Middle East tensions rise as Lebanon strikes kill 12 and Hormuz row deepens

Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon, a Houthi claim in Yemen and Gulf warnings on Hormuz marked a sharp regional escalation. The flare-up has intensified fears over shipping security, civilian deaths and the fading chances of a political settlement.Stock photo used for illustrationThe latest developments from the Middle East include Israeli airstrikes in southern Lebanon that killed at least 12 people, a Houthi claim that it shot down a Saudi reconnaissance aircraft in Yemen, and a warning from the United Arab Emirates that "no single state" should control the Strait of Hormuz.Oman also said it had evacuated 16 crew members from a Saudi-owned tanker attacked last week in the strait, while seven crew members appeared to remain unaccounted for. In the occupied West Bank, a Palestinian man was killed in a confrontation involving Israeli settlers, and a senior diplomat warned that a two-state solution could become impossible if the current Gaza plan fails.Lebanon's Health Ministry said Israeli airstrikes early on Monday hit the southern village of Kfar Rumman, killing at least 12 people, including a paramedic, four women and two children. The strikes came amid a fresh round of escalation between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah.Israel's military said it had struck several Hezbollah militants whom it accused of transferring weapons to Kfar Rumman. It also said it was reviewing the claim that "several uninvolved civilians were harmed" in overnight strikes across southern Lebanon, which it said were carried out after Hezbollah militants launched explosive drones at soldiers in the area of the Ali Taher ridge. In Yemen, Iran-backed Houthi rebels said on Monday that they had shot down a Saudi armed reconnaissance aircraft in the north of the country. Houthi military spokesperson Brig Gen Yahya Saree said in a statement that the aircraft was detected in Jawf province's airspace and belonged to Saudi Arabia, adding that it was trying to carry out "hostile actions".The Associated Press said it could not independently verify the claim, and there was no immediate comment from Saudi Arabia. Saree also said that three Saudi reconnaissance drones had been downed in the past 24 hours, including one seen on Monday morning in Bayda province. The Yemeni government armed forces said in a post on X that they had targeted Houthi gatherings in Dahle province and carried out 13 airstrikes on Houthi positions and a missile launch base in Bayda province. Other strikes, it said, targeted Houthi fronts in Marib province. The Houthi military did not respond to those claims.At a forum of world leaders in Abu Dhabi, Anwar Gargash, diplomatic adviser to the UAE president, said "no single state" should control the Strait of Hormuz after Iran said it planned to announce a new "exclusion zone" near the waterway aimed at vessels intending to transit."Our energy exports will not be held hostage, nor will our trade and economic activity," Gargash said. He added that Iran should face consequences for threatening oil tankers and commercial vessels in the strait with mines, drones or missiles, saying, "Using an international waterway as an instrument of coercion is unacceptable." Gargash also said rebuilding trust between Iran and Gulf countries could take decades because, by targeting its neighbours, Tehran had "demolished" any presumption of good faith.Oman's Maritime Security Centre said on X that it had evacuated 16 of the 25 crew members from the Sidr, a Saudi-owned tanker attacked by Iran off Oman. Saudi Arabia had earlier said two Filipino seafarers were killed in the attack. Oman did not give details about the remaining seven crew members. If those seven are confirmed dead, the attack would be the deadliest on a commercial vessel since the war began on February 28.In the occupied West Bank, Palestinians in Hajja mourned Omar al-Toubasi, who was killed in a confrontation with Israeli settlers. Israel's military said soldiers were sent to Hajja on Sunday to disperse the confrontation and fired at Palestinians allegedly throwing stones after warning shots. "Hits were identified," the military said.Witness Mohammed al-Batta said settlers had started the confrontation by beating a local man. "The army came and made matters worse," he said. He added that soldiers "started using tear gas and sound bombs at the residents. Gunfire broke out from the two sides." He said several other people were injured.Nickolay Mladenov, the top diplomat overseeing the US-brokered ceasefire in Gaza, called for the implementation of President Donald Trump's plan to end the war, including the withdrawal of Israel's military and the disarming of Hamas. He also warned that rising violence in the occupied West Bank could block a two-state solution between Israel and the Palestinians."Because with everything that is happening in the West Bank - and with more than 50 per cent of Gaza now under the control of the Israeli army and less than 50 per cent under the control of Hamas - there is no credible pathway forward to a political resolution of the conflict," Mladenov said at the Hili Forum in the UAE.Overall, the latest regional developments ranged from deadly airstrikes in Lebanon and claims of military action in Yemen to rising tension in the Strait of Hormuz, a fatal confrontation in the West Bank, and fresh warnings over the prospects for a political solution in Gaza and beyond.With PTI Inputs- EndsPublished By: India Today Web Desk Published On: Sep 7, 2026 19:38 IST