Israeli airstrikes on Lebanese village kill 12, plus other key Mideast
developments
[September 08, 2026]
Lebanon ’s Health Ministry says Israeli airstrikes on a
southern village have killed 12 people, including two children.
Meanwhile, Iran-backed Houthi rebels claim to have shot down a Saudi
reconnaissance plane. And seven crew members of a Saudi-owned tanker
struck last week on the strait appear to remain unaccounted for.
Here’s a look at the latest news in the Middle East. Full coverage can
be found here.
Israeli airstrikes on southern Lebanon kill at least 12
Israel carried out airstrikes early Monday on the southern Lebanese
village of Kfar Rumman, killing at least 12 people, including a
paramedic, four women and two children, the Health Ministry said.
The strikes came during a new round of escalation between Israel and the
Iran-backed Hezbollah. Israel's military said it struck several
Hezbollah militants it accused of transferring weapons to Kfar Rumman.
The military also said it was reviewing the claim that “several
uninvolved civilians were harmed” in overnight strikes across southern
Lebanon, which it said were in response to Hezbollah militants launching
explosive drones against soldiers in the area of the Ali Taher ridge.
Iran hints at preemptive action as it touts ballistic missile
Iranian state media said a ballistic missile with improved capabilities
demonstrates Tehran’s shifting stance toward taking preemptive action
against threats.
A senior Iranian official earlier said the new missile capability had
been “tested” against a U.S. warship over the weekend. But it was not
clear whether what was tested was the missile the new report described,
the solid-fueled Qassem Basir.
On Saturday, the U.S. said it struck Iranian oil tankers in response to
ballistic missiles launched at U.S. warships.
Iran’s messaging in recent days has become more assertive, and Monday’s
report said the Qassem Basir marks “a turning point in Iran’s defense
strategy.” It described the missile as having greater range and accuracy
and a half-ton warhead.
The missile was unveiled last year, when it was described as having at
least a 1,200-kilometer (745-mile) range.
Houthis claim downing Saudi reconnaissance plane
Iran-backed Houthi rebels downed a Saudi armed reconnaissance aircraft
on Monday in the northern part of Yemen, Houthi military spokesperson
Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree said in a statement.
The aircraft was detected in Jawf province’s airspace, according to
Saree, who said the aircraft belonged to neighboring Saudi Arabia and
was seeking to carry out “hostile actions.”
The Associated Press couldn’t independently verify that claim. There was
no immediate Saudi comment.
Saree added that over the past 24 hours, a total of three reconnaissance
drones belonging to Saudi Arabia were downed, including one that was
spotted Monday morning in Bayda province.
The Yemeni government armed forces said in a post on X that they
targeted Houthi gatherings in Dahle province and launched 13 airstrikes
targeting Houthi positions and a missile launch base in Bayda province.
Other airstrikes targeted Houthi fronts in Marib province. The Houthi
military didn’t address those claims.
The U.N. special envoy for Yemen, Hans Grundberg, called the Houthis’
expansion of fighting across several front lines “extremely alarming”
and warned of its broader impact on Yemenis.
UAE says ‘no single state’ should control Hormuz
A senior official with the United Arab Emirates says “no single state”
should control the Strait of Hormuz, after Iran said it plans to
announce a new “exclusion zone” near the waterway aimed at vessels
intending to transit.
“Our energy exports will not be held hostage, nor will our trade and
economic activity,” Anwar Gargash, a diplomatic adviser to the UAE
president, said at a forum of world leaders in Abu Dhabi.
Gargash said Iran should face consequences for threatening oil tankers
and commercial vessels in the strait with mines, drones or missiles.
“Using an international waterway as an instrument of coercion is
unacceptable,” he added.
The UAE, a close U.S. ally, has repeatedly come under Iranian missile
and drone fire throughout the war. Rebuilding trust between Iran and the
Gulf countries could take decades, Gargash warned, because by targeting
its neighbors, Tehran has “demolished” any presumption of good faith.
Oman says some crew members recovered after Saudi ship hit
Oman said it had evacuated 16 crew members from a Saudi-owned tanker
attacked last week in the Strait of Hormuz. The Sidr tanker was attacked
by Iran off Oman, and Saudi Arabia earlier said two Filipino seafarers
were killed.
Oman’s Maritime Security Center said on X that 16 of the 25 crew members
were rescued. It didn’t give details on the remaining seven.
If the seven are confirmed dead, that would make the attack the
deadliest on a commercial vessel since the war began on Feb. 28.
Palestinian man killed in the occupied West Bank
Palestinians in the occupied West Bank community of Hajja mourned the
death of Omar al-Toubasi, who was killed in a confrontation with Israeli
settlers.
Israel’s military said in a statement that soldiers were sent to Hajja
on Sunday to disperse a confrontation and fired toward Palestinians
allegedly throwing stones at soldiers after warning shots. “Hits were
identified,” the military said.
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Rescue workers search for victims under the rubble of a building
destroyed in an Israeli airstrike in the southern village of Kfar
Rumman, Lebanon, Monday, Sept. 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Mohammed Zaatari)
“The army came and made matters worse,” witness Mohammed al-Batta
said, adding that settlers had started the confrontation by beating
a local man. He said soldiers “started using tear gas and sound
bombs at the residents. Gunfire broke out from the two sides.” He
said several others were injured.
Attacks on settlers in the West Bank have surged since the war in
Gaza began with the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7,
2023, according to the United Nations humanitarian office.
Two-state solution ‘practically impossible’ if Gaza plan fails,
diplomat says
The top diplomat overseeing the U.S.-brokered ceasefire in Gaza,
Nickolay Mladenov, called for the implementation of President Donald
Trump’s plan to end the war there, including the withdrawal of
Israel’s military and the disarming of Hamas.
He also warned that rising violence in the occupied West Bank could
obstruct a two-state solution to the conflict between Israel and the
Palestinians.
“Because with everything that is happening in the West Bank — and
with more than 50% of Gaza now under the control of the Israeli army
and less than 50% under the control of Hamas — there is no credible
pathway forward to a political resolution of the conflict,” Mladenov
said at the Hili Forum, a gathering of world leaders in the United
Arab Emirates.
Kosovo commits to stabilization force for Gaza
Kosovo has formalized its commitment to the International
Stabilization Force for Gaza, according to the U.S.-created Board of
Peace overseeing the fragile ceasefire.
The force would deploy to areas of the Palestinian territory
administered by an incoming technocratic committee. While there was
no information about the number of troops Kosovo would provide, a
Board of Peace official said it is expected to contribute about 25
personnel. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the
numbers have not yet been finalized.
The statement says Kosovo security personnel have deployed at ISF
headquarters for months, working on logistics, operations to clear
unexploded weapons and civil affairs.
Overall committed troops to the force remain far short of the
expected 20,000. Uganda, Morocco, Kazakhstan and Albania also have
made commitments.
— Matthew Lee in Washington
Iran raises gasoline price again for its heaviest users
Iran introduced a higher price for its heaviest gasoline users,
state media reported, the second such increase since December.
Gas price hikes can be sensitive, as seen in 2019 when an increase
led to nationwide protests and a deadly crackdown.
The government did not specifically mention the war with the United
States as the reason for this latest increase but cited the “current
situation.”
Under the new system, people buying more than their quota of 110
liters (29 gallons) of gasoline a month now must pay 100,000 rials
(about 7 cents) per liter, or twice as much as they have been paying
since December.
Iran still has some of the world’s lowest gasoline prices, but the
price increase adds to daily pressures for many of the country’s
more than 90 million people.
Keramat Veis Karami, the CEO of the state oil distribution company,
on Monday said the new gasoline rate would affect 15% of consumers,
the official IRNA news agency reported.
Price of gas in the US hits record high for Labor Day weekend
Gas prices in the U.S. hit a record high for Labor Day weekend,
averaging $4.14 per gallon — nearly a dollar more than last year and
surpassing the previous record of $3.82 in 2012, according to the
AAA motor club.
Prices shot up after the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran in February
and have not settled down since. Crude oil traffic through the key
Strait of Hormuz has plunged, and Iran has refused to reopen the
waterway.
“Everything points to the Iran war and the Strait of Hormuz,” said
Tom Seng, a professor of energy finance at Texas Christian
University.
In energy markets Monday, Brent crude, the international standard,
added 4 cents to $96.32 a barrel following further escalation of the
six-month -long U.S. war with Iran.
Benchmark U.S. crude fell 29 cents to $91.19 a barrel.
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This report will be updated throughout the day as new developments
emerge.
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