Breakfast News Recap: Hormuz tensions flare as Lebanon, Indonesia and Afghanistan crises deepen

Donald Trump has escalated tensions with Iran by saying he would soon declare the Strait of Hormuz part of United States territory, a claim Tehran rejected as shipping concerns over the strategic waterway remained unresolved. Iran said it had not yet decided whether to restart talks with Washington, while also working separately with Oman on a temporary shipping route.  🔗  🔗

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In the Middle East, Lebanese state media said an Israeli airstrike on a home near Ansar in southern Lebanon killed seven people and wounded three, as fresh attacks continued in the south. Separately, Lebanon's prime minister is pressing for a clear timetable for Israel's withdrawal from Lebanese territory, even as Hezbollah attacks complicate the political debate.  🔗  🔗

Yemen's internationally recognised government said a Houthi strike on the Red Sea port city of al-Makha killed at least four people, adding to the regional spillover from the wider conflict. In the occupied West Bank, activists trying to deliver food and water to trapped Palestinian families in Qusra said the supplies were blocked because the area remains a military zone.  🔗  🔗

In the United States, Trump dismissed concerns about conditions aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln as the carrier nears rotation, after reports of supply shortages, mental health strain and other problems. He also used Truth Social posts to frame a White House complex lawsuit as a national security threat and to defend a classified facility.  🔗  🔗

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Elsewhere in Asia, Taiwan's parliament approved the government's annual budget after a record 266 day delay, preserving funding for a drone programme seen as central to the island's defence. The United States also backed Japan's sovereignty claim over disputed islands after Vladimir Putin's visit, reinforcing Washington's position in a long running territorial row with Russia.  🔗  🔗

Afghanistan remains under intense scrutiny as the UN warned that more than half of women's organisations still operating there could shut within a year because of funding shortfalls. Women and girls described life under Taliban rule as unrecognisable five years after the group returned to power, while other countries are deepening contacts with the Taliban as the country's isolation eases.  🔗  🔗  🔗

In Europe, Croatia said at least one person died and around 40 others were injured after a fast moving wildfire near Omiš, with evacuations continuing. In England and Wales, a national wildfire alert was issued after fires spread across several areas, including a major blaze in Stourbridge that destroyed 19 homes. The British government also rejected Benjamin Netanyahu's description of the UK as the "Islamic republic of Britain", after his inflammatory remarks drew criticism.  🔗  🔗  🔗  🔗

In the Asia Pacific, Indonesia said at least 20 people have died after a magnitude 7.7 earthquake off Flores island, with rescue teams still racing to reach trapped survivors. In Australia, a little penguin on Phillip Island died from H5N1 bird flu, the first confirmed detection in the colony, as Victoria reported three new detections. Iran separately said it intercepted 3,663 kilogrammes of methamphetamine in the first quarter of 2026, according to the UN drugs agency.  🔗  🔗  🔗

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