Iran Military Leadership and Middle East Tensionsactive

The Supreme Leader of Iran, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, appointed Major General Ali Abdolahi as the new Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces on Monday, as part of a broad reorganization of the country's military and security leadership. The appointment adds to five other high-ranking positions appointed by decree in recent hours. Abdolahi previously commanded the Jatam al Anbiya Central General Headquarters, one of the most relevant operational structures of the Iranian Army, and is sanctioned by the U.S. Department of the Treasury. Between 2005 and 2013, during Mahmud Ahmadinejad's presidency, he served as provincial governor and deputy minister of the Interior for security matters. The new Chief of Staff replaces Abdolrahim Musavi, who was killed in an airstrike by the United States and Israel during the offensive launched against Iran on February 28, 2026. Musavi had been in the position for only a few months, after the deaths in Israeli bombings of his two immediate predecessors, Mohammad Hossein Bagheri and Ali Shadmani. Khamenei also appointed Brigadier General Kiomars Heidari, a former commander of the Army's Land Forces, as Deputy Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces. The decree tasks Heidari with strengthening the country's defensive capabilities and addressing the logistical needs of the troops, according to IRNA. The reorganization also affected the Revolutionary Guard and the paramilitary Basij force. Ahm…

The appointment of Mohsen Rezaei as secretary of the Supreme National Security Council suggests that Iran’s old guard is consolidating power.

The wait dragged on for an Iranian deal with Oman on the Strait of Hormuz, with the Islamic Republic warning the US that any pact wouldn’t lead to an immediate reopening of the crucial energy chokepoint.

Regarding the Strait of Hormuz in the Middle East, the Iranian Foreign Ministry expressed the view that negotiations with Oman on establishing a new route are in the final stages of coordination. Several American media outlets have reported that ships entering the Persian Gulf will pass through Iran's territorial waters, and the focus now is on whether this will lead to the opening of the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran has said a deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz is in its "final stage" if the US doesn't obstruct it. Two Israeli soldiers were killed in southern Lebanon. Follow DW for the latest.

New York Mayor Mamdani said the city would not be able to execute an arrest warrant issued by the top war-crimes court for Israel's Benjamin Netanyahu, but urged the federal government to do so. (Image credit: Anna Connors/Anna Connors)

The IDF will act via a "coordination mechanism mediated by the United States in the event of violations of the agreement by Hezbollah," the source said

As part of the pilot, teams from the IDF, the U. S.. military, and the Lebanese Armed Forces are conducting coordination and planning for the continued implementation of the agreement

NYC mayor says in Times interview that he’s in ‘active conversation’ with city’s law department about the matter New York City mayor Zohran Mamdani has said he was reviewing whether his administration could arrest Benjamin Netanyahu if as expected the Israeli prime minister visits the city for the UN general assembly in September. Mamdani’s comments on Saturday’s episode of the New York Times’s the Interview podcast echoed ones he had made to the publication as he successfully ran for mayor last fall. Continue reading...

They were transferring anti-tank missiles within the security zone

The IDF attacks targeted the areas of Nabatieh and Mayfadoun in southern Lebanon

Four Hezbollah members riding a bulldozer and a motorcycle crossed into the security zone and approached the IDF soldiers

The IDF has released images of what was found in the southern village of Majdal Zoun.

According to Tasnim news agency, the essential conditions for reopening the Strait of Hormuz are the unfreezing of Iran’s foreign assets, the cessation of hostilities on all fronts, including in Lebanon, the complete lifting of the blockade, and the issuance of permits for oil sales

Flare-ups in Israel-Hezbollah fighting have complicated plans to address Iran’s nuclear program and revived the threat to the Strait of Hormuz.

Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu is reportedly under domestic pressure to continue operations against the Iranian proxy group Hezbollah.

Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon killed several people amid overnight exchanges of fire between Israeli forces and Iran-backed Hezbollah. According to the Lebanese Civil Defense, 16 people were killed and 12 wounded in Israeli attacks on the city of Nabatieh and nearby villages in southern Lebanon. The Israeli military confirmed strikes against what it described as “Hezbollah terrorist targets in southern Lebanon” after Hezbollah had “launched more than 50 projectiles at Israeli forces,” an Israel Defense Forces (IDF) official reportedly said. The fighting continued despite Israel and Hezbollah having agreed to a ceasefire on Friday in an effort to deescalate a conflict that, on the same day alone, killed at least 47 people in Lebanon and four Israeli soldiers. Renewed hostilities in Lebanon could also complicate the implementation of the agreement signed on Wednesday between the United States and Iran aimed at ending the conflict that began on Feb. 28. The U. S.-Israeli campaign against Iran immediately heightened tensions along the Israel-Lebanon border, with Hezbollah launching rockets toward northern Israel and the IDF responding with military operations inside Lebanese territory. According to the agreement signed by Washington and Tehran, military operations should cease across all fronts, and Iran has argued that continued Israeli strikes in Lebanon undermine the spirit of the deal. According to the New York Times, a recent U. S. intelligence assessment concluded that Israel is likely to continue military operations against Hezbollah, as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faces domestic pressure following attacks by the armed group in northern Israel. U. S. envoy Steve Witkoff reportedly traveled to Switzerland on Friday to meet Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi for planned talks between Tehran and Washington.

At least five people were killed in an Israeli air strike on southern Lebanon on Saturday, Lebanese state media said, after Israeli warplanes and drones reportedly carried out a series of attacks despite a ceasefire agreed with Hezbollah only a day earlier. The strikes came as US envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi headed to Switzerland for talks. Follow our liveblog for the latest updates.

US ⁠envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi were both headed to Switzerland for ⁠talks, Axios said on Friday, as a ceasefire in Lebanon appeared to revive efforts to turn an interim Iran war pact into a lasting regional deal. Israel and Hezbollah agreed to a ceasefire in Lebanon on Friday after escalating fighting cast doubt over US-Iran talks critical to reopening the Strait of Hormuz and stabilising oil supplies. That followed a 14-point memorandum the two sides signed...

Trump negotiated a deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and begin talks on Iran’s nuclear program. A lot can happen in the next 60 days.

JD Vance lambasted Israeli critics of the proposed deal, but did not travel to Europe as planned. Plus, at 82 years old, Keith Richards still gives some of the best interview quotes in town Good morning. Talks set to take place today between the US ⁠⁠and ​Iran to implement a peace deal were abruptly cancelled. The White House said the US still looked forward to “beginning technical talks as soon as possible”. Hezbollah-linked media reported Tehran was delaying sending its delegation due to Israel’s ongoing military campaign in Lebanon. The talks were set to begin in the Swiss village of Obbürgen two days after the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) that opened a 60-day window to negotiate a permanent agreement over Iran’s nuclear programme, while reopening the strait of Hormuz. The centre of the strait is blocked with about 80 mines that will need clearing for normal shipping to resume, the independent tanker owner trade body has said. What is happening in Lebanon? Hezbollah targeted Israeli forces near Nabatieh with several salvoes of rocket fire after Israeli shelling. Israel responded with a wave of airstrikes, killing at least 18 people and injuring 33. Iran has said Israel’s attacks on Lebanon must end as part of any peace deal. What did JD Vance say to Israeli critics of the deal? In sharp words, the vice-president said: “Donald J Trump is the only head of state in the entire world ‌who is sympathetic to the nation of Israel at this ‌moment in time. If I was in the cabinet of the Israeli government, I might not be attacking the only powerful ally that I have anywhere left ‌in the entire world.” Why does Trump’s Iran entanglement echo the Jimmy Carter years? In this excellent analysis piece Robert Tait reminds us that one of Trump’s earliest political forays was lambasting the Democratic president during the 1980 Iran hostage crisis. Trump, Tait says, now finds himself in a position that uncannily resembles that of his predecessor – unable to bend Iran to his will despite superior US military power. Continue reading...

Iran's chief negotiator, Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, stated this Friday that talks with the United States will continue to be governed by Tehran's "red lines." "As we have demonstrated in past negotiations, we are firm in complying with established conditions and red lines, and in achieving the interests of the Iranian nation," Qalibaf declared, according to the official news agency IRNA. Qalibaf warned: "If the enemy seeks to overstep, we have shown that our finger is on the trigger and we will not hesitate to deliver a crushing response to the enemy." This week, Tehran and Washington signed a memorandum of understanding to end the regional conflict initiated following the attacks by the United States and Israel against Iran on February 28. Qalibaf's statements followed after the Iranian Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, acknowledged having approved the agreement between the United States and Iran, although he expressed having a "different opinion" on the matter, without offering further details. In a message broadcast on state television, Khamenei emphasized that direct talks with the United States do not imply "accepting their viewpoints." In response, Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi assured that Iranian foreign policy will protect the "interests of Iran" and the "rights of the noble Iranian nation." The memorandum, signed by the Iranian President, Masud Pe...

IDF claims continuing strikes come after Iran-backed group repeatedly violated ceasefire; JD Vance cancels trip as US-Iran talks set for Friday cancelled US-Iran talks in Switzerland abruptly called off JD Vance tells Iran deal critics in Israel: Trump is your only ally left in the world Welcome to our continuing live coverage of events in the Middle East. Israel’s military says it is attacking Hezbollah in several areas across southern Lebanon and has been striking throughout Thursday night. Vance lashed out at Israeli critics of the Iran deal, saying Donald Trump was Israel’s only ally left in the world, in a sharp rebuke that referenced the billions in defence aid ⁠the country receives from America. Trump “is the only head of state in the entire world ‌who is sympathetic to the nation of Israel at this ‌moment in time”, Vance told reporters. Trump said the ​US expected “a ⁠complete ceasefire on all fronts, including ⁠Lebanon, Hezbollah ​and Israel”, adding in a social media post: “We ‌encourage everyone ‌in the ‌Middle East Region to maintain their commitment to allowing our negotiations ‌to beautifully unfold.” Iran’s supreme leader said he approved the deal with the US despite having a “different view”, without elaborating. Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei said in message read on state television: “In principle, I had a different view [about the memorandum of understanding], but I issued my permission due to the commitment that the honourable [Iranian] president, as the chairman of the Supreme National Security Council, gave me on behalf of himself and other members to protect the rights of the Iranian nation and the resistance front.” In Khamenei’s message on Thursday – his first reaction to the Iran-US deal – he claimed Trump had “used all kinds of levers” to secure the deal “out of desperation”. The US president has claimed the agreement is a victory for Washington and averts a “worldwide depression”. Iran announced plans to introduce a system of maritime fees in the strait of Hormuz after the 60-day period of negotiation triggered by the signing of the memorandum of understanding with the US. Tehran, claiming a historic victory over the US, said the strait was under its control and a European plan for a naval mission to escort ships though the vital waterway would not be welcome, reports Patrick Wintour. Vance said the 60-day period in which to reach a final agreement with Iran started on Thursday. That would set a deadline for the final agreement between Iran and the US as 17 August. US Central Command ended its blockade in the Hormuz strait, it announced on social media. The US naval blockade of the strait had been in effect since 13 April, with control of the waterway being a key point of conflict in the war. Marine Traffic data showed that at least seven ships had crossed the strait on Thursday. The US would restart military action and ⁠reimpose a ⁠blockade ​against Iran if it did not fulfil its commitments ⁠under the signed agreement, US defence secretary Pete Hegseth said at a meeting with Nato defence ministers in Brussels. Khamenei said in his message that he received assurances from Pezeshkian about the deal and that it would not be accepted “if the American side wants to make excessive demands”. “It is obvious that the face-to-face negotiations that will be held in the future will not mean accepting the enemy’s point of view,” he added. Pakistan’s foreign ministry said the agreement’s signing ceremony in Switzerland, which was due to take place on Friday, was cancelled as it is understood that the memorandum of understanding between the US and Iran has already been signed remotely. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said she was representing the bloc’s position on the Middle East, after Israel announced it was severing diplomatic relations over allegations she had compared the country to apartheid South Africa. Continue reading...

The talks scheduled for this Friday between the United States and Iran regarding the implementation of their 14-point agreement to end the war were suddenly canceled, according to confirmation from the Swiss Ministry of Foreign Affairs. As reported by The Guardian, the meeting was set to begin in the small Swiss town of Obbürgen, two days after the signing of the memorandum of understanding that established a 60-day window to negotiate a permanent agreement on Iran's nuclear program, while simultaneously resuming oil traffic through the Strait of Hormuz. After the White House stated that the U.S. expected to “begin technical talks as soon as possible,” it was announced that the delegation led by Vice President JD Vance, who is heading the negotiations for the Trump Administration, would not travel to Europe on Thursday night due to logistical issues. Washington informed the press that the logistics of these types of negotiations “have never been simple or predictable” and declined to confirm a new departure date, though they assured that updates will be provided once there are concrete developments regarding the next steps in the process. Shortly before, Vance himself had stated that there was a possibility of traveling to Switzerland this weekend to participate in the start of technical talks with Iran. “Our plan is to go to Switzerland; I don't know exactly when. The way we are organizing this technical negotiation involves, obvi…