International
Israel attacks Hizbulah positions in southern Lebanon in the midst of an escalation of tension
The Israeli air force attacked during the early hours of Thursday morning Hizbulah positions in southern Lebanon, in the areas of Bint Jbeil, Majdal Zoun and Doueir, in full escalation of tension while Israel waits for the retaliation of the group, along with Iran, for the murder of high-ranking Shii and Hamas officials.
“During the night, the Air Force attacked and dismantled several sites of terrorist infrastructure in Hizbulah in the areas of Bint Jbeil, Majdal Zoun and Doueir, in southern Lebanon,” a military statement said.
Hezbollah has intensified its launches into Israel in the last week, after the murder of its top military leader, Fuad Shukr, on July 30 in Beirut in an Israeli attack; especially of explosive drones, which two days ago left about twenty injured, one seriously, in the area of Nahariya, northern Israel.
The Lebanese Shiite group, an ally of Iran, also launched rockets and drones yesterday, especially towards the occupied Golan Heights; to which Israel responded during the night by bombing the Sejoud area “to destroy the launcher used by the Hizbulah air unit to carry out the attack,” the Israeli Army said.
Israel killed a commander of the Hezbollah missile unit, Hasan Fares Jeshi, yesterday; after killing six other militiamen of the group the day before in an attack in Nabatieh.
The border between Israel and Lebanon is experiencing its highest peak of tension since 2006 with an intense exchange of fire since October, which has claimed the lives of almost 600 people, most of them on the Lebanese side and in the ranks of Hezbollah, which has confirmed about 370 casualties, in addition to more than 110 civilians.
In Israel, 47 people have died in the north: 22 military and 25 civilians, including 12 minors in the attack in the Druse city of Majdal Shams of the Golan, to which Israel responded with the murder of Shukr.
The day after killing the chief commander of Hezbollah, Israel killed Hamas’s top political leader, Ismail Haniyeh, in Tehran, murders for which both the Lebanese and the Iranian regime have sworn revenge and a large-scale attack on Israel is expected in the coming days.
Official leaks to Hebrew and American media indicate that Israel expects a Hezbollah attack earlier, than from Iran in the midst of international diplomatic efforts to stop a regional escalation.
The Islamist group Hizbulah could attack Israel regardless of what Iran decides to do to avenge the death of two Islamist leaders in Lebanon and Tehran, CNN reported, which cites intelligence sources that it does not identify.
The Lebanese-based radical Islamic group is moving faster than Iran in its planning and is looking to attack Israel in the coming days, one of the sources told CNN.
Iran, meanwhile, seems to be still working on how it plans to respond, several officials explained to the American network, who specified that Tehran had made some, but not all, preparations before a major attack on Israel.
International
Trump floats Vance-Rubio potential Republican ticket for 2028 election
U.S. President Donald Trump suggested on Monday that Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubiocould potentially form a Republican presidential ticket for the 2028 elections.
Speaking during a dinner with law enforcement officials as part of National Police Week, Trump publicly praised both officials and said they could make “an ideal team” for the next presidential race.
“Who likes JD Vance? Who likes Marco Rubio?” Trump asked attendees before adding that the pair “sound like a good combination.”
The president highlighted his vice president’s performance in office, stating that their current partnership has been highly effective. “JD is perfect, that has been a perfect formula,” Trump told reporters later.
He further suggested that a Vance-Rubio pairing could represent a strong presidential and vice-presidential ticket, although he stopped short of offering any formal endorsement.
“I think it sounds like a presidential candidate and a vice-presidential candidate,” he said, while clarifying that his remarks should not be interpreted as an official backing of any future campaign.
So far, neither Vance nor Rubio has publicly confirmed any intention to run in the 2028 presidential election.
Rubio previously sought the Republican nomination in 2016 but withdrew after losing the primary race to Trump. Later, in a December 2025 interview with Vanity Fair, he said he would be among the first to support Vance if he decided to run for the White House.
Vance, meanwhile, has recently dismissed speculation of any political rivalry with Rubio amid growing discussion about potential future GOP leadership.
International
Russia Accuses Ukraine of Violating Victory Day Truce
Russia accused Ukraine on Saturday of violating a Victory Day truce that was reportedly agreed with mediation from the United States, claiming that Ukrainian forces carried out attacks on Russian territory as well as on the annexed Crimean peninsula.
Despite the declared ceasefire, the Russian Ministry of Defense said in a statement that Ukrainian forces attacked Russian military positions using attack drones and artillery.
According to the ministry, Ukrainian forces made twelve attempts to advance toward Russian-held positions across several sectors of the front line.
It also alleged that Ukrainian strikes targeted civilian infrastructure in Crimea, several border regions, the Caucasus, and other areas including Moscow and Perm in the Ural region.
The Defense Ministry estimated around 8,900 violations of the ceasefire in total, including more than 7,000 drone attacks and over 1,000 strikes involving tanks, artillery, multiple rocket launch systems, and mortars since the truce came into effect at midnight.
Russia said its forces responded “symmetrically” to what it described as violations by Ukrainian troops.
Earlier, the Kremlin denied claims that Ukraine attempted to sabotage a military parade in Red Square marking the 81st anniversary of the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany in World War II.
“No attempts were made. Everything went well,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told local media.
International
Trump Says U.S.-Iran Talks Progressing, Signals Possible Deal on Strait of Hormuz
U.S. President Donald Trump said Wednesday that Washington is holding “very good” talks with Iran and stated that there is a strong possibility of reaching an agreement to end the conflict and reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
“We’ve had very good conversations over the last 44 hours, and it’s very possible that we’ll reach an agreement,” Trump said during an event held in the Oval Office at the White House.
The president’s remarks came just hours after he announced a temporary suspension of the military operation aimed at escorting vessels stranded in the Persian Gulf due to Iran’s blockade of the strategic Strait of Hormuz.
Trump explained that the pause in operations is intended to facilitate diplomatic negotiations between both sides and prevent further military escalation in the region.
“We’re in good shape, and right now things are going well. Now we have to achieve what we need to achieve. If we don’t, we’ll have to go much further,” the Republican president warned.
In a post published on his social media platform Truth Social, Trump reiterated that if Iran accepts Washington’s proposed conditions, military operations and the naval blockade affecting the Islamic republic would come to an end.
However, he also issued a new warning to the Iranian government, stating that the United States would respond with attacks “of greater intensity” if Tehran rejects the agreement promoted by the White House.
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