US strikes Iran’s Qeshm island

At least five people, including a child, were killed in Israeli attacks on southern Lebanon on Wednesday, as the US military carried out new strikes on Iran’s Qeshm Island on Day 96 of the expanding US-Israel war on Iran.

The civilian deaths in Burj Shemali, Ebba and Tibnin, where 45 others were wounded, continue to mount as the conflict widens across the Gulf region. The child’s name was not available from Lebanese health authorities at time of publication.

Kuwait activated its air defence systems after announcing it had intercepted incoming drones and missiles. Bahrain also sounded warning sirens. CENTCOM said US forces intercepted multiple Iranian missiles and drones targeting American assets, and struck an Iranian ground control station on Qeshm Island in what it called a “self-defence” operation.

The strikes on Qeshm represent a new phase in the conflict, with the US military targeting Iranian territory for the 96th consecutive day. Iranian media reported explosions on the island, which sits near the strategic Strait of Hormuz through which a significant portion of the world’s oil passes.

IRGC naval forces claimed they targeted a US-Israeli vessel with naval missiles in response to what Tehran says was a US strike on an Iranian oil tanker near the Strait of Hormuz. IRGC also claimed attacks on US military targets including an airbase and the Fifth Fleet headquarters in Bahrain. CENTCOM dismissed those claims as false.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei “is alive and becoming increasingly engaged” in negotiations, but warned Washington has not offered sanctions relief in exchange for opening the Strait of Hormuz. Relief would only come for nuclear concessions, Rubio testified to the Senate.

President Trump said negotiations were continuing but “one never knows” where talks may lead. Iran’s chief negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf warned Tehran could abandon talks if Israeli attacks on Lebanon continue.

Analyst Alan Eyre noted any deal must deliver tangible benefits for both sides, pointing to the Strait closure creating urgent global market pressure.

Democratic Senators Chris Van Hollen and Cory Booker condemned the Trump administration’s handling of the war. Van Hollen called it a “dumpster fire” while Booker said it “never should have happened.” But with only two Senate Democrats publicly criticising the escalation, the vast majority of Congress has enabled the continued bombing.

Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu announced “massive plans” for northern Israel including $20bn in investment, describing the conflict with Lebanon as a “drone problem.” Al Jazeera’s Nida Ibrahim reported growing Israeli political criticism of Netanyahu, with analysts suggesting he sought to expand operations in Beirut partly to derail US-Iran diplomatic talks.

The five Lebanese victims remain unnamed in available reports. Their deaths footnote a diplomatic process that has yet to produce a ceasefire despite 96 days of bombing. Whether talks will deliver peace or merely manage the war’s expansion remains unanswered.