Day 17: Israel opens a new front in Lebanon, world ignores Trump's call on Hormuz

The Israeli army announced on Sunday the start of a new ground operation in southern Lebanon against Hezbollah. According to CNN, IDF units are advancing more than a kilometer beyond the ceasefire line toward the Litani River as part of what the army calls "forward defense." Before the offensive, Israel destroyed the headquarters of the elite Radwan unit in Beirut and issued dozens of evacuation warnings to residents of border villages. According to the Lebanese Ministry of Health, the conflict in Lebanon has claimed 850 lives and left more than 2,000 injured since February 28, with 800,000 people forced to leave their homes. Hezbollah claims its fighters have so far repelled the advance on several axes. CNN ↗

Trump's call on allies to send warships to secure the Strait of Hormuz met with almost total indifference. Australia and Japan explicitly refused to send vessels. German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul told ARD: "Are we about to become an active part of this conflict? No." China's response was evasive — spokesperson Liu Pengyu said that all parties bear responsibility for ensuring stable energy supplies, but made no commitment. Analyst Barbara Slavin of the Stimson Center noted that Iranian oil is flowing to China without any problems, since Iran is only blocking supplies to US allies. Britain and France said they are examining the situation, but without concrete pledges. The only partial success was recorded by India, whose minister Jaishankar negotiated a passage for two Indian gas tankers. Al Jazeera ↗

National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett admitted on CBS on Sunday that the war in Iran has cost the United States approximately $12 billion so far. More than $5 billion was spent on munitions in the first week alone. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth warned meanwhile that the bombing of Iran is about to intensify dramatically, suggesting further cost increases. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, after a classified briefing, expressed concerns about so-called mission creep and said the administration gives different answers about the targets of the strikes every day. Al Jazeera ↗

Iran declared Ukraine a legitimate military target on Sunday. The chairman of the Iranian parliament's national security committee, Ebrahim Azizi, responding to Kyiv's decision to send anti-drone teams to the region, said that helping Israel with drones makes the entire territory of Ukraine a lawful target for Iran. Ukrainian President Zelensky confirmed that Kyiv, at the request of the US, sent specialists and low-cost interceptor drones to Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and the American base in Jordan. Ukraine has four years of experience shooting down Iranian Shahed drones and has developed interceptors costing $1,000 to $2,000 apiece. Zelensky is requesting a deal worth $35 to $50 billion in exchange for this assistance. NBC News ↗

According to CNN, Iran is strategically using cluster munitions with ballistic missiles to deplete Israel's interceptor stockpiles. A single missile with a cluster warhead forces air defenses to fire dozens of interceptors, systematically weakening Israel's defensive shield. According to a regional source cited by CNN, at least one American ally in the Gulf is already in a critical state in terms of missile defense supplies. CNN ↗

Iran's Revolutionary Guards carried out what they described as the 50th wave of operations against American bases in the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Kuwait on Sunday. The UAE intercepted 9 ballistic missiles and 33 drones. One drone struck a fuel tank near Dubai International Airport, the busiest in the world in terms of international traffic. The fire was extinguished and no one was injured. French President Macron spoke by phone with Iranian President Pezeshkian on Sunday, demanding an immediate halt to attacks in the region and the restoration of free navigation in the Strait of Hormuz. Al Jazeera ↗

Iranian security forces have detained more than 500 people accused of leaking information to the enemy since the start of the war. Tehran has imposed military censorship and reinforced checkpoints throughout the country. According to the US-based Center for Human Rights in Iran, the total number of people detained since the start of the conflict is as high as 30,000, including reformist politicians, doctors, lawyers, and journalists. NPR ↗

At the 2026 Oscars ceremony in Los Angeles, several actors and filmmakers called for an end to the war. Actress Saja Kilani said on the red carpet: "We demand a permanent ceasefire. The bombing continues to this day." The Iranian documentary Cutting Through Rocks became the first Iranian documentary ever nominated for an Oscar. The ceremony took place just hours after Pope Leo XIV delivered his sharpest call yet to end the conflict, saying: "In the name of the Christians of the Middle East and all people of good will, stop the shooting!" Al Jazeera ↗

Toll on the eighteenth day of the war: at least 1,444 dead and 18,551 wounded in Iran, 850 dead in Lebanon, 15 dead in Israel, and 13 American soldiers. 3.2 million Iranians and 800,000 Lebanese have been displaced. Brent crude remains above $100 a barrel. Al Jazeera ↗