At least twenty-eight people died (FT) in Lebanon’s northern Akkar region after a fuel tank exploded during military-led fuel-distribution efforts, authorities said. Fuel shortages in the country have caused widespread electricity outages (Reuters) in recent days, putting health-care and other services at risk.
Iran: Authorities banned all nonessential travel and work (Al Jazeera) until Saturday in an attempt to stem soaring COVID-19 cases. The coronavirus’s toll in Iran is thought to be one of the worst in the Middle East and has prompted criticism of the government for the country’s low vaccination rate.
