Tasnim said Iran and its regional allies were considering activating additional fronts, including the Bab El-Mandeb Strait, to pressure Israel and its supporters.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said any violation of the ceasefire in Lebanon would have consequences, holding the United States and Israel responsible.

The report said Tehran would not resume talks until Israeli military operations in Gaza and Lebanon cease and Israeli forces withdraw from occupied areas in Lebanon.

The report said Iran’s leadership has imposed strict security measures following U.S. and Israeli military operations that intelligence officials believe exposed vulnerabilities within the country’s command structure and contributed to the deaths of several senior Iranian figures.

According to CBS, Iranian officials authorized to engage with Washington have faced difficulties communicating within their own leadership system, with proposals transmitted to Tehran taking extended periods to receive responses.

U.S. officials cited by the broadcaster said messages intended for the supreme leader are relayed through intermediaries before guidance is returned, slowing decision-making at a sensitive stage in diplomatic contacts between Tehran and the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump.

The report said many senior Iranian officials are spending extended periods in fortified facilities and limiting direct communications as part of broader efforts to reduce exposure to potential attacks.

CBS reported that even some high-ranking officials either do not know Khamenei’s precise location or lack direct access to him. Communications are said to be handled through trusted couriers whose role is to shield information about his whereabouts.

According to the report, Khamenei is providing broad direction on issues that can be discussed in negotiations while identifying matters that remain outside the scope of talks.

The security measures have emerged as diplomatic efforts continue to explore a possible framework for easing tensions between Washington and Tehran following weeks of conflict and heightened regional instability.

CBS reported that Khamenei has not made a public appearance since before the outbreak of the war, underscoring the extent of the security precautions surrounding Iran’s leadership.

According to Iran’s Mehr News Agency, the aircraft was identified as an Orbiter surveillance drone, an Israeli-designed unmanned aerial vehicle used for reconnaissance and intelligence-gathering missions.
The report said Iranian military personnel, working alongside naval forces, recovered wreckage from the drone after it was brought down in Hormozgan Province, a strategically important region overlooking the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most significant maritime energy corridors.

Iranian authorities did not immediately provide details regarding the circumstances of the interception, including the drone’s flight path, mission profile or the method used to bring it down.

There was no immediate comment from the Israeli government or the Israel Defense Forces regarding the Iranian claim.

The reported incident occurred against the backdrop of heightened regional diplomacy and growing expectations that Iran and the United States could be nearing a memorandum of understanding aimed at easing tensions after months of confrontation across the Middle East.

Relations between Iran and Israel have remained highly strained amid ongoing regional conflicts, cyber operations, proxy confrontations and competing security interests. Both countries have frequently accused one another of conducting intelligence and military activities beyond their borders.

The Orbiter series of drones, developed by Israeli defense manufacturers, is designed for surveillance, target acquisition and reconnaissance missions. Such systems are typically employed to gather real-time intelligence while minimizing risk to personnel.

If confirmed, the downing of the drone would represent another episode in the long-running shadow conflict between Iran and Israel, even as diplomatic efforts continue to reshape the broader regional security environment.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said on Monday that unidentified groups operating from northern Iraq and allegedly acting on behalf of the United States and Israel had tried to transport a large cache of American weapons and ammunition into Iranian territory.

The accusations come amid heightened regional tensions following months of conflict involving Iran and Israel, despite a ceasefire announced in April.

Representatives of the Kurdish opposition groups, which maintain bases in Iraq’s autonomous Kurdistan region, dismissed the allegations as unfounded and politically motivated.

Party of Free Life of Kurdistan official Ahwan Chiako said claims regarding the seizure of weapons had “absolutely nothing to do with us.”

“We did not send weapons. No arms or equipment belonging to us have been seized by the Islamic regime,” Chiako told AFP.

Komala spokesperson Amjad Hossein Panahi said the accusations were “completely false” and served as justification for continued Iranian missile and drone strikes targeting areas in Iraq’s Kurdistan region.

An official from the Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan, speaking anonymously because he was not authorized to address the media, also denied any involvement in weapons transfers into Iran.

Tehran has long accused Kurdish armed factions based in Iraq of collaborating with Western governments or Israel and classifies several of the groups as terrorist organizations.

Iran has repeatedly conducted cross-border missile and drone strikes against Kurdish opposition positions in Iraq since the outbreak of the broader Middle East conflict, although many camps and facilities had reportedly been evacuated before the attacks intensified.

Earlier in the conflict, speculation emerged in regional media suggesting that Kurdish opposition groups might coordinate with the United States in the event of wider instability inside Iran. Iranian authorities subsequently warned they would target any militant activity launched from Iraqi Kurdistan.

Deputy Prime Minister of Iraq’s Kurdistan region Qubad Talabani said in March that the United States was not supplying weapons to Iranian Kurdish opposition groups.

US President Donald Trump had earlier suggested support for anti-government unrest inside Iran before later stating that attempts to arm Iranian protesters had failed because Kurdish intermediaries allegedly diverted the weapons.

Aoun’s remarks came after Israeli strikes targeted several locations in southern Lebanon and the Iran-backed armed group Hezbollah announced a drone attack on what it described as a military target in northern Israel.

“The framework that Lebanon has set for the negotiations consists of an Israeli withdrawal, a ceasefire, the deployment of the army along the border, the return of the displaced, and economic aid,” Aoun said in a statement.

“My duty, based on my position and my responsibility, is to do the impossible, and to choose what is least costly, in order to stop the war against Lebanon and its people,” he added.

The ceasefire, initially reached on April 17, was extended by 45 days last week following a third round of talks between Lebanese and Israeli representatives in Washington. Hezbollah has opposed the negotiations.

Despite the truce, violence has persisted along the border. Hezbollah said Monday it launched a drone targeting an Iron Dome air defense platform at an Israeli military encampment in northern Israel, describing the strike as retaliation for Israeli ceasefire violations.

Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency reported multiple Israeli strikes across southern Lebanon, while the Israeli military issued evacuation warnings for residents in three southern Lebanese towns.

The latest escalation followed Israeli strikes on Sunday that Lebanese authorities said killed seven people, including a member of Palestinian Islamic Jihad in northeastern Lebanon, away from the border region.

Israeli forces have maintained operations inside parts of southern Lebanon within a self-declared “yellow line” extending roughly 10 kilometers north of the border. Israeli troops have also carried out demolitions in areas under their control.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday that Israel was confronting growing threats from first-person-view drones increasingly deployed by Hezbollah against Israeli forces.

According to Lebanese authorities, Israeli military operations have killed more than 2,900 people in Lebanon since the conflict began, including more than 400 since the ceasefire took effect in April.

Authorities in Abu Dhabi said emergency teams responded to a fire in an electrical generator located outside the inner perimeter of the Barakah facility in the Al Dhafra Region following the drone strike.

The IAEA said it was closely monitoring developments and remained in continuous contact with UAE authorities, adding that it stood ready to provide assistance if required.

The Federal Authority for Nuclear Regulation said radiological safety levels were unaffected and confirmed the plant’s critical systems continued operating normally.

“No injuries were reported, and there was no impact on radiological safety,” the Abu Dhabi Media Office said in a statement, adding that all operational units at the facility remained functional.

Authorities urged the public to rely on official information sources and avoid circulating unverified reports related to the incident.

The Barakah plant, located west of Abu Dhabi near the Saudi border, is the Arab world’s first operational nuclear power facility and plays a central role in the UAE’s strategy to diversify energy sources and reduce carbon emissions.

The incident comes amid heightened regional tensions and increased concerns over the vulnerability of critical energy and infrastructure facilities to drone and missile attacks across the Gulf region.

Neither UAE authorities nor the IAEA immediately identified those responsible for the drone strike.

In a statement, the UAE foreign ministry said Iran had launched nearly 3,000 ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and drones toward the UAE and other countries across the region, causing civilian casualties and damage to infrastructure.

The ministry described the attacks as a violation of state sovereignty and a direct threat to regional security and stability.

“The UAE has condemned in the strongest terms the unprovoked Iranian attacks and threats targeting the UAE and countries across the region,” the statement said.

The ministry added that all measures taken by the UAE were defensive in nature and aimed at protecting civilians, infrastructure and national security interests.
It said attempts to pressure the UAE through “coercion” or what it called “malicious narratives and allegations” would not alter the country’s policies or undermine its sovereign decision-making.

The statement came after weeks of heightened regional tensions triggered by a military campaign launched by the United States and Israel against Iran on Feb. 28.

The conflict prompted retaliatory strikes by Tehran targeting Gulf states, Israel and US assets across the region, raising concerns over the security of energy infrastructure and maritime routes.

A ceasefire announced on April 7 has largely held despite sporadic skirmishes and continued diplomatic strain between regional powers.

The UAE has repeatedly called for de-escalation and regional stability while maintaining close security coordination with Western allies and Gulf partners amid the ongoing tensions.

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations Centre (UKMTO), which monitors shipping threats in the region, said the vessel sustained a small fire following the impact. The blaze was later extinguished and no casualties were reported.

The UKMTO did not identify the ship, disclose its ownership, or specify the nature of the projectile involved in the incident. No group immediately claimed responsibility.

The attack comes amid heightened tensions across Gulf shipping lanes following weeks of military escalation involving Washington and Tehran.

Commercial maritime traffic in the region has faced increased security risks since the outbreak of clashes earlier this year, prompting naval deployments and intensified monitoring operations by Western and regional forces.

The Persian Gulf and surrounding waterways remain among the world’s most strategically sensitive maritime corridors, carrying a substantial share of global crude oil exports and liquefied natural gas shipments. Security incidents in the area are closely watched by energy markets and international shipping operators.

Earlier this month, the United States Central Command released images showing the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Rafael Peralta enforcing a maritime blockade against an Iran-flagged crude oil tanker identified as the Herby, which Washington said was attempting to reach an Iranian port.

The latest incident off Qatar underscores continuing instability in Gulf waters despite efforts to maintain the ceasefire and reduce the risk of broader regional confrontation.

In a video statement released by his office, Netanyahu said Israeli forces had “eliminated” the commander of Hezbollah’s Radwan force in the Lebanese capital the previous night, referring to the armed group’s elite military unit.“Anyone who threatens the State of Israel will die because of his actions,” Netanyahu said, reiterating Israel’s position that it would continue targeting militant leaders it considers security threats.

The strike in central Beirut marked another escalation despite an existing ceasefire arrangement between Israel and Lebanon, and came ahead of a new round of U.S.-mediated talks scheduled in Washington next week.Hezbollah has not immediately issued detailed public comment on Netanyahu’s statement.

Israel has continued airstrikes in Lebanon in recent weeks, saying it is targeting Hezbollah infrastructure and commanders linked to attacks against Israeli territory.The Radwan force is regarded as one of Hezbollah’s most prominent combat units and has been central to the group’s operations along the Israel-Lebanon frontier.

The U.S. Treasury Department said Iraqi Deputy Oil Minister Ali Maarij Al-Bahadly used his government position to help divert oil revenues to the Iranian government and affiliated militias.In a statement, the Treasury alleged Al-Bahadly facilitated the sale of oil “for the benefit of the Iranian regime and its proxy militias in Iraq.”

Iraq’s oil ministry and Al-Bahadly did not immediately respond to requests for comment.The sanctions were announced as Washington and Iran moved closer to a temporary arrangement aimed at halting ongoing hostilities, although key disputes between the two sides remain unresolved.

The Treasury Department also imposed sanctions on three senior leaders linked to the Iran-backed militias Kata’ib Sayyid Al-Shuhada and Asa’ib Ahl Al-Haq, groups Washington has previously accused of threatening U.S. interests and regional stability.

“Treasury will not stand idly by as Iran’s military exploits Iraqi oil to fund terrorism against the United States and our partners,” U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in a statement.Under U.S. sanctions rules, any assets held in the United States by the designated individuals are frozen, while U.S. citizens and entities are generally prohibited from conducting transactions with them.

The move follows comments in March by Iraqi Oil Minister Hayan Abdel-Ghani, who said Iranian oil tankers intercepted by U.S. forces in the Gulf had been operating with forged Iraqi documentation. Tehran denied those allegations.

The sanctions underscore Washington’s continuing efforts to curb Iran’s regional financial networks while maintaining parallel diplomatic contacts over de-escalation efforts in the wider Middle East conflict.