As pressure from Israel and the US intensifies on Iran and regional resistance movements, the UK faces scrutiny over its complicity in Israeli war crimes in Gaza. Get the latest in this brief news update.
US Sanctions Target Iran, Hezbollah
Israel announced on Thursday that it targeted an alleged operative of Iran’s Quds Force in Lebanon, accusing the individual of involvement in weapons smuggling. This strike, which reportedly hit a car in the Khaldeh area at the southern entrance of Beirut, follows continued Israeli operations in southern Lebanon.
In a related development, the US Department of the Treasury imposed new sanctions on individuals and entities linked to Iran and Lebanon’s Resistance group, Hezbollah. These sanctions target a business network accused of illicitly smuggling billions of dollars worth of Iranian oil, disguised as Iraqi oil, since at least 2020. The Treasury also sanctioned a financial institution controlled by Hezbollah, along with several of its senior officials.
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent stated that the department aims to disrupt Tehran’s access to funds fueling alleged “destabilizing activities.” The sanctions also extend to ships allegedly participating in concealing the transfer of Iranian oil, increasing pressure on what the US terms Iran’s “shadow fleet.”
WINEP and the Path to War: Are US and Israel Planning a Second Strike on Iran?
Hezbollah Rejects Disarmament amidst Israeli Ceasefire Violations
Hezbollah Secretary-General Sheikh Naim Qassem firmly rejected any suggestion that the Lebanese Resistance would surrender its weapons, asserting that Lebanon’s defense and sovereignty are internal matters. He stressed that discussions about arms are purely domestic and that Israel has no right to dictate terms or monitor any agreement concerning Lebanon’s security.
Sheikh Qassem also condemned Israel for over 3,700 documented violations of the ceasefire agreement with Lebanon since its inception, urging adherence to the agreed terms and an immediate cessation of its acts of aggression. He reiterated that Hezbollah’s confrontation extends beyond resisting occupation, framing it as a strategic defense against broader regional threats.
Hezbollah vs. Israel: Why a New War is on the Horizon – Analysis
Ansarallah Leader Reiterates Naval Ban
Yemen’s Ansarallah leader, Sayyed Abdul-Malik al-Houthi, reaffirmed the ongoing Yemeni ban on Israeli navigation, asserting its success and Yemen’s capability to continue the struggle.
In a speech delivered Thursday, he warned against abandoning the Palestinian cause and relying on international institutions, calling for decisive Arab and Islamic action to isolate Israel and confront its project.
Al-Houthi condemned Israel’s massacres in Gaza, particularly against women and children, highlighting what he described as “death traps” and “aid massacres” as new methods of killing Palestinian civilians. He implicated the United States, accusing Washington of direct complicity by supplying Israel with thousands of bombs for use against civilians in Gaza.
The Ansarallah leader also expressed concern over the situation at Al-Aqsa Mosque and criticized official Arab and Islamic reactions, which he warned indicate a “dangerous decline” in the priority given to the Palestinian cause.
He further highlighted the forced displacement of over 40,000 Palestinians in the West Bank who face dire humanitarian conditions.
Al-Houthi concluded by stating that peace with Israel is not an option, deeming any such talk as “surrender.”
From the Six-Day War to the 12-Day War: Israel’s Military Decline
UK Accused of Covertly Facilitating Israeli Military Operations
Flight data analyzed by Drop Site News suggests that the UK’s Labor government has secretly permitted Israeli Air Force (IAF) planes, involved in the bombing of Gaza, to land and potentially refuel at RAF Brize Norton, Britain’s largest airbase. Between September 2024 and June 2025, Israel’s KC-707 “Re’em” aerial refueling planes reportedly made nine stopovers in Britain, with most remaining for 1 to 3 hours, indicating possible refueling operations.
One of the identified Israeli aircraft was actively operating over Gaza during a period that included two suspected war crimes, notably the October 2024 bombing of a residential complex in Beit Lahiya, which resulted in 73 fatalities. This direct link has fueled accusations of UK complicity in alleged war crimes, raising questions about the British government’s role.
In response to these revelations, former Labor Party leader Jeremy Corbyn introduced a parliamentary bill calling for an independent investigation into Britain’s support for Israel’s war on Gaza. Corbyn stated that allowing Israeli warplanes to refuel on British bases implicates the government in the gravest breaches of international law.
The Labor-led Ministry of Defense has declined to comment on the movements of foreign military aircraft within the country.
Further, members of the activist group Palestine Action reportedly infiltrated RAF Brize Norton on Friday, damaging two Voyager military aircraft. This action was undertaken as a protest against the United Kingdom’s complicity in facilitating Israel’s military offensive.
(Sources: Al-Mayadeen, Al-Jazeera, Al-Akhbar, Palestine Chronicle)
Be the first to comment