Tensions are rising in Lebanon, while U.S. President says a deal could be reached soon to reopen the .
Here’s a look at the latest developments in the Iran war and the wider Middle East on Wednesday. Full coverage can be found .
Israel tells residents to leave village in southern Lebanon
For the first time in weeks, Israel’s military told residents of an area of to evacuate. The military said the warning for the village of Mansouri was in response to what it described as 鈥渁 blatant violation of the ceasefire鈥� by the Iran-backed Hezbollah militant group.
The military later said it was conducting 鈥減recise strikes鈥� in southern Lebanon. Lebanon鈥檚 Health Ministry said one person was killed and 12 wounded in an Israeli strike in the town of Tebnine.
The escalation came as Lebanese and Israeli negotiators met in Rome for a second day to discuss implementation of a deal under which Israeli forces are supposed to withdraw from areas they occupy in southern Lebanon in exchange for Hezbollah’s disarmament.
A State Department official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive diplomacy, said the second day of talks ended early 鈥渄ue to events on the ground鈥� but could continue on Thursday.
A shaky ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah has largely held since June 20. The fighting erupted two days after the Iran war began when Hezbollah fired at Israel.
鈥� Matthew Lee in Washington
Iran and the US say a deal on the Strait of Hormuz is close
Iran said Wednesday it’s in the 鈥渇inal stage鈥� of drafting an agreement with Oman over the , and Trump said on Tuesday night that a deal could be announced this week. That could potentially reopen the critical waterway, ease pressure on the world economy and help bring an .
But the agreement is likely to be contingent on the United States lifting its blockade on Iran鈥檚 ports. The Trump administration has that would cement Iran鈥檚 grip over the strait, which would amount to a major loss for the U.S. and a break with global norms.
Iran has insisted on some measure of control over the strait, saying it will not go back to being an open international waterway, as it was before the war.
Yemen’s Houthis claim 2 attacks on Saudi oil tankers
The in Yemen said they fired ballistic missiles at two Saudi oil tankers, one in the Red Sea and the other further east, in the Gulf of Aden. They did not provide evidence and there was no immediate comment from Saudi Arabia.
A vessel sailing off Yemen in the Gulf of Aden reported a loud explosion nearby, the British military鈥檚 United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center said, adding that the crew was safe.
In July, the Houthis announced a blockade of Saudi shipping, putting at risk another key world trade route running through , which links the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden.
Saudi Arabia has diverted millions of barrels of oil exports to the Red Sea since the Iran war choked off the Strait of Hormuz, on the other side of the Arabian Peninsula.
The US lifts sanctions on 3 Iran-linked companies
The U.S. has lifted sanctions on three Iran-linked companies. A Treasury official said it came after an appeal and was not indicative of any shift in U.S. policy toward the Islamic Republic. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to preview the sanctions.
One company is Fly Baghdad Airlines, sanctioned in January 2024 for allegedly providing assistance to Iran鈥檚 Revolutionary Guard and Iran-backed armed groups in Iraq, Syria and Lebanon. Sanctions also were lifted on Iraq Express and another Fly Baghdad-linked firm.
鈥� Fatima Hussein in Washington
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