War in the Middle East: French soldier killed in Lebanon, new blockade of the Strait of Hormuz… What to remember

The war continued on Saturday, April 18, in the Middle East, following a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah, backed by Iran, while a French soldier was killed after an attack on UN peacekeepers in southern Lebanon. Further southeast, Tehran has regained “strict control” over the Strait of Hormuz, accusing the United States of “piracy.” Franceinfo summarizes the key information from this day.

French soldier killed in southern Lebanon

Sergeant-Chef Florian Montorio, from the 17th Parachute Engineer Regiment of Montauban (Tarn-et-Garonne), was killed and three of his compatriots were injured in southern Lebanon during an attack on UN peacekeepers. A patrol of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) was “tasked with clearing a road in the village of Ghanduriyah to restore contact with isolated positions” of the UN mission, according to a statement from UNIFIL. Sergeant-Chef Florian Montorio was then “ambushed by an armed group at very close range,” detailed the Minister of Armed Forces, Catherine Vautrin, on X. He was hit by “direct fire from a firearm.”

Emmanuel Macron immediately blamed Hezbollah for the death of Florian Montorio. After a preliminary investigation, UNIFIL denounced a “deliberate attack” and stated that “non-state actors”, presumably Hezbollah, were responsible, a claim denied by the pro-Iranian Shiite movement.

Iran receives “new proposals” from the United States

Towards progress in discussions between the United States and Iran? “In recent days, during the presence in Tehran of the Pakistani army commander acting as a mediator, the Americans presented new proposals. Iran is currently reviewing them and has not yet responded,” declared the Supreme National Security Council, as cited by the official Irna news agency. This body added that Iranian negotiators would make “no compromises.”

Shots fired at a tanker in the Strait of Hormuz, once again blocked

Commercial vessels came under fire and threats from the Iranian military as they tried to pass through the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday. According to the UK Maritime Security Agency, IRGC patrol boats fired at a tanker. The ship and crew are safe, according to this source. Any vessel approaching the Strait of Hormuz will be “targeted,” claimed the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in the evening.

Iranian authorities announced that they were resuming “strict control” of the Strait of Hormuz in reaction to the continued US blockade of Iranian ports, reversing their decision from the previous day to reopen this strategic maritime route. Donald Trump asserted that Iran could not “blackmail” the United States after Tehran announced the resumption of the blockade of the strategic Strait of Hormuz. “They wanted to close the strait again,” stated the US president during the signing of a decree at the White House, regarding the Republic’s leaders.

Israel says it has “eliminated a terrorist cell” in southern Lebanon

The Israeli army stated that its air force had “eliminated” a “terrorist cell” operating near its troops in southern Lebanon, despite a ceasefire in the war between Israel and the pro-Iranian Hezbollah movement. The Israeli army also announced the establishment of a “red line” of demarcation in southern Lebanon, similarly to the Gaza Strip, and conducted strikes since the previous day against suspects approaching its troops.