Israel has released four more Lebanese civilians who had been detained by its forces in southern Lebanon. Ship traffic remains low on the Strait of Hormuz days after the U.S. and Iran exchanged attacks for the first time in a month. And fighting has intensified in Yemen between Iran-backed rebels and government forces.
Here’s a look at the latest developments in the Iran war and the wider Middle East. Full coverage can be found here.
Israel releases 4 more Lebanese civilians
Israel released four Lebanese civilians to Lebanese authorities on Friday as part of a deal between the countries, a day after the first was freed. All had been detained by Israeli forces in southern Lebanon, where troops now occupy a large swath in the wake of new fighting with Hezbollah began two days after the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran.
Israel on Thursday said it had agreed to release them after Lebanon provided assistance in searching for the bodies of Lebanese Jewish leaders who went missing in the 1980s during Lebanon’s civil war.
Officials said the release comes as a result of U.S. mediation and negotiations between Israel and Lebanon. Another round of talks is expected in Rome later this month.
Ship traffic remains low after latest attacks
Ship traffic on the Strait of Hormuz remained low after the renewed U.S. attacks on targets in Iran earlier this week and Iran's retaliatory attacks in the region, including firing at U.S. Gulf ally Kuwait on Thursday.
Fuel prices are again affected. Diesel hit a new record price in the U.S. on Friday, soaring to an average of $5.85 a gallon for the first time ever.
The benchmark U.S. crude price rose above $91 a barrel with the new wave of uncertainty around traffic on the strait, which Iran continues to use as leverage after six months of war with the U.S.
Fighting in Yemen has casualties on both sides
Fighting intensified overnight between Iran-backed Houthi rebels and Yemeni government forces along Yemen’s west coast near an important supply route.
ِAn official with the internationally recognized government's health ministry told The Associated Press there were an unspecified number of casualties on both sides in the fighting in mountainous Taiz province. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he wasn’t authorized to speak with the media. A military official, who also spoke on condition of anonymity because he wasn’t authorized to brief the media, confirmed casualties on both sides.
Jabal Nu’man overlooks a major supply route for Yemeni government forces between Taiz province and Mokha, a port city heavily targeted by the Houthis in recent weeks.
The Houthis’ expansion of attacks in these areas appears to indicate an effort to gain full control of the Bab el-Mandeb strait, the southern gateway to the Red Sea, according to Moahmed Abdelrahman, a Taiz province spokesperson.
Ahmed Nagi, a senior analyst on Yemen at the International Crisis Group, told the AP that the Houthis want to take control of the mountains overlooking the coast.
— Ahmed al-Haj in Aden, Yemen, and Fatma Khaled in Cairo
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This report will be updated throughout the day as new developments emerge.
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