Mehr News

The US launched self-defense strikes on Iranian air defense and radar sites near the Strait of Hormuz after an Apache helicopter was downed by an Iranian drone. Iran retaliated with attacks on US bases in Bahrain, Kuwait, and Jordan, while Jordan intercepted five Iranian missiles over its airspace. Israel prepares for a renewed large-scale Gaza offensive, and ceasefire talks in Egypt stall over Hamas disarmament.

An armed infiltrator in Hezbollah uniform was shot dead by IDF troops after crossing the Lebanon border near Ramim Ridge and opening fire. Israel issued a sweeping evacuation warning for the city of Tyre, including the Christian quarter for the first time, and carried out strikes that killed at least eight. A US Army Apache helicopter crashed near the Strait of Hormuz; both pilots were rescued. Six countries announced new sanctions targeting Israeli settler networks in the West Bank, and France banned Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich.

Israel and Iran announced a mutual halt to direct attacks on June 8, following a night of ballistic missile exchanges and Israeli airstrikes on Iranian air defense and petrochemical targets. US President Trump pressed both sides to de-escalate. Israel stressed operations against Hezbollah in Lebanon will continue. Houthi rebels declared a renewed Red Sea blockade and fired missiles at Israel.

Capt. Eitan Shmuel Lemberg, 21, was killed by a Hezbollah anti-tank missile in southern Lebanon, hours after Hezbollah formally rejected a US-brokered ceasefire accepted by Israel and Lebanon. The IDF struck Hezbollah infrastructure in response, while overnight strikes in Gaza killed senior Hamas security officials. The US Embassy in Jerusalem issued a security alert urging increased caution across the Middle East.

Prime Minister Netanyahu ordered IDF strikes on Hezbollah targets in Beirut's southern suburbs after a day of rocket and drone attacks on northern Israel, including a deadly drone strike that killed an IDF soldier near Beaufort Castle. Iran suspended indirect talks with the US, conditioning their resumption on a ceasefire in Lebanon and Gaza, while the US and Iran exchanged military strikes in the Gulf. The IDF withdrew its 146th Division from southern Lebanon after three months of operations, leaving two divisions in place.

Israeli ground forces advanced to the outskirts of Nabatieh, one of southern Lebanon’s largest cities, marking the deepest IDF push since 2006. Hezbollah responded with rocket barrages targeting Safed, Nahariya, and Kiryat Shmona, causing damage but no injuries. The IDF warned of potential increased rocket fire as operations expand. In Gaza, Hamas warned of a ‘dangerous escalation’ after Prime Minister Netanyahu ordered the seizure of 70% of the Strip, while Egypt raced to salvage the ceasefire. The US-Iran deal remained unresolved, with Defense Secretary Hegseth stating the US is ready to restart strikes if no agreement is reached.

Israeli warplanes struck targets in Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley and Tyre overnight, while the IDF intercepted a suspected drone near Kiryat Shmona. Hezbollah claimed it forced an Israeli Heron 1 drone to retreat with a surface-to-air missile. The US is preparing a fresh round of strikes on Iran, with military staff canceling weekend leave, though no final decision has been made. Iran’s foreign minister accused the US of excessive demands in talks, as Pakistan’s army chief shuttled between Tehran and Washington. In Gaza, Israeli forces struck central refugee camps despite a ceasefire. A report revealed Iran moved billions through Binance to fund military networks.

Hezbollah launched multiple explosive-drone attacks on Israeli positions along the Lebanon border on Friday, with the IDF confirming several impacts inside Israeli territory and a serious security incident involving casualties. Israeli strikes across southern Lebanon killed at least 11 people, including paramedics, according to Lebanese health authorities. Meanwhile, a draft US-Iran ceasefire framework circulated by Saudi media would pause hostilities and open the Strait of Hormuz but explicitly excludes the nuclear file, as Iran rejects uranium export demands and asserts expanded maritime claims.

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.

Iran submitted its response to the latest US ceasefire proposal via Pakistani mediators, focusing on ending hostilities and maritime security. Meanwhile, drone attacks on Gulf states and a cargo ship off Qatar, along with IRGC threats against US assets, are straining the month-old truce. In Lebanon, Hezbollah claimed multiple attacks on Israeli forces, while the IDF reported intercepting rockets and drones and killing over 10 Hezbollah operatives over the weekend.