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Israel PM Says Hezbollah Trying to ‘Sabotage’ Peace Efforts with Lebanon

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attends a ceremony commemorating Israel's Remembrance Day for fallen soldiers, or Yom HaZikaron, at the Military Cemetery on Mount Herzl in Jerusalem, Tuesday April 21, 2026. (Ilia Yefimovich/Pool Photo via AP)
Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attends a ceremony commemorating Israel's Remembrance Day for fallen soldiers, or Yom HaZikaron, at the Military Cemetery on Mount Herzl in Jerusalem, Tuesday April 21, 2026. (Ilia Yefimovich/Pool Photo via AP)
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Israel PM Says Hezbollah Trying to ‘Sabotage’ Peace Efforts with Lebanon

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attends a ceremony commemorating Israel's Remembrance Day for fallen soldiers, or Yom HaZikaron, at the Military Cemetery on Mount Herzl in Jerusalem, Tuesday April 21, 2026. (Ilia Yefimovich/Pool Photo via AP)
Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attends a ceremony commemorating Israel's Remembrance Day for fallen soldiers, or Yom HaZikaron, at the Military Cemetery on Mount Herzl in Jerusalem, Tuesday April 21, 2026. (Ilia Yefimovich/Pool Photo via AP)

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused Hezbollah on Friday of trying to "sabotage" efforts to reach a peace agreement with Lebanon.

"We have started a process to reach a historic peace between Israel and Lebanon, and it's clear to us that Hezbollah is trying to sabotage this," he said in his first remarks after a ceasefire with Lebanon was extended.

The comments came as the Israeli military said it struck Hezbollah targets in a south Lebanon village in response to a "ceasefire violation", after earlier warning residents to evacuate the community.

"A short while ago, the army struck military structures in the area of Deir Aames, from which rockets were launched toward the town of Shtula in Israel yesterday," it said.

"The structures that were targeted were used by the Hezbollah terrorist organization to advance terrorist activities against soldiers and the State of Israel," it added.

The military's Arabic-language spokesman, Avichay Adraee, had earlier warned residents of Deir Aames to "evacuate your homes immediately and move at least 1,000 meters outside the area".

"Due to Hezbollah's terrorist activity, the army is conducting targeted operations in the area," he said on X.

Deir Aames is located north of the so-called "Yellow Line" in Lebanon, behind which Israeli forces are operating despite the ceasefire.

On Iran, Netanyahu said he "had an excellent conversation" with US President Donald Trump, without specifying when the pair spoke.

"He is putting very strong pressure on Iran, both economically and militarily. We are working in full cooperation," he added.

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Arab World

Warehouse Explosion in Northwestern Syria Kills at Least 14

Members of Syria's security forces inspect damaged weapons and munitions at the site of an explosion at what the Defense Ministry said was a warehouse used to store weapons and munitions near Sarmada, in Idlib province, Syria, Wednesday, Sept. 9, 2026. (AP)
Members of Syria's security forces inspect damaged weapons and munitions at the site of an explosion at what the Defense Ministry said was a warehouse used to store weapons and munitions near Sarmada, in Idlib province, Syria, Wednesday, Sept. 9, 2026. (AP)
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Warehouse Explosion in Northwestern Syria Kills at Least 14

Members of Syria's security forces inspect damaged weapons and munitions at the site of an explosion at what the Defense Ministry said was a warehouse used to store weapons and munitions near Sarmada, in Idlib province, Syria, Wednesday, Sept. 9, 2026. (AP)
Members of Syria's security forces inspect damaged weapons and munitions at the site of an explosion at what the Defense Ministry said was a warehouse used to store weapons and munitions near Sarmada, in Idlib province, Syria, Wednesday, Sept. 9, 2026. (AP)

An explosion at a weapons warehouse in northwestern Syria killed at least 14 people and injured 11 others, state media reported Wednesday, citing the Health Ministry.

The cause of the blast near the town of Sarmada, in Idlib province, was not immediately clear. Such incidents are a relatively common occurrence in the country, which has been battered by over a decade of war.

The warehouse was used to store weapons and munitions left over from the country's uprising and civil war from 2011 until 2024, the state-run SANA news agency said, citing the Defense Ministry, without providing further details.

Civil Defense and Syrian Red Crescent first-responders are continuing to search for survivors trapped under the rubble. A photographer for The Associated Press at the scene saw bodies being recovered.

Video footage widely circulated after the blast showed a large plume of black smoke, while the sounds of smaller explosions could be heard.

Arab World

UN Nuclear Watchdog Board Wraps up Probe into Syria’s Past Secret Nuclear Activities

The IAEA logo is displayed in front of the agency’s headquarters in Vienna, Austria, June 5, 2026. (Reuters)
The IAEA logo is displayed in front of the agency’s headquarters in Vienna, Austria, June 5, 2026. (Reuters)
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UN Nuclear Watchdog Board Wraps up Probe into Syria’s Past Secret Nuclear Activities

The IAEA logo is displayed in front of the agency’s headquarters in Vienna, Austria, June 5, 2026. (Reuters)
The IAEA logo is displayed in front of the agency’s headquarters in Vienna, Austria, June 5, 2026. (Reuters)

The board of the UN nuclear watchdog on Wednesday adopted a resolution ending its investigation into past secret nuclear activities in Syria that revealed a reactor configured to produce fissile material for possible use in nuclear weapons.

Under ousted former President Bashar Assad, Syria was believed to have operated an extensive undeclared nuclear program that included a reactor built by North Korea in eastern Deir Ezzor province.

The 35-member board of governors of the Vienna-based International Atomic Energy Agency adopted the resolution unanimously, according to diplomats who spoke on condition of anonymity to describe the outcome of the closed-doors vote.

Delegates could be heard applauding inside the board room as the resolution was adopted ending the investigation after almost two decades.

The resolution was put forward by Egypt, Jordan, Morocco and Saudi Arabia.

In June 2011, the IAEA Board of Governors found Syria in non-compliance with its nonproliferation obligations for secretly constructing a nuclear reactor in Deir Ezzor and reported the matter to the UN Security Council and the UN General Assembly to consider sanctions.

Under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and the safeguards agreement Syria has with the UN nuclear watchdog, Syria is legally bound to declare all nuclear material and activities to the agency and allow IAEA inspectors to verify that none of it is being diverted from peaceful uses.

Following Assad’s ouster in December 2024, the new authorities in Damascus agreed to give IAEA inspectors access to suspected former nuclear sites.

Wednesday’s draft resolution, which was seen by The Associated Press, therefore decided to “terminate” the provisions of the 2011 resolution, ending the IAEA investigation into Syria’s non-compliance.

The draft resolution, however, underlined that Syria “remains bound” by its obligations under the Nonproliferation Treaty and the safeguards agreement and encourages Syria “to continue its cooperation with the Agency, including the excavation work” at the site of the nuclear reactor.

It also requested the head of the IAEA, Rafael Grossi, to continue updating the board on the “outcomes of ongoing activities” in Syria.

The site in Deir Ezzor only became public knowledge after Israel launched airstrikes in 2007 that destroyed the facility. Syria later leveled the site and never responded fully to the IAEA’s questions about it.

The draft resolution welcomed “the transparency and cooperation” of Syria’s new authorities and commended them “for the actions taken in resolving its non-compliance.”

During a visit to Syria in August, Grossi and a team of senior inspectors observed the ongoing excavation work of the Deir Ezzor reactor.

They also inspected additional locations, including sites for fuel fabrication and fuel storage and for planned reprocessing activities.

The IAEA chief and a team of senior agency officials also inspected a previously undeclared site in Syria where they witnessed the unearthing of 73 tons of natural uranium metal, of which 55 tons were in the form of fuel rods.

All of this material has been placed under IAEA surveillance measures.

Arab World

Jordan Says Air Defenses Intercepted 18 out of 20 Missiles Launched from Iran

Projectiles streak across the sky in this screengrab taken from footage published by Iranian authorities purporting to show missiles launched at US military targets in Jordan from an unknown location, released on August 31, 2026. Wana News Agency via REUTERS
Projectiles streak across the sky in this screengrab taken from footage published by Iranian authorities purporting to show missiles launched at US military targets in Jordan from an unknown location, released on August 31, 2026. Wana News Agency via REUTERS
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Jordan Says Air Defenses Intercepted 18 out of 20 Missiles Launched from Iran

Projectiles streak across the sky in this screengrab taken from footage published by Iranian authorities purporting to show missiles launched at US military targets in Jordan from an unknown location, released on August 31, 2026. Wana News Agency via REUTERS
Projectiles streak across the sky in this screengrab taken from footage published by Iranian authorities purporting to show missiles launched at US military targets in Jordan from an unknown location, released on August 31, 2026. Wana News Agency via REUTERS

The Jordanian Army said in a statement on Wednesday that its air defenses intercepted 18 out of 20 ballistic missiles originating from Iran while two other missiles fell in a remote area confirming that there were no casualties.

The statement quoted the army’s official spokesman as saying that “Jordanian air defense systems had dealt with 20 ballistic missiles launched toward Jordanian territory from Iran. Eighteen of the missiles were successfully intercepted and destroyed, while two fell in areas away from populated areas”, he said, adding that there were no casualties.

Iran's Revolutionary Guard had earlier said that it fired ballistic missiles at a base in Jordan used by the US military and attacked 10 ships on Wednesday, after the US said it had destroyed five Iranian oil tankers, in a sharp escalation of the six-month-old war.

Iran has also threatened oil tankers in Kuwaiti and ‌Bahraini ports, according to a statement carried by state media.

IRNA quoted a message by Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as saying: “In light of the hostile actions being carried out by the terrorist US military, including its targeting of several oil tankers belonging to the Islamic Republic of Iran, we warn all crews of oil tankers in the vicinity of the ports of Kuwait and Bahrain, which host these terrorists and participate in their hostile actions, and urge them to leave their vessels immediately, whether they are in waiting areas or at the docks, as they will be subject to attack.”

US Central Command (CENTCOM) said it destroyed five Iranian crude oil tankers on Sept. 8 after Iran’s Revolutionary Guards twice targeted a US Navy warship with ballistic missiles. The warship evaded the attacks and continued its patrols without any US casualties.