Pakistan Mediation

Houthi rebels killed six crew members and wounded ten in a double-tap missile strike on a cargo ship in the Bab al-Mandeb strait, marking the first fatal attack on shipping since the Iran war began. Iran’s Supreme National Security Council chief reiterated that the Strait of Hormuz will only fully reopen when the US accepts Tehran’s conditions, as Pakistan’s interior minister visited Tehran for mediation talks. The IDF condemned settler takeovers of Palestinian homes in the West Bank but did not evacuate them, while Israel and Venezuela agreed to renew consular ties after a 17-year break.

Iran’s military command declared the Strait of Hormuz closed again, citing US and Israeli breaches of the US-Iran memorandum of understanding, as Israeli airstrikes killed at least 27–83 people in southern Lebanon overnight despite a renewed ceasefire. Hezbollah launched over 50 projectiles at Israeli forces, and the IDF said it would respond forcefully to violations. US Vice President Vance said talks with Iran were progressing and he would travel to Switzerland, while Pakistan’s interior minister arrived in Tehran to mediate.

Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced that a final agreed-upon text for a US-Iran peace deal has been reached, with Tehran saying an agreement has “never been closer.” The UAE has agreed to release $10–20 billion in frozen Iranian funds as a tactical shift amid the war. Hezbollah launched multiple drone attacks on northern Israel and IDF positions in southern Lebanon, while the IDF revealed it has eliminated more than 10 Hezbollah field commanders in recent operations.

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.

An Israeli airstrike killed a Lebanese army general and two soldiers in southern Lebanon, which the IDF said was under review after the vehicle entered an active combat zone without coordination. In the Gulf, the US and Iran continued to exchange fire, with US forces striking Iranian radar sites and Iran launching ballistic missiles at US bases in Kuwait and Bahrain. In the West Bank, a settler rampage in Huwara left nine Palestinians wounded, and an IDF soldier was filmed beating two men. The Pentagon reportedly raised its threat assessment of Israeli spying on the US to the highest level.

Hezbollah launched coordinated quadcopter strikes on Israeli Iron Dome platforms in the western Galilee, while the IDF struck Hezbollah sites in Beqaa and Tyre overnight. The US and Iran are reportedly close to a 60-day ceasefire extension, with Pakistan’s army chief mediating in Tehran. France banned Israeli Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir over his treatment of Gaza flotilla activists, and an IRGC-linked operative was extradited to the US for plotting to assassinate Ivanka Trump.

Hezbollah launched multiple explosive-drone attacks on northern Israel on Friday, triggering sirens and reportedly causing impacts, while the IDF struck Hezbollah operatives in southern Lebanon. US-Iran ceasefire talks saw slight progress, with Pakistan’s army chief visiting Tehran as a mediator, but deadlock persists over uranium stockpiles and Strait of Hormuz tolls. US Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard resigned, citing her husband’s health, amid reports she was forced out over Iran war dissent. Freed Gaza flotilla activists alleged sexual abuse and other mistreatment in Israeli custody, which Israel denied.