International
Hezbollah enters new phase in war as Netanyahu insists on dismantling its structure
Hezbollah enters new phase in war as Netanyahu insists on dismantling its structure
BEIRUT: Hezbollah confirmed that it has “no option in Lebanon except for the realities imposed by its members in the field, and anything else is betting on an illusion.”
MP Hassan Fadlallah, a member of Hezbollah’s parliamentary bloc, said in a press conference that “Israel’s war on Hezbollah aims to eliminate the resistance, wipe it out from the region, and subjugate Lebanon.”
He said that the enemy “has been planning this war for years and has adopted a scorched-earth policy along the borders, attempting to create a buffer zone to annex the area south of the Litani, which the resistance will thwart.”
Fadlallah said that the party “has entered a new phase of resisting aggression. We are operating on three fronts, the first being in the field, and so far, the enemy has not managed to take control of or settle in any village. Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri and Prime Minister Najib Mikati are negotiating with international envoys to reach a ceasefire, and we are closely following this matter with Berri.”
Fadlallah refused to confirm or deny reports circulating in the south about Hezbollah capturing Israeli soldiers. He simply said: “If any Israeli soldier is captured, the resistance will announce it through its statements.”
On Thursday, the sounds of airstrikes and artillery fire drowned out any diplomatic talk paving the way for a ceasefire.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu renewed his escalatory stance, stating Israel’s intent to “destroy all of Hezbollah’s military structure, which has been built over two decades,” and that his goal “in Lebanon is to return the northern residents to their homes and dismantle Hezbollah’s military structure.”
A German Ministry of Defense spokesperson on Thursday told Reuters that “a German warship that operates as part of UNIFIL’s peacekeeping mission intercepted a drone off the Lebanese coast.”
He said that the drone “fell into the water,” and caused no damage to the ship.
The spokesperson said that “the origin of the drone brought down by the air defense system is unknown,” adding that “the warship, known as Ludwigshafen am Rhein and deployed as part of the UN’s peacekeeping mission in Lebanon, is continuing its duties.”
Several UNIFIL positions, as well as the headquarters’ watchtower, were subject to Israeli hostilities, in which several peacekeepers were injured.
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The goal of the attacks was to make UNIFIL peacekeepers evacuate their positions in the Lebanese border area and relocate 5 km north. However, the UN strongly rejected the matter and condemned the attacks.
UNIFIL peacekeepers at a position near Kafer Kela on Wednesday observed “an Israeli Merkava tank firing at their watchtower, destroying two cameras and damaging the tower.”
In an official statement, UNIFIL said: “Yet again we see direct and apparently deliberate fire on a UNIFIL position.”
Meanwhile, evacuation threats were sent on Thursday to Lebanese in diplomatic, media and residential buildings in Beirut, Bekaa and the south.
The evacuation warning messages were received by workers in a Beirut building housing offices of the Al-Jazeera news network and the Norwegian Embassy, the Markazia Suites hotel, and buildings in the vicinity of Starco Center, which includes ministries and company offices.
Evacuation warnings were also sent to workers in the main Hamra street next to the American University of Beirut’s campus, including the Commodore Hotel, where foreign journalists usually stay.
A judge at the court of audit received a similar message.
After the army’s investigation of the source of the warnings, it appeared that the calls received on people’s phones were “fake,” according to a security source.
The source considered that “all are rumors other than the warnings issued by the spokesperson for the Israeli army, Avichay Adraee, on his social media account, which include maps specifying the targets, remain inaccurate, especially the phone calls received by citizens, officials, mayors, judges, embassies and media offices.”
On Thursday, Adraee issued a series of urgent warnings to residents in northern Bekaa to evacuate before attacking the targeted areas less than an hour later with airstrikes.
Adraee’s warnings included areas in the south, especially the Tyre region.
Israeli airstrikes continued in the border area, particularly in the areas of Tyre, Nabatiyeh, Iqlim Al-Tuffah and Jezzine, reaching the eastern sector with the shelling of Shebaa. The airstrikes focused on the northern Bekaa region, up to the border with Syria.
In a series of statements, Hezbollah said it had repelled Israeli forces in Labbouneh Heights and the Kfarkela and Odaisseh axes.
Adraee claimed that “a Hezbollah battalion commander, Hussein Mohammed Awada, was eliminated in the Bint Jbeil area and that he was responsible for launching shells toward Israeli territory.”
Hezbollah enters new phase in war as Netanyahu insists on dismantling its structure
International
Iran Declares Strait of Hormuz Fully Open
Iran Declares Strait of Hormuz Fully Open
Iran has announced that the Strait of Hormuz is now “completely open” to commercial shipping, marking a significant de-escalation in regional tensions and easing fears of global energy supply disruption.
Iran’s Foreign Minister, Abbas Araghchi, confirmed that the vital waterway would remain accessible to all vessels for the duration of the ongoing ceasefire linked to the conflict involving Lebanon.
The development follows weeks of heightened tensions and partial restrictions on maritime traffic through the strait, which had raised concerns about a potential global oil supply shock.
Global oil markets reacted swiftly to the announcement, with Brent crude and West Texas Intermediate (WTI) prices dropping by as much as 10 percent as investor confidence improved. The reopening is expected to ease pressure on supply chains, reduce shipping risks, and lower insurance costs for oil tankers navigating the region. Analysts say the move could provide short-term relief to energy-importing and oil-dependent economies, including Nigeria, which has been affected by price volatility in recent weeks.
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The reopening is tied to a fragile 10-day ceasefire following intense hostilities between Israel and Lebanon, which reportedly resulted in over 2,000 deaths and more than 7,000 injuries, according to official figures from Lebanese authorities. While the truce has created room for de-escalation, Iran has indicated that the long-term status of the Strait may depend on broader progress toward a comprehensive regional peace agreement.
Tehran has consistently linked maritime access to geopolitical developments, reinforcing the strategic importance of the waterway in ongoing diplomatic negotiations.
U.S. President Donald Trump reacted to the announcement, describing it as a positive development and suggesting that a wider agreement with Iran could be imminent. Trump has recently indicated that negotiations between Washington and Tehran are advancing, particularly on issues related to nuclear activities and regional stability.
Despite the positive signals, analysts warn that the situation remains uncertain. Shipping operators are expected to proceed cautiously until security conditions are fully stabilised. The key concern remains whether commercial traffic can resume smoothly and whether the ceasefire will hold beyond its initial timeframe.
For now, the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz is seen as a critical but tentative step toward regional stability, with global markets closely monitoring further developments.
Iran Declares Strait of Hormuz Fully Open
International
Eight Killed as Helicopter Crashes in Remote Indonesian Forest
Eight Killed as Helicopter Crashes in Remote Indonesian Forest
At least eight people have been confirmed dead after a helicopter operated by Matthew Air Nusantara crashed in a remote forested area of West Kalimantan, Indonesian authorities have said.
The ill-fated aircraft, identified as an Airbus H130, lost contact shortly after takeoff on Thursday morning, triggering an intensive search and rescue operation in one of the country’s most difficult terrains.
According to Indonesia’s national search and rescue agency, the helicopter departed from a plantation site in Melawi but disappeared from radar approximately five minutes into the flight. Officials said all six passengers and two crew members on board perished in the crash.
Head of the rescue agency, Mohammad Syafii, confirmed that the aircraft went down in a densely forested region marked by steep, hilly terrain, significantly hampering rescue efforts.
“The location of the crash is in a densely forested area with steep hills, making access extremely challenging,” Syafii said.
Search teams comprising military personnel, police, and emergency responders had to rely on overland routes to reach the site, slowing down recovery operations. Early findings revealed debris believed to be part of the helicopter’s tail located about three kilometres from the aircraft’s last known position.
Authorities have yet to release the identities of the victims, pending formal identification and notification of next of kin.
The helicopter had reportedly taken off from a plantation owned by Citra Mahkota, though officials have not disclosed the purpose of the flight.
Investigators are expected to begin a full probe into the cause of the crash once the wreckage is fully accessed. No immediate indication has been given as to whether weather, technical failure, or human error may have played a role.
The tragedy adds to growing concerns over aviation safety in Indonesia, where air transport remains vital for connecting remote and isolated regions spread across thousands of islands.
In recent years, the country has recorded several fatal aviation incidents. In January, a turboprop aircraft chartered by the fisheries ministry crashed into a mountain in Sulawesi, killing all 10 people onboard. Similarly, a helicopter crash in South Kalimantan last September claimed eight lives, while another crash in Ilaga shortly afterward left four people dead.
Authorities say efforts are ongoing to recover all bodies and secure the crash site, as the nation once again grapples with the human toll of air travel accidents in its challenging geography.
Eight Killed as Helicopter Crashes in Remote Indonesian Forest
International
Trump Says Iran Agrees to Hand Over Enriched Uranium in Nuclear Deal Talks
Trump Says Iran Agrees to Hand Over Enriched Uranium in Nuclear Deal Talks
United States President Donald Trump has claimed that Iran has agreed to surrender its remaining stockpile of enriched uranium and abandon any ambition of developing nuclear weapons, saying negotiations between both countries are “very close” to a breakthrough.
Speaking to reporters at the White House before departing for Las Vegas, Trump said ongoing diplomatic talks had reached an advanced stage, insisting Iran had agreed “to almost everything” in the proposed framework.
“We’re very close to making a deal with Iran. They’ve totally agreed that they will not have a nuclear weapon,” Trump said.
He further claimed that Iran had agreed to return what he repeatedly referred to as “nuclear dust,” a term he used to describe enriched uranium stockpiles believed to be stored in heavily fortified underground facilities.
“They’ve agreed to give us back the nuclear dust,” he added.
Trump also suggested that a fresh round of negotiations could take place over the weekend, while acknowledging uncertainty over the durability of the current ceasefire arrangement linked to wider tensions in the Middle East.
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The comments come amid heightened diplomatic and military tensions in the region, following weeks of conflict that have disrupted global energy markets and raised concerns over the security of the Strait of Hormuz, a critical oil shipping route.
However, Iranian authorities have not confirmed Trump’s claims. Officials in Tehran have previously rejected similar statements, insisting that no final agreement has been reached on key issues, including uranium enrichment levels and sanctions relief.
Recent diplomatic engagements involving intermediaries have reportedly focused on narrowing differences over Iran’s nuclear programme, but major sticking points remain unresolved. These include verification mechanisms for uranium stockpiles and the scope of any restrictions on enrichment activities.
Analysts say any potential agreement would require strict international monitoring to ensure compliance, particularly given the complexity of tracking enriched material stored in secure facilities.
The situation also carries broader geopolitical implications, with energy markets reacting sharply to tensions in the region. A sustained de-escalation could ease pressure on global oil prices and improve stability across major supply routes.
While the White House has signalled optimism about progress, no formal agreement has been announced, and diplomatic channels remain active as both sides continue discussions.
Trump Says Iran Agrees to Hand Over Enriched Uranium in Nuclear Deal Talks
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