The Economist
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Indirect US-Iran Talks Continue as Cargo Ship Hit Near Hormuz and Israel-Lebanon Negotiations Resume (Aug 04, 1554 UTC, 1854 Israel) (Evening Edition)
Qatar confirmed indirect US-Iran talks on reopening the Strait of Hormuz are ongoing, with no direct negotiations planned. A cargo ship was struck by a projectile near the strait, and its crew abandoned the vessel with one person missing. Israel and Lebanon began a seventh round of US-brokered talks in Rome, focusing on pilot zones and cessation of hostilities. The Houthis claimed a drone strike on Saudi Arabia’s Najran airport. In Gaza, a mass funeral was held for 112 Palestinians recovered from rubble two years after an Israeli airstrike.
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Hezbollah Drone Severely Wounds IDF Brigade Commander as Knesset Advances Early Elections (May 20, 1618 UTC, 1918 Israel) (Evening Edition)
An IDF brigade commander was severely wounded and a reservist killed in a Hezbollah drone attack on artillery bunkers in southern Lebanon. The Knesset advanced a bill to dissolve parliament, moving Israel closer to early elections. The IRGC threatened to expand the war beyond the region if the US resumes strikes on Iran, while international outcry grew over a video showing Israeli Minister Ben-Gvir taunting detained Gaza flotilla activists.