Heavy equipment operator Bassam Khalil's bulldozers and excavators are in high demand in south Lebanon's Tyre these days, as the seaside city tries to pick up the pieces from the latest Israel-Hezbollah war.

An Israeli strike on a vehicle in southern Lebanon killed two people on Wednesday, Lebanese state media reported, a day after Israeli gunfire killed two people which Hezbollah called a "violation" of a truce between the two sides.

The deal between Iran and the United States to end the Middle East war is "America's declaration of defeat", Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, the head of the Iranian negotiating team, said on Wednesday.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that Washington would not accept Iranian tolls or fees on the Strait of Hormuz, as disputes over the vital waterway, nuclear inspections, and missiles exposed early strains in negotiations to end the Middle East war.

Washington and Tehran have signed a preliminary agreement to halt the conflict and concluded a first round of talks in Switzerland, opening a 60-day negotiation period on sanctions relief, Iran's nuclear program and the future of Hormuz.

The U.S. Senate passed a largely symbolic resolution Tuesday calling for an end to President Donald Trump's war with Iran, delivering a fresh rebuke to the White House as it tries to negotiate a lasting settlement with Tehran.

The House-passed measure, adopted by the Senate in a 50-48 vote, directs Trump to remove U.S. forces from hostilities with Iran unless Congress explicitly authorizes military action.

Donald Trump said he ordered an investigation into major oil companies over high gasoline prices as the U.S. leader faces criticism over the impact of the Mideast war.

Hezbollah chief Sheikh Naim Qassem on Tuesday demanded a full, scheduled withdrawal of Israeli troops from Lebanon to make way for a Lebanese Army deployment in the south following the U.S.-Iran deal to end the Middle East war.

The Israeli military said Tuesday its forces opened fire on four alleged Hezbollah militants who entered the so-called "security zone" it has established in southern Lebanon, the second such incident within hours.

The army said the militants entered the zone on a bulldozer and a motorcycle and that the soldiers initially fired warning shots as they approached troops deployed there.

Oman and Iran will study the future administration of the Strait of Hormuz and the costs to be charged for services provided, they said in a joint statement Tuesday, insisting on sovereignty over the vital waterway.

The two countries emphasized "their sovereignty and sovereign rights over their territorial waters in the Strait of Hormuz" and "agreed to maintain their dialogue on this issue through a joint working group between the two foreign ministries in order to reach agreement on the future administration of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz and the services that will be provided in this regard and the costs associated with them in accordance with international standards".

Ukraine on Tuesday announced that President Volodymyr Zelensky will skip the Ukraine Recovery Conference, to be hosted in Poland later this week, amid a spiraling diplomatic spat between the allies and neighbors over World War II memory.

"I am leading Ukraine's delegation and our overall work at the Ukraine Recovery Conference 2026", Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko said on social media, effectively confirming that Zelensky will not attend the event.