Joseph Aoun

Israel and Hezbollah renewed a ceasefire brokered by the US and Qatar through Tehran after a night of fighting that killed four IDF soldiers and 47 Lebanese. The IDF will remain in southern Lebanon while US-Iran MoU implementation faces hurdles, including a still-closed Strait of Hormuz and Iranian demands for US restraint on Israel. Gaza peace plan talks in Cairo made slow progress on disarmament and security, while Norway moved to ban trade with Israeli settlements.

Prime Minister Netanyahu publicly defied the US-Iran memorandum of understanding, insisting Israeli forces will maintain a permanent security zone in southern Lebanon, Syria, and Gaza. The IDF reported multiple Hezbollah attacks on troops in south Lebanon, including rockets, anti-tank missiles, and mortars, with no Israeli injuries. The US-Iran deal, signed electronically on Saturday and set for formal signing Friday in Geneva, has drawn mixed reactions internationally and on Capitol Hill, while oil prices fell and stock markets rose on hopes of normalized energy supplies.

Israel has publicly rejected the US-Iran memorandum of understanding, with Defense Minister Israel Katz declaring the IDF will remain indefinitely in security zones in Lebanon, Syria, and Gaza. The deal, set for formal signing on Friday in Switzerland, includes a comprehensive ceasefire on all fronts, including Lebanon, and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. International reactions have been largely positive, but Israel faces isolation as tensions with Washington escalate.

US President Donald Trump threatened to strike Iran “very hard” again, saying Tehran had taken too long to negotiate a nuclear deal and would “pay the price.” The IDF confirmed that the Ramat David airbase sustained minor damage from falling fragments during Iran’s ballistic missile attack earlier this week, with no injuries or operational impact. Hezbollah continued to target Israeli forces in southern Lebanon with drones, missiles, and artillery, while Israeli airstrikes killed at least 17 people across the south, including two in a drone strike on a car in Sidon.

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.

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.

US forces struck Iranian coastal radar sites after shooting down four Iranian drones launched toward the Strait of Hormuz. Iran retaliated by firing seven ballistic missiles at US bases in Kuwait and Bahrain, with CENTCOM intercepting six. In Lebanon, an Israeli airstrike killed several Lebanese Army troops, including an officer, while Hezbollah claimed 32 attacks on Israeli forces. In the West Bank, the IDF killed a seven-month-old Palestinian baby in Hebron, prompting an investigation.

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.

Two IDF officers were wounded in a firefight with Hezbollah operatives in southern Lebanon, and another was injured by an explosive drone, as Prime Minister Netanyahu stated the IDF would not withdraw from southern Lebanon in the near future. The IDF also announced the killing of Hezbollah's chief engineer, Abed Harb, in a strike last week. Meanwhile, the IAEA reported it has been unable to inspect Iranian nuclear facilities, and Iran claimed its navy fired warning shots at US destroyers in the Oman Sea.

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.

Prime Minister Netanyahu confirmed IDF troops of the 36th Division crossed the Litani River and advanced to strategic points in southern Lebanon, while the IDF struck Hezbollah targets across the south and in the Bekaa Valley. The US and Iran reached a tentative 60-day ceasefire memorandum of understanding, pending President Trump's approval, though both sides publicly disputed its contents. In Gaza, Netanyahu ordered the IDF to expand control to 70% of the Strip, violating the October ceasefire, and the IDF eliminated the deputy commander of Hamas's Gaza City Brigade. The UN added Israel to its sexual-violence-in-conflict blacklist, drawing sharp Israeli condemnation.

Hezbollah explosive drones killed an IDF soldier and seriously wounded another in southern Lebanon, as President Trump declared it 'mandatory' for six Muslim nations to join the Abraham Accords as part of an Iran deal. The US and Iran voiced cautious optimism but tempered expectations of an imminent breakthrough, while Israeli opposition leaders accused Netanyahu of being sidelined.

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.

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.

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.

Iran launched a second day of missile and drone attacks on the UAE on Tuesday, striking a Fujairah oil facility and wounding three, while the US and Israel are reportedly coordinating potential new strikes on Iranian energy sites and senior officials. The US-led Project Freedom escort operation transited two destroyers through the Strait of Hormuz under fire, and Defense Secretary Hegseth said the ceasefire is “not over” despite Iran’s attacks. Hezbollah escalated with drone and missile attacks on IDF positions in southern Lebanon, and the IDF eliminated a Nukhba commander who participated in the October 7 Nova festival massacre.

President Trump rejected Iran's latest peace proposal, saying he is 'not satisfied' and is considering the option to 'blast the hell out of' Iran if talks fail. The rejection came as the White House notified Congress that hostilities with Iran have 'terminated,' a claim disputed by ongoing Israeli strikes in Lebanon and a collapsed Strait of Hormuz transit. Hezbollah drone attacks wounded four Israeli troops, prompting the IDF to tighten security restrictions in northern Israel and issue evacuation orders for a south Lebanon town. The US approved $8.6 billion in arms sales to Israel and Gulf allies, and the Pentagon announced the withdrawal of 5,000 troops from Germany amid tensions with European allies over the Iran war.

Israel is preparing for a potential resumption of hostilities with Iran, as CENTCOM commander Adm. Brad Cooper and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Cain briefed President Trump on new operational strike plans. The briefing came hours before the War Powers Resolution deadline, with the administration claiming hostilities have 'terminated' amid the ceasefire. Meanwhile, Iran is reportedly digging out buried missiles and weapons in anticipation of a truce collapse, and Hezbollah continues to amass explosive drones, posing a persistent threat to Israeli forces in southern Lebanon.

Hezbollah conducted 10 attacks against Israeli forces in southern Lebanon on April 30, the highest single-day total since the April 16 ceasefire, killing one IDF soldier and wounding two others. The escalation coincided with a US War Powers Resolution deadline on May 1 requiring congressional authorization for the Iran conflict, which the Trump administration argues is paused by the ceasefire. Israeli strikes in Lebanon killed at least 15 people, including a Lebanese Army soldier and his family, while the IDF reduced artillery fire in Gaza under US pressure. The UK raised its terror threat level to 'severe' after an antisemitic stabbing in London, and the US delivered 6,500 tons of military equipment to Israel.

President Trump told Iran to 'just give up' and vowed to maintain the naval blockade until a nuclear deal is reached, as Brent crude surged past $117 per barrel and the UAE confirmed its exit from OPEC effective May 1. The IDF intercepted a Gaza-bound flotilla in international waters near Crete, while Hezbollah continued loitering-glider attacks on Israeli armor in southern Lebanon and the IDF struck over 30 Hezbollah sites. In London, police declared the stabbing of two Jewish men a terrorist incident, with an Iran-linked group claiming responsibility.

The IDF launched airstrikes on Hezbollah infrastructure in the Beqaa Valley and southern Lebanon for the first time in three weeks, while Hezbollah leader Sheikh Naim Qassem rejected negotiations and vowed to continue confrontation. Iran's foreign minister arrived in Moscow for talks as Tehran reportedly proposed a deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and end the war.

Hezbollah shot down an Israeli Hermes 450 drone over Tyre and attacked IDF troops in Al-Qantara with loitering gliders, marking the most significant kinetic escalation since the ceasefire extension. The US authorized its Navy to target Iranian fast boats in the Strait of Hormuz as Iran's foreign minister prepared to visit Pakistan for talks.

Trump announced a three-week extension of the Israel-Lebanon ceasefire following White House talks between Israeli and Lebanese delegations, even as Hezbollah fired a rocket salvo at the northern Israeli community of Shtula — its sixth claimed operation of the day — minutes before the extension was declared. The IDF intercepted the rockets and struck the launcher and a second loaded launcher in Lebanon.

President Trump publicly ordered the US Navy to shoot and kill any vessel mining the Strait of Hormuz, while Israeli Defense Minister Katz declared Israel is prepared to resume war against Iran and is awaiting a US 'green light' to strike Iranian energy infrastructure and the new supreme leader. Iran's top nuclear negotiator Ghalibaf resigned from the negotiating team amid reported IRGC interference, further complicating ceasefire diplomacy.

Since the prior SITREP, the IDF has confirmed launching an interceptor at a suspicious aerial target over southern Lebanon — corroborating earlier Hezbollah claims of a drone attack near Al-Qantara — while Lebanese President Aoun and regional figures have condemned the IDF strike that killed journalist Amal Khalil in Al-Tiri. Iran's senior officials are publicly conditioning Strait of Hormuz reopening on ceasefire compliance, and a Saudi envoy has arrived in Beirut.

Since the prior SITREP, the IDF has confirmed the capture of a Hezbollah Radwan Force operative in southern Lebanon who was planning an imminent attack on Israeli forces — the first confirmed Radwan detention under the ceasefire. President Trump has publicly dismissed reports of a 3–5 day ceasefire extension deadline, stating there is 'no time pressure.'

Since the prior SITREP, Iran has executed a former nuclear agency employee convicted of spying for Israel, and Trump announced that eight women protesters facing execution in Iran will be spared. Separately, dozens of Israeli settler activists breached the Syrian border before being escorted out by the IDF, while Lebanon's ceasefire talks Thursday carry a new Israeli demand to repeal the anti-normalisation law.

Since the prior SITREP, a second French UNIFIL peacekeeper has died from wounds sustained in a weekend Hezbollah ambush, confirmed by President Macron — the most significant new development on the Lebanon front. Separately, the IRGC's Strait of Hormuz blockade is now confirmed kinetic, with Iran International SITREP reporting fire on three vessels and seizure of two foreign ships, while Trump has narrowed the US-Iran ceasefire extension to 3–5 days and signalled a second round of talks could occur within 36–72 hours.

Since the prior SITREP, Israeli settlers opened fire on a school in Ramallah killing two people — the most significant new lethal development in the West Bank this cycle. Separately, Hezbollah claimed a drone strike on an Israeli artillery emplacement in Al-Bayyada, and Israeli aircraft conducted a second strike on Al-Tiri in southern Lebanon with reported casualties.

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.

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.

The US Navy seized the Iranian cargo vessel MV Touska in the Sea of Oman/Strait of Hormuz area, prompting the IRGC to threaten retaliation and Iran's Foreign Ministry to accuse Washington of ceasefire violations. Simultaneously, Iran has not confirmed participation in the next round of US-Iran talks in Islamabad despite Vance's arrival in Pakistan, placing the diplomatic track in acute uncertainty.