Middle East Eye

Iran’s Foreign Ministry said a US-Iran memorandum of understanding will not be signed on Sunday, contradicting Pakistani and US signals that a deal was imminent. Hezbollah announced a “new phase” of operations to liberate all of south Lebanon, and the IDF struck over 70 Hezbollah sites in the past day. CENTCOM intercepted Iranian drones targeting ships in the Strait of Hormuz.

A US-Iran memorandum of understanding is in final consensus stages, with Tehran downplaying Trump's timeline for a weekend signing. CENTCOM intercepted Iranian drones targeting ships in the Strait of Hormuz. An IDF evacuation order was issued for 20 villages in south Lebanon, and a Hezbollah drone was downed over Metula. Four UK activists were jailed for a violent raid on an Israeli defense factory.

The United States launched a second consecutive night of airstrikes on Iranian air defense, surveillance, and communication targets, while Iran announced the full closure of the Strait of Hormuz and retaliated with missile and drone strikes on US bases in Kuwait and Bahrain. President Trump threatened further attacks if Iran does not agree to a deal, as the IDF reported a suspicious aerial target near Misgav Am and strikes in Lebanon's Beqaa Valley.

Israel and Iran announced a mutual halt to direct attacks on June 8 after US President Trump warned Prime Minister Netanyahu that Israel would be 'on its own' if it continued strikes. The IDF intercepted a Houthi drone over Eilat and continued operations in southern Lebanon, where strikes killed at least 14 people. The ICC suspended its chief prosecutor over sexual misconduct allegations.

Iran launched a ballistic missile barrage at central and southern Israel overnight, the first such attack since the April truce, prompting Israeli retaliatory strikes on military and petrochemical targets across Iran. US President Trump urged Prime Minister Netanyahu not to retaliate, saying a diplomatic deal with Tehran was close. The Home Front Command canceled school nationwide and ordered hospitals underground. The Houthis declared a naval blockade on Israel-linked vessels in the Red Sea.

Two IDF soldiers were killed in separate incidents in southern Lebanon, while Hezbollah launched rockets at northern Israel for the first time since Wednesday. The Pentagon raised its counterintelligence threat assessment for Israel to the highest level. In the West Bank, a Palestinian car-ramming lightly injured a settler after settlers blocked a road and threw stones. France and allies are coordinating sanctions over settler violence.

A seven-month-old Palestinian baby was killed and his parents wounded when IDF troops fired on their vehicle in Hebron. Hezbollah rejected the US-brokered ceasefire, launching rockets and surface-to-air missiles at northern Israel, while the IDF killed two Hezbollah operatives in southern Lebanon. France opened a war crimes probe into Israel's treatment of flotilla activists, and Ireland banned Israeli ministers Smotrich and Ben Gvir.

Hezbollah formally rejected the US-brokered ceasefire with Israel, even as Lebanon said its army would deploy to pilot zones anyway. A UNIFIL peacekeeper was killed and two wounded by mortar fire in southern Lebanon, which the IDF attributed to Hezbollah. The US House passed a symbolic war powers resolution to limit Trump’s military actions in Iran, drawing a sharp rebuke from the president. The IAEA called on Iran to explain enriched uranium stockpiles and restore inspector access.

Iran launched ballistic missiles and drones at Kuwait and Bahrain, killing one and wounding 63 at Kuwait’s airport, while the US struck Iran’s Qeshm Island in self-defense. President Trump confirmed calling Netanyahu ‘f***ing crazy’ over Lebanon fighting. Hezbollah continued rocket and drone attacks on northern Israel, and the IDF struck targets in southern Lebanon, killing a Lebanese soldier. The fourth round of Israel-Lebanon talks continued in Washington.

Iran launched ballistic missiles and drones at Kuwait and Bahrain, striking Kuwait’s international airport and wounding several people, while the US conducted self-defense strikes on Iran’s Qeshm Island. US and partner forces intercepted multiple projectiles, and the IRGC claimed retaliatory strikes on US bases in Kuwait. Hezbollah carried out 13 attacks on Israeli forces in southern Lebanon, wounding four soldiers, as Israel-Lebanon talks continued in Washington. The IAEA confirmed a drone attack on the UAE’s Barakah nuclear plant, calling it of “extreme gravity.”

Hezbollah fired multiple rocket salvos at northern Israel overnight, with one projectile striking a shopping center in Kiryat Shmona and causing damage but no injuries. The IDF intercepted several rockets and issued new evacuation warnings for seven villages in southern Lebanon, while Israeli airstrikes and drone strikes continued across the south. The US-Iran deal remains unresolved after a White House Situation Room meeting ended without a decision, and Iran denied any final understanding has been reached.

The IRGC launched a retaliatory attack on a US base in Kuwait following overnight American strikes near Bandar Abbas, Iran. An IDF soldier was killed and two reservists wounded in a Hezbollah explosive drone attack on a military zone near the Lebanese border. The IDF began striking Hezbollah infrastructure in Tyre after ordering evacuations. The UN added Israel to its blacklist of perpetrators of sexual violence in conflict zones, prompting Israel to reportedly cut ties with UN Secretary-General Guterres. The US reimposed sanctions on UN rapporteur Francesca Albanese.

Israel confirmed the killing of Hamas's new military chief Mohammed Odeh in a Gaza strike, while intensifying airstrikes in Lebanon that killed at least 31 people. Hezbollah launched over 15 drones at Israel and threatened to topple the Lebanese government. US-Iran negotiations continued with Secretary of State Rubio saying a deal could take 'a few days,' even as Iran condemned recent US strikes as a ceasefire violation.

The US conducted self-defense strikes on Iranian mine-laying boats and missile sites near Bandar Abbas, while Israel expanded ground operations beyond the security zone in southern Lebanon and intensified airstrikes that killed at least 12 in Mashghara. Iran condemned the US strikes as a 'gross violation' of the ceasefire, and Hezbollah launched multiple drone and rocket attacks on Israeli positions. US-Iran talks in Qatar continue, with Secretary Rubio stating a deal could come in days.

A Hezbollah explosive drone killed an IDF soldier and seriously wounded another in southern Lebanon, while the US and Iran continued to negotiate a ceasefire deal that Israeli officials warn ignores Israel's security interests. The British navy is preparing to clear mines from the Strait of Hormuz once a deal is signed, though a US official says no mines have been found. Northern Israeli mayors say the emerging deal would be a 'death blow' if Hezbollah remains intact.

Hezbollah drone attacks wounded 10 Israeli soldiers in southern Lebanon, including a brigade commander and a combat photographer, as the Knesset overwhelmingly advanced a bill to dissolve parliament. Iran confirmed it is reviewing a US proposal delivered via Pakistan, while President Trump said talks are in 'final stages' and warned of renewed strikes if no deal is reached. The US lifted sanctions on UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese, and settler violence flared in the West Bank.

President Trump postponed a planned military strike on Iran for the second time in 36 hours, citing Gulf mediation and 'serious negotiations,' while Brent crude held above $110. Israeli Finance Minister Smotrich announced the ICC prosecutor had secretly requested his arrest warrant and retaliated by ordering the demolition of a West Bank Bedouin village. Hezbollah explosive drones struck Israeli territory near the Lebanon border, lightly wounding two, as the IDF struck over 25 Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon. Iran warned it would open 'new fronts' if attacked again, and air defenses activated over multiple Iranian cities.

Iran submitted a new 14-point proposal via Pakistan, which a senior US official dismissed as containing only 'cosmetic improvements.' The IDF killed a senior Palestinian Islamic Jihad commander in Baalbek, Lebanon, and intercepted a Gaza-bound flotilla off Cyprus. Hezbollah launched rockets and drones at Israeli forces in southern Lebanon, triggering sirens in northern Israel.

Prime Minister Netanyahu’s corruption trial was postponed for security reasons as the IDF struck over 30 Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon, killing several operatives. Settler activists repeatedly crossed illegally into Syria, and a new death penalty law for West Bank Palestinians came into effect. President Trump warned Iran that 'the clock is ticking' amid stalled talks.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office confirmed a secret wartime visit to the UAE, which Abu Dhabi denied, as President Trump met with Xi Jinping in Beijing amid tensions over Iran. Hezbollah launched multiple attacks on Israeli forces in southern Lebanon, and IDF officers warned that Jewish terror accounts for up to 80% of incidents in the West Bank. Saudi Arabia reportedly struck Iran-backed militias in Iraq during the war.

US President Donald Trump is seriously considering resuming combat operations against Iran after rejecting Tehran’s latest ceasefire proposal as “unacceptable,” while reports reveal the UAE secretly struck an Iranian oil refinery during the war. In Lebanon, an Israeli airstrike killed six civilians in Kafr Dounine, and Hezbollah claimed a guided-missile hit on an IDF Merkava tank. The Knesset passed a law establishing a special tribunal and allowing the death penalty for October 7 perpetrators, and EU foreign ministers approved sanctions on violent Israeli settlers and Hamas leaders after Hungary lifted its veto.

The IDF struck over 85 Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon and issued evacuation warnings for nine villages, while the US expects Iran's response to a ceasefire proposal. Hezbollah drone attacks wounded three Israeli soldiers, and settler violence escalated in the West Bank. The US imposed new sanctions on entities aiding Iran's drone program, and a Russia-Ukraine ceasefire was announced.

The IDF confirmed it killed Hezbollah Radwan Force commander Ahmed Ali Balout in a precise strike on Beirut’s Dahieh suburb, while Hezbollah launched rockets and explosive drones at Israeli troops in southern Lebanon. Iran is reviewing a US proposal to end the war, and President Trump paused the Hormuz escort operation after Saudi Arabia denied airspace access. In Gaza, the son of Hamas’s chief negotiator was killed in an IDF strike.

President Trump suspended Project Freedom naval escorts in the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday, citing “great progress” toward a US-Iran agreement, while Hezbollah explosive drones wounded three Israeli soldiers in southern Lebanon and the IDF struck 25 Hezbollah targets. A Washington Post satellite analysis revealed Iranian strikes have damaged or destroyed at least 228 US military assets across 15 Middle East bases, far exceeding official US acknowledgments. A joint World Bank-UN-EU report priced Gaza reconstruction at $71 billion.

Hezbollah rockets targeted Avivim in northern Israel on Sunday, with no casualties reported, as the IDF continued operations in southern Lebanon, killing two Hezbollah gunmen and seizing weapons caches. Israel approved the purchase of two additional squadrons of F-35I and F-15IA fighter jets, doubling fleet sizes. President Trump reviewed Iran's 14-point peace proposal but expressed skepticism, while the US announced the withdrawal of 5,000 troops from Germany amid a deepening rift with Europe over the Iran war. A cargo ship was attacked near the Strait of Hormuz, and Iran's Foreign Minister discussed ending the war with his German counterpart.

The UAE announced it will leave OPEC effective May 1, fracturing the oil cartel amid the Hormuz crisis, while the IDF demolished two vast Hezbollah attack tunnels in southern Lebanon built with direct Iranian guidance. Hezbollah launched coordinated drone strikes on IDF positions, and Lebanese Army soldiers were injured in an Israeli airstrike during a rescue operation.