The United States has launched a major naval blockade targeting Iran’s shipping routes, escalating tensions across the Gulf and pushing global oil prices sharply higher. With the Strait of Hormuz effectively restricted, energy markets are bracing for a prolonged supply shock. Tehran has issued a stark warning, threatening retaliation against Gulf ports if its exports continue to be blocked. With oil surging past $100 and global trade routes under pressure, this could mark one of the most severe energy disruptions in modern history.

Lebanon is witnessing one of its deadliest chapters in recent history as the Israel-Hezbollah conflict intensifies across the south. Israeli airstrikes have pounded multiple regions, including Sidon and the Nabatieh district, pushing the death toll past 2,000, according to Lebanon’s health ministry. In one of the latest incidents, a strike near Sidon killed at least eight people and left several injured, while another wave of attacks in Nabatieh claimed ten lives, including emergency responders on duty. The scale and frequency of strikes signal a sharp escalation, with civilians bearing the brunt of the violence. WATCH