Hezbollah says it struck military objective in northern Israel day after ceasefire extension
The Middle East conflict continued to widen on Saturday as fresh Israeli strikes hit southern Lebanon, regional tensions disrupted global oil flows, and diplomatic efforts struggled to hold fragile ceasefires together.<br /><br />Israel’s military said one soldier had been killed during combat operations in southern Lebanon, taking the number of Israeli personnel killed since fighting with Hezbollah resumed in March to 21. Hours later, Israeli warplanes launched new strikes on Hezbollah positions across several villages in southern Lebanon, despite a recent agreement to extend a truce after talks in Washington. Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency reported that residents fled towards Sidon and Beirut ahead of the bombardment.<br /><br />Meanwhile, the USS Gerald R. Ford returned to Virginia after an 11-month deployment that became the longest aircraft carrier mission since the Vietnam War. The carrier and accompanying destroyers supported US military operations linked to the conflict with Iran and later participated in operations stretching from the Mediterranean to the Red Sea. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth praised the crews upon arrival, saying they had “made history”. The Ford and its escort ships were awarded the Presidential Unit Citation for combat performance during the Iran conflict.<br /><br />Elsewhere, Pakistan’s interior minister arrived in Tehran in an effort to help revive stalled peace talks between Iran and the United States. At the same time, Iran’s state television claimed several European countries had opened discussions with Tehran over shipping access through the Strait of Hormuz after Iranian restrictions disrupted maritime traffic.<br /><br />The regional fallout also hit global energy markets. Iraq said its oil exports through Hormuz plunged sharply in April following Iran’s blockade of the strategic waterway. In the occupied West Bank, Palestinian health officials said Israeli forces killed a 34-year-old man near the Jenin refugee camp, while unrest linked to rising fuel prices in the Comoros turned deadly after overnight clashes with police.<br />