War returns to Iran with Israel, US strikes

Lebanese Army Commander General Rodolph Haykal has stressed the need to ensure the country’s territorial integrity, as Israel continues to occupy about 2,000 square kilometres of southern Lebanon’s territory, Al Jazeera reports.

“We believe that every inch of our land is our right, and we reject the continued Israeli occupation of any part of our territory,” Haykal has said while visiting troops in the area of Tyre, according to the Lebanese Army’s X account.

“The sacrifices of our martyrs and wounded will not be in vain. We will continue to stand by our people and support their return despite all challenges,” he adds.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said that Iran is confronting a different kind of US president in the form of Donald Trump, according to Anadolu.

“I don’t think the Iranian regime has ever faced a president like President Trump, which is someone that actually takes action,” Rubio has said in an interview with Fox News.

“They got used to, for 20 or 30 years, not just the US, but the broader world, allowing them to get away with things like lying, breaking deals, tricking people into agreements,” he adds.

Yemen’s Houthi rebels have denied seeking to charge ships for passage of the vital Bab al-Mandeb Strait, AFP reports.

It comes after a minister in Yemen’s internationally recognised government claimed they were doing so.

The Houthi-aligned Saba news agency has published a statement from the group’s HOCC agency which denied the accuracy of the reports.

“The HOCC further emphasises that transit through the Bab al-Mandeb Strait is free of charge,” the agency adds.

A warning from one of Washington’s top military commanders has exposed a growing dilemma for the United States: it may no longer have enough naval forces to simultaneously defend Israel against Iranian missile attacks and protect its own interests across the Middle East, a Dawn correspondent reports.

General Alexus Grynkewich, commander of the US European Command (EUCOM), has privately informed Pentagon officials that American naval assets are becoming stretched too thin as the conflict with Iran continues, according to reports by The Washington Post and other US media outlets.

The general reportedly warned that without another US Navy destroyer assigned to the region, commanders could eventually face a difficult choice between protecting American forces and continuing missile-defence operations for Israel.

 Various US media outlets noted that the significance of the warning lies not only in the shortage itself, but in who delivered it. Grynkewich is not a political critic or an outside analyst; he is one of the senior officers responsible for managing US military commitments. His message reflects an internal military concern that America’s global commitments are exceeding available resources.

The Office of the United Nations Special Coordinator for Lebanon (UNSCOL) has warned that ongoing Israeli demolitions in southern Lebanon raise “grave concern”, due to the “devastating effects they leave on civilian infrastructure, cultural heritage, and the collective memory of the local communities’ inhabitants”, according to Al Jazeera.

“A limit must be placed on this escalation in the pace of destruction, as diplomatic channels remain available to address any outstanding issues,” UNSCOL says on X.

Mohammad Mokhber, an adviser to Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, has issued a statement warning against attacks on the country’s infrastructure.

In comments posted on X and addressing the US, he writes, “You calculate with military equations, but we respond with the logic of history. An assault on Iran’s infrastructure directly awakens fault lines upon which 250 years of your hegemony’s architecture has been built.”

He warns, “When the pillars of this system collapse, there will be neither a centre for command nor a market for plunder left.”

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has issued a statement in which he praises the Iranian people as “heroes” for enduring the US-Israeli war on the country, Al Jazeera reports.

The president dates the beginning of the conflict back to the assassination of Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh on July 31, 2024, while in Tehran to attend Pezeshkian’s own inauguration ceremony.

Despite having endured “wars, pressure, and relentless hostilities” since then, Pezeshian writes on X, “The future of Iran will be shaped by the people of Iran.”

Iran’s First Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref has been quoted by the semi-official Fars news agency as saying that the country is preparing supplies for the next two years, without elaborating on the types of supplies, Al Jazeera reports.

The official said maintaining peace among the people would continue to be the main priority and that the government was planning “even for the worst conditions”.

An Israeli drone strike has struck the town of Nabatieh al-Fawqa in southern Lebanon, according to Al Jazeera.

Israeli forces have continued to conduct attacks as they occupy parts of southern Lebanon despite a US-brokered “ceasefire” agreement.

A merchant vessel has safely passed through the Red Sea under the protection of the Italian frigate Bergamini, Reuters reports quoting the European Union naval mission Aspides.

Aspides, the EU’s defensive maritime security operation in the Red Sea, has not identified the vessel or disclosed its flag, ownership or cargo details.

US Central Command (Centcom) says that as part of the naval blockade of Iranian ports, American forces have redirected 30 commercial vessels, boarded two and disabled two others.

Unifil has reaffirmed its support for the Lebanese Armed Forces as the country marks the army’s 81st anniversary, saying it “remains committed” to strengthening the state’s authority in southern Lebanon, Al Jazeera notes.

“Our decades-long partnership contributes to the shared goal of lasting security and stability in south Lebanon,” the UN peacekeeping mission said in a statement on X.

Unifil added that it remains committed to supporting “both parties” in implementing UN Security Council Resolution 1701 and the Trilateral Framework Agreement.

US embassies in several Middle Eastern capitals have warned American citizens to beware of an “unforeseen escalation” in the regional conflict and urged them to be ready to leave, AFP reports.

“Americans in the region should consider departing, or be prepared to depart should there be escalation,” says a security alert, versions of which were posted on social media by the US missions in Amman, Jerusalem and Baghdad.

The messages urge citizens to check flight details and to follow safety advice from local authorities.

“Americans currently in the Middle East should exercise caution and heightened vigilance and should be prepared for flight cancellations, periodic airspace closures, and potential travel disruptions,” it warns.

Americans in Jordan have been told not to visit US military bases there, which have recently come under Iranian missile attack, and in Israel they are urged to seek the location of the nearest bomb shelter.

“The Iranian regime is unpredictable, as seen by its recent decisions to attack areas in the region without warning or provocations as well as to expand attacks to areas not previously targeted (such as Egypt),” says a post on the US Embassy Jerusalem site.

Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Secretary-General Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi has condemned what he described as Iranian attacks on civilian facilities in Kuwait, saying they represent “a continuation of its hostile approach to destabilising security and stability in the region”, Al Jazeera reports.

In a statement, Albudaiwi said the attacks targeted a government facility and civilian vehicles belonging to a private company on Bubiyan Island.

He described them as “a blatant aggression and flagrant violation of the sovereignty of the State of Kuwait” and “a direct threat to its security, stability and the safety of its citizens and residents”.

The GCC chief also reaffirmed the bloc’s “full solidarity” with Kuwait and its support for all measures taken to protect the country’s security, sovereignty and territorial integrity.

The Israeli military said one of its soldiers was moderately injured during a “close-quarters encounter” with Hezbollah fighters in southern Lebanon overnight, despite a ceasefire, reports AFP.

“Overnight (Saturday), an IDF officer was moderately injured during operational activity in southern Lebanon,” the military said in a statement, specifying to AFP that the soldier was “injured during a close-quarters encounter with terrorists” in the area.

The US Embassy in Amman has shared a security alert urging US citizens in the Middle East to be on heightened alert, saying the situation in the region is “fluid” and Iran’s government is “unpredictable”, Al Jazeera reports.

In its alert, the US embassy said US citizens in the region should “exercise caution and heightened vigilance” while preparing for potential “flight cancellations” and “periodic airspace closures”.

The embassy said Iran’s government is “unpredictable, as seen by its recent decisions to attack areas in the region without warning or provocations as well as to expand attacks to areas not previously targeted (such as Egypt)”.

“Americans should remain vigilant, as merely because US interests or businesses have not been attacked in a country in the past does not ensure their safety,” the embassy added.

Kuwait’s foreign ministry has condemned Iran’s “continued aggression” against it after a drone attack earlier today targeted “vital installations”, Al Jazeera reports.

The ministry said Iran’s attacks are a “flagrant violation” of Kuwait’s sovereignty and reveal a “determination to persist in a hostile approach”.

It said Kuwait reserves the right to “take all necessary measures” to protect its security, interests and resources.

Under a blazing sun, clad in black and clutching portraits of their slain leader Ali Khamenei, Iranian pilgrims streamed across the border into Iraq to observe the Arbaeen, the most revered event for Shias, AFP reports.

Some stamped on a portrait of US President Donald Trump, others raised their fists or flashed victory signs, as fresh strikes rattled the region, drawing Iraq back into the Middle East war.

Amir, a 55-year-old pick-up driver, has been attending the Arbaeen ceremonies in Iraq for years, but said that this time is different.

“The difference is that we are at war. Now, the United States is attacking us… yet this crowd that you see has left everything behind” to attend, the father-of-three added, at Iraq’s al-Zurbatiyah border crossing.

“There is anxiety and fear,” Amir said, complaining that the Iranian economy is suffering. “We are standing against them, and we will resist, even if we have to survive on dry bread.”

Pilgrim Fatemeh Moradi, 52, has been to the Arbaeen at least five times before, but said that this year is for “our martyred leader, on his behalf and on the behalf of all the martyrs”.

Indian Oil Corp, the country’s top refiner, has sharply raised oil purchases from the spot markets to make up for the loss of Middle Eastern supplies, its head of finance Anuj Jain said at an analyst meeting following the June quarter earnings, Reuters reports.

“Our spot volume jumped from 50pc to almost 84pc, and the situation is very very dynamic…we keep track of the development on a day-to-day basis and try to optimise our crude sourcing,” Jain said.

Indian refiners have switched to spot purchases due to supply disruption from the Strait of Hormuz and Red Sea, after the US-Iran war began in late February.

The company relies heavily on spot purchases of Russian oil for processing at its refineries.

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) has said it received reports of two maritime incidents off Oman, including one in which a tanker was struck by an unknown projectile, Reuters reports.

In the first incident, a tanker was struck by an unknown projectile about 11 nautical miles northeast of Oman’s Lima, damaging its engine room and leaving the vessel not under command, UKMTO said. There were no reported casualties nor environmental impact, it added.

Later, UKMTO said it had received a second report of an incident, 21 nautical miles northeast of Oman’s Khasab. The master of a tanker reported seeing a large splash and an explosion in close proximity to the vessel, though no damage was reported.

Lima and Khasab are on Oman’s Musandam Peninsula at the entrance to the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic shipping chokepoint through which about a fifth of global oil consumption passes.

Kuwait’s military says it has “intercepted and destroyed” hostile drones that entered the country’s territory, after earlier reporting activating its air defences due to “Iranian aggression”, Al Jazeera reports.

A government facility in ⁠northern Kuwait and ⁠civilian property belonging to a company ⁠on Bubiyan Island ⁠were hit, ⁠it said, adding that falling shrapnel caused material ‌damage but no casualties.

Iran’s military has accused the United States of “escalating tensions” in the Middle East and warned countries in the region against cooperating with Washington during the ongoing conflict, AFP reports.

“The United States is rapidly moving down the path of escalating tensions in the region,” said Ali Abdollahi, head of Iran’s military central command.

“Any country serving as a defensive shield for criminal and aggressive America will be engulfed by the flames of war.”

Iranian parliament speaker and top negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf says Iran has won the war, but it must consolidate and cement this victory, Al Jazeera reports.

The nation must maintain hope for a bright future, he has added.

Ghalibaf has made the remarks at the Iranian Parliament Coordination Council, as reported by the semi-official Tasnim news agency.

He has emphasised that Iranian officials must first and foremost expand the executive authority and capacity of the supreme leader, noting that any efforts to build a strong Iran must begin at this point.