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

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  Greek main opposition questions government’s role in Israel’s interception of Gaza aid flotilla

  by Marwa A on April 30, 2026

  Greece’s main opposition party on Thursday questioned the government’s role in Israel’s interception of the Gaza-bound Sumud humanitarian aid flotilla, Anadolu reports. Lawmaker Dimitris Mantzos, the head of the PASOK party’s foreign affairs committee, said the Wednesday incident “constitutes a serious new violation of the international law of the sea and freedom of navigation.” Urging the government to take a clear position, Mantsoz asked whether the government and relevant authorities, including the coast guard, were aware of Israel’s plans before the interception took place. He also asked whether the location of the incident – off the Greek island of Crete – was within Greek jurisdiction for search and rescue, under international law. Moreover, Mantsoz asked the government what actions it

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  Israeli defence firm Rafael eyes takeover of VW’s Osnabruck factory, German lawmaker says

  by MI on April 30, 2026

  Israeli defence company Rafael is in talks to take over Volkswagen’s Osnabruck plant as the automaker phases out car production in the northwestern city after 2027, a German lawmaker said Thursday, Anadolu reports. Bastian Ernst, a conservative lawmaker from Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s Christian Democrats (CDU) with prior experience in the defence industry, confirmed the discussions to the German news agency (dpa). “There are talks between Rafael and Volkswagen,” he said, noting that the site could produce components for Rafael’s Iron Dome air defence system, including heavy trucks, launchers, and other parts. “This is a win-win situation. We would have Israeli expertise in Germany, and the Israeli state-owned company would have a production facility that is not threatened by war,” he

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  When a ceasefire becomes an offensive system

  by MI on April 30, 2026

  Ceasefires are usually treated as the negative space of war: the moment when fire stops, diplomats return and the strategic temperature begins to fall. That reading is dangerously incomplete. In the present Iran-US-Israel confrontation, the ceasefire is not merely an interruption of violence. It is becoming a coercive architecture in its own right: a system that suspends open combat while keeping pressure, surveillance, blockade logic and nuclear bargaining simultaneously alive. The more radical conclusion is this: a ceasefire can intensify the logic of war precisely because it removes the battlefield without removing the coercion. The question, then, is no longer whether Tehran, Washington and Tel Aviv are moving toward peace or war in the old binary sense. The sharper question

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  Over 180 activists detained in Israeli attack on Gaza aid flotilla in international waters, organizer says

  by MI on April 30, 2026

  The Israeli army attacked a Gaza-bound aid flotilla and detained more than 180 activists in international waters, 500 nautical miles (926 kilometers) off the Palestinian enclave, the head of the International Committee to Break the Siege on Gaza, which organized the voyage, said Thursday. “The Global Sumud and Freedom Flotilla was subjected to a fully-fledged act of piracy by the army of the Zionist entity in the open sea, in international waters and at a distance of 500 nautical miles from the occupied Palestinian territories and from the Gaza Strip,” Youssef Ajisa told Anadolu. He accused Israel of staging the raid at night “to cover up the media aspect of this brutal and barbaric act.” “More than 180 activists were

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  Israel bankrolls war crimes in occupied Syrian Golan with $334m settlement expansion plan

  by MI on April 30, 2026

  Israel has approved a $334 million plan to expand illegal settlements in the occupied Syrian Golan Heights, in a move that Human Rights Watch (HRW) says amounts to the financing of war crimes under international law. The plan, adopted by Israel’s cabinet on 17 April 2026, aims to significantly increase the number of Israeli settlers in the territory by developing the existing settlement of Katzrin into what officials describe as the Golan’s “first city”.  “Israel’s cabinet has put public money behind a war crime in Syria at the same time as it is turbocharging settlement expansion in the West Bank alongside continued impunity for violence against Palestinians there,” said Hiba Zayadin, senior Syria researcher at Human Rights Watch. “A permanent

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  Iran warns US of ‘prolonged, painful blows’ amid reports of potential strike plans

  by MI on April 30, 2026

  A commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Aerospace Force warned the United States on Thursday against potential military action amid reports Washington is considering new strikes against Tehran, Anadolu reports. The warning followed a report by US news website Axios that US President Donald Trump is expected to receive a briefing from US Central Command (CENTCOM) on options for a “short and intense” series of strikes aimed at breaking the current stalemate. In response, Majid Mousavi, commander of the IRGC Aerospace Force, said Tehran would respond to any such operations “even if short and rapid” with “prolonged and painful blows.” “We have seen the fate of your bases in the region; we will also see your vessels,” he

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  9 Palestinians injured in Israeli attacks in Gaza as ceasefire violations continue

  by MI on April 30, 2026

  Nine Palestinians were injured in fresh Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip on Thursday, as Israel continued daily violations of a ceasefire in place since last October, medical sources said. The sources said two Palestinians were wounded after being targeted by a quadcopter drone in the Shujaiya area east of Gaza City. Six more Palestinians were injured in a drone strike targeting a group of civilians near Shuhadaa Al-Aqsa Hospital in Deir al-Balah in central Gaza. A fisherman was also wounded by Israeli naval fire off the northwestern coast of Rafah in the south, the sources said. Israeli artillery also shelled areas northeast of the Bureij refugee camp in central Gaza with several rounds, with no injuries reported, witnesses told

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  Iran’s supreme leader says Gulf future ‘without US,’ new Hormuz rules to boost stability, economy

  by MI on April 30, 2026

  Iran’s supreme leader said Thursday the future of the Gulf will be “without US presence,” stressing that new legal and management frameworks for the Strait of Hormuz will bring stability and economic benefits to the region, Anadolu reports. In a written statement released by his office to mark Persian Gulf National Day, Mojtaba Khamenei said the presence of foreign powers, particularly the United States, has been a source of instability in the region, adding that a “new phase is emerging.” He said the Gulf is a key part of regional identity and global economic connectivity, particularly through the Strait of Hormuz and the Sea of Oman. Khamenei said Iran would ensure security in the Gulf through what he described as

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  Tunisia’s Ennahda says its leader Rached Ghannouchi hospitalized after health deteriorates in prison

  by MI on April 30, 2026

  Tunisia’s Ennahda movement said Thursday that its leader Rached Ghannouchi suffered a sharp deterioration in his health while in detention and was transferred to a hospital, Anadolu reports. In a statement, the movement said Ghannouchi, 84, “experienced a severe decline in his health condition, which forced prison authorities to urgently transfer him to a hospital for treatment and medical monitoring for several days.” “In light of this serious development, the movement renews its call for Ghannouchi’s immediate release, considering his detention to be arbitrary,” the statement added. Citing a UN expert panel decision, the movement said Ghannouchi is being prosecuted over freedom of opinion and expression and that the charges against him “lack any legal and factual basis.” In March,

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  The disaggregation of OPEC’s Gulf production coalition: UAE’s exit and the unravelling of the Arab oil order

  by MI on April 30, 2026

  On 1st May, 2026, the United Arab Emirates formally departs from the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), ending almost six decades of membership that began with the Emirate of Abu Dhabi in 1967. Officials in Abu Dhabi frame the decision as a sovereign recalibration of national interest, while markets read it as a supply-side shock muted by the Iran war. Both readings are insufficient. The UAE’s withdrawal is neither sudden nor primarily political. It is the structural endpoint of a six-year economic realignment whose internal logic was always incompatible with collective output discipline. To grasp why, one must abandon the familiar image of OPEC as a unified body of 12 equal members. OPEC has never functioned as a

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  Netanyahu’s adviser fails to advance Israeli plans to relocate Palestinians from Gaza: Report

  by MI on April 30, 2026

  An adviser to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has failed to advance plans to relocate Palestinians from the Gaza Strip following Tel Aviv’s two-year war on the enclave, Haaretz newspaper reported on Thursday. Israel has described the relocation of Palestinians as “voluntary migration,” after Tel Aviv’s brutal assault that has killed more than 72,000 people, injured over 172,000 and caused widespread destruction of infrastructure. Israel has also maintained a tight blockade on the enclave, worsening living conditions and leaving the entire population on the verge of starvation. Haaretz said Netanyahu tasked his adviser Caroline Glick with promoting plans to relocate Palestinians from the war-ravaged enclave. According to the paper, Glick contacted Somalia’s breakaway region of Somaliland and the Democratic Republic

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  ICC chief prosecutor says he is ‘exonerated’ in alleged misconduct probe

  by MI on April 30, 2026

  International Criminal Court (ICC) Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan, who went on leave in May 2025 amid a UN investigation into sexual misconduct allegations, said he has been “exonerated,” Anadolu reports. Khan told Zeteo in an interview released Wednesday that the inquiry found no “misconduct or abuse of authority” and that he should be allowed to return to work. “I’ve read the UN report. I’ve read the findings of the judges. And in the UN report, there are 137 findings, not one of those findings makes determinations or makes findings of conduct that could be characterized as inappropriate in any way, shape or form,” he said. In March, a panel of three judges unanimously concluded in an advisory opinion that the UN

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  Who truly faces an existential threat?

  by MI on April 30, 2026

  “What I saw today is the existential threat to the State of Israel,” former Mossad director Tamir Pardo stated after a visit to Palestinian villages that have been targeted by Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank. However, dismissing Zionist history to selectively focus on settler violence absolves Israel of the role it gives to settlers – a direct participation in the ethnic cleansing of the Palestinian people. Settler violence started before the Nakba, and it suited Israel’s purpose to encourage it.  But of course, Pardo’s concern is not the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians. The concern is that the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians, in which settlers participate under state protection, does not jeopardise Israel’s existence.  Pardo said that Israeli settler

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  Majority of Israelis believe Israel has lost all wars since October 7, survey finds

  by MI on April 30, 2026

  Most Israelis believe that Israel has lost every war it has fought since 7 October, including against Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon and Iran, according to a new survey published by Israel’s Kan News agency. The poll found that 57 per cent of respondents believe Israel has not won in any arena since 7 October. Only 28 per cent said Israel had won in at least one arena, while 15 per cent said they did not know. The findings point to a crisis of confidence in Israel’s wars and assaults across the region, even as Israeli public opinion continues to show overwhelming support for the genocide in Gaza and wider military expansion. When broken down by front, just 17

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  Greater Israel: Coming soon to a neighbour near you; lines may change without notice

  by MI on April 30, 2026

  For seven decades, Israel has functioned not within fixed borders, but through the calculated deployment of “fluid lines.” From the 1947 Partition Plan to modern military doctrines, its geography remains a moving target—a series of unilateral impositions designed to facilitate expansion while evading international law. Effectively, Israel recognizes no definitive borders for itself, nor does it respect the sovereign boundaries of its neighbors. From Iran to Egypt, international borders are treated as mere sketches on a map rather than inviolable markers. This refusal to define its own limits maintains a permanent “frontier status,” where expansion is the only constant and international law is merely an optional suggestion. We must not lose sight of the factual reality: immediately upon its creation

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  Sudanese commander accuses UAE of leading war plan to divide country

  by MI on April 30, 2026

  A Sudanese military commander, Major General al-Nur Ahmed Adam Quba, has said that the war plan in Sudan is an external scheme led by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) aimed at taking control of the country, and if that fails, it is intended to divide it. He said the plan was “known to the whole world” and claimed he could name some Emirati figures coordinating with the militia in the conflict. Speaking at a press conference in Khartoum on Thursday, he said the main operations room managing the war in Sudan is based in the UAE, with subsidiary rooms in Nyala and other parts of Darfur.  He also said members of the Dagalo family have rooms in the UAE through

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  Israel warns US: Deterrence against Hezbollah is eroding

  by MI on April 30, 2026

  Israel has told the US administration that its current policy of restraint in Lebanon is undermining its deterrent capability and serving Hezbollah’s interests. Channel 12 reported that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu discussed the issue with US President Donald Trump in a phone call. It said Netanyahu warned that relying only on reactive responses, without taking the initiative, gives Hezbollah an opportunity to recover and strengthen its ideological position, while exposing Israeli forces on the ground to growing risks. According to the Israeli position, the continued use of limited operations is gradually eroding deterrence and negatively affecting the security of residents in the north, as well as the army’s operational readiness. READ: Netanyahu orders ‘special project’ to counter Hezbollah drones In

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  Sudanese doctors warn of looming humanitarian crisis in Blue Nile as rains approach

  by MI on April 30, 2026

  The Sudanese Doctors Network has warned that more than 100,000 displaced people in Blue Nile State face a potential humanitarian catastrophe as the country’s rainy season approaches. In a statement on Wednesday, the network expressed concern over worsening conditions in Ad-Damazin, where around 10 displacement centres are sheltering large numbers of people who have fled violence in Kurmuk and Qaysan districts. The group said children make up about 40 per cent of the displaced population, while women and older people account for roughly 60 per cent, highlighting the vulnerability of those affected. Sudan’s rainy season, which typically runs from June to October, brings heavy downpours and flooding that often worsen living conditions in camps and increase the risk of disease

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  Israeli reports highlight rise of youth gang activity in Tel Aviv

  by MI on April 30, 2026

  Israeli security reports have pointed to a growing threat from an organised group of minors operating in Tel Aviv, raising concerns about crime and policing. According to police, the group—reportedly calling itself “SSQ”—includes around 100 boys and girls aged between 11 and 16. Authorities said many members are from migrant backgrounds, including families originating from Eritrea. Police said the group’s activities have escalated beyond theft to include assaults in public spaces and attempts to extort money from businesses and service providers. Officials expressed concern about alleged links between the youths and larger criminal networks, saying minors may be recruited to carry out tasks on behalf of organised groups, partly due to their age and lower likelihood of prosecution. During raids

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  Saudi expert says UAE exit from OPEC to have limited impact on oil markets

  by MI on April 30, 2026

  A Saudi oil expert has said the United Arab Emirates’ decision to withdraw from OPEC and the broader OPEC+ is unlikely to significantly disrupt global markets. Dr Mohammed Sorour Al-Sabban, a former senior adviser to Saudi Arabia’s petroleum minister, described the move as “regrettable” but stressed that the UAE retains the sovereign right to determine its economic policies. Speaking to Sputnik, Al-Sabban said the UAE’s production share within OPEC and OPEC+ could be offset by other member states, particularly Saudi Arabia, which he said has the capacity to maintain supply levels and limit market disruption. The UAE announced that its withdrawal from OPEC and OPEC+ will take effect on 1st May 2026, marking a significant shift in the structure of

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  UAE reviews role in regional blocs amid speculation over further withdrawals

  by MI on April 30, 2026

  An official from the United Arab Emirates has said the country is reassessing its role in multilateral organisations, following its decision to withdraw from OPEC. Speaking to Reuters on condition of anonymity, the official said Abu Dhabi is reviewing the value of its memberships but is not currently considering additional withdrawals. The remarks come amid speculation that the UAE could reconsider its participation in regional bodies such as the Arab League and the Gulf Cooperation Council after announcing it will leave OPEC and the OPEC+ from 1st May. Senior Emirati official Anwar Gargash criticised the performance of regional organisations during a forum earlier this week, saying political and military coordination among Gulf states had been “the weakest in history”. He

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  Christian nun injured in settler attack in Jerusalem

  by MI on April 30, 2026

  A Christian nun was injured on Wednesday after an attack by an Israeli settler in Jerusalem, according to a local human rights organisation. The Al-Baydar Human Rights Organization said the nun was assaulted in one of the city’s neighbourhoods, resulting in injuries and heightened tensions in the area. The organisation said the attack comes amid a rise in violations against civilians in Jerusalem and surrounding areas, including incidents targeting Palestinian residents and religious sites. It added that attacks by settlers have increased alongside restrictive measures imposed by Israeli forces, including checkpoints and limitations on access for worshippers to sites such as the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and the Al-Aqsa Mosque. Reported incidents include harassment of clergy, assaults on pilgrims

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  Lebanon says Israel must abide by ceasefire, understand talks are key to security

  by MI on April 30, 2026

  Israel must realize that the only path to achieve security is through negotiations, the Lebanese president said on Wednesday, stressing that Tel Aviv must first fully implement the ongoing ceasefire before moving on to further talks, Anadolu Agency reported. “We are working as much as possible to mitigate the consequences of the military attacks on Lebanon. “We are conducting intensive contacts for this purpose, as it is unacceptable for Israeli attacks to continue after the ceasefire has been announced,” Joseph Aoun said in a statement released by the Lebanese presidency on US social media company X. Aoun argued that he was in coordination with the Lebanese parliament speaker and the prime minister in “every step” he took regarding the negotiations,

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  17 migrants found dead, 7 rescued off Libya coast after 8 days at sea

  by MI on April 30, 2026

  The Libyan coastguard in cooperation with naval forces has recovered the bodies of 17 migrants and rescued seven others in what was described as one of the most difficult rescue operations off the country’s coast. The operations were off Tobruk city in eastern Libya, near the border with Egypt. “After eight days of distress, Almarqab patrol boat, attached to the naval base, successfully rescued a stranded vessel. The operation resulted in the rescue of seven survivors and the recovery of 17 bodies,” the Red Crescent said in a statement posted on Facebook. It said the rescue operation was “one of the most arduous field missions to date”. The statement did not disclose the nationalities of the migrants or further details

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  Over 1.25 million in Lebanon at risk of food insecurity, UN report warns

  by MI on April 30, 2026

  More than 1.25 million people in Lebanon could face crisis-level or worse food insecurity by August, according to a joint United Nations and Lebanese government report released on Wednesday.  The report published by Lebanon’s Ministry of Agriculture, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Food Programme (WFP) warned that the latest war in the country has reversed previous humanitarian gains and pushed Lebanon back into crisis, amid growing economic and living pressures.  WFP representative in Lebanon Allison Oman Lawi said the fragility previously flagged “has now proven to be real”. She added that “Families who were just managing to cope are now being pushed back into crisis as conflict, displacement and rising costs collide, making food increasingly unaffordable.”       

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  Trump renews pressure on Israel’s Herzog to pardon Netanyahu: Report

  by MI on April 30, 2026

  US President Donald Trump has renewed his “pressure campaign” on Israeli President Isaac Herzog to pardon Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Trump told Axios on Wednesday that Netanyahu had raised his corruption trial when they spoke Tuesday night and told him he’d be back in court on Wednesday, instead of focusing on Iran. “In the middle of a war? Give me a break,” Trump said. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu cut short a court session in his corruption trial on Wednesday to hold security consultations related to an aid flotilla heading to the Gaza Strip. Before the trial session began in Tel Aviv, Netanyahu asked to shorten Wednesday’s hearing to three hours, but judges rejected the request. He then asked

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  ‘Apartheid without borders,’ says UN special rapporteur on Israel’s interception of Gaza-bound aid flotilla

  by MI on April 30, 2026

  The UN special rapporteur on the Occupied Palestinian Territories on Thursday described Israel’s interception of the Gaza-bound Global Sumud Flotilla as “Apartheid without borders,”Anadolu reports. “ALARM! How on earth is possible that Israel is allowed to assault and seize vessels in international waters just off Greece/Europe? Besides what you can think of Apartheid Israel and its genocidal leaders, this should send shock waves across Europe,” said Francesca Albanese on the US social media platform X. The Israeli navy intercepted vessels from the flotilla late Wednesday as they headed toward Gaza to break a longstanding blockade on the enclave. The group said Israeli forces surrounded the convoy in international waters near the Greek island of Crete, jammed communications, and seized 21

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  America as a war economy: Eisenhower’s warning that still runs Washington

  by MI on April 30, 2026

  One of the strangest things about U.S. politics is this: many countries look for reasons first, then go to war. Washington often does the opposite. It decides on war first, then changes the justification as pressure rises and as it needs to “sell” the decision at home and abroad. We saw this in Iraq, and we see it again in other files today: one reason, then another, then a third “explanation”; while the core decision stays the same for years. So why does the United States keep the weapon always on the table, and turn politics into a permanent stage for threats and escalation? A big part of the answer was named by a U.S. president from inside the system

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  Qatar denies claims of backing ICC prosecutor over Netanyahu case

  by MI on April 30, 2026

  Doha said on Wednesday it rejects Israeli claims that it supported International Criminal Court prosecutor Karim Khan in return for pursuing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is wanted by the court. Qatar described the allegations as “an attempt to evade international accountability”. In a statement, the country’s International Media Office said the claims were based on false media reports concerning the ICC prosecutor. On Tuesday, the US newspaper The Wall Street Journal reported allegations that Qatar had promised to support Khan following sexual assault accusations against him, in exchange for taking action against Netanyahu over alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity linked to the war in Gaza. Qatar’s International Media Office said that “recent attempts to implicate Qatar

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  Israeli navy intercepts Gaza aid flotilla amid reported interference near Greece

  by MI on April 30, 2026

  Hebrew media reported on Wednesday evening that the Israeli Navy has begun seizing ships from the “break the siege” flotilla heading to the Gaza Strip, before they could approach the coast. In contrast, the Global Sumud Flotilla said its ships were experiencing signal interference near Greek waters, with unidentified warships approaching them. Israel’s Channel 14 reported that naval forces had started taking control of the maritime fleet heading to Gaza, far from the coast. The boats, part of the “Spring 2026 mission” organised by the Global Sumud Flotilla, set sail on Sunday from the Italian island of Sicily in an effort to break Israel’s blockade on Gaza and deliver humanitarian aid to its residents. The flotilla had originally departed from

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  UN experts warn Gaza reconstruction cannot succeed without ending occupation

  by MI on April 29, 2026

  UN experts said Wednesday that reconstruction in the Gaza Strip cannot succeed without ending Israel’s occupation and ensuring rebuilding efforts are rooted in human rights and Palestinian self-determination, Anadolu reports. “The occupation must end, and the dispossession and discrimination against Palestinians must stop if rebuilding is to have any real chance of success,” the experts said in a statement. Citing the Gaza Rapid Damage and Needs Assessment, they said more than 371,000 housing units have been destroyed or damaged, 1.9 million people displaced, and over 60% of the population remains homeless, with reconstruction needs estimated at more than $71 billion. “The data confirms a pattern of structural discrimination that reconstruction efforts must urgently correct rather than reproduce,” they said, warning

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  The pendulum swings: The slow death of Europe’s pro-Israel consensus

  by MI on April 29, 2026

  The European Union is the “chief of all cowards,” Amnesty International declared in a searing statement issued on April 21. The condemnation was a direct response to the European bloc’s systemic failure to sever ties with Israel during the Foreign Affairs Council meeting in Luxembourg. Despite months of legal warnings, the EU once again prioritized procedural safety over the urgency of human life. The efforts to press the EU to finally take a moral position were led by a coalition of Spain, Ireland, and Slovenia, later joined by Belgium. They argued that the EU-Israel Association Agreement—the legal framework governing their trade relationship—is predicated on the “respect for human rights.”  To maintain this agreement while the extreme violations in occupied Palestine

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  European natural gas prices surge more than 8% amid Hormuz closure tensions

  by MI on April 29, 2026

  European natural gas prices rose sharply Wednesday as tensions between the US and Iran persisted and markets saw no concrete progress toward fully reopening the Strait of Hormuz, Anadolu reports. May-dated natural gas futures at the Dutch Title Transfer Facility (TTF), Europe’s benchmark gas trading hub, climbed more than 8% to €47.2 ($55.1) per megawatt-hour as of 1735GMT. Markets were supported by the lack of clear progress in reducing tensions between Washington and Tehran, as well as uncertainty about when energy flows through the Strait of Hormuz could return to normal. US media reports said Washington is considering increasing pressure on Iran, with a focus on limiting oil exports and restricting maritime traffic linked to Iranian ports. The approach is

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  Iran does not stand alone – China and Russia create restraint

  by MI on April 29, 2026

  China, and Russia do not stand aside; they hold the war in deliberate abeyance add solidarity and deterrence. What appears as support is, more precisely, structured pre-emption against reckless US escalation. The United States is compelled to calculate against a dispersed but formidable alignment of power. The ongoing war is not sustained war, but a multipolar, multi-cornered balance that restrains dominance. This is no longer a theatre of dominance, but a multipolar, multi-cornered contest of endurance. The most consequential actors in the Iran conflict are not only those deploying force on the battlefield, but those who have embedded themselves within the conflict’s underlying architecture. Russia and China have not declared war, yet to characterise them as peripheral or neutral is

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  UN raises alarms over ‘intolerable’ situation in occupied West Bank

  by MI on April 29, 2026

  The UN on Wednesday voiced concern over escalating tensions and violence in the occupied West Bank, describing the situation as “intolerable,” Anadolu reports. “I also want to tell you that we continue to monitor the latest developments in the West Bank very closely, be they Israeli settler attacks or Israeli security operations,” spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters. “The situation in the West Bank is not only concerning, it is intolerable,” Dujarric added. He stressed that such activities run counter to Israel’s obligations under international law, particularly regarding its “unlawful continued presence” in the occupied Palestinian territory. “They also undermine the Palestinian Authority,” he added. His remarks came after Israel approved on Wednesday the construction of 126 illegal settlement units in Jenin

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  Trump rejects Iranian proposal to open Strait of Hormuz until nuclear concerns met

  by MI on April 29, 2026

  US President Donald Trump rejected a proposal from Tehran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, opting instead to maintain a naval blockade to pressure Tehran on its nuclear program, Axios reported Wednesday, Anadolu reports. “The blockade is somewhat more effective than the bombing. They are choking,” Trump told the news outlet. “It is going to be worse for” Iran. He claimed Iran is seeking an agreement to lift the US blockade on thr strategically important waterway. The president dismissed the Iranian offer to unblock the vital waterway and postpone nuclear discussions, insisting that his primary goal remains preventing Tehran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. Trump claimed that the inability to export oil has left Iranian infrastructure “close to exploding.” While

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  German foreign minister: Merz comment on US ‘humiliation’ was warning to Iran

  by MI on April 29, 2026

  German Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s comment that Iran is “humiliating” the US was meant as a warning to Iran to negotiate seriously, Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said Wednesday, Anadolu reports. “This was a clear warning to Tehran not to misunderstand the whole situation,” Wadephul told German broadcaster DW, adding that the current ceasefire should prompt Iran to reach an agreement rather than stall negotiations. He warned that the US has deployed significant military capabilities in the region, and that the failure of talks could lead to another escalation. “What we currently see is that Tehran is playing for time and not really negotiating in a way which is necessary and which is needed,” Wadephul said. “It’s a bad behavior what Iran

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  Bab el-Mandeb cannot become a gateway for recognition politics

  by MI on April 29, 2026

  The Bab el-Mandeb Strait has always carried an ominous name — the ‘Gate of Tears’. Today, it feels painfully literal. This narrow maritime corridor linking the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden carries not only more than 10 per cent of global seaborne trade, but also the accumulated tensions of the Middle East, the Horn of Africa, and an increasingly fractured international order. What happens in Gaza no longer stays in Gaza. What is decided in Tel Aviv reverberates in Mogadishu. And what appears, at first glance, to be a diplomatic gesture — Israel’s recognition of Somaliland in December 2025 — risks becoming a strategic accelerant across one of the world’s most fragile regions. Israel became the first country

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  Turkish president urges unity, faith amid suffering in Muslim world

  by MI on April 29, 2026

  Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Wednesday that Muslims are going through a “difficult and painful period,” pointing to ongoing conflicts and humanitarian crises across multiple regions, Anadolu reports. Speaking at the International Quran Recitation Competition Awards Ceremony, Erdogan said: “From Palestine to Lebanon, from the Gulf to Sudan, from Somalia to Yemen, wherever we turn our heads, we are unfortunately met with tears.” “In these days of trial, when the so-called civilized world turns a blind eye, infants in cradles and defenseless civilians are being brutally massacred,” he added. He also criticized those who, he said, have long spoken “arrogantly” about justice, equality, and human rights. READ: Israeli defense minister threatens Lebanon with ‘fire that will burn entire country’ “Today,

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  Israeli foreign minister acknowledges differences with Trump over Iran

  by MI on April 29, 2026

  Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar acknowledged differences on Wednesday with US President Donald Trump over Iran, while stressing what he described as long-term strategic alignment, Anadolu reports. Saar also ruled out moving forward with annexation of parts of the occupied West Bank, saying it would conflict with Trump’s position. Speaking during a closed meeting with members of the “American Friends of Likud” group on Tuesday night, Saar said contrary to Trump’s statements, the Iranian regime has not resumed uranium enrichment since the US-Israeli war in June 2025, the Yedioth Ahronoth reported, citing a recording of the session. Israel and the US launched a 12-day war on Iran on June 13, targeting military, nuclear and civilian sites and killing military leaders

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  Iran’s missile, drone stockpiles ‘sufficient for years of war,’ lawmaker says

  by MI on April 29, 2026

  Iran’s missile and drone stockpiles are “sufficient to sustain years of war,” a senior Iranian lawmaker said Wednesday, in an interview with the semi-official Tasnim news agency. Alaeddin Boroujerdi, deputy head of the Iranian parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Commission, said Tehran has yet to reveal its full capabilities. “We have not yet shown our new cards,” he said in comments carried by the semi-official Tasnim news agency. Boroujerdi dismissed what he described as a “naval blockade,” calling it ineffective, and claimed that around 120 vessels are currently waiting near the Strait of Hormuz for transit. He added that many Iranian vessels are continuing to operate without intervention from US forces. Referring to regional dynamics, he said the Bab

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  Israeli strike kills Lebanese soldier, brother in southern Lebanon despite ceasefire

  by MI on April 29, 2026

  A Lebanese soldier and his brother were killed in an Israeli airstrike in southern Lebanon on Wednesday, the military said, amid Israeli violations of a temporary ceasefire, Anadolu reports. In a statement on the US social media company X, the army said the pair were killed in the strike that targeted them while they were traveling on a motorcycle in the town of Khirbet Selm in the Bint Jbeil district. The soldier was on his way from his place of duty to his home in the town of Souaneh when the attack hit them, the army said. US President Donald Trump announced a 10-day ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon on April 17, before saying Thursday it would be extended by

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  Israel approves 126 illegal settlement units in northern West Bank

  by MI on April 29, 2026

  Israel approved on Wednesday the construction of 126 illegal settlement units in Jenin in the northern West Bank, Israeli media reported. “Twenty years after its evacuation, a plan has been approved to build 126 permanent homes in Sanur settlement,” Channel 12 said. The move marks a renewed push to expand illegal settlement activity in the area, which had previously been evacuated as part of Israel’s 2005 disengagement plan. Under former Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, Israel evacuated its settlements in the Gaza Strip and parts of the West Bank in 2005, including Sanur, under a unilateral plan known as the “disengagement plan.” Yossi Dagan, head of regional council representing settlements in the northern West Bank, said Sanur “will be rebuilt.” “It

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  US spent $25B on Iran war as Pentagon seeks $1.5T budget

  by MI on April 29, 2026

  The US has spent approximately $25 billion on the war against Iran, according to a senior Pentagon official who testified before a House committee on Wednesday, Anadolu reports. The department’s acting Chief Financial Officer Jules W. Hurst III said most of the cost stemmed from munitions spending. Hurst said operations and maintenance costs, and equipment replacement also counted in the total spending. He added that the agency will soon submit a formal supplemental budget request to Congress via the White House once “we have a full assessment of the cost of the conflict.” OPINION: How St. Petersburg became Tehran’s last strategic lifeline Pentagon seeks $1.5 trillion budget Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the requested $1.5 trillion for fiscal year 2027

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  78 years on: what went wrong with Israel’s founding project? | Palestine This Week with Mouin Rabbani

  by MI on April 29, 2026

  In this episode, we assess Israel 78 years after its founding, examining whether the Zionist project has reached a point of crisis. We explore competing interpretations of what “went wrong,” from claims of ideological failure to arguments that the current reality reflects the logical outcome of a settler-colonial project. Drawing on historical evidence and contemporary developments, the discussion addresses Israel’s genocide on Gaza, the erasure of Palestinian, ongoing patterns of dispossession and looting, and the wider regional and international dynamics shaping the conflict today.   WATCH: Gaza six months since ceasefire: the next stage of genocide | Palestine This Week with Mouin Rabbani

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  EU considers sanctions on Israel over stolen Ukrainian wheat

  by MI on April 29, 2026

  Israel has been slammed as not being a “normal country” for importing wheat stolen from Russian-occupied Ukrainian territory, prompting the European Union to consider sanctions against Israeli individuals and entities linked to the trade. The criticism came from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who said: “In any normal country, purchasing stolen goods is an act that entails legal liability.” He added that a vessel carrying looted grain had arrived in Israel and was preparing to unload, stressing that such activity “cannot be legitimate business” and warning that Israeli authorities could not plausibly be unaware of the cargo entering their ports. In any normal country, purchasing stolen goods is an act that entails legal liability. This applies, in particular, to grain stolen

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  How St. Petersburg became Tehran’s last strategic lifeline

  by MI on April 29, 2026

  In the shifting geometry of global power, wars are no longer merely fought on battlefields, they are negotiated in silence, traded across continents, and priced in barrels of oil and bytes of intelligence. The Iran crisis of 2026 has become precisely that kind of conflict: a high-stakes geopolitical marketplace where sovereignty is collateral, alliances are transactional, and survival depends less on ideology than on access to patrons with leverage. What unfolded in St. Petersburg was not diplomacy in the classical sense, but a strategic reckoning, one that may well redefine the limits of autonomy for middle powers in an increasingly unforgiving world order. The meeting at the Boris Yeltsin Presidential Library on April 27, 2026, marked an unusual, and deeply

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  UN: Ship traffic through Strait of Hormuz drops 95 %

  by MI on April 29, 2026

  The United Nations says ship traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has fallen by 95.3 per cent since the war launched by the United States and Israel against Iran. UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric told a daily press briefing on Tuesday that data from the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development shows vessel movements through the strait have dropped by 95.3 per cent since the war began on 28 February. Dujarric added that restrictions on the waterway have pushed up basic food prices by 6 per cent, while crude oil prices for Europe have risen by 53 per cent. READ: Trump tells aides to prepare for extended blockade of Iran: Report On Monday, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned that disruptions in

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  Britain’s ambassador to Washington concedes the ‘special relationship’ belongs to Israel, not the UK

  by MI on April 29, 2026

  The most senior British diplomat in Washington has admitted that the much-vaunted “special relationship” between the United Kingdom and the United States does not exist and that the only country to which America is meaningfully bound is Israel. The remarks, made in February at a private event with visiting British students, were first reported by the Financial Times yesterday and have since been confirmed by multiple outlets. They appeared in print hours before King Charles and Queen Camilla were received at the White House by President Donald Trump. “I think there is probably one country that has a special relationship with the United States,” Sir Christian Turner can be heard saying on the leaked audio, “and that is probably Israel.”

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  Netanyahu orders ‘special project’ to counter Hezbollah drones

  by MI on April 29, 2026

  Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Tuesday that he had ordered a “special project” to eliminate the threat posed by Hezbollah drones, adding that it “will take time”. It is the second time in the past 24 hours that Netanyahu has addressed the threat of Hezbollah drones, which have been repeatedly targeting Israeli army forces in southern Lebanon. The Israeli military is facing a growing challenge in the area from fibre-optic-guided drones, described as “stealthy” due to their low visibility and difficulty to detect. According to the military correspondent of the Hebrew website Walla, Amir Bohbot, these fibre-optic drones, also known as “wired” drones, operate through a physical connection using a thin fibre-optic cable that unspools gradually from a reel