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

• 
  Oman and the Political Economy of the Strait of Hormuz

  by Mehdi Editor on August 12, 2026

  Gulf states have answered Iranian pressure in two very different ways. Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates bought protection: air defence systems, advanced fighter jets, protected air bases. Oman bought access instead. It refused to join the Saudi-led war in Yemen, refused to join the 2017 blockade of Qatar, and kept an open line to Tehran throughout. Commentators sum this up with one label: Oman as the Switzerland of the Gulf. The label is wrong in one important way. Switzerland was never bombed by a country it was mediating with. Oman has been. Even so, Oman has come out of the worst year in modern Gulf history with stronger public finances, an intact diplomatic role, and a legal position

• 
  UK withholds files on Israeli firm accused of meddling in Scottish election, citing national security

  by Mehdi Editor on August 12, 2026

  The UK government has refused to release information relating to an Israeli influence firm accused of interfering in Scotland’s parliamentary election, invoking national security and warning that disclosure could damage Britain’s relations with other countries, according to a report by The National. The Scottish newspaper reported that the Cabinet Office withheld all material requested under Freedom of Information (FOI) legislation concerning BlackCore, an Israeli firm linked by France’s foreign interference watchdog to an alleged digital influence operation targeting Scottish First Minister John Swinney and the Scottish National Party (SNP).  The controversy follows findings by Viginum, France’s service for protection against foreign digital interference, which said in June that it had identified BlackCore-linked operations affecting elections in Scotland, France, New York

• 
  Abraham Offered Normalization. Makkah Offers Security

  by Mehdi Editor on August 12, 2026

  There’s a striking irony sitting inside this year’s diplomacy. Back on May 25, Donald Trump publicly pushed Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Pakistan, Turkiye, Egypt and Jordan to join the Abraham Accords en masse — part of a wider attempt to reshape the region while he negotiated an end to the war with Iran. Pakistan pushed back. Saudi Arabia wouldn’t move without progress on Palestinian statehood. The mass expansion Washington wanted simply didn’t happen. Then, less than three months later, something quite different did. On August 7, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye — three of the very countries Trump had wanted inside an expanded Abraham framework — met in Makkah and signed a defence pact of their own. Its logic runs almost

• 
  Pakistan rejects Netanyahu’s opposition to Palestinian state, calls for Gaza pullout

  by Mehdi Editor on August 12, 2026

  Pakistan rejected Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s opposition to the establishment of a Palestinian state on Wednesday, saying Palestinian statehood is firmly rooted in international law and UN resolutions, Anadolu reports. Foreign Ministry spokesman Tahir Andrabi also said any refusal by Israel to withdraw its forces from Gaza would be a “serious setback” to commitments made under the Board of Peace plan. Responding to a question during his weekly news conference about Netanyahu’s recent remarks rejecting a Palestinian state and his reported refusal to withdraw Israeli forces from Gaza and move to the second phase of the peace plan, Andrabi said Pakistan has taken note of Israel’s position. “This would be a serious setback to the decision taken at the

• 
  41 nations urge 24-hour advance notice for ballistic missile, space launches

  by Mehdi Editor on August 12, 2026

  A 41-nation coalition has called on nuclear-armed states to strictly observe advance notification protocols for long-range ballistic missile tests, warning that unannounced launches endanger regional peace and global security. In a joint statement delivered at the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva and released by the US Mission to International Organizations on Tuesday, the signatories highlighted growing concerns over missile proliferation and urged adherence to transparency mechanisms, particularly the Hague Code of Conduct Against Ballistic Missile Proliferation (HCOC). “Conducting nuclear-capable ballistic missile tests without sufficient advance notice and detail is dangerous and disrupts the peace and security of relevant nations in proximity to these tests,” the text noted. Highlighting recent unnotified missile testing in the Pacific, the signatories noted that failing

• 
  Japanese premier urges ‘free and safe navigation’ in Strait of Hormuz ‘without additional costs’

  by Mehdi Editor on August 12, 2026

  Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on Wednesday urged Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian for “free and safe navigation” in the Strait of Hormuz “without additional costs,” as well as efforts to persuade Yemen’s Houthi group to exercise restraint, during a phone call, Anadolu reports. She emphasized the need to quickly de-escalate the current military tensions and calm the situation, especially as Iran continues talks with relevant countries on reopening the Strait of Hormuz, according to a statement on Takaichi’s account on the US social media company X. She added Japan’s position is that the US and Iran should hold talks in line with the Islamabad Memorandum and reach a final agreement at an early date, including on the nuclear issue. Takaichi also expressed

• 
  Political assassinations: Libya’s yesterday and today

  by Mehdi Editor on August 12, 2026

  The killing of Libyan journalist and BBC broadcaster Mohamed Mustafa Ramadan outside London’s Central Mosque in 1980, and the recent assassination of Major General Fawzi al‑Mansouri, head of military intelligence in eastern Libya, as he left a mosque in Benghazi, are separated by nearly half a century. Yet the architecture of eliminating opponents has barely changed. The mindset that governs political violence in Libya remains stubbornly intact, as if frozen in time. Ramadan was a journalist whose voice challenged Muammar Gaddafi’s authoritarianism from London’s airwaves, becoming a familiar presence to Arabic‑speaking audiences. Al‑Mansouri, by contrast, operated within a far more fragmented and combustible landscape: a Libya split between east and west, where rivalry is no longer ideological but existential—rooted in

• 
  Houthis renew ballistic missile attacks on Yemen’s Mocha port: State media

  by Mehdi Editor on August 12, 2026

  Yemen’s Houthi group renewed ballistic missile attacks on the strategic Port of Mocha near the Bab al-Mandab Strait in southwestern Yemen, state media reported Wednesday, Anadolu reports. State-run Saba TV said in a brief report that the Houthis targeted the port with ballistic missiles, without providing further details. Waddah al-Dubaish, spokesman for the government-aligned Joint Forces on the West Coast, said two ballistic missiles struck the port’s marine berth. In a post on US social media company X, al-Dubaish said the strikes occurred at 11.35 am local time (0835 GMT), according to preliminary information. He said authorities were assessing the extent of the damage and any casualties resulting from the attack. READ: Houthi shelling kills 2 soldiers, injures 7 in southern Yemen There

• 
  Israel Defies Trump as a New Regional Bloc Begins to Emerge | Palestine This Week

  by Mehdi Editor on August 12, 2026

  In this episode of Palestine This Week, we begin with Benjamin Netanyahu’s rejection of Trump’s Gaza plan and the growing power of Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank. We also discuss the emerging Saudi-Turkiye-Pakistan security alignment, shifting Gulf politics and Israel’s efforts to manufacture evidence against Iran with the aim of inciting US bombing of the Islamic Republic. The conversation then turns to how Washington’s longstanding alliance with Israel continues to shape US policy in the Middle East, the role of Islamophobia in sustaining that relationship. REVIEW: “The Zionists Who Hate Jews”: a century of evidence against Zionism’s oldest defence   WATCH: The Anti-Klan Law Comes for Trump’s Israel Lobby | Palestine This Week

• 
  Israeli general who advocated starvation says Gaza should remain ‘destroyed for generations’

  by Mehdi Editor on August 12, 2026

  Gaza should remain “destroyed for generations to come,” said former Israeli general Giora Eiland, who advocated using starvation as a weapon of war against Palestinians. Eliand also urged Israel not to relinquish the territory it has seized behind the so-called Yellow Line. Eiland, a former head of Israel’s National Security Council and former chief of the Israeli army’s Planning and Operations directorates, made the remarks during an interview with Israeli radio station 103FM. His remarks were reported this week in Hebrew-language by Israeli newspaper Maariv under the headline: “Giora Eiland without filters: ‘It is better for Gaza to remain destroyed for generations to come’.”  Discussing the US-backed Board of Peace’s 15-point proposal for Gaza, Eiland described the plan as a

• 
  Israel begins demolition of 26 Palestinian buildings near Jenin to pave way for illegal settlement

  by Mehdi Editor on August 12, 2026

  Far-right Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich on Wednesday boasted that Israel had begun demolishing 26 Palestinian buildings near Jenin in the northern occupied West Bank, Anadolu reports. Smotrich, leader of the far-right Religious Zionism party, said on US social media company X that the demolitions began Wednesday morning, paving the way for renewed illegal settlement activity in the area. He claimed the Palestinian buildings were “illegal.” The far-right minister also published photos that he said showed the demolition operation, which comes amid accelerating Israeli settlement activity in the occupied West Bank. In late 2025, the Israeli government approved the reestablishment of Ganim and Kadim, near Jenin, as part of a decision to establish or reorganize 19 illegal settlements in the occupied West

• 
  Palestine says over 4,700 young men, women held in Israeli prisons

  by Mehdi Editor on August 12, 2026

  A total of 4,769 young Palestinian men and women are being held in Israeli prisons, the head of the Palestinian Commission of Detainees’ Affairs said Wednesday, Anadolu reports. Raed Abu al-Hummus made the remarks on International Youth Day, observed annually on Aug. 12 to highlight youth issues and their role in building societies. “The number of young male detainees in Israeli prisons between the ages of 18 and 40 stands at 4,713, while the number of young female detainees is 56,” Abu al-Hummus said. He said 41 of the 91 Palestinian prisoners killed in Israeli prisons since October 2023 were young people. “The bodies of 40 of them remain held by Israeli authorities, along with dozens of bodies of prisoners from different

• 
  Israel blows up school, strikes religious commemoration site in southern Lebanon despite truce

  by Mehdi Editor on August 12, 2026

  Israeli forces blew up buildings in southern Lebanon early Wednesday, including a school, and struck a site used to commemorate Ashura, causing injuries despite ongoing ceasefire negotiations, the Lebanese National News Agency (NNA) reported. Israeli forces detonated and destroyed the four-story Sheikh Naim Mahdi School building in the center of Eastern Zawtar, the agency said. They also carried out explosions in the Touline Valley along the Wadi al-Saluki road, it added. During the night, Israeli forces carried out two large explosions in Haddatha, as well as a massive blast in Beit Yahoun in the Bint Jbeil district, according to the agency. An Israeli drone directly struck an Ashura commemoration site on the Kafra-Al-Asi road, causing several injuries, the NNA said.

• 
  US, Iran agree to extend 60-day ceasefire ahead of Aug. 17 deadline

  by Mehdi Editor on August 12, 2026

  The US and Iran have “agreed” to extend a 60-day ceasefire under the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding as the agreement is set to expire on Aug. 17, Pakistani government sources told Anadolu Agency on Wednesday. “Both sides have conveyed their consent to the mediators to extend the deadline,” a source close to the mediation process said. “However, the two sides are exchanging messages to decide on the extension period,” the source added. The US and Iran agreed to a Pakistan-brokered ceasefire in April and later signed a memorandum of understanding on June 17, launching negotiations toward a final agreement. However, the talks later stalled over disagreements on security guarantees and freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, one of

• 
  PNPA slams presidential decree as attempt to usurp popular will

  by Mehdi Editor on August 12, 2026

  The Palestinian National Popular Action (PNPA) Forum on Tuesday issued a statement rejecting presidential decree issued yesterday concerning the appointment of members of the Palestinian National Council (PNC) from inside Palestine and abroad. The Forum accused President Mahmoud Abbas of blatantly disregarding the will of millions of Palestinians at home and abroad and infringing upon their inherent right to choose their representatives democratically and freely.  The statement added; “The PNC is the inclusive national framework of the Palestinian people, and its membership, whether from inside Palestine or abroad, must not be determined by appointment or by a decision made by a single authority, apart from the will of our people and their direct participation.” READ: Palestine launches ‘1000 Martyrs Cup’ to

• 
  Trump says Secret Service ordered switch to different plane during Turkiye trip

  by Mehdi Editor on August 12, 2026

  US President Donald Trump confirmed Tuesday that the Secret Service and military directed him to use a “different plane” when departing Turkiye last month following a NATO summit, citing safety concerns, Anadolu reports. “It’s only up to the Secret Service. I just follow what they like to do. So I go by the Secret Service and the military. They wanted me to go in a different flight, a different plane, equal safety,” Trump told reporters at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland after returning from Ohio. “They wanted me to do it, so I do it. I do what they say,” he said. “I guess there was a threat out there. I didn’t really ask too much about it. I get a lot

• 
  Oman condemns Colombia’s recognition of Israeli sovereignty over Syria’s occupied Golan Heights

  by Mehdi Editor on August 12, 2026

  Oman on Wednesday condemned Colombia’s decision to recognize Israeli sovereignty over the occupied Syrian Golan Heights, calling it a violation of international law, Anadolu reports. “Oman expresses its condemnation of the decision by the government of the Republic of Colombia to recognize Israel’s sovereignty over the occupied Syrian Golan,” the Foreign Ministry said in a statement. “The decision constitutes a violation of international law and contradicts international legitimacy resolutions, foremost among them UN Security Council Resolution 497 of 1981,” the ministry added. READ: Saudi Arabia condemns Colombia’s recognition of Israeli sovereignty over Syria’s occupied Golan Heights Oman renewed its “firm position that the Golan is occupied Syrian territory” and affirmed its support for “the sovereignty of the Syrian Arab Republic over all its

• 
  Trump claims US has ‘total control’ of Strait of Hormuz, says he does not trust Iran

  by Mehdi Editor on August 12, 2026

  US President Donald Trump said Tuesday that he does not trust Iran and claimed that the US currently has “total control” over the Strait of Hormuz, Anadolu reports. “I don’t trust Iran. Why — are you saying I trust Iran!? I’m the last person to trust Iran,” Trump told reporters at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland following his trip to Ohio. “They’ve lied to me constantly,” he added. “We have total control over the Hormuz Strait right now. They don’t have control. We have total control. We own it,” he said. The Middle East has remained tense since the US-Israeli war on Iran began in late February. Tehran and Washington have yet to reach a final agreement to end the confrontation, while

• 
  Ilhan Omar wins Democratic primary for Minnesota’s 5th District

  by Mehdi Editor on August 12, 2026

  Rep. Ilhan Omar won the Democratic primary in Minnesota’s 5th Congressional District on Tuesday, according to US media projections, Anadolu reports. Omar, a fourth-term Democrat representing a district centered in Minneapolis, captured over 80% of the vote against several primary challengers, according to CBS News. With more than 95% of the votes counted, unofficial results showed Omar leading with 122,640 votes, followed by Julie Trang Le with 10,201 votes and Latonya T. Reeves with 9,131 votes, according to the New York Times. Omar’s opponents in the Democratic primary were Le, a former federal prosecutor; Reeves; Abena McKenzie; and Nate Schluter. In the Republican primary for the seat, John Nagel was projected to win with 52.1% of the vote. OPINION: How Abdul El-Sayed

• 
  Rezaei: Strait of Hormuz will not reopen until wars in Gaza, Lebanon end

  by Mehdi Editor on August 12, 2026

  Iran’s newly appointed secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, Mohsen Rezaei, said that the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz is strictly contingent upon Washington meeting Tehran’s core demands, including a complete halt to regional conflicts in Gaza and Lebanon. During a meeting with Chinese Ambassador to Tehran, Cong Peiwu, Rezaei emphasized that the strategic waterway will remain closed unless the United States changes its behavior and accepts Iran’s stipulated conditions, which have been communicated to Washington through intermediaries. Rezaei reiterated that the U.S. must end its hostile policies, release frozen Iranian assets, and put an immediate end to ongoing wars across the region, specifically highlighting the conflicts in the Gaza Strip and Lebanon. Placing the blame squarely on

• 
  US strikes in Yemen killed 153 civilians last year: Report

  by Mehdi Editor on August 12, 2026

  The Pentagon told Congress this week that US airstrikes against Houthi militants in Yemen last year killed 153 civilians and injured 243 others, US media reported. According to The Hill, the 12-page report, sent to the Senate Armed Services Committee on Monday under a 2018 law requiring annual civilian casualty disclosures, detailed three incidents in Yemen last April. A strike on April 6, 2025, in Sanaa killed five civilians, while an April 17 strike on Ras Isa port killed 80 — an attack Human Rights Watch has said should be probed as a war crime, it reported. A third strike near Saada on April 28 killed 47 civilians, according to the report. The Pentagon reportedly said 15 more incidents remain

• 
  Israeli forces demolish Palestinian family home in Bethlehem area

  by Mehdi Editor on August 12, 2026

  The Israeli army demolished a three-story Palestinian house in the village of al-Masara, south of Bethlehem in the West Bank, on Wednesday, Anadolu reports. Israeli forces used heavy machinery to demolish the building. The house was left unusable after the demolition. Since the start of Israel’s genocidal war on the Gaza Strip on Oct. 7, 2023, the Israeli army and occupiers have intensified attacks across the West Bank, killing at least 1,182 Palestinians, injuring around 13,000 others and arresting nearly 25,000, according to official Palestinian figures. Palestinian officials warned that the escalatory attacks were aimed at paving the way for Israel’s formal annexation of the West Bank, undermining the prospects for an independent Palestinian state envisioned in relevant UN resolutions. READ: Palestinian Land

• 
  Gaza rescuers begin recovering bodies from rubble of home destroyed in early days of war

  by Mehdi Editor on August 12, 2026

  Civil Defense crews in the Gaza Strip began recovering the bodies of 13 Palestinians on Tuesday from beneath the rubble of a multi-story home destroyed by an Israeli strike during the early days of the war, Anadolu reports. The operation is being carried out in coordination with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) at the home of the Gharbiya family in the Al-Katiba area west of Gaza City. Civil Defense spokesman Mahmoud Basal told Anadolu Agency that a large number of Palestinians were killed in the strike. Some bodies were recovered at the time, while 13 remain beneath the rubble. The victims include women, children and the elderly, he said. Basal warned that severe shortages of heavy machinery,

• 
  How Abdul El-Sayed challenged America’s Muslim loyalty test

  by Mehdi Editor on August 12, 2026

  Nearly $30 million was spent by AIPAC and its affiliates to stop Abdul El-Sayed. It was enough to flood Michigan’s airwaves, but not enough to persuade Democratic voters that he was beyond the political pale. That matters because El-Sayed was fighting more than an extraordinarily well-funded opponent. As a Muslim who has openly condemned Israel’s war in Gaza and challenged AIPAC’s influence, he confronted a political reflex deeply embedded in post-9/11 America: the tendency to treat Muslim candidates not simply as candidates, but as questions of loyalty, security and belonging. On 4th August, Michigan Democrats answered differently. They nominated El-Sayed for the United States Senate. An Egyptian-American Muslim, physician and former Detroit health director, El-Sayed defeated Congresswoman Haley Stevens despite

• 
  US Senator calls on ambassador to Israel to resign immediately

  by Mehdi Editor on August 12, 2026

  US Senator Chris Van Hollen said that US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee must resign, accusing him of repeatedly turning a blind eye to the mistreatment of American citizens by Israeli authorities and becoming an apologist for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s extremist government. “It’s time for our American ambassador in Israel, Mike Huckabee, to resign. The job of an American ambassador is to defend and protect the interests of the United States of America. Ambassador Huckabee has failed to do that. He’s become an apologist for the extremist government in Israel,” the Democratic Senator for Maryland said in a video message posted on social media. He added that American citizens have faced arbitrary detention and mistreatment at the hands of

• 
  Palestinian Land Authority head: 12,000 settlement units approved and 7,000 Palestinians displaced in West Bank this year

  by Mehdi Editor on August 12, 2026

  About 12,360 settlement units have been approved in the occupied West Bank this year, while nearly 7,000 Palestinians have been forcibly displaced from more than 260 communities, Palestinian Land Authority head Alaa Al-Tamimi said. Speaking to broadcaster Cairo News on Tuesday evening, Tamimi said briefings given by UN envoy at the UN Security Council today were important in exposing what he described as Israeli crimes in the occupied West Bank and Jerusalem, as well as ongoing crimes in the Gaza Strip. He said that since the fragile ceasefire in Gaza came into effect, more than 1,200 Palestinians had been killed, including women and children, while Israeli bombardment and other attacks had continued. READ: Israeli occupiers establish illegal settlement outpost in yard of

• 
  IOM: 2,500 people displaced by clashes in Sudan’s Blue Nile state

  by Mehdi Editor on August 12, 2026

  About 2,500 people have been displaced from the town of Geissan in Sudan’s southeastern Blue Nile state following clashes there on Tuesday, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said. In a statement, the IOM said its field teams, as part of its Displacement Tracking Matrix, estimated that about 2,500 people, or 500 families, had fled Geissan due to the deteriorating security conditions. It said most affected families had moved to other areas within Geissan, while others had crossed the border into Ethiopia. The organisation said the situation in the area remained “tense and volatile”, adding that it was closely monitoring developments on the ground. READ: Pope Leo voices concern over ‘tragic’ situation in Sudan Earlier on Tuesday, Geissan locality authorities said

• 
  Israel and Venezuela restore consular relations after 17 years

  by Mehdi Editor on August 12, 2026

  Israel and Venezuela have agreed to restore consular relations, 17 years after diplomatic ties were severed. Venezuela, which cut diplomatic relations with Israel 17 years ago over Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip, has historically been an ally of Iran. However, its government has moved closer to Washington since the United States detained President Nicolas Maduro last January. Following Israel’s 2008-2009 offensive on Gaza, then-Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez strongly condemned Israel and decided to sever diplomatic ties with it. According to a statement by Israel’s Foreign Ministry on X, the Israeli and Venezuelan governments said that, following an Israeli delegation’s visit to Venezuela after the 24 June earthquake, and talks between senior officials from both sides, the two countries had

• 
  Liberman launches fierce attack: Katz should be sacked immediately

  by Mehdi Editor on August 12, 2026

  Former Israeli Defence Minister Avigdor Liberman has launched a fierce attack on current Defence Minister Israel Katz, accusing him of harming the Israeli military and undermining Israel’s efforts on the international stage, and calling for his immediate dismissal. In an interview with 103FM radio, Liberman said Katz was not acting as a minister concerned with security, but was putting his political interests and calculations within the Likud party ahead of security considerations. He also criticised what he described as a lack of political support for the military chief of staff. “He should have been sacked this morning,” Liberman said, accusing Katz of serving his personal interests rather than Israel’s security interests. Liberman said the current government’s policies were harming soldiers

• 
  UN officials: Occupied West Bank at ‘breaking point’

  by Mehdi Editor on August 11, 2026

  UN officials said Tuesday that the occupied West Bank has reached a critical “breaking point,” citing a record surge in violence by Israeli occupiers and a systematic unraveling of Palestinian statehood, Anadolu reports. “Humanitarian organizations cannot create the political conditions that children need to be safe,” UNICEF Deputy Executive Director Hannan Sulieman told the Security Council. “That responsibility rests with member states who have the power to change them.” She presented four urgent requests to the international community: prioritizing the protection of children by ending administrative detention, halting forced displacements through diplomatic pressure, ensuring safe access to schools and hospitals, and allowing vital humanitarian supplies to move without delay. Sulieman reported a harrowing toll on minors, noting that 174 Palestinian children have

• 
  Saudi Arabia says Mecca Agreement with Turkiye, Pakistan ‘long-term’ deal to boost cooperation

  by Mehdi Editor on August 11, 2026

  The Mecca agreement between Turkiye, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan is a “long-term” defense partnership that will boost cooperation, Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud said Tuesday, Anadolu reports. The deal will bolster efforts to address regional challenges and maintain security and stability, Salman told a Cabinet meeting in Jeddah, Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported. The trilateral summit that led to the deal “reaffirmed the deep-rooted historical ties among the three countries and their shared commitment to strengthening the bonds of brotherhood” while pursuing “common strategic interests.” Türkiye, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan signed the defense agreement Friday at a trilateral summit in Mecca, pledging to strengthen collective security, deepen defense cooperation and promote peace and stability in the region and beyond. READ: OIC

• 
  Trump claims US controls Iranian money

  by Mehdi Editor on August 11, 2026

  President Donald Trump claimed Tuesday that the US has “total control” over Iran’s money, with Washington effectively acting as Tehran’s banker as the two countries remain locked in a military conflict, Anadolu reports. “We control their money, what they had, which is a lot,” Trump said in an interview with TV host Wayne Allyn Root. “We have total control of it. I’m their banker. I am their banker.” Trump described Iran’s economy as being in severe distress. “They’ve got 300% inflation. They have no value. Their currency has almost no value. They have they they’re not paying their soldiers. Their soldiers are leaving. So just keep that going. It’s not sustainable,” he said. The president outlined three possible approaches toward Iran: maintaining

• 
  4 crew members killed after Houthi attack on commercial vessel in Bab al-Mandeb

  by Mehdi Editor on August 11, 2026

  Four crew members were killed and four others wounded Tuesday after Yemen’s Houthi group attacked a commercial vessel carrying food supplies in the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, the Yemeni Ministry of Transportation said, Anadolu reports. A ministry statement said the Yemeni-flagged vessel Tihamah was struck three times by ballistic missiles while sailing through the strategic waterway, setting the ship on fire and causing material damage. The dead included three Pakistani crew members and one Indonesian sailor, while four others were wounded, the ministry said. A member of the rescue team was also injured. The ministry said Houthi forces fired another missile at the vessel as rescue teams were attempting to reach the crew in an attempt to disrupt the rescue operation and cause

• 
  US forces fire on Panama-flagged ship attempting to breach Iran blockade: Report

  by Mehdi Editor on August 11, 2026

  US forces fired on a Panama-flagged ship early Tuesday that was attempting to breach an American blockade of Iran, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing an official, Anadolu reports. An American chopper fired at the rudder of the ship after the crew ignored warnings from US personnel working to enforce the naval blockade of Iranian ports, the US official reportedly said. There were no immediate reports of casualties in the incident, and the US official reportedly said the ship appeared to be trying to move its crew to another civilian vessel after the attack. Earlier Tuesday, maritime security firm Vanguard said that a Panama-flagged containership, Vela Nova, was struck by a missile fired from a helicopter while transiting westbound through the Gulf

• 
  Syria condemns Colombia’s recognition of Israeli sovereignty over occupied Golan Heights

  by Mehdi Editor on August 11, 2026

  Syria on Tuesday strongly condemned Colombia’s recognition of what it termed “Israeli sovereignty” over the occupied Syrian Golan Heights, calling the move a violation of international law and relevant UN resolutions, Anadolu reports. In a statement, the Syrian Foreign Ministry denounced Colombia’s Aug. 10 declaration recognizing Israeli sovereignty over the occupied Golan based on what it described as security pretexts inconsistent with international law. The ministry reaffirmed that the Golan Heights are an inseparable part of Syrian territory and said Colombia’s position violated the UN Charter, the principle of the inadmissibility of acquiring territory by force, and UN Security Council Resolution 497 of 1981. READ: Saudi Arabia condemns Colombia’s recognition of Israeli sovereignty over Syria’s occupied Golan Heights It also cited UN Secretary-General

• 
  Palestinian president restores parliament to 132 seats, reverses expansion

  by Mehdi Editor on August 11, 2026

  Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Tuesday issued a decree restoring the number of seats in the Palestinian Legislative Council (parliament) to 132, reversing a law enacted in June that expanded the legislature to 200 members. The Palestinian Central Elections Commission said it received the new decree, which repeals the previous amendment while reinstating parts of the original election law alongside several new changes based on the commission’s recommendations. The new decree retains several provisions introduced in June, including lowering the minimum age for parliamentary candidates from 28 to 23, requiring women to comprise at least 33% of candidates on electoral lists and maintaining a 1% electoral threshold. It also preserves a requirement that electoral lists commit to the umbrella Palestine

• 
  Qatar says Iran-Oman Hormuz talks reached ‘advanced stage,’ urges reopening

  by Mehdi Editor on August 11, 2026

  Qatar said Tuesday that negotiations between Iran and Oman on arrangements for the Strait of Hormuz have reached “an advanced stage,” expressing hope the strategic waterway will reopen “as soon as possible,” Anadolu reports. Speaking at a press conference, Foreign Ministry spokesman Majed al-Ansari said the talks were at a “critical juncture” and stressed that Doha supports all efforts aimed at de-escalating tensions in the region. “As mediators, we want the Strait of Hormuz reopened as soon as possible,” Ansari said. He said Qatar was closely following the negotiations and remained supportive of diplomatic efforts to reach an agreement. ​​​​​​​Iran and Oman have been negotiating legal and technical arrangements for navigation through the strait after maritime traffic was disrupted following the military

• 
  Condi Rice and the belated “birth pangs of a new Middle East”

  by Marwa A on August 11, 2026

  Twenty years ago, as Israeli bombs pulverised Lebanon, Condoleezza Rice surveyed the carnage with the serene vocabulary peculiar to imperial officials who experience other people’s funerals as geopolitical opportunity. These, she suggested, were the “birth pangs of a new Middle East.” History, which possesses a considerably darker sense of humour than Washington’s strategic planners, has finally delivered the child. It is simply not the baby Rice ordered. The Mecca Joint Defence Agreement between Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and Pakistan is not yet a Middle Eastern NATO, whatever the breathless branding suggests. It has no visible integrated command structure, no demonstrated mechanism for automatic military mobilisation, and no reason to assume that Ankara will march against India because Islamabad is attacked, or

• 
  Israeli premier seeks reserved party spots for defense, interior ministers in upcoming elections

  by Mehdi Editor on August 11, 2026

  Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Tuesday that he intends to seek approval for reserved spots on the Likud party list for Defense Minister Israel Katz, Foreign Minister Gideon Saar and Minister Haim Katz ahead of this year’s legislative elections. According to the daily Yedioth Ahronoth, Netanyahu is expected to bring the proposal before Likud’s party secretariat for approval. The announcement came as Likud lawmakers and ministers were competing over their positions on the party’s list for the Oct. 27 elections. The Likud list refers to the party’s official slate of candidates for parliamentary elections. Under Israel’s electoral system, voters choose a party, and candidates enter the Knesset according to their order on the party list and the number of

• 
  Syrians celebrate death sentences for Bashar Assad, former regime officials

  by Mehdi Editor on August 11, 2026

  Syrians gathered outside the Palace of Justice in Damascus on Tuesday, to celebrate death sentences issued against ousted Syrian president Bashar al-Assad and his brother as well as other former regime officials, Anadolu reports. A criminal court in Damascus on Tuesday sentenced Bashar al-Assad and his brother Maher to death in absentia after convicting them of crimes against humanity and other offenses, the SANA news agency reported. The Fourth Criminal Court also sentenced Assad’s cousin Atef Najib, the former head of the Political Security Branch in Daraa, and six other fugitives – Fahd Jassem al-Freij, Mohammed Ayman Ayoush, Louay al-Ali, Qusai Ibrahim Mhayoub, Wafiq Saleh Nasser and Talal Fares al-Asimi – to death. Judge Fakhr al-Din al-Aryan said Assad’s role in

• 
  Egyptian army says it foiled cross-border arms smuggling network

  by Marwa A on August 11, 2026

  The Egyptian army said Tuesday that its forces had dismantled a cross-border organised crime network involved in smuggling and trafficking weapons and ammunition through the country’s southern frontier, Anadolu reports. Military spokesman Brig. Gen. Gharib Abdel Hafez said the operation was launched after intelligence indicated the network was preparing to smuggle weapons and ammunition across Egypt’s southern border for distribution inside the country and to supply criminal groups involved in illegal gold mining. The military said army forces intercepted two arms-smuggling operations in the desert west of Aswan province, seizing 24 firearms of various types, 49,211 rounds of ammunition of different calibres, a pickup truck, and identity documents belonging to several foreign nationals. The statement said army forces are continuing

• 
  Saudi Arabia condemns Colombia’s recognition of Israeli sovereignty over Syria’s occupied Golan Heights

  by Marwa A on August 11, 2026

  Saudi Arabia on Tuesday condemned Colombia’s recognition of Israeli sovereignty over the occupied Syrian Golan Heights, calling the move a violation of international law and relevant UN resolutions, Anadolu reports. In a statement, the Saudi Foreign Ministry stressed that the recognition violates the UN Charter, particularly UN Security Council Resolution 497 of 1981, which declared Israel’s imposition of its laws, jurisdiction and administration over the occupied Syrian Golan “null and void and without international legal effect.” It said such positions do not contribute to achieving peace, but instead depart from the broad international consensus on the occupied Syrian Golan, reinforce attempts to impose a fait accompli, and undermine efforts aimed at achieving peace in the region. Saudi Arabia reiterated its

• 
  The Israel ties Indonesia’s Bogor Agricultural University once had

  by Marwa A on August 11, 2026

  Inside a greenhouse in Bogor, an Indonesian student watched an Israeli engineer explain how to make water disappear into soil, drop by drop. No one in the room thought to ask where the technology, or the expert, had come from, or what it meant to learn irrigation from a company built on land taken from someone else. For years, that quiet blind spot ran through parts of IPB University, Indonesia’s top agricultural school. It was suddenly, deliberately closed in 2025. In May 2022, students at IPB’s vocational campus in Bogor gathered to learn about greenhouses, the glass or plastic-covered structures farmers use to grow crops in a controlled environment. Among the speakers was Dr. Orian Shalev, a farming expert flown

• 
  The Mecca Pact: From a security umbrella to an energy corridor

  by Marwa A on August 11, 2026

  The Mecca defence pact between Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and Pakistan is, at first glance, a security development. Yet its longer-term significance may emerge in a sphere that extends well beyond military cooperation: energy diplomacy. It is still too early to speak of a new energy bloc. The operational details of the agreement and the degree to which cooperation among the three countries becomes institutionalised will only become clearer over time. Nor is there any guarantee that defence cooperation will automatically translate into economic integration. The composition of the three countries nevertheless raises an important question: could a new security framework alter the risk calculus surrounding energy investment and transportation and, over time, facilitate greater connectivity between the Gulf, Anatolia and

• 
  Israeli army blows up Palestinian man’s home weeks after his killing

  by Mehdi Editor on August 11, 2026

  Less than three weeks after Palestinian man Farouk Ramadan was killed while confronting Israeli occupiers, the Israeli army blew up his house in the West Bank town of Tal, Anadolu reports. Ramadan was among four Palestinians killed and four others injured during an attack by Israeli forces and occupiers on Tal in late July, according to local sources. Ramadan, who was unarmed, seized a weapon from an occupier while confronting the attack on the village southwest of Nablus. He then opened fire on the occupiers and Israeli forces, killing two, according to the sources. The Israeli army blew up the third floor of the residential building in Tal after raiding the area and forcing residents of several nearby homes to evacuate ahead

• 
  Syrian court sentences Assad, his brother to death in absentia

  by Marwa A on August 11, 2026

  A criminal court in Damascus on Tuesday sentenced former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and his brother Maher to death in absentia after convicting them of crimes against humanity and other offences, the SANA news agency reported, Anadolu reports. The Fourth Criminal Court also sentenced Assad’s cousin Atef Najib, the former head of the Political Security Branch in Daraa, and six other fugitives – Fahd Jassem al-Freij, Mohammed Ayman Ayoush, Louay al-Ali, Qusai Ibrahim Mhayoub, Wafiq Saleh Nasser and Talal Fares al-Asimi – to death. Judge Fakhr al-Din al-Aryan said Assad’s role in the crimes was that of “the highest decision-maker,” adding that he had used state institutions to facilitate their commission. The court convicted Assad of premeditated murder of multiple

• 
  Thousands of patients in Gaza still await medical evacuation: WHO

  by Marwa A on August 11, 2026

  Thousands of patients in the Gaza Strip are still awaiting medical evacuation despite the ceasefire, World Health Organization (WHO) spokesperson Tarik Jasarevic said Tuesday. In a written response to Anadolu Agency, Jasarevic said 12,913 patients, including 6,186 children, had been medically evacuated from Gaza since October 2023, along with around 16,000 companions. He said medical evacuations are currently taking place three to four times a week. “Last week, from Aug. 2 to 8, 101 patients and 164 companions were evacuated,” Jasarevic said, stressing that thousands of patients are still awaiting medical evacuation. Gaza’s Health Ministry previously said that since the ceasefire took effect on Oct. 10, 2025, Israeli attacks have killed 1,258 people and wounded 4,145 others. The ministry said

• 
  No respite from the fear of forced displacement

  by Marwa A on August 11, 2026

  Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu insisted upon his rejection of US President Donald Trump’s 15-point plan for Gaza, which would see Hamas disarming and Israel withdrawing from Gaza. During a cabinet meeting on Sunday, Netanyahu stated that there would be no Palestinian state as long as he is prime minister, and that Israel would not agree to Trump’s plan. Agreeing to Trump’s plan would not have resulted in a Palestinian state – the plan and the two-state paradigm have been conflated on purpose – to ascertain Israel’s complete rejection of any semblance of temporary alleviation. Since the start of the genocide, and particularly with each proposal that would halt Israel’s violence in Gaza, Israel officials have altered their narratives several

• 
  Solemn anniversaries: The UN Refugee Convention turns 75

  by Marwa A on August 11, 2026

  That grand old thing is getting on a bit.  Still significant and still functioning wearily, the United Nations Refugee Convention of 1951 has suffered abuse, subversion and neglect from state parties.  At times, it is only honoured in the breach.  At other times, it is not honoured at all.  After three-quarters of a century, it is easy to forget the hot ideal that streaks through the document: that it contains, as Christopher Bentram aptly remarks, “a kind of substitute citizenship” for those who have left their country of origin and find their bonds “broken by the threat of prosecution.”  It was the first of its kind to expand the focus of protection beyond narrowly designated groups.  (Consider, in this regard

• 
  The future of Iran’s relations with its regional allies

  by Marwa A on August 11, 2026

  The antecedents of the Islamic Republic of Iran’s regional network of allies can be traced to the 1979 Islamic Revolution and the Iran-Iraq War of the 1980s. The revolution provided the ideological impetus for supporting groups opposed to Israel and Western influence in the region. The war encouraged Tehran to adopt a strategy aimed at preventing future conflicts from reaching Iranian territory by confronting adversaries beyond its borders through allied groups, a strategy referred to as ‘forward defence.’ In the subsequent years and decades, Hezbollah, Hamas, the Houthis, and militias in Iraq and Syria, all of which had originated under distinct national circumstances, emerged as Iran’s key regional partners. Each received varying degrees of Iranian support while preserving different levels