War in Iran/Middle East/Gulf and beyond
(AFP/Al Arabiya) Israel said rocket fire from Lebanon killed one person on Sunday as Hezbollah said it attacked soldiers in northern Israel, the first fatality there in fire from Lebanon since the latest war erupted. Israel’s ZAKA 360 emergency response unit said a person was pronounced dead after a strike on their vehicle “carried out by a rocket fired from Lebanon.” – Rocket fire from Lebanon kills one in north Israel as Hezbollah claims attacks
(Reuters/Al Arabiya) Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) rebuilt Hezbollah’s military command after it was mauled by Israel in 2024, plugging gaps with Iranian officers before restructuring the Lebanese group and laying plans for the war it is now waging in support of Tehran, two people familiar with these IRGC activities said. The overhaul was the first of its kind for Hezbollah, a Shia Muslim group founded by the IRGC in 1982, pointing to a hands-on approach after the blows of the 2024 war, including the killing of its leader Hassan Nasrallah and other top commanders. – How Iran’s IRGC rebooted Lebanon’s Hezbollah to be ready for war
(Reuters/Al Arabiya) The Strait of Hormuz remains open to all shipping except vessels linked to “Iran’s enemies,” Iranian media reports published on Sunday quoted Iran’s representative to the UN maritime agency as saying. Ali Mousavi’s comments came from an interview published on Friday by Chinese news agency Xinhua, before US President Donald Trump’s threat to target Iranian power plants if the strait was not “fully open” within 48 hours. – Iran says Hormuz open to all but ‘enemy-linked’ ships
(AFP/Al Arabiya) Blasts were heard and air raid sirens sounded in Jerusalem on Sunday, AFP journalists said, after the Israeli military warned of incoming missile fire from Iran. The army issued several alerts saying it had identified that “missiles were launched from Iran toward the territory of the State of Israel.” – Blasts heard, sirens in Jerusalem after Iran missile alerts
(Al Arabiya) Iran’s official IRNA news agency said on Sunday that a drone attack targeted a military base near the Baghdad International Airport. – Iran state media says drone strikes target military base near Baghdad airport
(AFP/Al Arabiya) A projectile caused an explosion near a bulk carrier off the coast of the United Arab Emirates, a British maritime monitor said on Sunday, noting there were no injuries reported. – Projectile causes explosion near vessel in Gulf: UK monitor
(Reuters/Al Arabiya) Japan could consider deploying its military for minesweeping in the Strait of Hormuz, a vital artery for global oil supplies, if a ceasefire is reached in the US-Israeli war on Iran, Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi said on Sunday. “If there were to be a complete ceasefire, hypothetically speaking, then things like minesweeping could come up,” Motegi said during a Fuji TV program. “This is purely hypothetical, but if a ceasefire were established and naval mines were creating an obstacle, then I think that would be something to consider.” – Japan could consider Hormuz minesweeping if ceasefire reached, minister says
(AFP/Al Arabiya) Iran’s military renewed threats on Sunday against the region’s infrastructure after the US president vowed to “obliterate” power plants in the Islamic Republic if the Strait of Hormuz is not swiftly reopened. – Iran army says will target energy, desalination infrastructure after Trump’s threats
Germany/Japan
(Chris Lunday – Politico) Germany is seeking to deepen defense ties with Japan, with Defense Minister Boris Pistorius proposing a new agreement to make it easier for troops from both countries to operate on each other’s territory. Speaking at Japan’s Yokosuka naval base after talks with Japanese Defense Minister Shinjirō Koizumi on Sunday, Pistorius said Berlin had floated a so-called Reciprocal Access Agreement — a framework designed to “ease the exchange of soldiers in each other’s countries and significantly reduce bureaucratic hurdles.”. Such agreements allow partner countries to deploy troops on each other’s soil more easily for training, exercises or operations by streamlining legal and administrative procedures. Japan has signed similar deals with countries like the United Kingdom and Australia as it deepens its own security ties amid rising regional tensions. – Germany pushes new military cooperation deal with Japan – POLITICO
