New Delhi, Aug 16: Israel has intensified its military operations in southern Lebanon, killing at least 11 people in what Al Jazeera described as the deadliest attacks since a US-brokered ceasefire framework was agreed in June, while tensions between Iran and the United States remain high over the Strait of Hormuz and the future of negotiations.
Israeli forces continued to bombard southern Lebanon on Saturday, with explosions reported near Ali al-Taher Heights following a series of attacks that left at least 11 people dead. In an overnight Israeli strike hit a family home in Ansar in southern Lebanon, killing at least seven people, including children, according to Al Jazeera.
The latest attacks have raised fresh concerns about the durability of the US-brokered ceasefire framework reached between Israel and Lebanon in June. Lebanese and Iranian authorities have condemned the strikes, while the Arab League described the escalation as a serious threat to efforts to resolve the conflict. An Arab League spokesperson said the attacks could undermine attempts to end the fighting and accused Israel of seeking to prolong the confrontation and impose a new reality on the ground.
The Arab League also called on the international community, particularly Washington, to restrain Israel and ensure compliance with UN Security Council Resolution 1701. Adopted in 2006, the resolution calls for an end to hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah and requires the cessation of attacks by Hezbollah and offensive military operations by Israel.
The US State Department, however, told Al Jazeera that Hezbollah bears responsibility for the continued presence of Israeli forces on Lebanese territory. The US official described Hezbollah as the principal obstacle to Lebanon’s economic recovery and said a proposed “pilot zone” arrangement remained the most viable route towards peace. Under the arrangement, Israeli forces would withdraw from certain areas while Lebanese troops would move into them.
The latest violence comes amid continuing uncertainty over whether the June ceasefire framework can hold as Israel maintains military positions and carries out strikes in parts of southern Lebanon.
The escalation also comes against a wider regional backdrop, with Yemen’s Houthis launching another ballistic missile towards the government-held city of Marib, according to local officials, while Syrian civil defence teams dealt with a fire reportedly caused by Israeli forces firing flares in the town of al-Rafid. Meanwhile, Hamas political bureau chief Khalil al-Hayya is expected to travel to Cairo for talks aimed at consolidating the Gaza ceasefire.
Iran-US standoff deepens as Tehran links Hormuz reopening to US actions
On the Iran-US front, the immediate focus remains on the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz, where Tehran says it is continuing discussions with Oman on possible new shipping routes. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran and Muscat could reach an agreement soon on a new route through the waterway. But he stressed that reaching an agreement on shipping routes and reopening the Strait of Hormuz were “two separate issues”, according to Al Jazeera.
Araghchi said reopening the waterway would depend on Washington fulfilling conditions under a memorandum of understanding signed in June. Among Tehran’s demands are an end to US sanctions and the release of Iranian assets, he said.
“Iran’s foreign minister said that Tehran and Oman ‘may reach an outcome soon’ on a new route in the Strait of Hormuz,” Al Jazeera reported. However, Araghchi made clear that any decision to reopen the waterway would depend on the fulfilment of wider conditions by the United States. The comments underline the distance that remains between Tehran and Washington despite diplomatic messages being exchanged through intermediaries.
Araghchi said on Friday that no decision had been taken on returning to direct talks with the United States. Qatar and Pakistan, meanwhile, have been exchanging messages between the two sides in an effort to keep diplomatic channels open.
The standoff has been further complicated by US President Donald Trump’s comments on the Strait of Hormuz. Trump has said that after what he described as defeating Iran, he would declare the strategic waterway US territory.
Tehran responded sharply, saying on X that the Strait of Hormuz “has been Iranian, is Iranian, and will remain Iranian”.
US officials, meanwhile, have indicated that Washington could maintain its naval blockade of Iranian ports indefinitely and impose additional economic measures on Tehran. The Trump administration has increasingly signalled that it would prefer economic pressure to launching another major military offensive.
For Iran, however, the reopening of the Strait remains tied to broader political and economic demands. The waterway is crucial to global energy supplies, making the dispute over its status and shipping routes a major international concern.
The developments also highlight the fragile nature of the wider regional situation. While diplomatic efforts involving Oman and other intermediaries continue, the continuing violence in Lebanon and the unresolved confrontation between Iran and the US leave the region facing the risk of another escalation.
