Fibre-optic drones have become Hezbollah's primary weapon against Israeli soldiers and civilians, along both sides of the Lebanese border, and are now seen as the biggest threat there, as fighting continues six weeks into a supposed ceasefire. One Israeli soldier was killed and two others injured in a drone attack near the Israeli border community of Shomera on Wednesday. Of the 11 Israeli soldiers and one civilian defence contractor killed since the ceasefire came into force, eight have been killed by fibre-optic drones. Most of the attacks have targeted Israeli forces, which are currently occupying a large area of southern Lebanon, but Hezbollah is also increasingly attacking Israeli communities across the border, according to the Alma Research Center, an Israeli think tank which monitors the conflict. It has recorded more than 100 drone attacks against communities inside Israel since the ceasefire began in April.

The US military has carried out new strikes on Iran, targeting a military site in Bandar Abbas, a strategic port city. US Central Command (Centcom) said its forces also shot down four Iranian one-way attack drones that posed a threat around the Strait of Hormuz. The site in Bandar Abbas was struck as it was about to launch a fifth drone, Centcom said. Iranian media reported that explosions were heard to the east of the city. The strikes come amid a fragile ceasefire between the US and Iran, and protracted negotiations to end the three-month war that has choked traffic in the Strait of Hormuz and shot up global energy prices.

The Israeli military has said it is carrying out air strikes on Hezbollah targets in Tyre in southern Lebanon, after ordering the evacuation of the entire city. The military told residents that it was compelled to act forcefully in Tyre because the Iran-backed armed group was violating a US-brokered ceasefire that began five weeks ago. Earlier on Wednesday, Lebanese media reported a wave of Israeli strikes across the south and the eastern Bekaa Valley, with four people killed in the towns of Choukine and Nabatieh. Hezbollah, which has itself accused Israel of breaching the ceasefire, said it was battling Israeli troops north of the Litani river, about 30km (19 miles) from the border. It came a day after Israel's prime minister announced an expansion of its ground operation following Hezbollah drone attacks on troops occupying part of southern Lebanon and on civilians in northern Israel.

Israel has launched an intensive wave of strikes across swathes of southern and eastern Lebanon, after vowing to step up its military action against Hezbollah. The Israeli military said it hit more than 100 Hezbollah infrastructure sites and fighters during what was one of the heaviest nights of bombardment since a US-brokered ceasefire began in mid-April. Strikes in the Bekaa Valley village of Mashghara killed 11 people, including two children, Lebanon's health ministry said. The military said it hit sites where terrorist activity was identified. It came after Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he had given the instruction to press the pedal even harder in targeting Hezbollah.

The Israeli military says it has begun a wave of strikes across Lebanon following an announcement by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that his country will intensify its attacks on Hezbollah. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it had launched strikes against Hezbollah sites in the Bekaa Valley in the east of Lebanon and additional areas across the country. It followed a video statement on Monday evening in which Netanyahu said Israel was at war with Hezbollah and that he had given the military instructions to deal them a crushing blow. Earlier this month Lebanon and Israel agreed to extend a 45-day ceasefire, though some fighting has continued. There will be fears in Beirut that these latest Israeli attacks will widen to include Lebanon's capital city.

The United Arab Emirates is investigating the source of a drone strike which triggered a fire near a nuclear power station, officials have said. The country's defence ministry said three drones had entered the UAE from the western border direction on Sunday. While two were intercepted, the third drone struck an electrical generator outside the inner perimeter of the Barakah Nuclear Power Plant in Abu Dhabi. No injuries were reported and there was no impact on radiological safety levels, local authorities said. The country's defence ministry said in a statement that investigations were under way to determine the source of the attacks.

The UK has said it will contribute drones, fighter jets and a warship to a joint mission aimed at safeguarding shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. Defence minister John Healey announced the package at a virtual summit of defence ministers on Tuesday. It includes autonomous systems to detect and clear naval mines, drone boats and Typhoon jets for air patrols. More than 40 other nations are involved in the mission, which Healey said would begin when conditions allow. For months Iran has been controlling the Strait of Hormuz - one of the world's busiest oil shipping channels - in retaliation for US and Israeli attacks.

How well do you know Iran? A fragile ceasefire in the US-Israel war on Iran is coming under growing strain as several Gulf countries have reported drone attacks. Qatar said on Sunday that a drone struck a cargo ship in Qatari waters, sparking a fire, while Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates said they repelled drone attacks. Qatar's Ministry of Defence said the freighter had been arriving in the country's waters from the UAE capital, Abu Dhabi, and was hit by a drone northeast of the port of Mesaieed. "The vessel continued its journey toward Mesaieed Port after the fire was brought under control," the ministry said. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said a bulk carrier reported being struck by an "unknown projectile", and a small fire had been extinguished, but there were no casualties from the incident.

'This is an apartheid regime' A Palestinian boy mourns his father, one of three people killed in an Israeli strike on a security post in Gaza. The attack is part of ongoing Israeli violence, despite a fragile ceasefire, which has killed at least 846 Palestinians, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. Iran's president says he has spoken to the country's Supreme Leader

What are Russia's gains from the Iran war? 'We are not losers; we are winners' Russia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs says it has warned diplomatic missions to promptly evacuate their staff from the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, in case Moscow launches a mass strike on the city in response to potential Ukrainian attempts to disrupt Russia's May 9 Victory Day commemorations. In a video posted on Telegram on Wednesday, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova urged diplomats to heed the Defence Ministry's warning of a strike, issued on Monday, in the event of a Ukrainian attack during the commemorations of the Soviet Union's victory against Nazi Germany in World War II and a military parade in Red Square. Zakharova said that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had made "aggressive and threatening statements" about disrupting the commemorations at a meeting of the European Political Community in Armenia on Monday. "Several EU countries were present," she said. In his remarks in Armenia, Zelenskyy noted a Russian announcement that the commemorations were being scaled down and taking place without military hardware for security reasons.