Iran war day 97: Tehran says no progress in talks; Israel attacks Lebanon

Israel carries out drone attacks on Lebanon after agreeing to renew ceasefire as Tehran defends attacks on Gulf nations.

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said talks with the United States have made no progress, but channels of communication remain open after tensions escalated between Washington and Tehran.

Araghchi also defended Iran’s attacks on US allies in the Gulf as self-defence, warning that further sanctions or military action would not force Tehran to change course.

Meanwhile, Kuwait said Iranian missile and drone attacks on Wednesday killed one person and wounded more than 60 others.

Here is what we know:

Iran

• Iranian officials said US forces struck an oil tanker in the Strait of Hormuz and a communications facility on Qeshm Island late on Tuesday, triggering Tehran’s retaliatory attacks on US-linked targets in Bahrain and Kuwait on Wednesday. Iran said it would respond to attacks on its territory and interests.
• As summer demand increases, Iran faces a gap between energy supply and consumption. At the same time, the economic impact of the war has left the government with fewer options to address the crisis. Residents and business owners report sharply higher electricity bills, with some attributing the rise to the financial strain of the conflict.

War diplomacy

• The US said Lebanon and Israel have agreed to implement a ceasefire following talks in Washington, with the deal requiring an end to Hezbollah fire, the withdrawal of Hezbollah operatives from south of the Litani River, and the establishment of security zones under the exclusive control of Lebanese forces. Both sides are expected to resume negotiations later this month.
• According to analysts, Hezbollah is likely to seek guarantees that Israeli forces will withdraw from southern Lebanon and that attacks will stop before fully committing to the deal. Previous ceasefires have struggled to hold, with both sides accusing each other of violations.

In the Gulf

• Kuwaiti authorities say Iranian drone and missile strikes on Wednesday hit a terminal at the country’s international airport, killing one person, injuring more than 60 others, and causing what officials described as “significant material damage”.

United States

• US President Donald Trump said negotiations with Iran are going “very well” and a deal to end the conflict “could happen over the weekend”. However, he added, “Who knows?”
• The House of Representatives voted 215-208 to require Trump to seek congressional authorisation for military action against Iran, with four Republicans joining Democrats. The measure is unlikely to become law, but it marks the first successful House vote this year intended to curb Trump’s war powers and serves as a rebuke of his decision to join Israel’s attacks on Iran without congressional approval.
• US Representative Thomas Massie announced his support for the Block the Bombs Act, which seeks to restrict transfers of offensive weapons to Israel. Massie said Israel has used US-supplied munitions to kill tens of thousands of civilians and argued that Washington is morally obligated to end support for the destruction in Gaza.

Lebanon and Gaza

• Several people were wounded in an Israeli drone attack on a vehicle on the Zefta-Kfarwa Road in southern Lebanon, the National News Agency reported. The strike came after Israel and Lebanon agreed to halt the war after a series of meetings in Washington, DC, mediated by US officials.

• At least nine Palestinians were killed in Israeli air raids on residential buildings overnight. Witnesses said families were sleeping when the attacks began, while rescue teams worked through fires and rubble to reach people trapped inside.
• Satellite imagery analysed by Al Jazeera shows Israeli forces have continued expanding their footprint in Gaza despite the October ceasefire. The investigation identified 40 military outposts across the territory, including eight built after the truce took effect.