US top Middle East commander visits deployed aircraft carrier, and other Mideast news

U.S. Central Command chief Adm. Brad Cooper toured the USS Lincoln, an aircraft carrier stationed in the Arabian Sea, during a 10-day tour of the Middle East that ended on Saturday. This visit was part of a broader tour that also took Cooper to Bahrain, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. The USS Lincoln has been on a record-setting, uninterrupted deployment of over 240 days, supporting U.S. operations against Iran, including the blockade on Iranian ports.

During his visit, Cooper expressed concern over the mental health and supply issues aboard the carrier.

In southern Lebanon, Israel conducted airstrikes targeting two Hezbollah commanders, resulting in at least 11 deaths. The victims included seven people at a home in Ansar village and four in the village of Deir al-Zahrani. Israel identified one of the commanders as Abu Hassan Alaa, a senior Hezbollah figure who had participated in attacks against Israeli soldiers and civilians. The U.S. has been mediating talks between Israel and Lebanon, with Lebanon's Prime Minister criticizing the Israeli strikes.

Meanwhile, a Hamas delegation led by the group's leader Khalil al-Hayya is in Cairo for discussions with Egyptian officials on the Gaza ceasefire. The talks are part of efforts to implement a roadmap for advancing U.S. President Donald Trump's peace plan, which calls for Hamas and other Palestinian militant groups to be disarmed, Israeli forces to withdraw from Gaza, and power to be transferred to Palestinian technocrats.

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected Trump's latest plan, insisting Israel will not withdraw from the territories it controls until Hamas is completely disarmed, a demand that Hamas has repeatedly refused.