US rejects reports Iran sent $200m to Hezbollah, says group must disarm for aid

Hezbollah says it will give families in Lebanon up to $14,000 if their homes were destroyed or left uninhabitable due to Israeli attacks.

More than 1.2 million people were displaced as a result of Israel’s aerial offensive and ground invasion of southern Lebanon that began in April.

Last week, media reports said Iran provided $200m to help displaced families, but the US has questioned if any such money exists.

The US spokesperson for the State Department, Tommy Pigott, who referred to the ongoing economic pressure campaign by the US against Iran … says that it has effectively cut off Tehran’s ability to finance its proxy networks, speaking specifically about Hezbollah, the Trump administration taking it one step further, saying that whatever revenue Hezbollah does have is coming from illicit sources.

How can the US reject reports about Iranian money transfer to Hezbollah while saying that whatever revenue Hezbollah does have is coming from illicit sources. The latter is also money transfer but by other means.

Israel’s defence minister threatens to seize more Lebanese territory

Israel’s Defense Minister Israel Katz has threatened to capture additional territory in southern Lebanon if Hezbollah “joins Iran in an attack on Israel”, according to The Times of Israel newspaper.

“If Hezbollah joins Iran in an attack on Israel, it will be dealt a heavy blow and lose additional territory in southern Lebanon, in the areas of Nabatieh and the Litani, which will become part of Israel’s permanent security zone,” the newspaper quoted Katz as saying during a visit to Lebanese territory held by the Israeli military this morning.

Katz said the military is “prepared to carry out the ground offensive”, and that Beirut’s southern suburbs will also be “evacuated” and struck, resulting in mass displacement, according to the report.

"If Hezbollah joins Iran in an attack on Israel.."

On June 16, 2025, Netanyahu called on the US for help in the assassination of the late Iranian Supreme Leader Khamenei, he knew that Hezbollah would respond. That happened on March 1, 2026, after he assassinated the Iranian leader. Netanyahu brought the resumption of his preemptive 12-day war on Iran from June 2025 to Lebanon. That resumption is still continuing, only with the intention to landgrab.

Lebanon’s president, Iran’s top diplomat discuss ‘diplomatic solutions’ to regional conflicts

Lebanon’s President Joseph Aoun and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi have agreed “on the necessity of supporting diplomatic solutions as the best means to put an end to the conflicts in the region”, according to the Lebanese presidency.

The presidency said on X that the two discussed the region’s current situation in light of recent developments during a phone conversation.

Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Khatibzadeh arrives in Lebanon for talks

Saeed Khatibzadeh and an accompanying diplomatic delegation have arrived at Beirut Airport for an official visit, according to Iranian state-run media.

The visit comes as regional tensions remain high, with Israel continuing attacks on Lebanon despite a US-sponsored framework agreement providing for its gradual withdrawal from Lebanese territory.

Israeli military advances in Lebanon’s Wadi Zibqin after using explosives as cover

Israeli military vehicles have advanced in Wadi Zibqin, in the Lebanese Tyre district, after they used a drone that launched a number of explosives ahead of the vehicles as cover, Lebanon’s National News Agency (NNA) reports.

Separately, the NNA said that Israeli forces targeted the town of al-Mansouri with artillery shelling.

Lebanon warns of security vacuum as UNIFIL mission nears end

The future of the UN peacekeeping mission in southern Lebanon remains uncertain as its mandate approaches expiry on December 31, 2026, following opposition to its renewal by the United States and Israel.

Lebanon is seeking to maintain an international peacekeeping presence, warning that UNIFIL’s withdrawal could create a security vacuum and undermine efforts to extend state authority in the south.

UN official reaffirms commitment to Lebanon’s stability

A senior United Nations official says the world body will work for stability in Lebanon as the mandate of its peacekeeping force in the country is set to expire this year.

Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix met officials as well as representatives of countries contributing to the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), which counts some 7,500 personnel from nearly 50 countries.

“I thanked them for their critical support to UNIFIL and reiterated the UN’s strong commitment to supporting peace and stability in Lebanon,” Lacroix said.

UNIFIL has served as a buffer between Israel and Lebanon since 1978. Under US pressure, the UN Security Council last year voted to end UNIFIL’s mandate on December 31, 2026.

UN peacekeeper “withdrawal will create a vacuum that will have negative repercussions on the security situation in the region”, warned Lebanon’s President Joseph Aoun.

Israeli quadcopter drone drops bomb in Lebanon

An Israeli quadcopter drone was filmed dropping a bomb on the outskirts of the village of Zibqin in southern Lebanon. Several villages nearby were also targeted.

Attacks have continued despite a truce agreement between Lebanon and Israel signed in June.