On day 119 of the US- and Israel-led war against Iran, fighting rages on in Lebanon as Israeli airstrikes continue targeting southern regions. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared Israeli forces "will not withdraw" from occupied areas, with Israel currently controlling roughly one-fifth of Lebanese territory.
The most notable progress, meanwhile, came on the diplomatic front. International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi said IAEA inspectors will be permitted to return to Iran under the interim US-Iran peace deal, also known as the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). Tehran had previously stated key sites would remain closed until a final agreement with Washington was reached and sanctions lifted.
"An agreement has been reached, and to comply with it, the IAEA must be granted access and inspections," Grossi told a press conference in Japan. "We expect to be there soon."
Yet signs of instability persist. The UN's International Maritime Organization (IMO) suspended convoy operations through the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday after a cargo ship reported an attack off the coast of Oman. The incident raised concerns about maintaining the preliminary truce aimed at ending the war. Earlier, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) warned vessels not to traverse the strait without explicit permission, despite Oman and the IMO announcing a new safe route.
In the US, President Donald Trump reiterated that frozen Iranian assets would be used to purchase wheat, soybeans, and corn from American farmers. Iran has not confirmed this.
In Lebanon, two people were killed and one wounded in an Israeli airstrike on the town of Mayfadoun in the Nabatieh district, according to the country's Health Ministry. Another airstrike hit the town of Nabatieh al-Fawqa. A US State Department official said Israeli and Lebanese negotiating teams would meet again on Friday.
On the global economic front, India lifted wartime restrictions on commercial liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) supplies, as energy supply disruptions eased following the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. Saudi Aramco also resumed oil loading operations at its Ras Tanura terminal in the Persian Gulf after nearly four months of suspension.
