Good morning Middle East Eye readers,
Here are the latest developments:
-
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has said that it intercepted and destroyed a US MQ-9 drone over the Strait of Hormuz early on Tuesday. The statement, carried by state media, announced that an advanced air defence system operated by the IRGC’s aerospace force had shot down the drone.
-
US President Donald Trump has slammed Nato allies, saying they "weren't there to help" Washington during its war on Iran. "We stand with Europe despite its flaws, its weaknesses…But if they don't soon find their way, and they have to find their way, we will have no choice but to leave," he said at a campaign rally.
-
The Hind Rajab Foundation said it filed an urgent request with the US Department of Justice to arrest and prosecute an Israeli commander over his alleged involvement in the killing of five-year-old Hind Rajab. It identified him as Sean Glass, adding that he commanded the Israeli unit implicated in Rajab's killing.
-
The Saudi-led coalition in Yemen warned Houthis against smuggling weapons, missiles and military equipment through boats. The coalition's Joint Forces Command said that these actions threaten security in the country and beyond, and urged boat owners not to cooperate with the group.
-
US Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during an unannounced visit to Israel on Monday, Axios reported. The Pentagon and the Israeli Embassy in Washington declined to comment, according to Axios, while the Israeli Prime Minister's Office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
-
Israeli fighter jets were spotted over southern and eastern Syria, local sources reported. The jet fighters were also seen above Muthanna governorate in southern Iraq, according to the local sources.