Hamas agrees to disarm under Trump's plan as tensions persist in Gulf

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Yemen's Houthi-run maritime coordination body denied on Saturday reports that it planned to impose fees on commercial ships transiting the Bab el-Mandeb strait, saying no such decision had been taken and that passage through the strategic waterway remained free.

The statement follows a Reuters report on Wednesday, citing regional sources, that the Iran-aligned Houthis were considering imposing fees on commercial ships sailing through the southern Red Sea, after declaring a maritime blockade on Saudi Arabia the previous week. 

The United States and Israel are planning a bombing campaign against energy infrastructure targets in Iran, with strikes possible throughout the weekend, CBS News reported on Friday, citing sources.

US President Donald Trump has yet to give the final go-ahead for the strikes, according to sources cited by CBS.

The campaign would be one of the harshest yet against Iranian energy infrastructure during the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran, CBS reported, adding that there was discussion about concluding the strikes before financial markets open on Monday.

Pakistan's PM Shehbaz Sherif has welcomed the Gaza Board of Peace's draft deal towards the process of disarmament of Hamas in the enclave.

In a statement on X, Sherif expressed ho[es that concrete steps and developments will be taken towards implementing all commitments under the Gaza Peace Plan, and also hoped that these efforts will "lead to the realisation of the right to self-determination of the Palestinian people.

He added that mediating countries such as Egypt, Qatar, Turkey, and the United States "deserve special appreciation for their efforts" in achieving this progress. 

Iraq has ordered that its air defences and intelligence activities be bolstered, a government spokesperson said Friday, after US-Saudi strikes on pro-Iran militants accused of launching attacks in the region.

Spokesman Sabah al-Numan said that PM Ali al-Zaidi "issued strict and immediate orders... to raise alertness and readiness to the maximum across all camps and bases, particularly at the official bases of the armed forces and the Hashed al-Shaabi".

Rebuilding and modernising air defence capabilities is a "top priority", Numan said, adding that this includes accelerating plans to equip and arm modern radar, early-detection, and air defence systems.

On Wednesday, deadly US-Saudi strikes hit bases belonging to the Hashed al-Shaabi -- an armed Iraqi alliance that has been integrated into the armed forces but also includes powerful pro-Iran groups known for acting unilaterally.

The US-Saudi strikes, which killed 20 fighters including five Iranians, came after Riyadh said its forces had intercepted drones targeting oil facilities, blaming Iran-backed groups in Iraq.

US President Donald Trump said on Friday that a US campaign to dismantle the International Criminal Court was intended to defend Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and others from prosecution, not himself.

Trump made the comment after Secretary of State Marco Rubio told a cabinet meeting at Camp David that five countries had announced plans to quit the court since the United States launched a campaign earlier this month against what it says is a threat to U.S. sovereignty.

"There's no information that they're after me," Trump said.

"It could happen, but just so you know ... he (Rubio) is not trying to defend me. He's trying to defend Bibi and various other people," Trump said, using Netanyahu's nickname. "But there are many people that shouldn't be looked at that way. But there is no indication that I'm one of them at this moment."

Rubio responded that the people in biggest danger were U.S. service members, who he said could face prosecution years later over their actions in war.

The ICC was established in 2002 by the international community to prosecute war crimes, genocide and crimes against humanity. It asserts jurisdiction only if a member state is unable or unwilling to prosecute atrocities itself.

The United States ​has never been a member of the court.

A deal meant to see the disarmament of Palestinian militant group Hamas is a rare piece of good news for the Middle East, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Friday.

Referring to nearly six months of US war against Iran - and growing regional spillover - Guterres said the Hamas deal announced late Thursday was an outlier.

"The only good news in recent days is the announcement by the US president of an agreement for Hamas to relinquish their weapons and for Israel to withdraw its forces from Gaza," he said.

"Let me be clear: the fighting must stop on all fronts in the region," he said. "We are now six months into the military escalation in the Gulf. What began as a regional conflict is increasingly becoming a driver of global instability."

President Donald Trump said on Friday that Israel was "very happy" with an agreement reached by his so-called Board of Peace for the complete disarmament of Hamas and other armed Palestinian groups in Gaza.

"We do have an understanding with Israel. Israel is very happy about it. Israel helped us, and they've been very good," Trump said. "Will it go through its ups and downs? It's a very complex situation over there."

Trump called the agreement a major breakthrough, saying nobody had thought it would be possible to disarm Hamas.

"It's a big step for the Middle East, and people are really impressed by it, and they're surprised by it."

On Thursday, Trump called the deal a "major milestone in the implementation of the Trump 20-Point Plan" to end Israel's war in ⁠Gaza.

The president also said the deal would be carried out in phases, with Israeli forces withdrawing as disarmament proceeds and an International Stabilization Force working with a new Palestinian police force to secure the enclave. 

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said Friday that Israeli army detonations near a UNESCO-listed castle in the south were a "direct threat" to a recent deal agreed with Israel, which said its troops had demolished Hezbollah tunnels there.

Lebanon's National News Agency (NNA) reported that "Israeli forces triggered very powerful explosions" overnight, specifically "in the area of the Beaufort fortress", a Crusader-era castle located in an area near the border occupied by Israel.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz said the army had destroyed "terror tunnels in the Beaufort area" using approximately 700 tonnes of explosives.

Aoun called the explosions "an extremely dangerous escalation and a clear violation of existing commitments", according to a statement from his office, as well as "a direct threat to the process which was launched as part of the framework agreement" reached with Israel during US-sponsored talks last month.

Under the Israel-Lebanon deal, Lebanon's army is to disarm Hezbollah and the Israeli military is to withdraw from "pilot zones" where Lebanese forces will subsequently deploy.

The timing of the blasts ahead of another round of talks with Israel in Rome next week "sends negative messages and undermines international efforts aimed at consolidating stability", Aoun added.

The NNA said huge blasts resounded over a large area, shattering glass in nearby villages, while an AFP correspondent heard large explosions and saw dust covering a swathe of forest area.

Citing Lebanon's National Centre for Geophysics, Aoun's statement said the detonations "created ground waves equivalent to a 3.8 magnitude earthquake on the Richter scale".

British foreign minister Ed Miliband said on Friday he welcomed the announcement of a disarmament agreement for the Palestinian group Hamas.

"The focus must now be on implementing the 20-point plan in full. This includes the withdrawal of the IDF from Gaza, and respect for the ceasefire from all parties," he said in a statement.

US President Donald Trump said that the US-Israeli war on Iran is still "going well" and that troops are hitting the country "hard".

Speaking to Fox News's senior White House correspondent, Trump said: "It's going well. All you can do is keep winning, then eventually, something will happen."
 

"But we're hitting them hard, knocking them out for a loop, and we just keep winning. Eventually, they'll have no choice but to go home."

Israel will not withdraw from the Gaza Strip until Hamas's "genuine disarmament", a political source told AFP on Friday after the group said it had agreed to a deal involving its disarmament and Israel's exit.

"Israel has reiterated that there will be no withdrawal whatsoever of the IDF from the current Yellow Line unless Hamas undergoes a genuine disarmament," the Israeli source said, referring to a demarcation between the area under Hamas control and that held by the Israeli army.

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas on Friday welcomed a deal that includes the provision for Palestinian militant group Hamas to disarm, but said success "depends on the full commitment of all parties".

"A lot needs to fall in place for this to work," Kallas said on social media. "Verifying Hamas' compliance will be a significant challenge. Israel would need to eventually withdraw from Gaza. We stand ready to support the next steps."