Rubio signals progress in Israel-Lebanon talks despite fresh violence, maritime tensions
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Crude oil price spiked after a suspected Iranian drone struck a Singapore-flagged container ship in Strait of Hormuz.
As of 8.03am Tokyo time on Friday (June 26, 2028), benchmark Brent crude climbed $1.52 to $75.26 a barrel, a gain of 2.06%. Murban crude, the Abu Dhabi benchmark, posted the strongest move, jumping 2.61 to $69.06, up nearly 4%. West Texas Intermediate crude, however, slipped 50 cents to $71.42, down 0.70%.
The price action came hours after the Singapore-flagged Ever Lovely was hit while exiting the strait near Oman. UK Maritime Trade Operations and multiple security sources reported the suspected drone strike, which US officials attributed to the IRGC.
The vessel sustained damage but continued sailing with no reported injuries. The incident prompted the UN agency overseeing a limited evacuation/convoy effort in the strait to pause operations, underscoring lingering risks despite a recent US-Iran understanding aimed at restoring shipping.
A cargo ship near Oman was reportedly hit in a drone strike blamed on Iran, two US officials told Reuters. A suspected drone hit Singapore-flagged container ship Ever Lovely in the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday (June 25, 2026), in a strike attributed to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), Fox and Al Jazeera reported. The incident occurred as the ship was exiting the Strait of Hormuz near the coast of Oman. US officials directly attributed the attack to the IRGC, Fox reported. No major injuries or details on damage extent were widely reported in initial updates.Following the attack, the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) has temporarily suspended its evacuation initiative with immediate effect.
The Israeli army said it had killed several suspected Hezbollah operatives on Thursday in two separate incidents around the so-called "security zone" its forces have established in southern Lebanon.
In the first case, the military said soldiers "identified five Hezbollah terrorists who posed a threat to them" in Zawtar al-Sharqiyah, while in the second, they "identified an armed Hezbollah terrorist" around the strategic Ali al-Taher Ridge.
"Following the identifications, the Israeli Air Force and the ground forces fired toward the terrorists and eliminated them to remove the threat," it said.
The International Maritime Organisation (IMO) has suspended its ship and seafarer evacuation plan for the Strait of Hormuz following an attack on a vessel in the waterway.
In a statement, the IMO said the evacuation plan would remain suspended until further clarification. It added that the vessel attacked in the Gulf of Oman earlier on Thursday had not requested assistance under the organisation's evacuation framework.
Lebanon has cancelled this year's official secondary school examinations, known as the baccalaureate, because of the country's deteriorating security situation, Education Minister Rima Karami said on Thursday.
Speaking after a Cabinet meeting, Karami said all students registered for the national examinations would be exempt and awarded certificates based on continuous assessment throughout the academic year.
Students will qualify for the certificate provided they achieved an average score of at least 9.5 out of 20.
Karami said the official baccalaureate examinations were cancelled "due to the exceptional circumstances and difficult security conditions the country is facing."
France and Italy want to set up a multinational coalition to succeed the UN peacekeeping force in Lebanon, UNIFIL, French President Emmanuel Macron said on Thursday.
"We want to launch a coalition for the post-UNIFIL arrangement, obviously in coordination with the European Union and the United Nations, to strengthen Lebanon's sovereignty and that of its armed forces," Macron said after talks with Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.
Israel said Thursday that it had set no timetable for withdrawing its forces from Lebanon, Gaza and Syria, as Israeli and Lebanese officials engaged in US-brokered talks in Washington.
The Israeli military has launched widespread airstrikes in Lebanon and sent troops into the country's south after Hezbollah, the powerful militia backed by Iran, entered the Middle East war on the side of its patron in March.
"We must remain in the security zone in Lebanon, in Syria, and in Gaza, and not for a limited time, in order to defend our residents and communities from there against jihadist elements," Defence Minister Israel Katz said at a graduation ceremony at a military academy.
"We oppose the withdrawal of IDF forces from the security zone in Lebanon, despite all the pressures that exist and those still to come."
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said at the same function that troops would remain in south Lebanon "as long as necessary".
"I have made it clear to the IDF: you have full freedom of action."
The Gulf's top diplomats said on Thursday that dealing with Iran's proxies and missiles was key to lasting peace, and that any trade and investment with Tehran would be reversible and contingent on it respecting its deal with the US.
"The Ministers further emphasized that lasting regional peace and security requires addressing the full spectrum of Iran's threats, including its ballistic missiles, drones, and support of proxies in the region," they said in a joint statement following a meeting co-chaired by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
"Any trade and investment with Iran is conditional and reversible, contingent on Iran's compliance with the MOU and the final agreement, cessation of its destabilizing behavior, and creation of the conditions necessary for economic engagement," they added.
