Iran Threatens Hormuz Closure and Missiles as Israel-Lebanon Fighting Escalates

Iran announced that it would close the Strait of Hormuz, saying it was acting “because of the violations in Lebanon,” while also threatening missile fire overnight despite the declaration. The update comes as new talks in Switzerland are set for tomorrow.

In Lebanon, officials said more than 110 people were killed in Israeli Defense Forces strikes after the tank disaster involving the battalion commander. The IDF was also ordered to hold its fire in Lebanon. At the same time, reports described intense Hezbollah fire and said dozens of Hezbollah militants were trapped after the IDF took control of a critical compound.

The roundup also highlighted a moving letter from the widow of the fallen battalion commander, opening with the line, “Codeword beloved, this is codeword beloved.” Another item said a post by Itamar Ben Gvir, “A thousand Lebanese mothers will cry,” drew global outrage and had 17 million views.

Internationally, Barack Obama said the world had returned to the status quo with Iran, “only worse.” The digest also noted Donald Trump’s inauguration of the Air Force One he received from Qatar, his thanks to the emir, a clash with Giorgia Meloni, and World Cup headlines, including Brazil’s comeback, the United States advancing, a historic red card for hiding a face, and Ronaldinho’s return to football at age 46.