Morning recap

Tensions are mounting across the Middle East, per Middle East Eye. Iran has demanded the US 'correct its behaviour' and set six conditions for reopening the Strait of Hormuz, including permanently halting military action against Iran and its regional allies. US Vice President JD Vance said Washington has made progress in negotiations, though the administration remains focused on whether Iran will commit to longer-term diplomatic changes. The escalation extends well beyond talks. Israeli troops infiltrated a Lebanese village designated under a June agreement to Lebanese army control and built an earthen barrier overnight, and an Israeli drone crashed in southern Lebanon, wounding both a girl and her father. Across the border in the West Bank, settlers launched overnight attacks on Palestinian property, torching homes. Hamas says it remains ready for a US-backed Gaza peace plan and is urging pressure on Israel, though Israel insists it didn't agree to the latest terms. The region's energy sector is also affected. Firefighters extinguished a fire at a Saudi Aramco refinery facility in Jizan, and Saudi Arabia and Yemen's internationally recognized government have condemned an attack on a UAE-operated oil tanker.

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