The Israeli military issued evacuation orders early Monday for residents of Deir Zahrani in southern Lebanon, warning them to leave a designated zone ahead of anticipated strikes against Hezbollah. The army stated that Hezbollah’s “terrorist activity compels the IDF to act forcefully,” identifying the target as a Hezbollah facility.
Shortly after the warnings, Hezbollah’s Al-Manar television reported that Israeli airstrikes had hit Deir Zahrani. This escalation comes amid broader regional instability involving direct military confrontations between the United States and Iran.
In the Persian Gulf, oil prices extended their gains as concerns over prolonged supply disruptions intensified. Brent crude futures rose 52 cents to $96.80 a barrel, while US West Texas Intermediate crude climbed 66 cents to $92.14 a barrel. The price hike followed tit-for-tat strikes on vessels by both nations in the Strait of Hormuz and surrounding waters.
Shipping data from analytics firm Kpler indicated that traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has dropped to its lowest level since May. An average of only 10 commodity ships transited the strait daily over the past 10 days, down from more than 15 on Friday. Only two vessels passed through on Saturday, with six using the Iranian route on Sunday.
Compounding the geopolitical tension, Mohsen Rezaei, head of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, announced on Sunday that Tehran plans to declare a new “exclusion zone” near the Strait of Hormuz. Rezaei told state broadcaster that the zone would extend from the US naval blockade line into the Persian Gulf. He warned that any ship identified attempting to transit the area with the intent of passing through would be placed on Iran’s sanctions list.
The announcement followed US strikes on three Iranian oil tankers, which were conducted in response to Tehran launching ballistic missiles at US warships. Experts have described the missile launches as a dangerous escalation, noting that previous Iranian attacks at sea had primarily targeted commercial shipping rather than military assets.
Gulf tensions are getting out of hand. One wrong move and we could see a full regional war very quickly.
I find it hard to believe shipping through Hormuz has dropped so drastically. The data seems alarming.
Evacuation orders right before strikes? This feels like standard IDF protocol, but still terrifying for locals.
Is anyone else concerned that Iran is now targeting military ships directly? That seems like a major red line.
The oil price spike is worrying. $96 a barrel will hurt everyday commuters everywhere.