The situation in the Middle East remains tense and unstable. Reports of negotiations between Iran and the United States in Islamabad reflect only attempts to establish a dialogue; the contacts are irregular in nature and have not yet yielded any results. At the same time, Israel, despite the declared ceasefire, continues to strike Lebanon, and this indicates a de facto violation of the ceasefire. In general, the region continues to be in a state of prolonged escalation, and the risks of further escalation remain. Armenian

News-NEWS.am presents below a brief overview of the important developments that took place in the Middle East on Wednesday night.

The United States is inviting other countries to join a new international coalition to restore the unimpeded passage of ships through the Strait of Hormuz, The Wall Street Journal reports, citing a State Department cable.

The US Central Command (CENTCOM) has sent a request to the Pentagon to deploy Dark Eagle hypersonic missiles in the Middle East for possible use against Iran, Bloomberg reported, citing informed sources.

Mohsen Rezaei, a military advisor to Iran's Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, said that a new aggression against Iran would be disastrous for the United States.

US President Donald Trump told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that Israel should only carry out targeted strikes in Lebanon and avoid a full-scale resumption of hostilities.