Israel is slowly withdrawing from Lebanese villages it occupied, as part of a ceasefire deal. Lebanese residents waiting to return to their villages say the Israeli military has destroyed nearly everything.

The U.S.-backed cease-fire is to end next week, but the Trump administration said more time is needed to end the threat from Hezbollah and get Israelis back into their homes.

Saudi Arabia's foreign minister visits Lebanon on Thursday in the first trip to Beirut by Riyadh's top diplomat in 15 years, seeking a commitment to reform as the Gulf state reasserts sway in a country where Iranian influence is waning.

Iran this month launched its most extensive military exercises in decades, flying thousands of drones, parading rocket launchers and ballistic missiles, and thwarting a simulated assault on a nuclear facility that involved “a multitude of air threats,” according to state television coverage.

At least 21 Palestinians were injured, 11 severely, after dozens of Israeli civilians, some of whom were masked, arrived at the area of Al Funduq, in the West Bank, and "instigated riots, set property on fire and caused damage," according to the Israel Defense Forces.

Situation in the Middle East has changed significantly since the last time Donald Trump was in the White House. The drivers of the Arab-Iranian relationship are different, and there is now scope for engagement between Tehran and Washington.

The ceasefire in Gaza represents a "great victory" for the Palestinian resistance, Iran's Revolutionary Guards said on Thursday, warning against any possible breach by Israel.

Lebanon's Hezbollah is trying "to regain strength and rearm with the assistance of Iran," Israel's U.N. ambassador told the Security Council on Monday, declaring that the militants remain a "serious threat" to Israel and regional stability.

Geopolitical shifts in the troubled Middle East, highlighted by the overthrow of Syrian President Bashar Assad and Iran's dwindling influence, present a rare opportunity for Lebanon to regain control of its own fate.

"Today, you can get in a car in Tehran and get out in the Dahia, Beirut." Five years and two months after Gen. Qasem Soleimani made this statement, the

Explore the escalating conflict as Israel targets Iran in a high-stakes counterattack. Discover how stealth, precision, and strategy reshape the Middle East in our latest in-depth analysis.