[48817] Tension at its peak: US operation in the Strait of Hormuz, fierce fighting in Lebanon, and stalemate in negotiations

The US and Iran on a collision course over the Strait of Hormuz and the energy sector

• Operation "Freedom Project": US President Donald Trump announced that the US will begin a military operation to escort and release ships trapped in the Strait of Hormuz, warning that any attempt at blockage will be met with military force.


• Tehran's threats: Conversely, Ali Akbar Velayati, advisor to the Supreme Leader, attacked Trump and clarified that Iran controls the global food and fertilizer supply chains passing through the straits.


• Bypassing the siege and continued exports: Despite the American blockade, an Iranian ship succeeded in transferring 1.9 million barrels of oil to East Asia. Senior figures in the Iranian oil industry clarified that the sector continues to be a central part of the campaign against the US and Israel.

The Northern Front: Fierce fighting and diplomatic deadlock

• Freezing of ceasefire talks: Iran presented a 14-point plan to end the war within 30 days through Pakistani mediation. Trump rejected the proposal and declared that Iran would pay a heavy price. Tehran, in parallel with Foreign Minister Araghchi's activity, clarified that it would not agree to any arrangement that separates Hezbollah from Iran.


• Escalation on the ground: The IDF ordered the evacuation of residents from 11 villages in southern Lebanon following what was defined as a violation of the ceasefire by Hezbollah, and launched a wave of aerial and artillery strikes. Due to the sensitive security situation, the expanded cabinet meeting was canceled and replaced with limited consultations, and the Lag BaOmer events on Mount Meron were canceled.


• Hezbollah activities: The Lebanese organization published video documentation and reported a series of attacks against IDF forces and armored vehicles in Al-Bayada, Al-Qantara, and Bint Jbeil, in addition to launches that activated sirens in Avivim.

Judea and Samaria: Raids in the shadow of World Press Freedom Day

• IDF activity and casualties: Security forces conducted a series of raids and arrests throughout Nablus, Hebron, Tulkarm, and Bethlehem. Heavy clashes in Nablus claimed the life of 26-year-old Naaf Samaro, who was killed by gunfire while he went out to purchase equipment for his wife, who was in labor.


• World Press Freedom Day: The marking of the day was accompanied by protests over the harming of Palestinian journalists. According to local organizations, over 260 journalists have been killed since October 2023. Hamas called on the international community to intervene.

Further developments in the world and the region

• Cuba: The country's president, Miguel Díaz-Canel, strongly condemned a Trump decree imposing economic coercion and promised to continue supporting the Axis of Resistance, with an emphasis on Palestine, Lebanon, and Venezuela.


• Iraq: The government and parliament are promoting an initiative to grant tenure to civil servants as part of the 2026 budget. At the same time, the local Ministry of Education published the regulations for the 2025-2026 school year transition exams.


• On social media: A stormy discourse in the Arab virtual space developed around a landlord who conditioned renting a property on the tenant's prayer in a mosque, an event that led to in-depth discussions on religion and historical memory.