Daily Report September 10, 2026: Israel Blasts Ali al-Taher, Houthis Advance and Oil Surges Above $100

Lebanon: A Day of Strikes Ends With Ali al-Taher Explosions

Southern Lebanon saw a broad wave of Israeli airstrikes, artillery shelling and explosions throughout Thursday before attention shifted at night to the Ali al-Taher Heights near Nabatieh.

Airstrikes hit Wadi Zibqin, Nabatieh al-Fawqa, al-Mansouri, the outskirts of al-Qantara and the area between Hadatha and Haris. Artillery fire also struck a wide range of areas, including Zawtar al-Sharqiyah, Baraachit, the Khiam plain, the Halta Heights, Mays al-Jabal, Kfar Tebnit, Wadi al-Salouqi, Ainata, Dawhat Kfar Rumman, Shebaa and Kfar Shouba.

Explosions were reported in Bani Hayyan, al-Mansouri, Ali al-Taher, Khiam, Sarbin, Mays al-Jabal and Deir Siryan. Field reports also described the dropping of “explosive canisters” in Bani Hayyan and al-Mansouri.

In al-Mansouri, Al Mayadeen correspondents reported during the day that more than 20 explosions had been carried out before the town and Wadi Zibqin were hit by two additional airstrikes late at night.

What Happened at Ali al-Taher?

The escalation peaked Thursday evening when Israeli forces carried out a series of massive explosions in the Ali al-Taher Heights. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz announced the destruction of underground infrastructure they said belonged to Hezbollah.

The Israeli military said the tunnel network it destroyed extended for more than two kilometers and that its forces had established “operational control” over the area above and below ground. Reuters confirmed that the large explosion occurred and said its sound and resulting tremors were felt by residents of Nabatieh and surrounding areas.

However, Israel’s account of the size of the facility and what was inside it remains subject to scrutiny. Details and background are available in this Profile News report: Ali al-Taher Hill: Israel’s ‘Treasure’ or the Beginning of a Deception?.

Yemen: Houthis Reshape the Map of the Western Coast

Alongside the Lebanon front, Yemen saw a military shift that could have implications beyond the country’s borders after Yemeni government sources told Reuters that the Houthis had seized the historic Red Sea port city of Mocha.

The advance did not stop at Mocha. Government sources later reported that the Houthis had reached both Greater Hanish and Lesser Hanish islands, while government forces were pushed south toward Dhubab, directly adjacent to the Bab al-Mandab Strait.

The developments carry particular significance because of the location of Mocha on Yemen’s western coast and the proximity of the Hanish Islands to one of the world’s most important trade and energy corridors.

Bab al-Mandab is only about 29 kilometers wide at its narrowest point. Oil volumes equivalent to about 7% of global production passed through the strait in June, according to Kpler data cited by Reuters.

Following the Houthis’ arrival at the Hanish Islands, the head of Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council warned that any threat to Bab al-Mandab would have direct repercussions for the Red Sea, the Suez Canal and global trade.

For its part, the Ansar Allah movement said international navigation in the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandab was safe and that its operations were directed at specific targets.

Iran and Hormuz: Maritime Confrontation Continues

The day in Iran began with explosions heard in coastal areas of Hormozgan province, including Sirik, Minab and Qeshm Island. Iranian reports said areas in Sirik were struck by hostile projectiles.

In the evening, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy said it had struck a U.S. unmanned vessel at the entrance to the Strait of Hormuz and thwarted its mission, in the latest episode of the maritime confrontation between Iran and the United States.

U.S. Central Command, meanwhile, said it had allowed more than 50 ships carrying humanitarian aid to pass through the blockade zone and had rerouted dozens of commercial vessels since maritime operations resumed.

Despite the severe disruption, navigation through Hormuz has not stopped entirely, with shipping industry data indicating that between 10 and 15 oil transits continue each day through the Omani corridor.

Pickaxe Mountain: Trump Threatens New Strike

Iran’s nuclear facilities returned to the center of attention after U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to strike the “Pickaxe Mountain” site near the Natanz facility, saying Washington had detected new activity there.

The site is located about two kilometers from the Natanz complex and contains deep tunnel facilities beneath the mountain. The facility itself was not struck in previous attacks, according to the Institute for Science and International Security.

International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Rafael Grossi was later quoted as saying there were indications of activity around the site, but no confirmed information about its nature.

For more on the facility and the tunnels that have drawn Washington’s attention, see this Profile News investigation: Iran’s Pickaxe Mountain: What Is Tehran Building Under the Granite and Why Is It So Hard to Destroy?

Oil Surges Above $100

The military developments had an immediate impact on energy markets. Brent crude ended Thursday’s session at $107.63 a barrel, up 6.34%, while U.S. crude rose 6.69% to $102.48.

Both benchmarks reached their highest levels since May as market concerns expanded beyond the Strait of Hormuz to the possibility of further disruptions to export routes through the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandab.

The Houthi advance along Yemen’s coast is adding to market sensitivity, particularly as Saudi Arabia uses Red Sea ports as an alternative route amid disruptions to exports through Hormuz.

Independent Chinese refiners have also stepped up purchases of oil from West Africa, Canada and South America to offset declining Iranian and Russian supplies, indicating that the supply crisis has begun to reshape global crude trade flows.

Algeria Cuts Ties With the UAE

In one of the day’s most significant Arab political developments, Algeria announced that it was severing diplomatic relations with the United Arab Emirates, accusing Abu Dhabi of actions it described as “provocative or hostile.”

Algeria’s Foreign Ministry summoned the UAE ambassador and gave him 48 hours to comply with the decision. Algeria also announced that it would close its airspace to UAE-registered civilian and military aircraft starting Friday, while exempting UAE commercial flights to and from Algiers until the end of 2026.

The UAE, for its part, expressed hope that the decision would be temporary and reaffirmed its commitment to ties between the two peoples.

Gaza and the West Bank: Strikes and Arrests Continue

Israeli strikes continued across several areas of the Gaza Strip on Thursday, including Khan Younis, Nuseirat and Gaza City. Palestinian medical sources reported deaths and injuries during the operations.

Reuters confirmed that a father, a mother and their two daughters were killed in an Israeli strike in northern Gaza, while the Israeli military said the strike targeted a military facility and that the man who was targeted had taken part in combat activities.

In the West Bank, Israeli forces arrested about 24 Palestinians from several areas, according to an Al Jazeera correspondent, including 15 from the town of Burqa near Nablus. The arrests came as dozens of Israeli settlers entered the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound under the protection of Israeli forces.

Russia and Ukraine: Drone War Escalates

The Russia-Ukraine front also saw a violent day. Russia said it had shot down hundreds of Ukrainian drones, while Kyiv said its forces targeted eight Russian facilities used to support military operations, including a commercial port in Dagestan.

In Ukraine, authorities said extensive Russian strikes killed and wounded dozens of people. Reuters reported that seven people were killed and 76 injured in attacks on Pavlohrad and other areas as strikes on logistics and industrial infrastructure continued.

Global Economy Under Pressure From War and Energy Prices

The impact of rising energy prices extended to global monetary policy. The European Central Bank raised its key interest rate by 25 basis points to 2.5%, a move that came amid growing concerns over a resurgence in energy-driven inflation.

Bond yields in the United States and Europe also surged to historically high levels amid investor concerns over the continuing war, rising oil prices and increasing inflationary pressures.

Daily Report: Middle East Faces Disruption Across Two Strategic Maritime Corridors

The developments of September 10 point to a shift that goes beyond the proliferation of military fronts. The crisis is now placing simultaneous pressure on two of the world’s most important maritime corridors: the Strait of Hormuz in the east and Bab al-Mandab in the west.

Against the backdrop of the U.S.-Iran war, the Houthi advance along Yemen’s coast and Israel’s escalation in southern Lebanon, new shifts in the balance of power in the Middle East are taking shape, while energy markets and global trade are bearing an increasing share of the cost of the escalation.

The developments come just one day after those covered in the Daily Report for September 9, 2026, when the confrontation in Hormuz escalated and oil climbed above $100.

Attention in the coming hours will remain focused on Israel’s ability to maintain the situation it says it has established at Ali al-Taher, the direction of the Houthi advance toward Dhubab and Bab al-Mandab, any new escalation in the Strait of Hormuz, and the impact of these developments on oil prices and global shipping.