We start the day's other headlines in the Middle East.

Iran has rejected a call from European leaders to refrain from retaliatory strikes on Israel,

calling it a quote excessive request.

The region is bracing for such an attack following the death

last month of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniya in Tehran, which Iran

blames on Israel. In Washington today, a State Department spokesperson said that quote no one benefits from any kind of retaliation

Adding that all parties should exercise restraint

Everyone in the region should understand that further attacks only perpetuate conflict, instability, and insecurity for everyone.

And so what we're focused on is intensively on de-escalation through diplomacy.

In the meantime, the US has approved the sale of $20 billion worth of arms to Israel,

including fighter jets and advanced air-to-air missiles.

But the weapons are not expected to get to Israel anytime soon

as they're tied up in contracts that can take years to fulfill. Ukraine's Army

Chief says his troops have won control of another 15 square miles of Russian

territory in just the past day. Ukraine now claims to control 74 communities in

the Kursk region following last week's surprise incursion.

But Russia says it's fighting back, releasing this unverified video of an alleged counter-offensive

to stop Ukraine's advances.

Ukraine's largest cross-border raid since the war began

has forced tens of thousands of people to evacuate the area.

In Kyiv, a foreign ministry official

stress that the goal of the operation is not occupation.

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