sea disruption. Lebanon deploys troops in pilot zones; France summons Iran’s envoy over a diplomatic spat. Israeli strikes kill a family in Gaza amid broader regional strain.
The conflict between Iran and its regional rivals has intensified. Iran-backed forces have attacked shipping, while the United States and allies respond with strikes and warnings. The Strait of Hormuz remains a flashpoint as Qatar and Gulf states report disruptions alongside rising global energy concerns.
The United States has launched pilot zones in southern Lebanon under the Lebanon-Israel framework, facilitating a staged Israeli withdrawal and Lebanese deployment in villages including Zawtar al-Gharbiya. The withdrawal is expected to begin in coming hours, with the Lebanese army deploying and disarmament provisions overseen by the MTC4L, under US Central Command supervision. Hezbollah rejects the framework, warning it could entrench Israeli conditions.
The United States has announced that direct flights to Lebanon will resume, following a White House meeting with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun. The announcement marks a shift from decades-long restrictions tied to the 1985 TWA 847 hijacking. Officials warn that actual flight schedules remain uncertain amid ongoing regional conflict and security concerns.
Lebanon says it will pursue legal action over Israeli actions in southern Lebanon as negotiations in Rome aim to move forward on the June framework. Human rights figures warn of potential war crimes amid continued demolitions and displacement.
Authorities enforce a pilot-zone withdrawal plan in southern Lebanon as residents return to damaged homes. Some families seek shelter in local shops while awaiting full rebuilding after fighting linked to the Israel-Hezbollah conflict. Lebanese army clearance and water deliveries are under way as the town awaits wider Israeli withdrawal.
Lebanon’s President and Turkey’s leader have discussed ways to expand Ankara’s role in security for southern Lebanon as UNIFIL’s mandate ends. While Erdogan signals interest in contributing to a post-UNIFIL framework, observers caution that Israel may oppose Ankara’s involvement. The talks come amid broader regional tensions and stalled diplomacy.
Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International and Lebanons Legal Agenda have released investigations finding that Israeli strikes on 22 April in al-Tiri have targeted journalists Amal Khalil and Zeinab Faraj, described the attacks as war crimes and said Israeli forces impeded rescue efforts. Israel has denied deliberately targeting journalists and said it struck Hezbollah-linked targets.
President Trump has signed an executive order directing federal health officials to cut the federal recommended childhood vaccine list, to split the combined MMR vaccine into separate measles, mumps and rubella doses once single‑disease products are available, and to space routine immunisations across separate medical visits. Public health groups and drugmakers have said the changes lack scientific support and will increase missed vaccinations during a major U.S. measles outbreak.
Unified Syrian and Lebanese security concerns frame talks on potential cross-border operations. While Washington presses for pressure points, Damascus faces internal and regional costs. A range of options is considered, from border controls to limited troop movements, with Iran’s retaliation potential guiding calculations.
Israeli forces have ordered the evacuation of Mansouri and carried out strikes that injured at least eight people, displacing families who are waiting on the towns outskirts to learn whether they can return. Residents and local officials say Israel has demolished homes and burned farmland, and negotiators in Rome have not secured a withdrawal from southern Lebanon.
The seventh round of talks mediated by the United States between Lebanon and Israel has stretched into a third day in Rome. Negotiators are debating prisoner releases and, controversially, the transfer of remains of Lebanese Jews buried in Beirut and Sidon. Israel ties progress to resolving long-standing disappearances and to uncovering the fate of Ron Arad. Beirut says it cannot locate such records, complicating what was meant to be a humanitarian issue.
Lebanon has passed legislation abolishing the death penalty and replacing it with life imprisonment with aggravated hard labour. Parliament has also approved a separate general amnesty law that will reduce some long sentences and free inmates detained more than 12 prison years while awaiting trial; the measures respond to severe prison overcrowding and political pressures.
Lebanon and Israel are pursuing a US-brokered framework to disarm Hezbollah, withdraw Israeli forces, and deploy the Lebanese army in pilot zones. Negotiations mark a renewed push despite ongoing clashes and demolitions in southern Lebanon. UN and international players watch closely as talks proceed toward potential regional stabilization.
Israel has stated it will maintain a long-term security presence in southern Lebanon as part of the U.S.-brokered framework to disarm Hezbollah and gradually withdraw Israeli forces. The Lebanese army will deploy in pilot zones, while negotiations in Rome aim to advance the agreement.
Lebanon and Israel are engaged in direct talks mediated by the US, after Hezbollah-triggered conflict escalations. A framework signed in June calls for Hezbollah disarmament and a staged Israeli withdrawal from south Lebanon, with Greece and Athens’ arms deal cited as regional context. Lebanon seeks renewed UNIFIL support as violence persists.
Israeli airstrikes in south Lebanon have killed civilians and damaged infrastructure, including a hospital and homes in Nabatieh, Kfar Rumman and Nabatieh al-Fawqa, despite a US-brokered truce. The fighting has displaced hundreds of thousands and renewed calls for Hezbollah disarmament and Israeli withdrawal.
Lebanon and Israel have released five detainees amid ongoing US-brokered talks. The transfers, facilitated by the ICRC, come as Beirut and Tel Aviv pursue a broader framework to restore sovereignty and ease hostilities. Israeli operations in southern Lebanon continue alongside the prisoner deals.
The Houthis have seized the Yemeni coast on the Red Sea, expanding control over a vital waterway, while Iraqi groups are blamed for disrupting Saudi oil exports. The US has restricted tanker movements through the Hormuz Strait to protect ships, and neighbouring Gulf states discuss safer routes in Oman amid ongoing tensions.
Leaders and senior officials gather in Paris for US-mediated talks on disarming Hezbollah in southern Lebanon and replacing UNIFIL with a multinational force. The discussions come as Israel maintains a military footprint in Lebanon and faces ongoing strikes by Hezbollah, while Lebanon seeks to strengthen its army’s authority and sovereignty. A donor conference for Lebanese forces is expected later this year or early 2027.
Ceasefire efforts have paused direct fighting, but Israeli strikes and Hezbollah activity continue in southern Lebanon, leaving hundreds of thousands displaced. In Nabatiyeh and Mansouri, residents fear renewed Israeli ground offensives as tunnels and infrastructure are targeted.
The UN mission in southern Lebanon has begun preparations for a post-UNIFIL security order as the 2026 mandate nears its end. Paris-hosted discussions, French-Italian proposals for a multinational follow-on force, and US-backed frameworks aim to prevent a power vacuum as the Lebanese army and security forces assume greater regional duties.
UNIFIL faces a year-end withdrawal as Lebanon strengthens its army deployments in the south. Israeli strikes, Lebanese army positions, and Deir Mimas clashes shape a rapidly evolving security picture amid international talks on a donor conference and future peacekeeping arrangements.
Lebanon faces a delicate test as its government seeks to reassert state authority north of the Litani, amid Israeli incursions and Hezbollah’s entrenched influence. Leaders call for disarmament of Hezbollah while navigating regional tensions and international pressure, with reconstruction and sovereignty on the line.
The European Union has established the European Union Support Mission in Lebanon (EUSM Lebanon) to train and advise the Lebanese Armed Forces and Internal Security Forces as UNIFIL winds down. The mission will run for an initial three years, with two components—military and civilian—focused on border security, maritime operations, cybercrime, anti-smuggling and sovereignty, while not replacing UN peacekeepers.
UNIFIL’s mandate in southern Lebanon is due to expire at end-2026. Lebanon has pressed for a one-year extension; France, Italy and EU partners are weighing a successor arrangement as tensions linger along the Blue Line. The UN and Lebanon stress the need for continued monitoring, humanitarian support and stability as the drawdown proceeds.
Lebanese authorities have intercepted a vehicle carrying hundreds of kilograms of explosives. Hezbollah says the explosives belong to the group and were intended for use against Israeli forces, while Lebanon vows to pursue those responsible and press for accountability.
The United States is pressing Lebanon to amend or repeal the 1955 Boycott of Israel law as Lebanon and Israel resume U.S.-brokered talks. Lebanese authorities have dismissed claims of ambassadorial contact that could breach the law, while Washington urges a focus on Hezbollah and broader reforms as negotiations continue.
Qatar has pledged ongoing support for Lebanon’s army and outlined a plan with TotalEnergies to develop a solar power plant, funded and implemented by Qatar without cost to Lebanon. The move accompanies talks on southern Lebanon’s security and reconstruction, amid Israel-Hezbollah tensions and displacement from the region’s ongoing conflict.
Arab League Secretary-General has visited southern Lebanon with a pledge to support Lebanon’s state institutions and army, urging international action to end Israeli attacks and enable displaced residents to return. The visit follows renewed Israeli strikes and ongoing displacement, with UN agencies reporting hundreds of thousands displaced or affected in water, electricity and infrastructure.
Lebanese authorities have detained two suspected Hezbollah members accused of transporting more than half a ton of explosives. Hezbollah says the explosives form part of its capabilities against Israel. Officials vow to enforce the law and extend state authority as incidents trigger regional tensions.