Author: Steven Sahiounie

The IDF continued its bombing campaign in the early hours of SundayThe Israel Defense Forces (IDF) dropped more bombs on Beirut on Sunday, causing a large explosion in the Lebanese capital. The air raids continued into the night as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to redouble the fight against Hezbollah, which has been firing rockets and mortar shells into northern Israel. Al Jazeera correspondent Laura Khan reported “an absolutely massive explosion” in Beirut’s southern suburbs, adding that she has seen at least two strikes. The TV channel posted a video of a bright blaze followed by a powerful blast.  The IDF…

West Jerusalem has not revealed when retaliatory strikes will take placeThe Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said on Saturday that it is preparing to launch a “serious and significant” strike against Iran, in response to an Iranian missile barrage on Israeli military bases earlier this week. An IDF spokesperson announced the strike plans to multiple media outlets on Saturday, adding that the Iranian attack would “have consequences.” Iran launched around 200 ballistic missiles at Israel on Tuesday, in response to Israel’s bombardment of Beirut, which killed Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and several of his top commanders. While the IDF claimed that the Iranian missile…

“Considerable trophies” were left behind by Ukrainian troops in Ugledar, the Defense Ministry has saidRussian troops have seized a large stockpile of NATO-supplied weapons and ammunition in the Donbass stronghold of Ugledar after driving Ukrainian forces out of the town, the Defense Ministry in Moscow has said. Ugledar, which is located in the southern sector of the front around 50km from Donetsk in the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR), was liberated by Russian forces earlier this week. The town, which has been the scene of fierce fighting since August 2022, is heavily fortified and sits on a hill, with many high-rise…

Ukraine could end up sacrificing land in order to end the conflict with Russia, Jens Stoltenberg has saidUkraine may have to recognize the loss of some of its territory to Russia in order to achieve peace and security guarantees, Jens Stoltenberg said in his first long interview after stepping down as NATO secretary-general. Stoltenberg ended his ten-year tenure as the chief of the US-led alliance on October 1. In a conversation with the Financial Times published on Friday, he said that Kiev may be forced to rethink seeing the restoration of the 1991 borders as a prerequisite for any peace deal. Stoltenberg…

The Jewish state has declared Antonio Guterres persona non grata for failing to immediately condemn Iran’s missile attackThe UN Security Council has declared its support for Secretary-General Antonio Guterres after Israel barred him from entering the country for not immediately condemning Iran’s missile attack against the Jewish state. Without naming Israel, the 15-member council urged all UN member states to maintain a “productive and effective relationship” with the secretary-general and to “refrain from any actions that undermine his work.” “The members of the Security Council affirmed their full support for the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, his important role and that of the wider…

On Friday, the Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth reported that Israel is reconsidering its strategy of attacking Iran’s oil facilities. This comes as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is set to participate in a limited defense consultation at the Ministry of Defense in Tel Aviv on Saturday. U.S. President Joe Biden has urged Israel not to target Iranian oil facilities in retaliation for a missile strike carried out by Tehran against Israel earlier this week. Speaking to reporters on Friday, Biden said, “If I were them, I’d be thinking of alternatives to striking oil fields,” following his remarks about ongoing discussions…

On Friday, the Israeli army reported that Hezbollah fired approximately 222 shells from Lebanon toward Israel. Hezbollah also announced on Friday that its fighters targeted Israeli forces in a border region in southern Lebanon. According to the group, its artillery units struck Israeli military vehicles and personnel in the Maroun al-Ras plain, confirming injuries among Israeli forces, as reported by Agence France-Presse (AFP). In a statement, the Israeli military said it had killed Mohammad Rashid Skaffi, a key Hezbollah communications commander, in a “precise strike based on intelligence information” in Beirut on Thursday, as reported by Reuters. Meanwhile, Lebanon’s government…

The Al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, confirmed in a statement on Friday evening the death of its senior leader, Zahi Yasser Awfi, in an Israeli airstrike on Tulkarm, West Bank. Alongside Awfi, seven other fighters were also killed in the attack. The Israeli military claimed responsibility for the strike, stating that Awfi, who was the head of Hamas in Tulkarm, was killed during an operation on Thursday. Avichay Adraee, the Israeli army spokesperson, posted on his “X” account, saying, “The IDF and Shin Bet eliminated the leader of Hamas’ terrorist network in Tulkarm, who was planning an imminent…

Late Friday evening, media outlets affiliated with the Houthi movement reported three U.S.-British airstrikes on the coastal area of Al-Jabana, west of Hodeidah, Yemen. The U.S. military executed 15 airstrikes on Friday, targeting Houthi military positions linked to Iran. Residents reported hearing explosions near military sites and the airport. According to CENTCOM, the strikes aimed at Houthi offensive military capabilities. However, no specifics were given about whether the targets included missiles, drones, or radar systems. Earlier that Friday, Houthi-controlled media and local residents mentioned that airstrikes had hit various parts of Yemen, including the capital, Sana’a, and Hodeidah airport. The…

Following three days of Iranian missile attacks on Israeli territory, Iranian oil tankers have left their positions at the country’s main oil export terminal, amid threats from Israel to launch strikes on targets within Iran, including oil facilities. According to TankerTrackers.com Inc, a company specializing in tracking and monitoring ships using satellite data, the oil tankers departed from Iran’s largest oil terminal. In a tweet on its platform, X, the company stated, “It appears that the National Iranian Oil Company fears an imminent attack by Israel. Empty supertankers have left the country’s largest oil terminal, Kharg Island, as of yesterday.”…