Al Jazeera English

Hezbollah fired an anti-tank guided missile at IDF forces in southern Lebanon — confirmed by the IDF as a ceasefire violation — while Iran's parliament speaker Ghalibaf declared the Strait of Hormuz will not reopen as long as the US is 'blockading ports,' hardening Tehran's position beyond the fee-charging posture reported in the prior SITREP. Israel-Lebanon ceasefire talks are underway in Washington with the truce set to expire in approximately three days.

Since the prior SITREP, a senior Iranian official has told AFP that Tehran has begun charging transit fees for passage through the Strait of Hormuz — a significant operational shift from the prior posture of threatening closure. Separately, dozens of Israeli settlers crossed into Syrian territory in the Golan Heights and barricaded themselves on a rooftop, representing a new flashpoint not covered in the prior SITREP.

Since the prior SITREP, an Israeli airstrike confirmed by Al Jazeera killed Lebanese journalist Amal Khalil and at least four others in Lebanon; separately, unconfirmed reports of explosions in Tehran and Bandar Abbas, and anti-aircraft missile activation in Ahvaz, emerged in the final minutes of the coverage window. The US Senate rejected a fifth Democratic attempt to curtail Trump's war powers against Iran.

Since the prior SITREP, the IRGC has conducted the most significant kinetic maritime escalation of the current cycle: seizing two vessels and firing on at least one additional ship in the Strait of Hormuz, with Iran explicitly framing the action as retaliation for the US capture of the Touska. Simultaneously, Hezbollah launched a drone at IDF troops in southern Lebanon — intercepted by Israeli air defenses — marking a fresh ceasefire violation.

Since the prior SITREP, three new developments have emerged: UKMTO issued a second maritime incident report 8NM west of Iran (distinct from the prior northeast-of-Oman attack); the US Treasury blocked a ~$500M Iraq oil dollar shipment to curb Iran-linked groups; and Iran's Khatam al-Anbiya spokesman issued a 'hands on trigger' warning as the IRGC marked its 48th anniversary with vows of military surprises.

An IRGC vessel fired on a container ship approximately 15 nautical miles northeast of Oman, causing significant damage to the bridge — a kinetic maritime incident during the active US-Iran ceasefire and Hormuz blockade. UKMTO confirmed the attack; Israeli and regional media corroborate the IRGC attribution.

Trump announced an open-ended ceasefire extension hours before the Wednesday deadline, conditioned on Iran producing a 'unified proposal,' while explicitly maintaining the naval blockade of Hormuz. Simultaneously, Hezbollah launched rockets and drones at an IDF position in Kfar Giladi — the first confirmed kinetic exchange on the Lebanon front since the prior SITREP — and the US issued fresh sanctions on 14 Iran-linked arms entities.

Iranian Parliament Speaker Ghalibaf has publicly threatened to 'reveal new cards on the battlefield' and rejected negotiations under threat, materially hardening Tehran's posture since the prior SITREP's tentative signal of Islamabad attendance. Trump has confirmed the Hormuz blockade remains in force, Hormuz transits have collapsed to three vessels in 12 hours, and Pakistan-brokered talks are described as hanging by a thread.

Since the prior SITREP, a cluster of covert Iranian operations has come into focus: 40 Israelis were detained at Moscow's airport in an apparent Russia-Iran alignment signal, a foiled IRGC assassination network in Azerbaijan reportedly resulted in senior IRGC commanders being killed, and the UAE dismantled an Iran-linked cell while the US charged an Iranian national with arms trafficking to Sudan. On the diplomatic track, Iranian sources now indicate Tehran will attend Islamabad talks, a partial reversal from the prior 'no decision' posture.