UN News Today 08 July 2026 |

US-Iran war: Renewed attacks in Strait of Hormuz prompts another global energy alert

Renewed attacks on shipping in the Strait of Hormuz unsettled energy markets on Wednesday and prompted calls from the UN maritime agency, IMO, for “maximum restraint and de-escalation”. 

Amid reports that three merchant vessels were hit along with Iranian targets, IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez condemned “reckless attacks” in the past two days against several ships transiting the narrow waterway, a vital conduit for a significant proportion of the world’s energy needs.

“No seafarer should have to risk their life simply for doing their job,” Mr. Dominguez said, as he warned flag States, shipowners and operators not to expose seafarers to “unnecessary danger” by transiting the Strait.

Approximately 6,000 mariners remain stranded in the channel on hundreds of vessels, which used to transit at a rate of around 130 a day. 

The UN economic commission for Europe, UNECE, said that countries which rely on energy from the Gulf are set to face continuing challenges, after more than 100 days of disruption.

“We can expect prices and price volatility to remain high and supply disruptions – especially in local markets – to continue for the months ahead,” said UNECE’s Dario Liguti.

WHO alert over new heat surge across Europe, Asia

A new heatwave is building across Europe, with temperatures forecast to reach 43°C in Portugal and southern Spain this week – that’s 109.4 degrees Fahrenheit.

Parts of Central Asia are already baking under 40°C/104F heat, the UN World Health Organization – WHO – noted on Wednesday, in a call to governments to strengthen prevention measures to help people cope with extreme heat.

France and the Benelux countries are also expected to face a renewed surge in temperatures, the UN health agency said, after holding an emergency meeting on preparedness with 41 European countries. 

Those with established heatwave action plans respond more effectively to extreme weather, because they coordinate agencies to protect vulnerable populations, the WHO said.

It pointed to successful measures already in place in Italy, including a mortality surveillance system which operates in 45 cities and provides near real-time data to guide decision-making during a crisis. 

In Spain, the authorities work with media organizations to improve public communication on heat risks, WHO said, while Austria has activated updated heat plans and workplace protection measures.

Belgium, meanwhile, has declared its highest heat alert level for only the second time since 2020, while France has taken measures to ease pressure on health services; North Macedonia meanwhile has partnered with Red Cross and Red Crescent teams to support people without permanent housing, the agency noted.

Grim homecoming: Devastation greets Lebanon’s war-weary returnees

The ceasefire deal between Beirut and Tel Aviv has resulted in less fighting between Hezbollah and the Israeli military, but the situation is still precarious for communities going home, UN peacekeepers said on Wednesday.

Ceasefire violations are still being reported along the Blue Line that separates Lebanon from Israel, as Hezbollah militants and Israeli troops clash – an escalation that began soon after Israeli-US bombing of Iran commenced on 28 February. 

In line with its Security Council mandate, the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) supports efforts to achieve long-term security and stability.

Here’s force spokesperson Kandice Ardiel:

“People are returning now to a very different scenario. Many of them are seeing their homes, their neighbourhoods very seriously damaged, in some cases destroyed. People are trying to rebuild where they can return, which is not throughout the entire area of operations. There are some villages closer to the Blue Line where people can’t return.”

Ms. Ardiel described the Israeli military’s “Yellow Line” buffer zone, which is located several kilometres north of the Blue Line, as a self-declared military boundary which is not recognized by the United Nations. 

Daniel Johnson, UN News