Morning update

Live Blog Update| War on Iran 27 August 2026 06:58 BST Good morning Middle East Eye readers, Here are the latest developments: Syrian president Ahmad al-Sharaa said that his country has entered a new phase of "reconstruction" after the US lifted sanctions. "We are at the beginning of a long and sustainable road defined by dignity, revival, reconstruction, development and civilisation," Sharaa said during the opening of the 63rd Damascus International Fair. The head of the UN Agency for Palestinian Refugees (Unrwa) told Al Jazeera that the Israeli government’s raid on the last remaining facility run by the UN agency earlier this weep is an attempt to "eliminate the presence of the United Nations" in the occupied Palestinian territories. The Israeli military carried out two waves of air strikes on Ali al-Taher Hill, located in southern Lebanon's Upper Nabatieh, the National News Agency (NNA) reported. The agency also indicated that "violent" air attacks also targeted the town of Mansouri in Tyre. Other air strikes were reported overnight in the town of Eastern Zawtar and Mayfadoun. A vessel was hit by an unknown projectile in the Strait of Hormuz, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) agency said early on Thursday. The strike caused a fire that was later extinguished. No environmental impact was reported and all crew members were safe and accounted for. Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei mocked the US economic plan to isolate Tehran as "pure parody". "Washington’s Iran policy has reached pure parody," he said in a post on X. " It is sanctioning the already sanctioned and calling the empty space a coalition," he added.