Tensions across the Middle East intensified as Israeli forces carried out new attacks in southern Lebanon, while the confrontation between Washington and Tehran continued to pressure global energy markets.
According to reports from the area, Israeli artillery targeted several towns in southern Lebanon, including Zawtar al-Sharqiya, Yahmar al-Shaqif and Bayt al-Sayyad. A drone strike was also reported in Srifa, while an Israeli airstrike hit the town of Toul.
The latest attacks come amid an already fragile security situation along the Israel-Lebanon border, where repeated incidents have raised concerns about a wider regional escalation.
In a separate development, a drone reportedly damaged an Israeli armored vehicle and caused fires in the Shomera area of the Western Galilee. Details about casualties or the full scale of the damage were not immediately available.
At the same time, the standoff between the United States and Iran remains a major source of instability. US President Donald Trump said Washington’s blockade of Iranian ports had been successful and called on Tehran to “just give up.” Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf rejected the pressure campaign, while Iran’s military said its limited response so far was meant to leave room for diplomacy.
The crisis has also had a direct impact on global markets. The dispute around the Strait of Hormuz has pushed oil prices above 120 dollars per barrel, while average petrol prices in the United States have reached their highest level in four years.
Meanwhile, activists on an aid flotilla heading toward Gaza said Israeli forces had begun intercepting vessels, adding another point of tension to an already volatile regional situation.
