LiveLive Updates August 27, 2026Share to FacebookShare to XArticle printing is available to subscribers onlyPrint in a simple, ad-free formatSubscribeComments: Zen reading is available to subscribers onlyAd-free and in a comfortable reading formatSubscribeAugust 27, 2026UpdatesIDF attacks in southern Lebanon, Lebanese reports sayThe Lebanese media has reported a series of Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon.According to Hezbollah-affiliated Al Mayadeen, Israeli artillery fire targeted the Kafr Rumman area in the Nabatieh district. Meanwhile, reports said an Israeli aircraft struck the town of al-Mansouri in the Tyre district.The report also said that the Israeli Air Force carried out a strike in the area between the towns of Zawtar al-Sharqiyah and Mifdoun, in the Nabatieh district.Shipping traffic through Strait of Hormuz rises slightly, data showsShipping traffic at the Strait of Hormuzrose slightly even as a geopolitical standoff persisted between the United States and Iran, while the market also monitored Iran-Oman talks about the waterway, data showed on Thursday.Visible commodity vessel transits at Hormuz totalled 10 on Wednesday, up slightly from eight on Tuesday, data from Kpler showed. This remained below a 10-day moving average of about 15 vessels.Two medium-range fuel tankers, a liquefied petroleum gas carrier, a Panamax-sized tanker, and three handymax-sized tankers entered the strait from the Gulf of Oman.A medium-range fuel tanker, a bitumen tanker and a bulk carrier exited the waterway from the Gulf.Iran and Oman are still working on the details of an agreement on the Strait of Hormuz, a senior Iranian source said on Wednesday, after Iran's Revolutionary Guards said the two countries had agreed how to share the waterway and its revenue.Meanwhile, traffic slowed for a second day at the other key waterway of the Bab el-Mandeb strait. A total of 19 commodity vessels passed through Bab el-Mandeb on Wednesday, with six tankers that exited, including a very large crude carrier, down from 24 on the previous day, the Kpler data showed.Some vessels may be sailing at the key waterways with their transponders turned off and may be missed in the counts.Tanker hit by projectile in Strait of Hormuz, UKMTO saysA tanker was hit by an unknown projectile in the Strait of Hormuz, causing a fire that was later extinguished, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) agency said early on Thursday.All crew members were safe and accounted for, and no environmental impact was reported, it added in an advisory note.Iran warns of military ship ban in Hormuz under potential deal with OmanIran won't allow military vessels to transit through the Strait of Hormuz under an agreement that the Islamic Republic is negotiating with Oman, Iran's deputy foreign minister said Wednesday.Diplomats from the two countries met to discuss managing commercial shipping traffic in the vital waterway, which remains largely shut down nearly six months after the Iran war began.Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi told state television late Tuesday that commercial shipping traffic into the Persian Gulf would pass through Iranian waters, while the outbound route would pass partly through Iranian waters and partly through Oman's waters.He said the routes would be temporary, and that Iran and Oman must discuss a permanent maritime traffic plan within 30 to 60 days. U.S. President Donald Trump has threatened to bomb Oman if it "gets in the way," as his administration opposes parts of the evolving deal.Qatar prime minister to visit Tehran to pursue mediation effortsQatar's prime minister will visit Tehran on Thursday in an effort to relaunch diplomacy after the U.S. and Iran traded recriminations over Washington's promise to increase economic pressure on Tehran by targeting its trade partners for sanctions.Qatar, a Gulf neighbor of Iran and a U.S. ally, has served as a back-channel negotiator for the warring parties and played a direct role in securing the June ceasefire that briefly led to a cessation of hostilities.The visit comes as the war nears its sixth month with fighting largely paused but no diplomatic breakthrough in sight. The two sides remain at odds over control of the Strait of Hormuz, a chokepoint for global oil supplies that Tehran has used as leverage.The memorandum of understanding broke down in part because of differences over the narrow waterway between Iran and Oman where one-fifth of the world's oil supplies passed before the war began on February 28.4 hours agoRECAP: One killed, several wounded in a drone attack on a displaced persons' tent in southern Gaza Here are Thursday's latest updates:■ Iranian missile and drone attacks caused "unprecedented damage" to U.S. intelligence facilities and surveillance equipment across the Middle East, NBC News reported, citing people familiar with the matter. The damage to buildings and equipment used by the CIA and other U.S. intelligence agencies is expected to cost billions of dollars to repair or replace, according to the report.■ U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio told foreign ministers from several allied countries that the United States is not expected to launch new strikes against Iran for the time being, Axios reported, citing a U.S. official and another source familiar with the matter.■ President Donald Trump sent Congress a proposed civil nuclear agreement with Saudi Arabia, while insisting that the deal will only move forward if Riyadh normalizes relations with Israel, a U.S. administration official said. Saudi Arabia has demanded an irreversible path to Palestinian statehood before recognizing Israel.■ Only five commercial vessels transited the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday, according to preliminary shipping data, down sharply from a 10-day average of 15. At least three Indian oil refiners and a major global energy company plan to stop using vessels blacklisted by Iran, including for ship-to-ship transfers, four sources said. Iran has threatened to fine or detain the vessels and confiscate their cargoes.■ One person was killed and several wounded in an Israeli strike on a displaced persons' tent west of Khan Yunis in southern Gaza, according to Palestinian media reports.■ Israeli strikes were reported at several locations in southern Lebanon, including the Dabcha area and the villages of Qantara, Sibrine and Kfar Roummane, according to Lebanese media.■ Qatar condemned Defense Minister Israel Katz's entry into southern Syria, calling it a violation of the country's sovereignty and a "transgression of international borders."■ Religious Zionism lawmaker Tzvi Succot refused to express regret for smashing a Palestinian memorial in the West Bank, south of Nablus, while under IDF protection. "What do I have to regret?" Sukkot said, claiming the memorial honored people who had killed Israelis and that "every minute it stands there is incitement to terrorism." He blamed Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar and the IDF spokesperson for negative international coverage, saying they had "caused the damage in the world."In the NewsLebanese Reports Says IDF Strikes in Southern LebanonOfer Winter's New Party Threatens Smotrich's Survival - and the Netanyahu BlocHaaretz CartoonIsrael Must Choose Between Itself and Its West Bank SettlementsDemocrats Tap pro-Israel Lawmakers for Key House Posts, Angering ProgressivesRemembering and rebuilding two years laterICYMIAn Israeli Startup Is Reinventing Salmon Farming. It May Upend a Global IndustryHasan Piker Talks Hamas, anti-Zionism and Why Americans Are Fed Up With IsraelBeing Israeli Abroad Has Become Embarrassing. You Don't Talk About ItDavid Remnick on Netanyahu, Mamdani and Israel's 'Failure to Face' GazaGermany Found Its Israeli Villain. 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