Category: International

WASHINGTON, D.C. (NPA) — The United States has launched another round of military strikes against targets inside Iran as tensions continue to escalate following the collapse of the fragile ceasefire between the two countries.

The latest operation, carried out by the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), is aimed at further degrading Iran’s military capabilities and preventing attacks on civilian mariners and commercial vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz.

In a statement on Sunday, CENTCOM said the strikes commenced at 5 p.m. ET on the orders of the Commander-in-Chief.

“At 5 p.m. ET today, U.S. Central Command forces began launching more strikes against Iran to continue degrading their ability to attack civilian mariners and commercial ships freely transiting the Strait of Hormuz. The Commander in Chief has directed the strikes to hold Iranian forces accountable,” the statement said.

CENTCOM said the operation forms part of ongoing efforts to safeguard international shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s busiest and most strategically important maritime trade routes.

Meanwhile, the U.S. military dismissed reports circulating on Iranian media and social media platforms alleging that three American service members were killed in Kuwait during Iranian strikes.

Describing the reports as false, CENTCOM said all U.S. military personnel in the region had been accounted for.

“Iranian propaganda claimed today that three American service members were killed in Kuwait by strikes from Iran. False.

“Truth: There are zero reports of U.S. service member deaths or injuries in the region. All personnel are accounted for,” the command stated.

The renewed exchange of hostilities has further heightened concerns over the security of international maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global shipping corridor through which a significant share of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas exports passes.

Analysts warn that any prolonged disruption to navigation through the waterway could have far-reaching implications for global energy supplies, shipping operations and international trade.

The latest military developments signal growing volatility in the Gulf region as diplomatic efforts to restore the ceasefire remain uncertain after US President Donald Trump said the ceasefire is over at the recently concluded NATO Summit in Ankara, Turkey.

WASHINGTON, D.C. (NPA) — U.S. President Donald Trump has confirmed that American forces carried out fresh airstrikes against Iranian military targets, accusing Tehran of repeatedly violating the ceasefire agreement between the two countries.

In a statement posted on his Truth Social platform on Sunday, Trump said U.S. aircraft targeted Iranian missile and drone storage facilities, as well as coastal radar installations, following what he described as another breach of the ceasefire by Iran.

“United States aircraft just struck Iranian missile and drone storage locations, and coastal radar sites, for violating the Cease Fire Agreement, AGAIN! It is very possible that they will never learn!” Trump wrote.

He warned that Washington could escalate its military response if Tehran continued what he described as repeated acts of aggression.

“There may come a point when we are no longer able to be reasonable, and will be forced to militarily complete the job that we very successfully started. If that happens, the Islamic Republic of Iran will no longer exist,” Trump added.

The latest strikes followed an Iranian drone attack on a commercial oil tanker transiting the Strait of Hormuz, which U.S. officials cited as the immediate trigger for the military operation. According to the U.S. military, the strikes targeted surveillance infrastructure, missile and drone facilities, air defence systems and coastal radar sites near the strategic waterway.

Iran has rejected the U.S. accusations and, according to reports, responded by launching missile and drone attacks against U.S. military installations in Bahrain and Kuwait, further escalating tensions in the Gulf.

Authorities in both countries activated air defence systems, although no significant casualties were immediately reported.

The renewed exchange of attacks has raised fresh concerns over the fragile ceasefire reached earlier this month and threatens ongoing diplomatic efforts aimed at reducing tensions between Washington and Tehran.

The Strait of Hormuz, through which about a fifth of the world’s oil supply passes, has remained a focal point of the crisis, with commercial shipping facing repeated security threats in recent days.

Regional governments have called for restraint, warning that further escalation could undermine security and disrupt global energy supplies.

JERUSALEM, Israel (NPA) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has hailed the new framework of understandings between Israel and Lebanon as a historic breakthrough, saying it paves the way for ending hostilities and eventually reaching a formal peace agreement between the two countries.

Addressing a news conference on Saturday, Netanyahu said the agreement followed direct negotiations between Israel and Lebanon mediated by the United States.

“Yesterday, before the start of the Sabbath, we achieved a historic accomplishment for the State of Israel,” Netanyahu said.

“Following direct negotiations between Israel and Lebanon, mediated by the United States, we have reached a framework of understandings that allows us to move forward toward ending the conflict and, God willing, eventually reaching a peace agreement between the two countries.”

According to the Israeli leader, the understandings recognise Israel’s right to maintain what he described as a security zone inside southern Lebanon for as long as necessary.

He said Israeli forces would remain in the area until Hezbollah and other armed groups are disarmed and no longer pose a threat to Israel.

Netanyahu described the agreement as a major strategic setback for Iran and Hezbollah, accusing Tehran of attempting to force Israel to withdraw from southern Lebanon.

“I stood firm on our vital interests and forcefully opposed the notion of forcing a withdrawal upon us,” he said.

He added that Israel, Lebanon and the United States had agreed on a pilot programme in two areas near the Blue Line to facilitate Hezbollah’s disarmament and transfer security responsibilities to the Lebanese Armed Forces.

The Prime Minister thanked U.S. President Donald Trump, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and other American officials for facilitating the negotiations.

He also expressed appreciation to the Lebanese government and people for what he described as their courage in supporting the process, while commending Israel’s negotiating team led by Ambassador Yechiel Leiter.

Netanyahu argued that Israel’s military campaign against Hezbollah and Iranian interests created the conditions for the agreement.

He claimed Israeli forces had destroyed about 90 per cent of Hezbollah’s missile and rocket stockpile, eliminated senior commanders, including former Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, and dismantled significant militant infrastructure in southern Lebanon.

According to him, Israeli forces have also maintained control of several strategic locations while continuing operations to destroy tunnels, bunkers and other military positions.

“We are breaking the Iranian axis of terror, but we are also breaking the Iranian diplomatic axis,” he said.

Netanyahu acknowledged that military operations were continuing, particularly against what he described as the growing threat posed by explosive drones.

Looking ahead, he said the agreement would strengthen both Israel and Lebanon while weakening Hezbollah and Iran’s regional influence.

The Prime Minister pledged continued investment in Israel’s northern communities, announcing more than 20 billion shekels in reconstruction and economic support.

“We will continue to do everything necessary to restore security to the residents of the North,” he said.

“This is what I want to see: a quiet border between us and Lebanon, a border of peace. In the North, I want to see security, peace and prosperity.”

The agreement comes amid continued international efforts to reduce tensions along the Israel-Lebanon border after months of cross-border fighting that raised fears of a wider regional conflict with Iran in the mix.

BRUSSELS, Belgium (NPA) — European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has welcomed the peace framework signed between Israel and Lebanon, describing it as a significant step towards de-escalation and long-term stability in the Middle East.

In a statement issued on Saturday, von der Leyen said the agreement marked a critical move away from conflict.

“Because there can be no peace in the Middle East with Lebanon in flames,” she said.

She thanked the United States for mediating the agreement and stressed that its successful implementation would depend on the disarmament of non-state armed groups and the preservation of Lebanon’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

“The EU stands ready to support this path to lasting regional stability, also with the continued delivery of much-needed humanitarian aid, with €100 million mobilised for the displaced,” she said.

Under the Trilateral Framework signed on June 26 by the United States, Israel and Lebanon, the two countries committed to ending decades of conflict, strengthening their sovereignty and security, and working towards peaceful neighbourly relations through direct negotiations with U.S. mediation.

The agreement outlines a phased security process under which the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) will gradually assume full security responsibility across Lebanese territory following the verified disarmament of non-state armed groups. As the process progresses, Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) are expected to redeploy from Lebanese territory under agreed security arrangements and U.S.-backed verification mechanisms.

Lebanon reaffirmed its commitment to restoring the state’s exclusive authority over the use of force, disarming all non-state armed groups, and ensuring that no armed organisation operates outside government control.

Israel, for its part, stated that its military operations in Lebanon had been directed at threats posed by non-state armed groups, particularly Hezbollah, and reiterated that it has no territorial ambitions in Lebanon.

Both governments affirmed their right to self-defence under the United Nations Charter while agreeing that no third party should exercise that right on their behalf. They also committed to establishing a military coordination group with U.S. participation to oversee implementation of the framework.

The agreement also provides for the creation of working groups to negotiate a comprehensive peace and security treaty, while the United States pledged to mobilise international support for Lebanon’s reconstruction, economic recovery and humanitarian assistance.

In addition, Lebanon and the United States committed to preventing reconstruction funds or financial resources from reaching non-state armed groups, with future U.S. assistance tied to measurable reforms, transparency and verified progress.

The two countries also pledged to refrain from hostile actions in international political and legal forums and to cooperate on the return of detainees and human remains as confidence-building measures, while expressing appreciation to the United States and President Donald Trump’s role for facilitating the end of decades of conflict and promoting lasting regional peace.