Morning update

Good morning Middle East Eye readers,

Tensions across the Middle East have escalated overnight, with new fronts opening, missile exchanges continuing and diplomatic efforts struggling to keep pace. Here are the key developments this morning:

• Yemen’s Houthis claimed a missile attack on Israel, warning that strikes will continue as part of the widening regional conflict.

• Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, warned that Israel would pay a “heavy price” for recent strikes on Iranian infrastructure. Israel on Friday attacked Iran's largest steel factories and struck near the Bushehr nuclear power plant. 

• Iran told the International Atomic Energy Agency that Israel also hit a heavy water production plant at Khondab, adding that "no radiation risk was seen" as the installation contains no nuclear material. 

• Israeli troops have invaded parts of Lebanon with military officials signalling plans to establish what they describe as a “security zone” up to the Litani River. More than a million people have been displaced and fear they may not be able to come back. 

• Oil prices surged, with Kuwaiti crude rising above $118 per barrel amid disruptions and fears over the Strait of Hormuz.

• Israeli media reported civilians rushed to shelters 18 times overnight in northern areas, including Haifa, Galilee and Acre, amid siresn warned of incoming rockets. 

• Thailand said it reached an agreement with Iran to allow oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz, aiming to secure energy supplies.

• The United Nations warned that disruptions in Hormuz could trigger a humanitarian crisis by affecting fertiliser supplies and global agriculture.