Iran currency collapses as US sanctions and blockade deepen economic crisis

1. Iran currency collapses as US sanctions and blockade deepen economic crisis
Iran's rial has fallen to a record low as intensified US sanctions and a reported naval blockade severely disrupt trade. The decline reflects shrinking non-oil trade, damaged infrastructure, and rising inflation, which are worsening living conditions for households already under economic strain.

2. Kuwait revokes journalist's citizenship amid regional crackdown on speech
Kuwait has stripped citizenship from journalist Ahmed Shihab-Eldin after his reporting on the Iran war, highlighting a wider crackdown on dissent. Rights groups say citizenship revocations are being used across the Gulf to silence criticism and control war-related narratives.

3. Lebanon faces worsening hunger as war pushes over 1.2 million into food insecurity
A UN-backed report warns that 1.24 million people in Lebanon will face acute food insecurity due to ongoing conflict and displacement linked to the Israel-Hezbollah war. Rising prices and disrupted agriculture are pushing more families into crisis conditions.

4. Hezbollah's fibre-optic drones expose gaps in Israel's defence systems
Hezbollah is using wired fibre-optic drones that bypass electronic jamming, challenging Israel's advanced defence technology. The low-cost weapons have forced Israeli forces to rely on improvised countermeasures like nets and direct fire.