Skip next section What you need to know
What you need to know
Below is a roundup of headlines from the wider Middle East region on Monday, September 7.
- Lebanon’s Health Ministry said 12 were killed, including 2 children, after Israeli strikes
- Maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz has reached its lowest level since May
- Israel says it has struck Hamas infrastructure in Gaza
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Skip next section WATCH: Global Us — Could Syria’s railway revival offer an alternative to Hormuz?09/07/2026September 7, 2026
WATCH: Global Us — Could Syria’s railway revival offer an alternative to Hormuz?
After years of war, Syria plans to revive its railways. Extreme heat challenges Taiwan, while monster bikes connect remote villages in Cameroon.
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https://p.dw.com/p/5M5c1Skip next section Oman evacuates 16 crew from attacked oil tanker09/07/2026September 7, 2026
Oman evacuates 16 crew from attacked oil tanker
Sixteen crew members on board Saudi-flagged oil tanker, attacked by Iran, have been evacuated, according to Oman‘s Maritime Security Centre.
“A Royal Navy of Oman (RNO) vessel provided logistical support to the tanker’s 25-member crew and evacuated 16 crew members,” the Oman MSC said.
Last Wednesday, Saudi Arabia said the attack on the tanker, owned by national shipping company Bahri, had killed two Filipino seafarers.
The status of the seven not accounted for yet is not immediately known.
https://p.dw.com/p/5M5BFSkip next section Germany urges UN’s top court to quash Israel genocide case09/07/2026September 7, 2026
Germany urges UN’s top court to quash Israel genocide case
Germany‘s top legal representative has told the UN’s top court that a genocide case over weapons sales to Israel, should be thrown out.
The matter was brought by Nicaragua and Germany’s top lawyer, Julia Monar, said the judges at the International Court of Justice lacked the jurisdiction to rule on the case , dismissing Nicaragua’s allegations of Berlin “facilitating genocide” as “inaccurate and distorted.”
Nicaragua argues that Germany’s backing of Israel, notably in terms of arms exports, contravenes the 1948 UN Genocide Convention.
“Nicaragua’s conduct indicates that it was not interested in hearing Germany’s view on its allegations, but simply in bringing Germany before this court,” Monar, told the judges.
Monar said that Nicaragua failed to properly notify the German government and gave her country less than a month to reply before launching proceedings.
It’s typically expected that countries attempt to resolve disputes before bringing them to the court.
Monar pointed out that Berlin scrutinizes all exports of military equipment in accordance with international law.
“Germany has not, since 2024, authorized an export of weapons of war, with final destination in Israel that can be used in the Gaza conflict,” she said.
The German government operates what it calls a “case by case” approval process of arms sales to Israel, with the stated goal of avoiding anything that might be used in Gaza, where at least 73,000 Palestinians were killed between the October 7, 2023 Hamas attacks on Israeli civlians and late August of this year.
However, Germany only instituted this policy in 2025, and continued to ship defensive equipment worth hundreds of millions of euros this year.
https://p.dw.com/p/5M52uSkip next section Iran issues warning as South Korea mulls Hormuz contribution09/07/2026September 7, 2026
Iran issues warning as South Korea mulls Hormuz contribution
Iran‘s Foreign Ministry issued a warning against any country participating in security operations in the Strait of Hormuz.
“Any military deployment or participation in operations by other countries in the Persian Gulf or the Strait of Hormuz can only be regarded as direct support for the party responsible for that aggression and will have serious consequences,” Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said in a post on X.
Baqaei noted Tehran’s diplomatic relationship with Seoul, saying that Iran “places great importance on its friendly relations with the Republic of Korea.”
The comments come after South Korea‘s presidency on Friday said it had not reached a decision on sending forces to the Strait of Hormuz to help ensure free navigation of the waterway.
South Korea has been facing pressure from the Trump administration to make military contributions relating to Iran and has been accused of turning down any request for assistance.
“We are closely communicating with the international community, including relevant countries, to help restore peace and stability in the Middle East as soon as possible and to ensure the free passage of all vessels, including those of our country, through the Strait of Hormuz,” Yonhap news agency cited South Korea’s Foreign Ministry as saying in a statement.
https://p.dw.com/p/5M4ctSkip next section Shipping traffic in Strait of Hormuz drops following US-Iran strikes09/07/2026September 7, 2026
Shipping traffic in Strait of Hormuz drops following US-Iran strikes
Maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz has dropped to the lowest level since May , according to data analytics platform Kpler.
According to its latest figures, an average of 10 commodity vessels, transited the vital shipping route over the past 10 days.
Kpler recorded the number on Sunday, which was down from the 15 vessels on Friday and the 13 seen on Saturday.
The drop in maritime traffic comes amid strikes targeting tankers by the US and Iran.
On Saturday, US forces hit three Iranian oil tankers, following Iranian attacks on US warships in the region.
In retaliation, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said it has targeted three oil tankers travelling what it said ewas an unathorized route in the strait.
The strikes over the weekend represented a “major escalation in maritime conflict,” the Reuters news agency cited maritime intelligence firm Marisks as saying.
“Commercial tankers are now being deliberately used as instruments of reciprocal economic pressure, substantially weakening the previous distinction between military confrontation and commercial shipping,” Marisks noted.
“Risk is therefore assessed as extreme for Iranian/Iran-linked tonnage and materially elevated for US-linked or US-escorted shipping throughout the Strait of Hormuz and Gulf of Oman,” the firm said
https://p.dw.com/p/5M3UqSkip next section WATCH: How much oil is getting through the Strait of Hormuz?09/07/2026September 7, 2026
WATCH: How much oil is getting through the Strait of Hormuz?
Despite months of conflict, attacks on Gulf states and continuing disruption in the Strait of Hormuz, oil supplies remain well above worst-case forecasts. Why? Energy expert Ben Cahill shares his insights with DW.
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https://p.dw.com/p/5M3cYSkip next section Reports of at least 10 dead following overnight Israeli strikes09/07/2026September 7, 2026
Reports of at least 10 dead following overnight Israeli strikes
Overnight Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon killed at least 10 people, including two children, health officials said.
Earlier, Lebanon’s National News Agency (NNA) reported that Israeli warplanes struck a residential building in Kfar Rumman in southern Lebanon.
The agency reported that a separate drone strike struck a vehicle with two medics inside, however, the Associated Press cited the Health Ministry as saying the strike on the car killed one paramedic and wounded two others.
Israel’s military has not commented on these latest strikes, but Israel’s Foreign Ministry released a statement on X referencing the militant group.
“Repeated drone attacks. Weapons storage. Terror infrastructure. Command centres embedded in civilian areas. Hezbollah continues attempting to rebuild its military capabilities in southern Lebanon. These violations will not be accepted,” Israel’s Foreign Ministry wrote on X.
The ministry said that Hezbollah had violated the Israel-Lebanon ceasefire agreement, under which, the militant group would be disarmed.
“Hezbollah continues attempting to rebuild its military capabilities in southern Lebanon,” the ministry said.
On Sunday, Lebanon’s President Joseph Aoun pushed for Washington and the international community to help stop Israeli attacks.
Despite a peace agreement that came into effect over two months ago, flare-ups are continuing between Israel and Hezbollah.
The US, Germany and several Arab countries consider Hezbollah a terrorist organization, whereas the EU only deems Hezbollah’s armed wing a terror group.
https://p.dw.com/p/5M3CqSkip next section Welcome to our coverage09/07/2026September 7, 2026
Welcome to our coverage
Elizabeth Schumacher Editor
We’re following developments from southern Lebanon following reports that Israeli strikes have killed at least 10 people, including two children.
It comes after the a warning notice from Israel’s military that it was targeting a “Hezbollah terrorist facility.”
Meanwhile, according to the latest shipping data, traffic in the Strait of Hormuz has dipped to the lowest level since May following US and Iranian strikes on tankers.
Follow here for all the latest headlines from Iran and the wider Middle East with DW.
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