Israel has killed at least seven people, including emergency workers and soldiers, in southern Lebanon.

Gulf leaders have met in Saudi Arabia and say Iran must take “the initiative to make serious efforts to rebuild confidence” after “treacherous” attacks on the region.

The UAE has announced it is leaving OPEC on Friday, ending nearly 60 years of membership in the oil-producing cartel.Visit our live tracker for the latest casualty figures from across the region.

First tanker loaded with liquefied natural gas leaves Gulf: Kpler

A ship fully loaded with liquefied natural gas (LNG) has passed through the Strait of Hormuz for the first time since the West Asian war virtually closed the route in early March, marine tracking firm Kpler said.

The LNG carrier Mubaraz, operated by the Emirati national oil company Adnoc, left the Gulf sometime in April with 132,890 cubic metres of LNG on board, having loaded at Das Island in the United Arab Emirates on March 2, according to Kpler data analysed by AFP.

Iranian forces virtually closed off the strait after the United States and Israel launched strikes on the Islamic republic on February 28, prompting Tehran to retaliate across the region.

After peace talks with Iran failed, the U.S. on April 13 launched a counter-blockade, turning back ships coming from Iranian ports and boarding others in Asia, including two oil tankers.

The Mubaraz switched off its AIS transponder at the end of March for a month, before transmitting again off the coast of India on Monday (April 27),