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Iran in diplomatic push to seek halt in violence

Iran held a series of diplomatic talks on Sunday, with President Masoud Pezeshkian seeking support from France's Emmanuel Macron for a ceasefire in Lebanon, and the foreign minister visiting Iraq while on a regional tour.

According to a statement on Iran's presidential website, Pezeshkian and Macron discussed ways to secure a ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel as the Iranian leader condemned Israel's "crimes" in Gaza and Lebanon.

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US to send troops and complex defense system to Israel despite Iranian threat

The United States will send a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense battery and troops to Israel. The Pentagon made the announcement Sunday, shortly after Iran warned Washington to keep American military forces out of Israel.

Pentagon spokesman Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said in a statement that Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin authorized the deployment of the THAAD battery at the direction of President Joe Biden.

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Macron says ending arms exports for Gaza, Lebanon only way to stop fighting

French President Emmanuel Macron said that "stopping the export of weapons" used in Gaza and Lebanon was the only way to end fighting there, and also condemned "deliberate" targeting of U.N. peacekeepers.

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Israeli army renews orders for Palestinians to leave northern Gaza

The Israeli military on Saturday renewed its orders for Palestinian in the northern Gaza Strip to leave their homes and shelters as troops press on a weeklong offensive against militants.

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US Vice President Harris: We need these wars to end

Asked about the latest airstrikes in Lebanon, U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris told reporters in Las Vegas: “We have got to reach a cease-fire, both as it relates to what’s happening in Lebanon, and, of course, Gaza."

She added: "We are working around the clock in that regard, but we need these wars to end and we’ve got to definitely de-escalate what is happening in the region, and we’re working on that.”

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Israeli security cabinet to convene this evening to discuss Iran retaliation

The Israeli security cabinet is slated to convene this evening, with Israeli media reporting that ministers will be asked to sign off on Israel’s response to last week’s Iranian missile attack.

In the past, the cabinet has sometimes simply been asked to authorize Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant to make the decision themselves based on consultations with the rest of the security establishment.

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Report: Qaani under guard and questioned as Iran probes Nasrallah killing

Esmail Qaani, the leader of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard’s elite Quds Force, is alive and unhurt but under guard and being questioned as Iran investigates major security breaches, multiple sources have told the Middle East Eye news portal.

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Israeli strike on Gaza shelter kills at least 27 people

An Israeli strike on a school sheltering displaced people in Gaza killed at least 27 people on Thursday, with the toll likely to rise, Palestinian medical officials said.

Israel has continued to strike at what it says are militant targets across the Palestinian enclave even as attention has shifted to its war against Hezbollah in Lebanon and rising tensions with Iran. It launched a large-scale air and ground operation against Hamas in northern Gaza earlier this week.

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Israeli strike hits road linking Lebanon to Syria

An Israeli strike hit a road linking Syria and Lebanon Thursday as Israel tries to cut off supply routes of Hezbollah, a war monitor said.

Israel has increased it strikes on Syria since it upped its air raids on what it says are targets of Hezbollah in Lebanon more than two weeks ago, notably killing the leader of the Lebanese group.

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Gallant vows 'lethal, precise and surprising' strike on Iran

Israel's defense minister warned on Wednesday that the Israeli retaliation for a recent Iranian missile attack will be "lethal" and "surprising."

"Our strike will be lethal, precise and above all, surprising. They won't understand what happened and how. They will see the results," Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said during a speech to troops. "Whoever strikes us will be harmed and pay a price."

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