Morning update

Good morning Middle East Eye readers,

South Korean leader Lee Jae Myung has ruled out sending any military assets to the Middle East that could potentially escalate the situation with Iran. However, the administration is contemplating extending its safeguarding duties for the Strait of Hormuz due to concerns over global oil supplies.

In Yemen, the army reported that 30 Houthi fighters were killed and more than 60 wounded within 24 hours in the Al-Waziyah region, west of Taiz. Yemeni warplanes are also believed to have targeted Houthi vehicles and gathering points in the area, according to a military source cited by the Armed Forces Media Center.

Israeli forces have continued their artillery shelling of the town of Haddatha in southern Lebanon's Bint Jbeil district despite a ceasefire being in place. This comes despite the US State Department informing Congress of plans to sell Saudi Arabia up to 48 F-35 warplanes, potentially worth $24.3 billion, in a move that has been met with significant opposition from Israel.

The Israeli army has warned Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government that maintaining security lines on three fronts - the Gaza Strip, the occupied West Bank, and Lebanon - will require a substantial budget increase, with the Israeli Army Radio reporting these fronts.