War in the Middle East: the Strait of Hormuz sealed; Iran and the United States negotiate

Israel will use “all its might” in Lebanon if threatened The Israeli Defense Minister, Israel Katz, stated on Sunday that the army had been instructed to use “all its might” in Lebanon, despite the ongoing ceasefire, if Israeli troops were under any kind of threat.

During an event in the occupied West Bank, he also mentioned that the army had been ordered to “destroy houses in villages (on the front line) near the border that were, in every respect, used as Hezbollah’s terrorist outposts and were threatening Israeli communities,” referring to the pro-Iranian movement that Israel is fighting against.

Iran accuses the US of violating the ceasefire with naval blockade Iran reiterated on Sunday that the American naval blockade was not only a violation of the ceasefire but also an “illegal and criminal act,” as Donald Trump accused Tehran of breaking the truce in the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran resumes international flights from Monday International flights from the airport of Mashhad in northeastern Iran will resume on Monday, according to the country’s Civil Aviation Organization. The airspace of the country had partially reopened on Saturday, allowing international flights to fly over the east of the country once again.

Syria thwarts Hezbollah’s attack plan from its territory Syrian authorities have thwarted a plan by the pro-Iranian Hezbollah to launch rockets from Syrian territory, a source from the Interior Ministry cited by the official Sana agency said. The Hezbollah denied any involvement with the cell and called on the Syrian authorities to conduct a thorough investigation before making baseless accusations.

Turkey criticizes Israeli expansionism in Lebanon The Turkish Foreign Minister criticized Israel for attempting to create a “fait accompli” in Lebanon despite the ceasefire in place with Hezbollah. He accused Israel of expansionism and of using the war in the Middle East as a pretext to occupy more territories.

Turkey optimistic about ceasefire extension The Turkish Foreign Minister expressed optimism about the possibility of extending the ceasefire between Iran and the US, even though he acknowledged that certain points still need clarification.

Iran closes the Strait of Hormuz Iran announced on Sunday that it was once again closing the strategic Strait of Hormuz in retaliation for the continued blockade of its ports by the US, just three days before the ceasefire between the two countries was set to expire.

Summary of the night’s news – The Israeli army reported the death of a soldier in combat in southern Lebanon, the second since the ceasefire began. – UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres strongly condemned the attack that killed a French peacekeeper in southern Lebanon. – The Hezbollah denied involvement in the deadly attack on French peacekeepers in southern Lebanon. – Syria praised for repairing bridges and roads damaged by Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon. – Iran and the US made progress in peace negotiations, but a final agreement is still far away.