Strait of Hormuz

A Hezbollah explosive drone struck a parking lot near Rosh Hanikra in northern Israel, wounding three civilians, two seriously, in what the IDF called a “blatant violation” of ceasefire understandings. The attack came as Israeli and Lebanese delegations convened in Washington for a third round of direct talks, with Israel proposing a phased plan for Hezbollah disarmament. In the Strait of Hormuz, a commercial vessel was seized and diverted to Iran, while another cargo ship was sunk off Oman, drawing condemnation from India. The IDF expanded airstrikes across southern Lebanon and the Western Bekaa, and Prime Minister Netanyahu announced Israel would sue the New York Times over a column alleging widespread sexual abuse of Palestinian prisoners.

US President Donald Trump rejected Iran’s latest ceasefire response as “totally unacceptable,” while Hezbollah launched multiple loitering glider attacks on IDF vehicles in southern Lebanon. EU foreign ministers approved sanctions on violent Israeli settlers and settler groups, and Prime Minister Netanyahu convened an urgent security meeting amid the diplomatic impasse.

US and Iranian forces exchanged fire in the Strait of Hormuz late Thursday, with the US striking Qeshm port and Bandar Abbas after Iran attacked US Navy destroyers. President Trump called the US strikes a 'love tap' and insisted the ceasefire remains in effect, while Iran accused the US of violating the truce. Hezbollah launched rockets and explosive drones at northern Israel, wounding three soldiers, and the IDF struck a Hezbollah rocket launcher in southern Lebanon.

US and Iranian forces exchanged fire in the Strait of Hormuz late Thursday, with the US striking Qeshm port and Bandar Abbas after Iran attacked US Navy destroyers. President Trump called the US strikes a 'love tap' and insisted the ceasefire remains in effect, while Iran accused the US of violating the truce. The UAE reported intercepting a separate missile and drone attack early Friday. In Lebanon, the IDF confirmed killing Hezbollah Radwan commander Ahmed Ali Balout, and Hezbollah launched rockets and mortars at Israeli troops. Gaza ceasefire talks remain stalled over Hamas disarmament.

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 after Saudi Arabia denied US access to its airspace and bases, while the IDF struck Beirut’s Dahieh suburb targeting a senior Hezbollah commander and a Hezbollah drone seriously wounded an Israeli soldier in southern Lebanon. Israel-Lebanon talks are set to resume in Washington, and France moved its aircraft carrier to the Red Sea for a potential Hormuz mission.

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.

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.

Iran launched 15 missiles and 4 drones at the UAE on Monday, hitting a Fujairah oil facility and wounding three, in the first major attack since the April 8 ceasefire. The US sank six Iranian small boats and intercepted missiles and drones as it began escorting commercial ships through the Strait of Hormuz under 'Project Freedom.' Hezbollah fired mortars and anti-tank missiles at Israeli forces in southern Lebanon overnight, with no IDF injuries reported. Oil prices surged nearly 6% and global markets slid as the US-Iran truce teetered.

Iran launched cruise missiles and drones at the United Arab Emirates on Monday, striking a petroleum facility in Fujairah and triggering air defense alerts in Dubai, in a major ceasefire violation. The US said two American-flagged merchant vessels transited the Strait of Hormuz under Navy escort as part of 'Project Freedom,' while Iran claimed it fired warning shots at US destroyers and hit a warship with missiles, a claim CENTCOM denied. Israel elevated its military alertness to the maximum level and convened its expanded security cabinet for Wednesday.

President Trump announced ‘Project Freedom,’ a US-led initiative to guide stranded commercial vessels out of the Strait of Hormuz starting Monday, while Iran warned the mission would violate the ceasefire. The US delivered its response to Iran’s 14-point peace proposal via Pakistan, with Trump calling the latest terms unacceptable. Hezbollah claimed a rocket and artillery attack on Israeli forces in Al-Bayyada, and Israel canceled the annual Meron Lag Ba’omer celebration due to security concerns.

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.

Hezbollah launched multiple rocket and drone attacks on Israeli forces in southern Lebanon on May 2, with no IDF casualties reported, while the IDF struck over 70 military structures and 50 Hezbollah infrastructure sites in the past day. The US announced the withdrawal of 5,000 troops from Germany amid a diplomatic rift over the Iran war, and Spain demanded the release of a citizen detained during an Israeli raid on a Gaza-bound aid flotilla. A senior Iranian official warned that conflict with the US is 'likely' to restart after President Trump rejected Tehran's latest proposal.

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.