Middle East Monitor Latest news from the Middle East and North Africa

• 
  Saudi Arabia committed to activating Mecca defense pact mechanisms: Defense minister

  by Mehdi Editor on August 31, 2026

  Saudi Arabia is committed to activating mechanisms under the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement to strengthen integration and advance security and stability, Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman said Monday, Anadolu reports. “I was pleased to lead the Kingdom’s delegation in the first Meeting of the Strategic Political Defense Committee,” Prince Khalid said on US social media platform X. “We affirmed our commitment to activating the Makkah Joint Defense Agreement pathways in a way that strengthens integration and advances security and stability,” he added. READ: Saudi Arabia reaffirms no normalisation with Israel without Palestinian state Türkiye is hosting the inaugural meeting of the Strategic Political and Defense Committee, established under the agreement to provide strategic direction for its implementation. The committee brings together

• 
  1,014 Palestinian athletes killed by Israel during Gaza genocide: Sports official

  by Mehdi Editor on August 31, 2026

  The number of Palestinian athletes killed by Israel in its genocide on the Gaza Strip has risen to 1,014, including players, coaches, referees and Palestinian Football Association officials, a Palestinian sports official told Anadolu Agency. The toll increased after Jabalia Services Club player Abdel Fattah Abu al-Aish was killed Saturday when an Israeli strike hit an electric motorcycle operated by a private delivery company in Gaza City’s Tal al-Hawa neighborhood, Palestinian Sports Media Federation Secretary-General Mustafa Siam said. Abu al-Aish had been preparing with his team to compete in the Thousand Martyrs’ Cup, a tournament organized by the Palestinian Football Association that was scheduled to begin Sept. 4, Siam said. His death comes amid “continued Israeli attacks on Palestinian sports,”

• 
  US interested in ‘continuing war,’ Iranian president says in talks with India’s Modi

  by Mehdi Editor on August 31, 2026

  Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Monday said that the US was interested in “continuing the war,” in remarks during a meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Anadolu reports. The two leaders met in Kyrgyzstan’s capital Bishkek on the sidelines of the 2026 Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit, according to Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency. Iran adhered to its commitments stemming from a Pakistan-mediated framework deal with the US, Pezeshkian said, accusing Washington of not fulfilling its commitments. “However, we continue to try to realize the path of agreement and understanding and believe that the continuation of the war is neither in our interest, nor in the interest of the region, nor in the interest of humanity,” he said. The solution

• 
  Israel establishes new illegal settlement southeast of Jenin in occupied West Bank

  by Mehdi Editor on August 31, 2026

  Israeli authorities established a new illegal settlement on land in the Jenin governorate in the northern occupied West Bank on Monday, according to the official Palestinian news agency Wafa. The settlement, named “Noa,” was established south of the “Ganim” and “Kadim” settlements on Palestinian land southeast of Jenin, Wafa said. “A ceremony marking the establishment of the settlement was held in the presence of several Israeli ministers and Knesset members,” it said. The agency added that the move reflects “growing official Israeli support for settlement expansion in the occupied Palestinian territories.” Wafa warned that the new settlement was established “amid the escalating Israeli settlement project in the northern West Bank, particularly in areas from which Israeli settlements were evacuated in

• 
  56 days before Israeli elections, Prime Minister Netanyahu grows weaker: Analysis

  by Mehdi Editor on August 31, 2026

  With 56 days left until Israel’s elections, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appears increasingly weakened as his rivals gain ground, Anadolu reports. Israel’s Knesset elections are scheduled for Oct. 27, with polls showing declining support for Netanyahu and his Likud party. Netanyahu views the vote as decisive for his political and personal future as he faces charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust. In addition to corruption charges, Netanyahu has faced an International Criminal Court arrest warrant since 2024 on charges related to war crimes and crimes against humanity in the Gaza Strip. He sees remaining in power as protection from a possible criminal conviction, as Israel’s Central Court continues to hear the corruption case against him. Netanyahu hopes the election

• 
  Mecca defense agreement launches process for ‘new regional security, cooperation architecture’: Turkish foreign minister

  by Mehdi Editor on August 31, 2026

  The Mecca defense agreement has launched a process to establish a “new security and cooperation architecture” in the region, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said Monday, Anadolu reports. Speaking in Istanbul following the first meeting under the trilateral agreement between Turkiye, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, Fidan said: “With this agreement, the process of testing a new security and cooperation architecture in our region has begun.” Regional countries urgently need to act together for security, stability, prosperity and lasting peace, he added. Fidan attended the meeting at Istanbul’s Ciragan Palace alongside Turkish National Defense Minister Yasar Guler and Chief of General Staff Gen. Selcuk Bayraktaroglu. Pakistan’s delegation included Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar, Defense Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif and army chief Field

• 
  Trump calls for war crimes trial of Iranian leadership over alleged protesters’ deaths

  by Mehdi Editor on August 31, 2026

  US President Donald Trump on Monday said the Iranian leadership should face trial for crimes against humanity following allegations that it has killed over 100,000 protesters, Anadolu reports. “They must be tried for war crimes against humanity,” Trump wrote on his social media platform Truth Social. He characterized Iran as “officially a failed nation” with a leadership in “total disarray.” “They have no Navy, they have no Air Force, they have no currency,” the US president claimed. “It is dead,” he said, noting that the only assets remaining for Tehran are “fake news” from the US and a “willingness to kill their protesters,” alleging a death toll of 100,000 demonstrators. There has been no independent confirmation of the alleged 100,000 deaths.

• 
  Israeli army demolishes 3 Palestinian buildings, detains 7 in West Bank

  by Mehdi Editor on August 31, 2026

  The Israeli army demolished three Palestinian buildings and detained seven Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, according to witnesses and Palestinian sources. Witnesses told Anadolu Agency that Israeli military units raided the Taawun Ulwi area of Nablus in the northern West Bank. Israeli forces demolished a home belonging to Palestinian Omar Saad, claiming it was built in Area C. Saad said he had received a demolition notice on Friday, adding that the three-story house had been home to three families on each floor, with a total of 10 people living in the building. READ: Smotrich calls for removal of 40 Palestinian memorials in West Bank within 24 hours He said he would continue to remain on the site even if the

• 
  Iraqi premier rejects proposal to keep some international coalition forces beyond Sept. 30

  by Mehdi Editor on August 31, 2026

  Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi has rejected a proposal to keep some international coalition forces in Iraq beyond Sept. 30, government spokesman Haider al-Aboudi said Monday, Anadolu reports. Speaking at a press conference cited by the Iraqi News Agency (INA), Al-Aboudi said the government is continuing procedures and commitments to restrict weapons, regulate their use and unify decision-making. He said talks with factions are “proceeding regularly,” adding that the process will be completed before Sept. 30. “State decisions are built on the basis of national interests,” Al-Aboudi said, describing the talks as positive and adding that the next stage would be based on cooperation and mutual interests. He said Al-Zaidi rejected a proposal for some coalition forces to remain after Sept.

• 
  Scottish government urged to fully implement sanctions against Israel

  by Mehdi Editor on August 31, 2026

  The Scottish Greens have called on Scotland’s first minister to fully implement boycott and sanctions measures against Israel in his upcoming Programme for Government, according to media reports on Monday, Anadolu reports. “The Programme for Government must be the moment that changes. We need clear commitments and a plan to end Scotland’s complicity in the systemic abuse of Palestinians,” Scottish Greens MSP Patrick Harvie was quoted by Scottish daily The National as saying. The call comes after the Scottish Greens repeatedly urged First Minister John Swinney to end contracts with companies identified by UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk as being involved in Israeli settlement activity in the occupied West Bank. The Greens are also calling for local authorities

• 
  Israel, Greece sign €3B defense deal for ‘multi-layered’ air defense network

  by Mehdi Editor on August 31, 2026

  Israel and Greece have signed an approximately €3 billion ($3.5 billion) defense deal, dubbed “Achilles Shield,” to provide Greece with its first integrated, “multi-layered” air defense network, Anadolu reports. The system will integrate Israel’s Spyder, Barak MX and David’s Sling air defense systems, the Israeli Defense Ministry said in a statement. The agreement was signed in Tel Aviv in the presence of senior officials from both countries, the ministry said. A separate €26 million ($30 million) deal was also signed for Rafael’s Drone Dome systems “to defend strategic sites against UAVs and drones and to reinforce existing defenses.” The two countries will also “expand industrial defense cooperation, including the transfer of knowledge and technology to the local industry,” the statement added.

• 
  Israeli police clash with ultra-Orthodox Jew protesters over military service

  by Mehdi Editor on August 31, 2026

  Israeli police and ultra-Orthodox Jewish protesters clashed in Tel Aviv on Monday during a demonstration against military service, Anadolu reports. In a statement, the police said demonstrators blocked roads near the Tel Hashomer recruitment office as officers moved to disperse the anti-draft protest. Officers repeatedly warned demonstrators through loudspeakers before accusing them of “disturbing public order,” blocking roads and clashing with police, it said. Video footage showed police officers forcibly removing protesters from a street near the recruitment office in Tel Hashomer. The Jerusalem Post reported that dozens of ultra-Orthodox protesters tried Monday morning to block roads leading to the recruitment office. The protest aimed to prevent the recruitment of ultra-Orthodox Jews into the army. The demonstrators slept on the ground

• 
  US to respond to Iranian attacks on forces in Middle East: Trump

  by Mehdi Editor on August 31, 2026

  US President Donald Trump said Monday that the United States will retaliate against Iran following missile and drone attacks on American forces in Jordan and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). “We’re going to hit them hard. There will be a response,” Trump told Fox News. He noted that US air defense systems intercepted most of the incoming fire. One missile was identified as “not going to hit anything significant,” and US forces allowed it to pass through the airspace, Trump said. READ: US strikes Iranian launchers on Larak Island, marking first attacks in weeks The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said early Monday it had struck the King Hussein and Azraq airbases in Jordan with ballistic missiles while also targeting Al

• 
  Iran says US strikes on Kharg Island did not stop oil production

  by Mehdi Editor on August 31, 2026

  An Iranian official said on Monday that Iran’s Kharg Island was bombed “several times by the US-Israeli enemy,” adding, however, that the strikes did not stop oil production on the island, Anadolu reports. The remarks by the CEO of Iran’s national oil company came in response to US President Donald Trump’s earlier remarks saying that “Kharg Island being blown to smithereens,” according to Iran’s semi-official Fars news agency. Calling Trump’s comments “laughable,” the outlet quoted the official as saying: “As I speak to you, several contractors are carrying out operations to rebuild and renovate storage tanks.” READ: Iran fires missiles from multiple locations toward regional targets: Report “None of the ongoing work on Kharg has stopped. Some projects are currently 20% to

• 
  The Israeli occupation forces struck a car in the Tal al-Hawa area, west of Gaza City, resulting in casualties

  by Mehdi Editor on August 31, 2026

  WATCH: Palestinian families bury 50 recovered bodies from beneath the rubbles

• 
  Former Israeli premier says Israel associated with ‘genocide’ among US students

  by Mehdi Editor on August 31, 2026

  Israel has become associated with “genocide” among American students, former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said, Anadolu reports. “For the first time since the establishment of the State of Israel, among the American public, Israel has become a negative brand,” Bennett said in a recent interview. “If you ask an American student, ‘Israel — what comes to mind?’ They say genocide. That’s the situation,” Bennett said. Drawing a comparison with how countries are commonly associated with symbols, he added: “You say Italy — ‘pasta, spaghetti.’ You say Israel — ‘baby killers.’” Bennett rejected that perception, saying: “Obviously, that isn’t true and it isn’t fair, but that is the situation.” He also blamed part of the shift in public opinion on what

• 
  Washington has two failed peace deals and both failed the same way

  by Mehdi Editor on August 31, 2026

  The sixty-day window that Washington and Tehran gave themselves to end their war expired on August 17 without an agreement, leaving the two sides deadlocked over the Strait of Hormuz and the future of frozen Iranian funds. Europe offers no better news, since formal peace talks between Russia and Ukraine have not reconvened since the bombing of Iran began in late February. Two American-brokered frameworks now lie dead within six months of one another, and the instinct in Washington will be to treat them as unrelated misfortunes with unrelated causes. They are not unrelated in the slightest, and the thread running between them has nothing to do with bad luck or the bad faith of adversaries. Both collapsed because the

• 
  Finnish opposition party calls extension of defence deal with Israel a “historic shame”

  by Mehdi Editor on August 31, 2026

  Part of the Finnish opposition has strongly criticised the extension of a defence cooperation memorandum with Israel, which was reportedly renewed “secretly” until 2034, Israeli media reported on Sunday. Channel 12, citing the Israeli financial newspaper Globes and Finnish media reports, said Sofia Virta, leader of the opposition Green League party, described the Finnish government’s policy on the issue as a “historic shame”. Virta criticised the government’s move to deepen ties with Israel instead of putting more pressure on it over the ongoing war in the region, referring to the conflict with Iran, according to the report. READ: German Left Party opposes Volkswagen’s planned defence deal with Israeli firm Meanwhile, Finnish Defence Minister Antti Häkkänen defended the agreement, saying the recently

• 
  US deports dozens to Central African Republic, including Afghan man who aided US military

  by Mehdi Editor on August 31, 2026

  The United States has deported dozens of people to the Central African Republic, including an Afghan national who had previously been granted protection by a US judge from deportation to Afghanistan over fears he could face persecution by the Taliban. The Associated Press quoted his lawyer, Alma David, as saying that the Afghan man, who is around 20 years old, had been granted protection from deportation to Afghanistan because of concerns over possible persecution by the Taliban. She said the man’s family in Afghanistan had received threats from the Taliban because of the work carried out by his brothers in support of the US military. READ: Afghan government urges its citizens stranded in Qatar while awaiting US visas to return home

• 
  Israeli rabbi calls for Palestinians’ expulsion from occupied West Bank

  by Mehdi Editor on August 31, 2026

  An Israeli rabbi has called for Palestinians to be expelled from the occupied West Bank, claiming that non-Jews have no national rights in what he described as the “land of Israel,” Anadolu reports. In footage published Sunday by Al Jazeera English, Menachem Ben Shahar is heard telling a group that Arabs who refuse to accept Jewish sovereignty should leave the territory. Ben Shahar also said that even a 5-year-old child “loses his right to exist” if the child’s parents are considered “enemies,” according to the broadcaster. READ: Palestine calls for int’l action to end Israel’s ‘suffocating siege’ on West Bank town The date and precise location of the encounter were not immediately clear. Israeli police detained and questioned Ben Shahar in October 2025

• 
  Erdogan: Turkish army is going through its strongest period

  by Mehdi Editor on August 31, 2026

  Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Sunday that the Turkish army is going through its strongest period today. Erdogan made the remarks in a speech at The National Defense University Military Academies Graduation and Flag Handover Ceremony is held at the Turkish Military Academy in Ankara. He said the National Defence University is strengthening its standing globally year after year. “We are, so to speak, competing with ourselves in the defence industry, where we have raised the rate of domestic production to more than 82 per cent,” he said.  Erdogan also said that over the past ten years, they had succeeded in purging the army and military colleges of members of the Gulen “terrorist organisation”. READ: Report: Turkish warships force

• 
  The EU’s complicity with Israel renders support for UNRWA negligible

  by Mehdi Editor on August 31, 2026

  The EU, as well as individual European countries, have criticised Israel’s forced entry at the Qalandia Vocational Training Centre and the seizure of UNRWA’s installations in East Jerusalem. In a statement that reads as futile as any other, Israel was urged to “honour its obligations and to halt all disruptions to UNRWA’s activities and operations without delay.” Israel’s response was typical – according to its Foreign Ministry, the EU and individual European countries are supporting “an organisation that is a breeding ground for terrorism.” Terrorism, according to Israel, was the reason UNRWA was banned from operating in the occupied Palestinian territories. It referenced a recent US Agency for International Development report which stated that over 100 current or former UNRWA

• 
  Lebanon welcomes Araghchi, urges Iran to deal with state institutions

  by Mehdi Editor on August 31, 2026

  Beirut has welcomed Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi keenness to establish good relations with the Lebanese government, while saying that “rationality requires dealing with states first, rather than with internal parties or factions”. On Friday, Araghchi said in comments carried by Al-Alam TV that Iran wanted “good relations with all groups and factions in Lebanon, and we are ready for good relations with the Lebanese government”. “Of course, we do not agree with some of the Lebanese government’s policies, and we hope the Lebanese Foreign Ministry will show more rationality,” he added. READ: Israeli forces raise flag on under-construction building in southern Lebanon On Sunday, the Lebanese Foreign Ministry said in a statement that it “welcomes the Iranian foreign minister’s keenness

• 
  Smotrich calls for removal of 40 Palestinian memorials in West Bank within 24 hours

  by Mehdi Editor on August 31, 2026

  Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has called on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to instruct the Israeli military to dismantle 40 Palestinian memorials across the occupied West Bank within 24 hours, according to Israeli media reports. Smotrich made the request in an official letter to Netanyahu following controversy surrounding the demolition of a memorial that Israeli authorities said commemorated a Palestinian responsible for attacks against Israelis. According to Israel’s Channel 14, Smotrich said the removal of such memorials was necessary as part of efforts to assert what he described as “state sovereignty” and combat what he called “infrastructure of terrorism and incitement.” Smotrich reportedly attached a list identifying 40 memorials across the West Bank that he said commemorate Palestinians involved in

• 
  Israeli media: Senior RSF commander Abdel Rahim Dagalo secretly visited Israel

  by Mehdi Editor on August 31, 2026

  Senior Sudanese Rapid Support Forces (RSF) commander Abdel Rahim Dagalo has made several secret visits to Israel, according to a report by the Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation (Kan). Dagalo, the brother of RSF leader Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, widely known as Hemedti, is one of the most senior figures in the paramilitary force, which has been fighting the Sudanese Armed Forces since April 2023. Kan reported that Dagalo had visited Israel on several occasions but did not provide details in the report about the timing, purpose or officials involved in the alleged visits. READ: Hundreds of fighters, including commanders, defect from Sudan’s RSF, army says Dagalo has been subjected to international sanctions over allegations of serious human rights abuses connected to the

• 
  Report: Turkish warships force Israeli naval vessels to alter course in Mediterranean

  by Mehdi Editor on August 31, 2026

  Turkish warships approached Israeli naval vessels in the Mediterranean Sea and forced them to alter their routes, according to a report by the Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation (Kan). Kan, citing unnamed sources, reported that Turkish naval vessels approached Israeli ships operating in the Mediterranean and influenced the routes they were able to take. The report did not specify when or precisely where the encounters occurred. The reported encounters come amid heightened tensions between Turkey and Israel and an increased Turkish naval presence in the Eastern Mediterranean. READ: Tel Aviv raises concerns over Turkey’s new hypersonic missile as strategic threat to Israel Israeli media have recently reported several encounters involving Turkish and Israeli naval vessels in international waters. None of the reported

• 
  Report: Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan to hold first meeting under Joint Defence Agreement

  by Mehdi Editor on August 31, 2026

  Senior officials from Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan are expected to meet in Istanbul on Monday for the first committee meeting under a joint defence agreement signed earlier this month, according to a Reuters report, Anadolu reports. Reuters cited a Turkish Foreign Ministry source as saying that the three countries’ foreign ministers, defence ministers and military chiefs of staff would participate in the meeting. “International security issues will be on the agenda,” the source said. The talks are also expected to focus on strengthening defence capabilities and interoperability among the three countries’ armed forces, as well as expanding cooperation in defence industries, including the joint development and production of military equipment. READ: Saudi Arabia says Mecca Agreement with Turkiye, Pakistan ‘long-term’ deal to

• 
  Settlers begin infrastructure work at outpost east of Bethlehem

  by Mehdi Editor on August 31, 2026

  Israeli settlers have begun infrastructure work at an outpost established near the village of Al-Maniya, southeast of Bethlehem in the occupied West Bank, according to a local Palestinian official, Anadolu reports. Ahmed Kawazba, head of the Al-Maniya village council, said on Sunday that work was progressing rapidly at the outpost in the Al-Qarn area, east of the village. Kawazba said land had been bulldozed and alleged that the infrastructure work was intended to facilitate the expansion of the outpost and eventually turn it into a permanent settlement. READ: 89% of property fires in West Bank caused by Israeli occupiers, says Palestinian commission He also reported continuing settler attacks and harassment targeting Al-Maniya residents, including damage to homes and vehicles, attempted livestock

• 
  Iran fires missiles from multiple locations toward regional targets: Report

  by Mehdi Editor on August 31, 2026

  Iran early Monday fired missiles from multiple locations across the country toward targets in the region, state television reported, Anadolu reports. Iran’s Press TV also reported missile fire directed toward US vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, without providing further details. Iranian state television separately reported explosions in the southern city of Sirik, saying they may be linked to Iranian attacks in the Strait of Hormuz. Senior Iranian lawmaker Ebrahim Azizi warned that retaliation is coming. “Test our will once more, and pay a heavier price,” Azizi wrote on US social media platform X. He added: “Retaliation is coming; just run!” Azizi also said testing Iran’s resolve again would only increase the cost of what he described as “humiliating defeats.”

• 
  Ben-Gvir’s visit to Palestinian female prisoners’ cells draws criticism

  by Mehdi Editor on August 31, 2026

  Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has drawn criticism after footage showed him visiting cells holding Palestinian female prisoners and highlighting the stringent conditions imposed on detainees in Israeli prisons. The footage prompted criticism from Palestinian officials and commentators, who accused Ben-Gvir of seeking to publicly showcase the harsh conditions under which Palestinian prisoners are being held. Khaled Mahajneh, a lawyer with the Palestinian Authority’s Commission of Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs, said the footage offered a rare public view of conditions faced by Palestinian women in Israeli detention. “Perhaps the world will hear this time,” Mahajneh wrote on X, referring to female prisoners shown speaking from inside their cells about basic necessities they said they had been denied. READ: Israel’s national

• 
  Oil tanker hit by unidentified projectile off Oman: UKMTO

  by Mehdi Editor on August 31, 2026

  An oil tanker was hit by an unidentified projectile off the coast of the Omani city of Khasab, near the Strait of Hormuz, with no casualties or environmental damage reported, the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) agency said on Sunday. In a statement, the agency said: “We received a time-late report of a maritime incident 12 nautical miles north of Khasab, Oman, where a tanker travelling towards the entrance to the Strait of Hormuz was struck by a projectile of unknown origin.” READ: Trump says millions of barrels of oil flowing through Strait of Hormuz UKMTO said the incident occurred on Saturday, adding that there were no casualties or environmental impact. It said the relevant authorities had launched an investigation to

• 
  US strikes Iranian launchers on Larak Island, marking first attacks in weeks

  by Mehdi Editor on August 31, 2026

  US forces struck two Iranian launchers on Larak Island on Sunday, marking the first strikes on Iranian territory since late July, an official told Axios, Anadolu reports. The operation, which followed a month-long period of relative stagnation in direct military engagements, targeted systems allegedly being prepared to launch rockets carrying sea mines into the Strait of Hormuz, a critical oil transit point. According to the US official, American forces are “monitoring the area closely and remain prepared to protect the free flow of commerce” through the strategic waterway. The Strait of Hormuz narrows to just 39 kilometers (24 miles) between Larak Island and Oman’s Great Quoin Island. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said several fighters and civilians were killed

• 
  Podcast by Jasim Al-Azzawi with Kelley Beaucar Vlahos:The D-Day Sanctions Against Iran: Will They Work or Backfire?

  by Mehdi Editor on August 31, 2026

  WATCH: Podcast by Jasim Al-Azzawi with Mark Pfeifeil: Trump says I stopped thinking about time, is this self-denial or self-deception?

• 
  Iran says it controls Strait of Hormuz and has stopped 30 ships from crossing

  by Mehdi Editor on August 31, 2026

  Iran has prevented 30 ships from making unauthorised crossings through the Strait of Hormuz since 22nd August, saying it has full control over maritime traffic in the area. The Mehr news agency quoted informed sources as saying that the armed forces had intercepted attempts to cross the waterway without authorisation. The sources said shipping through routes approved by Tehran is currently taking place at a minimal and limited level, subject to prior coordination and payment of the required fees. READ: Iran’s parliament speaker rejects US Treasury chief’s claims over economic pressure The sources said maritime freight traffic had fallen sharply compared with the period before the outbreak of the war in January 2026, when more than 1,500 oil tankers and 1,700

• 
  Islamabad, Riyadh agree to boost Pakistani agriculture and food exports to $3B in 2 years

  by Marwa A on August 30, 2026

  Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have agreed to boost Pakistani agricultural and food exports to the oil-rich kingdom up to $3 billion within the next two years, a joint statement on Sunday, Anadolu reports. According to the statement, shared by the prime minister’s office, the agreement was reached after talks between Saudi Arabia’s Agriculture Ministry and Pakistan’s Food Security Ministry, at the initiative of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. The development comes after a Saudi delegation led by Environment, Water and Agriculture Minister Abdulrahman A. Alfadley visited Islamabad last week. The Pakistani side was led by National Food Security and Research Minister Rana Tanvir Hussain. Sharif also met the Saudi delegation and discussed potential areas of bilateral cooperation. The two sides identified

• 
  Turkiye mobilised all resources after passenger ship capsize off Northern Cyprus: President Erdogan

  by Marwa A on August 30, 2026

  Trkiye has mobilised all available resources after the capsizing of a passenger ship sailing from Kyrenia to Mersin’s Tasucu port, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Sunday, Anadolu reports. In a statement on Turkish social media platform NSosyal, Erdogan offered his well wishes to the Turkish nation and Turkish Cypriot people over the accident. “Immediately after the accident, we launched extensive search and rescue operations in cooperation with the authorities of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus,” he said. “As a result of these efforts, 237 passengers and crew members were rescued safely, while unfortunately seven of our brothers and sisters lost their lives,” Erdogan added. He said efforts to reach those still missing were continuing uninterrupted, expressing hope for

• 
  Culinary larceny: Why the true history of Palestine belongs to the soil, not the Israeli kitchen

  by Marwa A on August 30, 2026

  If you want to spark an absolute inferno of geopolitical passion over Palestine, you do not need to see the odious Benjamin Netanyahu swagger into the UN waving his map of a Greater Israel with expanded borders, trashed treaties and stolen lands. You simply need to walk into a kitchen and ask who owns the hummus. Food is the ultimate archive of identity. There is a specific type of cultural larceny that occurs when Israelis brazenly attempt to claim indigenous Levantine staples like hummus, falafel or couscous as their own national creations. It is a soft-power effort to consume the culture of the very people they are actively displacing and ethnically cleansing from the land. This cultural appropriation is visible

• 
  Israel’s national security minister ‘pleased’ with harsh conditions of Palestinian prisoners

  by Marwa A on August 30, 2026

  Israel’s National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said Sunday that he is “pleased” with the harsh treatment of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails, adding that he is directly responsible for the prison conditions, Anadolu reports. His remarks came in a video released on the US social media company X during which he was talking to Palestinian female prisoners. “The conditions here are very bad, and we women are not afforded any special rights, such as access to personal necessities,” a Palestinian prisoner said in the video. “This is our third day without showers. We are not receiving medical treatment, and our clothes are not clean,” she added. “The good conditions that used to exist in the prisons are over,” Ben-Gvir responded

• 
  Nearly 20,000 people displaced by escalating fighting in Sudan’s Blue Nile: Local group

  by Marwa A on August 30, 2026

  Nearly 20,000 people have been displaced in Sudan’s Blue Nile state due to deteriorating security conditions and escalating risks facing residents, according to a local relief group on Sunday, Anadolu reports. In a statement, the Geissan Emergency Room said that the City 12 area in Geissan locality was experiencing a new wave of displacement involving residents and displaced civilians staying in shelters. Initial estimates indicate that “the number of displaced people is approaching 20,000, including families, children, women and elderly people,” it added. The displaced people have scattered across several areas, including Shira, Abu Qami and Al-Hilla Al-Qadima, as well as Wad Al-Mahi locality to the east, while others headed to shelters in the city of Damazin, the group said.

• 
  Masked Israeli occupiers attack Palestinian woman, NBC News crew in occupied West Bank

  by Marwa A on August 30, 2026

  Masked Israeli occupiers attacked and injured a Palestinian woman and three members of an NBC News team in the occupied West Bank on Saturday, the US broadcaster reported, Anadolu reports. The journalists were interviewing Aida Ahmed Abdullah, 51, and her family in the Palestinian town of Jalud, near Nablus, when the attack occurred. Abdullah told the team that Israeli occupiers had forced her family from their home. She and the journalists were walking down a hill toward the house when a vehicle with Israeli license plates reversed toward them, according to video footage of the incident. At least four masked men then got out of the vehicle and attacked Abdullah and the journalists with sticks and rocks, NBC News reported.

• 
  Gaza families seek the fate of relatives missing during the war on International Day of the Disappeared

  by Marwa A on August 30, 2026

  Photos: Palestinians in Gaza protest Israeli attack on water purification station, demand access to water

• 
  Rulers of Muslim nations should recognise ‘true enemy,’ says Iran’s supreme leader

  by Marwa A on August 30, 2026

  Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei said on Sunday that rulers of Muslim countries should recognise what he called “the true enemy,” accusing the US and Israel of being “sworn enemies” of Islamic unity, Anadolu reports. “My emphatic and repeated recommendation to the rulers of Islamic countries, particularly those in West Asia and along the Gulf, is to identify your true enemy, understand its plan and confront it,” Khamenei said in a message marking “Islamic Unity Week,” according to Iran’s state-run broadcaster IRIB. Unity among Muslims is essential “for achieving the beloved and dominant Islamic civilisation,” he stated. The US and Israel are “the sworn enemies of this unity and friendship,” Khamenei claimed, saying that Washington and Tel Aviv are not

• 
  Egypt’s apparatus of enforced disappearance must be halted – Silence by BRICS and AU not an option

  by Marwa A on August 30, 2026

  In Egypt today, a knock at the door can erase a life. For thousands of citizens, the state does not simply arrest them; it deletes them from existence. This is the brutal reality of enforced disappearance—a systematic weapon used by Cairo to silence dissent, crush activism, and rule through absolute terror. The process operates like a well-oiled corporate machine, deliberately designed to bypass legal protections according to reports compiled by human rights organisations. It begins with an unannounced abduction. State agents, frequently in plain clothes, seize individuals from their homes, university lecture halls, or city streets without producing legal warrants. Once taken, the victim enters an intentional information vacuum. The state operationalises “deniability” by scrubbing the individual’s name from official

• 
  FEDA calls on Egypt authorities to reveal the fate of those forcibly disappeared

  by Mehdi Editor on August 30, 2026

  On the occasion of the International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances, which is observed on 30th August, the Families of Egyptian Detainees Association (FEDA) have called upon the Egyptian authorities provide information about the fate of their family members who have been disappeared.  A press statement by the group says dozens of Egyptian families are continuing to search for relatives who were arrested or went missing years ago—”in some cases as long as thirteen years—without their families being able to determine their fate or whereabouts.” The affected families have never stopped searching for their loved ones in police stations, detention facilities, prisons, hospitals and forensic medicine facilities, but their efforts have so far proved fruitless. The relevant authorities

• 
  Iran’s parliament speaker rejects US Treasury chief’s claims over economic pressure

  by Mehdi Editor on August 29, 2026

  Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf on Saturday rejected US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent’s claims that Washington’s blockade and economic measures would crush the Iranian economy, Anadolu reports. “Liar, liar, pants on fire,” Qalibaf said in a post on the US social media company X, responding to Bessent’s assertion that Washington had brought 130 million barrels of oil onto the market over the past 14 days. Referring to what he described as the “real 130s,” Qalibaf urged Bessent to ask his staff to review Moody’s figures that he said showed more than $130 billion in war-related costs. He claimed US trading firm Jane Street had lost more than $130 million by betting on lower oil prices during a single rollover

• 
  Houthis announce death of 2 officers in clashes with government forces

  by Mehdi Editor on August 29, 2026

  The Houthis announced on Saturday that two of their officers were killed by Yemeni government forces amid continuing military escalation between the two sides, Anadolu reports. The Houthi-run Saba news agency said Maj. Gen. Hassan Mutahhar and Col. Mohammed al-Ghathi were laid to rest in the capital Sanaa. The agency provided no further details about the circumstances or location of their deaths. Yemeni government forces have yet to comment on the announcement. Military tensions between government forces and the Houthis have intensified in recent weeks. The Houthis have controlled several provinces and cities, including the capital Sanaa, since September 2014. While the government forces are backed by a Saudi-led coalition, Iran is accused of supporting the Houthis, who announced a

• 
  Demonstrators gather in Stockholm to protest Israel’s Gaza attacks

  by Mehdi Editor on August 29, 2026

  Protesters gathered in Stockholm on Saturday, to denounce Israel’s ongoing attacks on Gaza and Lebanon, despite a ceasefire in Gaza, Anadolu reports. Demonstrators gathered at Odenplan Square following a call by several civil society groups, carrying banners calling for an end to attacks, food shortages and the killing of civilians. The death toll from Israel’s genocidal war on the Gaza Strip has risen to 73,449 after nine Palestinians were killed over the past 48 hours, Gaza’s Health Ministry said Saturday. In its daily statistical report, the ministry said hospitals received nine bodies as well as the body of another Palestinian that was recovered, while 18 people were injured during the same period. The ministry said a number of victims remain

• 
  3 Palestinians killed, 7 injured in Israeli attacks across Gaza despite ceasefire

  by Mehdi Editor on August 29, 2026

  Three Palestinians were killed and seven others injured Saturday in Israeli attacks targeting several areas of the Gaza Strip in the latest violation of an ongoing ceasefire, a medical source said, Anadolu reports. The source said two Palestinian were killed and two others wounded in an Israeli airstrike targeting an electric bicycle belonging to a private delivery company in the Tel al-Hawa neighborhood, southwest of Gaza City. Three Palestinians were also injured Saturday in an Israeli airstrike targeting a medicine warehouse at Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in the central Gaza Strip, the source added. The source said the three Palestinians were inside the hospital to receive medical services when the strike hit the medicine warehouse. READ: Up to 3,000 people forcibly disappeared

• 
  14 Palestinians, 2 foreign journalists injured in attacks by Israeli army, occupiers in occupied West Bank

  by Mehdi Editor on August 29, 2026

  At least 14 Palestinians and two foreign journalists were injured Saturday in attacks by Israeli forces and illegal occupiers across the occupied West Bank, officials and medics said, Anadolu reports. Abdel Azim Wadi, the mayor of Qusra in the northern West Bank, told Anadolu Agency that dozens of occupiers attacked a Palestinian home in the town’s Ras al-Ain area, firing tear gas and hurling stones. Around seven people were injured inside and around the house, mostly from tear gas inhalation, and were treated at the scene, he said. Wadi said a siege imposed by illegal occupiers around three houses in the town has continued for the 21st consecutive day, leaving the families struggling to obtain food, water and other daily

• 
  Pro-Palestinian protesters march in Paris with olive branches and kites

  by Mehdi Editor on August 29, 2026

  Pro-Palestinian protesters marched through the French capital Paris on Saturday, carrying olive branches and kites in support of Palestine, Anadolu reports. The demonstrators gathered near the historic Bastille Square before marching through central Paris toward the direction of the Fontaine des Innocents despite rainy weather. Carrying olive branches, which symbolize peace and hold an important place in Palestinian culture, protesters chanted slogans including “There is genocide in Gaza, we will not remain silent” and called for the release of Palestinian prisoners. The demonstrators also flew kites decorated with Palestinian flag motifs in response to the deprivation of Gaza’s children of their right to play with kites. Protesters called for the release of all Palestinian prisoners, including doctors, and wrote numbers