Iran has accused the US of violating the ceasefire agreement by maintaining a blockade on its ports. Meanwhile, a French peacekeeper was killed in southern Lebanon.
Second vessel attacked near Strait of Hormuz, UKMTO says
The UK Maritime Trade Operations reported on the second attack on a vessel near the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday, hours after Iran announced it was closing the strategic waterway yet again.
UKMTO said an unknown projectile hit the container vessel 25 nautical miles (46 kilometers) northeast of Oman, damaging some of its containers.
Earlier on Saturday, UKMTO reported that two gunboats from Iran’s Revolutionary Guard opened fire on a tanker transiting the strait.
UKMTO minutes later reported on a third incident 3 nautical miles east of Oman.
“The master of a cruise ship reported sighting a splash in close proximity of the vessel,” UKMTO said.
UNIFIL says ‘non-state actors’ attacked troops in southern Lebanon
The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon said on Saturday that its troops came under “small-arms fire from non-state actors” in southern Lebanon, killing one peacekeeper.
The attack occurred during a UNIFIL patrol clearing explosives along the road in the village of Ghandouriyeh, the UNIFIL statement said. Three more peacekeepers were injured, two of them seriously.
“UNIFIL condemns this deliberate attack on peacekeepers engaged in their mandated tasks,” UNIFIL said. “The work of explosive ordnance disposal teams is vital in the mission’s area of operations especially in the wake of the recent hostilities.”
The peacekeeping force launched its own probe into the incident, saying that “initial assessment indicates the fire came from non-state actors (allegedly Hezbollah).”
“UNIFIL calls on the Government of Lebanon to swiftly initiate an investigation to identify and hold the perpetrators accountable for the crimes committed against UNIFIL peacekeepers,” it added.
French soldier killed in attack on UNIFIL in southern Lebanon, Macron says
French President Emmanuel Macron said that a French peacekeeper was killed in an attack against UN peacekeepers in southern Lebanon Saturday, blaming Hezbollah for the attack.
“Everything suggests that responsibility for this attack lies with Hezbollah,” Macron said on X. “France demands that the Lebanese authorities immediately arrest the perpetrators and take their responsibilities alongside UNIFIL.”
Lebanon’s prime minister had condemned the attack and ordered a probe.
The Lebanese military, which also condemned the attack, said in a statement carried by the state news agency NNA that it was a result of “an exchange of fire with armed men.”
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun vowed in a phone call with Macron to prosecute those responsible for the attack. (DW)