Israeli army hits residential area in southern Lebanon The Israeli army struck residential areas in the town of Ayta ash Shab in southern Lebanon, local reports say. Meanwhile, the Israeli Home Front Command announced the activation of sirens in northern Israel due to the threat of rocket and missile launches from Lebanon.
Hezbollah claims 35 attacks in response to Israel's assault on Lebanon Hezbollah announced that it had carried out 35 attacks targeting Israeli settlements, forces, vehicles and military sites as part of its response to a wave of heavy Israeli attacks on Lebanon. Since March 2, Hezbollah has waged over 1,500 attacks on Israel, according to an Anadolu Agency tally. Meanwhile, Israel has killed nearly 1,900 people across the country in the same time period.
US military bases in Gulf 'useless' after Iranian strikes, experts say At least a dozen US military sites across the Gulf region have been so badly damaged by Iran's retaliation to US and Israeli attacks that their presence now creates significantly more vulnerabilities than it does benefits, a slate of Middle East experts argued on Thursday. The original revelation about the state of the bases was first reported in The New York Times last month, in which they were described as "all but uninhabitable". The Trump administration has yet to acknowledge the extent of the damage sustained.
Israel continues assault on Lebanon Israeli attack on Lebanon continue, several reports indicate, with the latest air strike recorded in the southern town of Babliyeh. Search and rescue operations are ongoing across the country, with hospitals increasingly overwhelmed with wounded victims. Earlier, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed that hits on Lebanon would continue "wherever necessary".
Attack on Saudi Arabian pipeline wiped out 10 percent of kingdom's oil export capacity Attacks on Saudi Arabia’s East-West pipeline knocked out 700,000 barrels per day (bpd) of the kingdom’s oil capacity, or roughly 10 percent of its current exports, according to a statement by the kingdom’s energy ministry on Thursday. “These attacks included a pumping station on the vital East-West pipeline, leading to a loss of approximately 700,000 barrels per day of pumped volume through the pipeline, which is the main route for supplying global markets during this period,” the energy ministry said. The statement marked the first official confirmation that Saudi Arabia’s energy facilities have suffered damage as a result of Iranian strikes, and comes just as the US and Iran gear up for high-profile peace talks in Islamabad, Pakistan.
White House warned staff against market bets amid war on Iran: Report The White House warned US government staff against improperly leveraging their positions to place bets in futures markets in an email in late March, according to the Wall Street Journal (WSJ). The Journal, citing sources, said the announcement made on 24 March was made a day after US President Donald Trump said in a Truth Social post that he would order the army to delay attacks against Iranian energy infrastructure. WSJ added that in the report that the White House confimed the authenticity of the notice.
Lebanese man describes the loss of his family in Israeli attacks A Lebanese man from Tyre described the moment he returned home to find his family killed in an Israeli air strike on 6 March. Since the start of March, Israel has killed over 1,700 people in the country, with nearly 6,000 others wounded. “I saw my daughter’s head here,” said Hussein Saleh, a Lebanese man from Tyre who described the moment he returned home to find his family killed in an Israeli air strike on March 6.
Top EU diplomat calls for urgent cessation of hostilities in Lebanon The European Union's top diplomat, Kaja Kallas, on Thursday called for an urgent cessation of hostilities in Lebanon and urged all parties to respect a ceasefire agreement between the US and Iran. "We urge all involved to fully respect the ceasefire across the region, cease all military operations and fully ensure freedom of navigation as well as free and safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz, in line with international law," Kallas said in a statement.
Attack on Saudi Arabian pipeline wiped out 10 percent of kingdom's oil export capacity Submitted by Sean Mathews on Thu, 04/09/2026 - 22:05 Saudi Arabia's energy ministry released a detailed statement on Thursday describing targets hit by Iran and the toll on exports This photograph shows an oil plant in the desert during stage nine of the Dakar Rally 2025, between Riyadh and Haradh in Saudi Arabia, on 14 January 2025 (Valery Hache/AFP) Off Attacks on Saudi Arabia’s East-West pipeline knocked out 700,000 barrels per day (bpd) of the kingdom’s oil capacity, or roughly 10 percent of its current exports, according to a statement by the kingdom’s energy ministry on Thursday. “These attacks included a pumping station on the vital East-West pipeline, leading to a loss of approximately 700,000 barrels per day of pumped volume through the pipeline, which is the main route for supplying global markets during this period,” the energy ministry said. The statement marked the first official confirmation that Saudi Arabia’s energy facilities have suffered damage as a result of Iranian strikes, and comes just as the US and Iran gear up for high-profile peace talks in Islamabad, Pakistan.
US military bases in Gulf 'useless' after Iranian strikes, experts say At least a dozen US military sites across the Gulf region have been so badly damaged by Iran's retaliation to US and Israeli attacks that their presence now creates significantly more vulnerabilities than it does benefits, a slate of Middle East experts argued on Thursday. The original revelation about the state of the bases was first reported in The New York Times last month, in which they were described as "all but uninhabitable". The Trump administration has yet to acknowledge the extent of the damage sustained.
US military bases in Gulf 'useless' after Iranian strikes, experts say Submitted by Yasmine El-Sabawi on Thu, 04/09/2026 - 18:15 One expert said it was 'highly unlikely' the US Fifth Fleet will ever return to the Gulf state of Bahrain US military personnel respond to a mock attack during a drill at Camp Arifjan in Kuwait City, Kuwait, on 4 May 2023 (Yasser al-Zayyat/AFP) Off At least a dozen US military sites across the Gulf region have been so badly damaged by Iran's retaliation to US and Israeli attacks that their presence now creates significantly more vulnerabilities than it does benefits, a slate of Middle East experts argued on Thursday. The original revelation about the state of the bases was first reported in The New York Times last month, in which they were described as "all but uninhabitable". The Trump administration has yet to acknowledge the extent of the damage sustained.
US to host Israel-Lebanon meeting to discuss ceasefire talks The US State Department will host a meeting next week to discuss ongoing ceasefire negotiations between Israel and Lebanon, a State Department official said on Thursday.
Israel army warns that Hezbollah may expand fire 'in the coming hours' The Israeli army warned citizens on Thursday that launches of projectiles by Hezbollah, usually limited to the border area with Lebanon in the north, may expand to other parts of the country. "In accordance with the situational assessment and following the launches from Lebanese territory since this morning, additional areas across the State of Israel may come under fire in the coming hours," the army said in a statement, urging the public to "remain vigilant".
German leader says he does not want Nato to 'split' over war on Iran Submitted by MEE staff on Thu, 04/09/2026 - 18:21 The US could punish Nato countries that did not assist in war on Iran and 'reward' those that did, report says US President Donald Trump meets with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, on 3 March 2026 (Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP) Off German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on Thursday he did not want Nato to break up over the US-Israeli war on Iran , as US President Donald Trump ratcheted up his threat to impose costs on the alliance if members did not deploy forces to the Strait of Hormuz. "We do not want - I do not want - NATO to split. NATO is a guarantor of our security, including and above all in Europe," Merz told reporters.
Wednesday death toll from Israeli attacks in Lebanon rises to 303 The Lebanese health ministry said that Wednesday's death toll from Israeli attacks across Lebanon has risen to 303.
Lebanon seeks ceasefire before talks with Israel: Report A Lebanese official has told AFP that Lebanon is seeking a ceasefire before beginning peace talks with Israel. Earlier today, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu said that he has given instructions to begin peace talks with Lebanon that would also include the disarmament of Hezbollah.
Had Bush and Blair been punished for Iraq war crimes, Iran might have been spared Submitted by Peter Oborne on Thu, 04/09/2026 - 16:32 It has been 23 years since the fall of Baghdad - and the parallels with the latest US-Israeli madness are chilling Protesters near the White House in Washington DC denounce US military action in Iran, on 7 April 2026 (Mandel Ngan/AFP) Off Twenty-three years ago, I sat beside Hamid Karzai in his presidential office in Kabul, watching US bombers pound Saddam Hussein’s Iraq live on Al Jazeera. It was clear the Afghan leader hated what he saw, concluding that the American-led war was mad and bad. We both grimaced – and we were right.
The Lebanese civilians killed in Israel's massacre Submitted by Alex MacDonald on Thu, 04/09/2026 - 10:04 A doctor, journalists and students are among the hundreds killed in the heaviest single day of bombing in Lebanon Some of the more than 200 people killed in Israeli attacks across Lebanon on 8 April 2026 (MEE) Off Since US President Donald Trump announced a two-week ceasefire with Iran on Tuesday, Israel has responded by launching its deadliest series of strikes on Lebanon since early March. More than 200 people were killed in the massacre and over 1,000 wounded, according to the Lebanese health ministry. Israel said it carried out 100 strikes in 10 minutes, marking the heaviest day of bombing in Lebanon, particularly in Beirut.
Houthi leader calls ceasefire with US a ‘major victory’ for Iran The leader of the Yemeni armed group, the Houthis, Abdel-Malik al-Houthi, described the truce brokered by Pakistan between the US and Iran as a “great victory” for Tehran. In a statement to the Houthi-affiliated Al Masirah TV station, al-Houthi also ascribed the victory to the “axis of resistance” of Iran-aligned groups across the region, and “the free people of the world”. The Yemeni leader also said earlier on Thursday that their operations will follow a planned strategy that may escalate going forward, with possible surprise actions in line with the developments on the ground.
Israeli military attacks town on Lebanon’s southern border Israeli troops are attempting to besiege the town of Bint Jbeil, which is about 5km from the southern border with Israel, according to reports by Al Jazeera. Hezbollah has reported clashes between its fighters and the Israeli military in the area. The Israeli army expanded its forced displacement orders for Lebanese residents in the south, which covers 14 percent of the country.
