Meanwhile in Nepal, nine days after flash floods ravaged the country, two mechanical engineers trapped inside the Trishuli 3 ‘A’ hydropower tunnel were pulled out alive, raising hopes that others still stuck inside the tunnel could also be found alive. Rescue teams said they had also heard voices deep within the tunnel, a sign that gave fresh hope to relatives of the hundreds of workers still missing across a dozen damaged hydropower projects. Israeli police said separately that they arrested a settler allegedly involved in an attack on Palestinians last week. Here’s a look at the latest developments across the Middle East and in Nepal’s flood recovery effort.

Sirens sounded in Kuwait early on Thursday, where air defences intercepted missiles and drones during what the country’s Defence Ministry called a “blatant Iranian aggression” in a post on X.

Key Updates

• No war, says Vance. Asked whether the conflict would end before the November midterms, Vance said he wouldn’t call it a war since there was no active shooting at the moment. He added that major combat only lasted six weeks after the fighting between the US and Israel started on February 28.
• South Korea reviews its options. South Korea is reviewing options, including military measures, to support freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, the presidential office said on Friday, while denying media reports that the government had already decided on a deployment.
• Iran strikes Kuwait and UAE. Iran said it carried out attacks on bases in Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates, framing them as retaliation for what it called US crimes against the Iranian people.
• Two engineers pulled out alive. Sanjay Saha, 30, and Kabir Maharjan, 45, both mechanical engineers, were rescued from a depth of 170 metres inside the tunnel on Friday morning, the Nepal Army confirmed.
• Death toll passes 1,250. The floods, which struck two districts on August 26, have killed more than 1,250 people and substantially damaged a dozen hydropower projects, with many workers still missing.

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