Iran-US war latest: Israel to continue operations in Lebanon with US backing despite ceasefire, says defence minister

Israel will continue its operations on the ground in southern Lebanon for the time being and Lebanese residents forced from their homes by Israel would not be able to return, Defence Minister Israel Katz said on Thursday.

His comments came a day after Lebanon and Israel said they had agreed to implement a ceasefire during talks in Washington. The deal is contingent on a cessation of fire from militant group Hezbollah.

In a statement, Katz said troops would remain in its so-called security zone in southern Lebanon, including in the area of Beaufort Castle, a 900-year-old fortress captured by Israel on Saturday.

He said Israel would continue to “dismantle terrorist infrastructure in the area” while Israel had “freedom of action, backed by the United States, to strike in Beirut in response to attacks on Israeli communities and territory.”

When the U.S. last hosted the World Cup in 1994, the event drew unexpectedly large crowds. At that time, football wasn’t as popular among Americans as it is now, so expectations for attendance had been fairly low.

So as the U.S. prepared to host the World Cup again in 2026, expectations for tourism were high.

But in the run-up to this year’s World Cup, the ongoing war in Iran has resulted in soaring inflation and high fuel prices, neither of which bodes well for tourism or event attendance.

Recent tourism reports indicate there will be fewer hotel reservations than anticipated due to reduced international travel confidence and a growing uncertainty related to U.S. immigration policies, geopolitical instability, tariffs and inflation.

A handful of Republicans joined Democrats on Wednesday and bucked President Donald Trump and House Speaker Mike Johnson to rein in the president’s power to further prosecute his war in Iran.

The House passed the War Powers Act resolution 215-208. The move came after four Republicans defected to the Democratic side.

Under U.S. law, the president must withdraw troops within 60 days of a military engagement unless Congress declares war or authorizes the use of military force. The president must also inform Congress within 48 of committing armed forces into action.

Israeli attacks in Gaza killed at least eight people, the civil defence agency in the Hamas-run Strip said.“At least eight martyrs as a result of Israeli airstrikes on Gaza City at dawn,” spokesperson Mahmoud Bassal told AFP.

He said seven were killed in strikes on residential buildings and one in the Al-Shati refugee camp to the west of Gaza City

The US military launched fresh strikes on a fortified Iranian island near the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday as diplomacy slowed and Iran restarted attacks on its neighbours.

US Central Command said the military attacked a ground control tower on Qeshm Island in “self-defence”, claiming Iran had tried and failed to attack Kuwait and Bahrain with missiles.

Residents reported hearing early morning explosions on the 558sq mile stretch off the mainland, which has been used throughout the conflict to attack ships passing through the closed waterway.

US president Donald Trump has remained noncommittal about a timeline for settling the Iran conflict, saying the Strait of Hormuz might stay blocked through the Labour Day holiday on 7 September.

He has insisted that Iran stop any efforts that could lead to a nuclear weapon and that the strait be reopened for shipments of oil and natural gas.”I don’t know. I mean, I think it could be (closed through Labour Day), but I think it’s unlikely. I think that we’ll have it. I think this will resolve itself fairly quickly,” Trump said.

Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, who succeeded his late father, is “involved” in peace talks, Trump added.”They have a lot of respect for him,” the president said.

Oil prices eased this morning as Israel and Lebanon’s ceasefire agreement boosted hopes for a ​broader deal to end the US-Israeli war with Iran, while ‌the US House approved a resolution seeking to curb president Donald Trump’s war powers.

Brent futures were down 67 cents, or 0.69 per cent, at $97.14 a barrel, while US West Texas Intermediate crude fell 62 ​cents, or 0.65 per cent, to $95.4.