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

• 
  Yemen bans entry, circulation of all Iranian goods, products

  by Mehdi Editor on September 13, 2026

  Yemen’s internationally recognized government decided Sunday to ban the entry and circulation of all Iranian goods and products, according to the state-run Saba news agency. The National Committee for Regulating and Financing Imports approved the measure during a meeting chaired by Central Bank of Yemen Governor Ahmad Ghaleb, who also heads the committee. The committee said the decision was taken “in accordance with the requirements of the higher national interest.” It instructed relevant authorities to take the necessary measures to implement the ban, each within its respective jurisdiction and in accordance with applicable laws and regulations. The statement did not specify when the ban will take effect or provide further details on the Iranian products affected. READ: Over 82,000 displaced from

• 
  Nearly 100,000 displaced in Sudan’s Blue Nile state since January amid fighting: UN agency

  by Mehdi Editor on September 13, 2026

  Nearly 100,000 people have been displaced in Sudan’s southeastern Blue Nile state since January amid escalating fighting between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), the UN International Organization for Migration (IOM) said Sunday. The IOM said an estimated 99,277 people, representing 19,497 families, were displaced from different parts of Blue Nile state between Jan. 11 and Aug. 23, 2026. The figure represents a 66% increase from the agency’s previous update on May 21, when 59,742 displaced people were recorded. Nearly half of those displaced, or 47%, are children under the age of 18, the agency said. The IOM said 39,570 people were displaced from Geissan locality, 32,515 from Kurmuk and 27,192 from Bau. READ: Drone strikes killed 1,120

• 
  1 missing, 13 rescued after vessel attacked off Oman in Strait of Hormuz

  by Mehdi Editor on September 13, 2026

  India on Sunday said 13 crew members were rescued, while one remains missing after an attack on a vessel off the coast of Oman in the Strait of Hormuz, Anadolu reports. India’s Ministry of External Affairs, while condemning the attack on the commercial vessel “MT El Gaia,” said 14 Indian crew members were on board when the attack happened and one remained missing. “Our Embassy in Oman is closely monitoring the situation and proactively coordinating with the Omani authorities in the ongoing Search and Rescue operation. We thank the Omani authorities for their support in rescuing our nationals,” the ministry said. New Delhi, while calling for “immediate de-escalation of tensions and pursuance of dialogue and diplomacy to bring peace to

• 
  Saudi Arabia issues emergency alerts of ‘potential danger’ in southwestern areas

  by Mehdi Editor on September 13, 2026

  Saudi Arabia’s Civil Defense issued emergency alerts of a “potential danger” on Sunday in the southwestern city of Abha and Khamis Mushait governorate, before later announcing that the threat had passed in both areas, Anadolu reports. The warnings were issued through the kingdom’s National Early Warning Platform for Emergencies, according to Civil Defense statements. Authorities first activated an alert in Khamis Mushait, warning residents of a “potential danger” without specifying its nature. A similar alert was later issued in Abha, also in southwestern Saudi Arabia. The Civil Defense subsequently announced that the danger had passed in both Khamis Mushait and Abha. READ: Saudi foreign minister says kingdom’s security ‘not open to compromise’ The statements did not provide further details on the

• 
  37 Palestinian journalists held in Israeli jails, rights group says

  by Mehdi Editor on September 13, 2026

  Israel is holding 37 Palestinian journalists in its prisons, including 19 under administrative detention without charge or trial, the Palestinian Prisoner Society said Sunday. The nongovernmental group said all 37 journalists were detained following the start of the Gaza genocide in October 2023. It said Israel continues to target Palestinian journalists through arrests, prison sentences, solitary confinement and prosecution over their work and freedom of expression. Among the latest detainees are journalists Muath Ammarna and Sabri Jibrin, who were arrested Thursday after Israeli forces raided their homes in Bethlehem in the southern West Bank. The group said Ammarna has been repeatedly targeted by Israeli authorities and is now being detained for the third time over his journalistic work. It also

• 
  Over 82,000 displaced from Yemen’s western coast since early September: UN migration agency

  by Mehdi Editor on September 13, 2026

  More than 82,000 people have been displaced from Yemen’s western coastal provinces since the beginning of September due to ongoing fighting, including more than 2,000 who have reached Djibouti, the UN International Organization for Migration (IOM) said Sunday, Anadolu reports. The IOM said in a statement that it had recorded 82,164 displaced people since the beginning of September alone, as fighting continues along Yemen’s western coast in the provinces of Taiz, Al Hudaydah and Lahj. “Over 2,000 people fleeing the hostilities have reached Djibouti’s northern shores so far, landing at scattered points along the coast near Obock,” it added. Earlier Sunday, Djibouti’s ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Diaa-Eddin Bamakhrama, said around 1,400 Yemenis had arrived in the country over the previous

• 
  Trump forecasts end to Iran war around November US midterm elections

  by Mehdi Editor on September 13, 2026

  US President Donald Trump claimed Sunday that Tehran “wants to make a deal” to end the war, forecasting a rapid decline in domestic fuel costs once hostilities cease, Anadolu reports. “Look, it could end before the midterms, but it’ll end after the midterms,” Trump told reporters in Ireland, where he attended the Amgen Irish Open golf tournament hosted at his Trump International Golf Links resort. He added that gasoline prices are “going to drop like a rock” following the conclusion of the hostilities. US gasoline prices averaged $4.31 a gallon Sunday, up from $4.07 a month earlier and $3.19 a year ago, according to the American Automobile Association (AAA). The US leader noted that Iranian officials are “calling constantly” to

• 
  Saudi foreign minister says kingdom’s security ‘not open to compromise’

  by Mehdi Editor on September 13, 2026

  Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan said Sunday that the kingdom will not accept any threat to its security, warning that continued escalation in the region risks widening the confrontation, Anadolu reports. In an address to the BRICS summit in the Indian capital New Delhi, bin Farhan expressed Saudi Arabia’s appreciation for the invitation to participate in the summit, according to Saudi state-run Al Ekhbariya television. “The integrity of the Kingdom’s territory and its sovereignty are not open to compromise, and we will not accept the targeting of our territory or facilities under any pretext or designation,” he stressed. ​​​​​​​He also warned that “continued escalation in the region is widening the scope of the confrontation.” The top diplomat said

• 
  Why the world needs faith, the only remaining sanctuary of serenity

  by Mehdi Editor on September 13, 2026

  The age-old debate between faith and atheism emerged alongside the very first stirrings of human consciousness. It is a centuries-long conflict that has consumed rivers of ink and fueled fierce intellectual battles, yet its historical calculus has yielded nothing tangible to alter the core of human suffering. Atheists have gained little from their denial save for a life beneath a cold, glass sky, adrift in a mechanical, purposeless cosmos. Meanwhile, believers—of all stripes—have walked away with the ultimate prize: spiritual reassurance and inner tranquility. Today, tossed by the mounting waves of anxiety, the digital-age human frantically scrambles to find selfhood and validate existence. In a world where purely material solutions have thoroughly exhausted their promises, humanity no longer needs faith

• 
  BRICS must reject ‘occupation, settler colonialism,’ and ‘settler terrorism’: Malaysian premier

  by Mehdi Editor on September 13, 2026

  BRICS must reject “occupation, settler colonialism,” and “settler terrorism,” as Israel’s “aggression” in the Middle East has affected “far beyond” those directly involved, the Malaysian prime minister told the bloc’s annual summit in New Delhi on Sunday. “BRICS must say plainly and unequivocally that occupation, settler colonialism and, more pointedly, ‘settler terrorism’ cannot become destiny, and that no life weighs less for where it is lived,” Anwar Ibrahim said, according to a statement on the US social media platform Facebook. “We cannot speak of inclusive growth and prosperity while war drives energy prices higher and threatens the sea lanes on which our economies depend,” he said. Anwar said Israel’s “aggression” in the Middle East has affected “far beyond” those directly

• 
  Iran says Monday’s meeting in Oman to focus on new maritime route in Strait of Hormuz

  by Mehdi Editor on September 13, 2026

  Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said a planned meeting in Oman on Monday will focus on a new maritime route through the Strait of Hormuz, Anadolu reports. Araghchi told the London-based Arabic-language news outlet Al-Araby Al-Jadeed that the meeting will be held in the Omani city of Salalah with the participation of Iran, Iraq and five Gulf countries. He said the gathering was initially envisaged as a meeting of eight countries bordering the Gulf, but Bahrain had decided not to participate, leaving seven countries at the talks. “The main, and indeed the only, agenda of this meeting is the new maritime route in the Strait of Hormuz,” Araghchi said. He said Tehran and Muscat had finalized an agreement on establishing the

• 
  Over 1,500 fighters killed in month-long Yemen clashes: Pro-government force

  by Mehdi Editor on September 13, 2026

  More than 1,500 fighters from both sides were killed in month-long clashes between Yemeni government forces and the Houthi group along the country’s western coast, according to local media on Sunday. Aljoumhouriya TV, citing a statement by the government-aligned National Resistance, said the fighting from Aug. 9 to Sept. 10 left more than 500 of its forces dead and around 1,500 wounded. It claimed that more than 1,000 Houthi fighters were also killed and thousands more wounded during the same period. The casualty figures could not be independently verified. According to the statement, the fighting began with Houthi missile strikes and attacks involving drones and explosive-laden boats before intensifying along fronts stretching from Hays to al-Kadha, Maqbanah and al-Barh. The

• 
  Israeli army preparing for broader military escalation in occupied West Bank: Media

  by Mehdi Editor on September 13, 2026

  The Israeli army is preparing for a broad escalation in the occupied West Bank in the coming days that could include taking control of additional Palestinian refugee camps and conducting large-scale military operations, Israeli media reported Sunday. Israeli security officials estimate that the political leadership could push for the seizure of additional refugee camps and broader operations, particularly in the northern West Bank, according to Walla news report. The officials cited growing friction on the ground amid the expansion of illegal Israeli settlements and occupier outposts as one of their main concerns. READ: Israeli forces raid Palestinian journalist’s home in northern West Bank Walla said Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz could press the army to take control of more refugee camps

• 
  2 children among 11 Palestinians arrested in Israeli raids in West Bank

  by Mehdi Editor on September 13, 2026

  The Israeli army arrested 11 Palestinians, including two children, during raids across the occupied West Bank on Sunday, according to the official Palestinian news agency Wafa. Israeli forces detained two children, aged 14 and 15, after raiding their homes in Bethlehem in the southern West Bank, Wafa said. In the northern Jenin governorate, the army arrested eight Palestinians during raids on Jenin city and several towns and villages, which also involved searches of homes and field interrogations. READ: Israeli army arrests 33 Palestinians in occupied West Bank, including 2 journalists Israeli forces also detained a Palestinian after raiding his home in Tammun, south of Tubas. Israeli military raids and attacks by occupiers have intensified across the occupied West Bank since the

• 
  Gaza hospital generators stop operating amid shortages of fuel, oil: Health Ministry

  by Mehdi Editor on September 13, 2026

  Several electricity generators at hospitals in the Gaza Strip have stopped operating due to shortages of oil, spare parts and fuel, the Health Ministry said Sunday, Anadolu reports. The ministry said several generators had stopped working in recent days, warning that shortages of generator oil were making it increasingly difficult to maintain electricity supplies at hospitals. It said the limited quantities of oil recently allowed into Gaza by Israel were only sufficient for emergency needs, while hospitals require around 2,500 liters per month. READ: Israeli forces raid Bethlehem hospital and assault patients, visitors “The remaining generators are operating around the clock under difficult technical and mechanical conditions and are unable to meet the electricity needs of all life-saving departments,” the ministry said.

• 
  Israel wins the battlefield. It is losing the bench and the ballot box

  by Mehdi Editor on September 13, 2026

  Israel can still win the war in Gaza. It cannot win the argument that follows it. That is the gap accountability advocates keep pointing to, and it is the gap Israel’s own allies in Europe are now widening. The war has split into three fronts. The military one, in Gaza, Israel controls. The legal one, in The Hague, and the diplomatic one, across European capitals, are slipping away. Military power buys territory. It does not buy legitimacy. And legitimacy, not tanks, is what determines whether a state can trade, arm itself, and sit at a table after the guns fall silent. South Africa’s genocide case was the catalyst. It turned a bilateral war into a multilateral legal question, and once

• 
  Iran’s Revolutionary Guards reject Trump’s claim of US control over Strait of Hormuz

  by Mehdi Editor on September 13, 2026

  Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) rejected US President Donald Trump’s claim that Washington controls the Strait of Hormuz, warning that US vessels approaching the strategic waterway would face a response from Iranian forces, Anadolu reports. “If that is the case, go ahead, bring one of your warships within 100 kilometers,” Col. Ali Mohammadi, the IRGC Navy’s deputy for political affairs, was quoted by the semi-official Fars News Agency as saying Saturday evening, referring to Trump’s claim. Mohammadi said US forces know their vessels would face a response if they approached, claiming a similar incident had occurred in recent days. He also claimed that major foreign militaries have remained beyond the Gulf of Oman for months and that no US troops

• 
  Israel launches fresh airstrikes, artillery attacks on southern Lebanon

  by Mehdi Editor on September 13, 2026

  Israeli forces launched fresh airstrikes and artillery attacks on several areas of southern Lebanon on Sunday, according to the state-run National News Agency (NNA), Anadolu reports. Israeli warplanes struck the Ali al-Taher forest on the outskirts of Nabatieh al-Fawqa before carrying out another strike on the town less than 15 minutes later. The aircraft then launched two consecutive strikes on Kfar Tebnit, followed by a third strike on the town less than half an hour later. READ: Israeli attacks damage 22.5% of agricultural land in southern Lebanon Another Israeli airstrike targeted the vicinity of al-Dabsha hill on the outskirts of Nabatieh al-Fawqa, while Zawtar al-Sharqiyah came under Israeli artillery fire. No immediate information was available on casualties or damage. The attacks

• 
  Iran says leaving nuclear treaty, revising nuclear doctrine ‘easily achievable’

  by Mehdi Editor on September 13, 2026

  Iran’s withdrawal from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and a revision of its nuclear doctrine are “easily achievable,” an Iranian parliamentary spokesman said Sunday. Abbas Goudarzi, spokesman for the Iranian parliament’s presiding board, told the semi-official Fars News Agency that Tehran’s differences with the US are “fundamental,” arguing that those advocating peace with Washington are seeking to impose “surrender.” He said trusting the US would amount to accepting “deception,” adding that only “the language of force and the logic of power” works in dealing with Washington. Goudarzi also warned that any negotiations that weaken what Iran calls the “resistance front” or give its adversaries an opportunity to regroup would constitute a “strategic mistake.” READ: Iran says ‘US attack’ on commercial vessel

• 
  2 Palestinians killed, 13 injured in Israeli drone strike on vehicle in Gaza

  by Mehdi Editor on September 13, 2026

  Two Palestinians were killed and 13 others injured in an Israeli drone strike targeting a vehicle in southern Gaza City on Sunday, a medical source told Anadolu Agency. The source said an Israeli drone struck a civilian vehicle in the Tel al-Hawa neighborhood, killing two Palestinians and leaving 13 others with various injuries. Witnesses told Anadolu that the drone fired at least two missiles at the vehicle, killing its two occupants immediately and injuring nearby passersby. Separately, Israeli forces fired artillery shells toward Palestinian homes northeast of the Bureij refugee camp in central Gaza, according to local sources. READ: New documentary exposes Israeli military’s AI-driven killing system in Gaza Israeli military vehicles also opened heavy fire toward buildings and tents housing

• 
  From maximum pressure to maximum leverage: What a US-Iran nuclear deal should look like

  by Mehdi Editor on September 13, 2026

  The nuclear confrontation with Iran is again moving in two opposite directions. On 9 September, the International Atomic Energy Agency’s Board of Governors referred Iran to the UN Security Council over alleged breaches of its non-proliferation obligations, the first such referral in two decades. A day later, Donald Trump warned Tehran against renewed activity near the Pickaxe Mountain complex close to Natanz. Yet diplomacy has not disappeared. Oman is preparing talks involving Iran and Gulf states over the future of the Strait of Hormuz, while Iran and the UAE have joined other BRICS members in calling for restraint and a political resolution to the wider regional conflict. The coexistence of escalating nuclear pressure and continuing diplomatic activity points to the

• 
  Pro-Palestinian protesters rally in Paris over Gaza war

  by Mehdi Editor on September 13, 2026

  A pro-Palestinian demonstration was held in Paris on Saturday, with protesters calling for a boycott of Israel and an end to the European Union’s partnership agreement with the country, Anadolu reports. Organized by CAPJPO-EuroPalestine, the protestors carried Palestinian flags and banners calling for a boycott of companies accused of supporting Israel over the war in Gaza. Since Israel launched its genocidal war on the Gaza Strip on Oct. 8, 2023, more than 73,800 Palestinians have been killed and over 174,700 injured. The offensive has also damaged or destroyed around 90% of the enclave’s infrastructure. READ: Pro-Palestinian protesters march in Paris with olive branches and kites

• 
  Iraq announces phased reopening of Iran border crossings for passengers, trade

  by Mehdi Editor on September 13, 2026

  Iraq announced Sunday a phased resumption of passenger and commercial traffic through several border crossings with Iran, according to Iraqi media. Iraq’s Security Media Cell said passenger entry through the al-Shaib and Shalamcheh crossings resumed at 6 a.m. local time (0300GMT) Sunday, the Iraqi News Agency (INA) reported. Commercial traffic through Shalamcheh will resume at 6 a.m. Monday, followed by the Mandali crossing at the same time Tuesday and al-Shaib on Thursday. The statement said passenger and commercial traffic with Iran had not been interrupted at the Zurbatiyah and al-Mundhiriyah crossings, which continue to operate around the clock. READ: Iraqi Prime Minister dismisses Maysan police chief after drone strikes on Saudi pipeline Separately, an Iranian local official in Khuzestan province said

• 
  Egypt’s Sisi calls on Iran to halt escalation, seek peaceful settlement

  by Mehdi Editor on September 13, 2026

  Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi on Sunday called on Iran to make every possible effort to halt regional escalation and reach a comprehensive and sustainable peaceful settlement to the crisis, according to the Egyptian Presidency, Anadolu reports. Al-Sisi made the remarks during a meeting with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on the sidelines of the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi. He reiterated Egypt’s firm support for efforts to restore stability in the region, saying any settlement should safeguard the sovereignty of regional countries and protect their peoples and resources. The Egyptian president also stressed the need to halt any attacks on Arab countries, citing the principles of good-neighborly relations and the historical and cultural ties among the peoples of the

• 
  Iran says ‘US attack’ on commercial vessel in Gulf kills 1, injures 3

  by Mehdi Editor on September 13, 2026

  One person was killed and three others were injured in a “US attack” on an Iranian commercial vessel in the Gulf near Qeshm Island in southern Iran early Sunday, according to a local official. Iranian state broadcaster IRIB, citing Qeshm Governor Amir Teymouri, described the incident as an attack by the “US terrorist enemy.” Teymouri said the vessel was struck at around 5 am local time (0130GMT) in the area of Hengam Island and the Shib Deraz coast of Qeshm Island. No further details were immediately available about the vessel or the circumstances of the attack. Separately, the UK Maritime Trade Operations said Sunday that a vessel transiting the Strait of Hormuz was struck by an unidentified munition, with no

• 
  Israeli forces raid Palestinian journalist’s home in northern West Bank

  by Mehdi Editor on September 13, 2026

  Israeli forces on Saturday raided the home of Palestinian journalist Ali al-Samoudi in the northern occupied West Bank, beat his son, and gave him one hour to turn himself in, according to local sources. Al-Samoudi, 59, was not at his home in Jenin during the raid. It was not clear whether he would comply. He was released on April 30 after spending a year in Israeli administrative detention. Al-Samoudi said he had suffered severe weight loss due to food deprivation and accused Israeli prison authorities of abuse, torture, and denial of basic rights. Israeli forces detained Palestinian journalists Sabri Mousa Jibril and Muath Ammarna on Thursday after raiding their homes in Bethlehem in the southern West Bank. READ: Smotrich says Israel

• 
  Podcast by Jasim Al-Azzawi with John Fozzie Miller: The stalemate in Gulf grinds on, what will Trump do next?

  by Mehdi Editor on September 13, 2026

  WATCH: Podcast by Jasim Al-Azzawi with Retired Col. Bill Keegan: Trump: We have defeated Iran, so why is the IRGC keep fighting?

• 
  Indonesia must not become a platform for Israeli business

  by Marwa A on September 12, 2026

  Israeli companies are increasingly operating in Indonesia. They are using Indonesian locations, Indonesian creative talent and Indonesian commercial networks to promote their businesses in a country that does not recognise Israel and has stood with Palestine for decades. This growing commercial presence deserves far more scrutiny than it has received. SwiftOptics provides a clear example. The Israeli eyewear company describes itself as an “extreme eyewear” brand and has produced promotional content in Indonesia, including a video filmed in Nias with Indonesian creator @frank_videography. Its vice president, Yehonatan Dadon, has also posted photographs and videos from Nias, Lombok and Bali. This is not simply about an eyewear advertisement. It is about the increasingly visible presence of Israeli business in Indonesia and

• 
  Super Sparta: Israel’s new military dependence on America

  by Marwa A on September 12, 2026

  Is Israel really moving towards military self-reliance – or is the US-Israel “special relationship” being transformed into something even more deeply integrated? Benjamin Netanyahu’s declaration that Israel must become a “Super Sparta” was presented as a response to growing international isolation. The message was stark: if Israel could no longer depend upon an international order willing to arm it, finance it and defend its policies indefinitely, then it would have to become sufficiently militarised and economically self-reliant to withstand the pressure. Israel, Netanyahu suggested, would have to produce more of what it needs and reduce its vulnerability to foreign governments that might eventually impose arms restrictions or other forms of pressure. But there is a fundamental contradiction at the heart

• 
  Israeli drone strike injures 9 Gazans in new ceasefire violation

  by Marwa A on September 12, 2026

  Nine Palestinians were injured Saturday in an Israeli drone strike in southern Gaza, a medical source said, in what it described as a new violation of the ongoing ceasefire agreement, Anadolu reports. The source said the strike targeted a gathering of civilians near tents sheltering displaced people in the Al-Mawasi area of Khan Younis. Several tents were damaged in the attack, witnesses said. Separately, the Israeli army carried out artillery shelling east of the Bureij refugee camp in central Gaza, east of Gaza City and near the Jabalia refugee camp in the north. No information was yet available about casualties. Israeli naval forces also opened fire on Palestinian fishing boats off the coast of Gaza City. ​​​​​​​Since Israel launched its

• 
  Iraqi Prime Minister dismisses Maysan police chief after drone strikes on Saudi pipeline

  by Marwa A on September 12, 2026

  Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi dismissed the police chief of the southeastern Maysan province Saturday and ordered investigations into the directors of its security agencies following drone strikes on a major pipeline in Saudi Arabia, Anadolu reports. Military spokesman Sabah al-Numan said in a statement that al-Zaidi, in his capacity as commander-in-chief of the armed forces, had “ordered the dismissal of the Maysan provincial police chief.” The prime minister also ordered the directors of the province’s security agencies to be transferred from their posts and referred for investigation, the statement added. Al-Numan said the directives were issued “in light of the recent security breaches that occurred in the province,” without specifying their nature. The measures came hours after al-Zaidi ordered

• 
  GAFP slams Israeli entry ban on its chair, Jeremy Corbyn MP, and British public figures

  by Marwa A on September 12, 2026

  The Global Alliance for Palestine (GAFP) has issued a press statement strongly condemning the decision by the Israeli government to ban its Steering Committee Chairman, Jeremy Corbyn MP, alongside eleven other British public figures, from entering Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories. GAFP said; “This decision directly follows news that the UK government will impose trade restrictions and import bans on goods produced in illegal West Bank settlements. In reality, this entry ban will change nothing. It will not silence Jeremy Corbyn, nor will it deter any of those targeted from continuing their resolute fight for Palestinian rights, justice, and self-determination. Instead, this ban serves only to expose the arbitrary and aggressive measures the Israeli administration routinely employs in an

• 
  Saudi Arabia ends ‘potential danger’ alert for southern, southwestern areas

  by Marwa A on September 12, 2026

  Saudi Arabia announced early Saturday that a “potential danger” alert issued for Sharurah, Taif and Khamis Mushait in the south and southwest of the kingdom has ended, Anadolu reports. Saudi Arabia’s Civil Defence said on US social media company X that residents should continue to follow instructions for their safety, urging them to strictly avoid gathering in crowds or filming incident sites, even though the alert has ended. The alerts had urged residents of the three areas to follow official instructions, move to a safe location, stay away from windows, and remain indoors until the danger passed. The warnings came after Saudi Arabia announced Friday that several attacks on its East-West oil pipeline in the Riyadh and Medina regions had

• 
  US links Chinese satellite imagery to Iranian strike that killed 3 soldiers: Report

  by Marwa A on September 12, 2026

  US officials have tied high-resolution satellite images supplied by Chinese entities to an Iranian missile strike that killed three American soldiers in Jordan in July, the Wall Street Journal reported Friday, Anadolu reports. Citing officials familiar with the matter, the Journal said Tehran obtained the imagery before and after the July 17 attack on the Muwaffaq Salti Air Base, where ballistic missiles hit a housing area, killing three American troops and wounding four others. The report called it the clearest sign yet that Chinese assistance to Iran during the war has had deadly consequences for US forces. Washington has not accused Beijing of direct involvement, and the identities of the Chinese suppliers were not disclosed, according to the report. It

• 
  Iran says Arab foreign ministers to sign Hormuz navigation deal in Oman Monday

  by Marwa A on September 12, 2026

  Foreign ministers from Arab states will meet in the Omani capital Muscat on Monday to sign an agreement establishing a joint Iran-Oman shipping route through the Strait of Hormuz, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said, Anadolu reports. “This week, on Monday, the foreign ministers of the Arab countries will meet in Muscat to sign an agreement establishing a joint route between Oman and Iran in the Strait of Hormuz and to notify the International Maritime Organization of the agreement,” Pezeshkian said in an interview with Indian broadcaster India Today published Saturday. “The countries whose territories were used to launch attacks against us by the US will also attend this meeting,” he added. Commenting on the war with the US and the

• 
  The illusion of redundancy: Why oil markets are misreading Gulf supply risk

  by Marwa A on September 12, 2026

  Oil markets are behaving as if the region’s supply problems will soon resolve themselves. That confidence is becoming increasingly difficult to justify.By mid-September 2026, futures prices had repeatedly eased or paused on the basis of limited diplomatic signals, even as three major vulnerabilities were developing at the same time: Iran’s effective control over the Strait of Hormuz, the Houthis’ growing grip on the Bab al-Mandab, and the shutdown of Saudi Arabia’s East–West pipeline after attacks. The problem is not simply that individual routes are under pressure. It is that the region is losing reliable alternatives. A pipeline may bypass Hormuz, but it provides little protection if it can also be attacked. A shipping route may remain technically open, but it

• 
  Saudi Arabia’s key oil pipeline hit by projectiles, sparking fires: Report

  by Marwa A on September 11, 2026

  A key oil pipeline system in Saudi Arabia was struck by projectiles Thursday, triggering fires at pumping stations, CNN reported Friday, citing two US officials familiar with the matter, Anadolu reports. According to the report, an initial US assessment found that pump stations located next to the East-West Pipeline were hit, with satellite imagery showing extensive fire damage at one station and a separate blaze sending up thick black smoke at another. One of the officials said the pipeline was struck by drones originating from Iraq, though it remained unclear who was responsible or whether the pipeline itself sustained damage, according to CNN. There has been no confirmation from Saudi authorities that the pipeline was struck or physically damaged. The

• 
  UK sanctions on Israeli settlements to cover East Jerusalem, Syria’s Golan Heights: Report

  by Marwa A on September 11, 2026

  Britain’s sanctions against illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank will also include those in occupied East Jerusalem and Syria’s Golan Heights, according to a media report on Friday, Anadolu reports. Israeli settlements in the Golan Heights, Syria, and in occupied East Jerusalem will also be covered by Britain’s new measures targeting illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank, government sources told UK-based news website Middle East Eye. According to UN Security Council Resolution 497, the Israeli Golan Heights Law, which effectively annexed the Golan Heights, is “null and void and without international legal effect.” The resolution further calls on Israel to rescind its action. The UN also recognizes East Jerusalem as occupied territory. Earlier this week, UK Foreign

• 
  Iranian president urges BRICS to prevent obstruction of legitimate trade

  by Marwa A on September 11, 2026

  Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Friday that BRICS must create an environment that prevents any country from obstructing the legitimate trade of others, saying Iran has entered a “far more dangerous” phase of economic pressure following the war with the US and Israel, Anadolu reports. Pezeshkian made the remarks during a speech at the 18th BRICS leaders’ summit in the Indian capital New Delhi. BRICS is a global economic bloc founded in 2006. It includes Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, while Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Ethiopia and Iran later joined. Indonesia’s accession was announced in early 2025. Pezeshkian said the world is going through one of its “most complex periods,” warning that the increasing use of economic

• 
  US defence chief vows to ‘finish this fight’ with Iran

  by Marwa A on September 11, 2026

  US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth vowed Friday to “finish this fight” with Iran as he addressed a Pentagon ceremony marking the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks that killed nearly 3,000 people, Anadolu reports. Hegseth spoke alongside President Donald Trump and Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, at the ceremony commemorating the victims of the attacks and honouring US military personnel and first responders. “There are still enemies who hate us,” Hegseth said, warning that adversaries continue to seek to curb US power and kill American citizens, adding that Washington remains “vigilant” in the face of such threats. Turning to Iran, Hegseth said the US had “laid waste” to what he described as the

• 
  Syria says 9 detained Assad-era pilots carried out strikes during 3,200 flight hours since 2011

  by Marwa A on September 11, 2026

  Preliminary investigations with nine detained pilots showed that they carried out airstrikes targeting several areas during more than 3,200 flight hours logged since the start of the Syrian revolution in 2011, a source at Syria’s Interior Ministry said Friday, Anadolu reports. The remarks were carried by state-run Alikhbariah TV a day after authorities announced the arrest of the nine pilots in the western province of Latakia over their involvement in “war crimes against the Syrian people.” The pilots used different types of military aircraft, most notably Mi-24 attack helicopters, Su-22 fighter jets, MiG-29s and MiG-21s, the source said. The strikes particularly targeted towns in Eastern Ghouta in the Damascus countryside, Aleppo and its northern countryside, Deir ez-Zor and surrounding areas

• 
  New documentary exposes Israeli military’s AI-driven killing system in Gaza

  by Mehdi Editor on September 11, 2026

  “There are no innocents in Gaza,” is said to be the belief which lay at the heart of Israel’s system for selecting and attacking targets in the besieged enclave, according to Israeli soldiers and intelligence officers interviewed for a new documentary exposing how the military authorised the mass killing of Palestinian civilians. NAZA, directed by Israeli filmmakers Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor, draws on three years of interviews with 24 soldiers and intelligence personnel involved in Israel’s targeting operations. Their testimony describes a military apparatus that combined AI-assisted targeting, mass surveillance and predetermined civilian casualty thresholds to approve strikes in Gaza. According to +972 Magazine, where Abraham is a journalist, the soldiers describe a system in which attacks on homes

• 
  Israel blows up school, destroys tunnels in southern Lebanon despite framework agreement

  by Marwa A on September 11, 2026

  The Israeli army carried out a series of explosions and shelling in southern Lebanon early Friday, including demolishing part of a school, despite the US-mediated framework agreement, Anadolu reports. The escalation comes as Israel’s election campaign intensifies, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu seeking to rally and unite his right-wing bloc ahead of the Oct. 27 elections. “Israeli forces blew up most of the public school in the town of Mansouri in Tyre district, leaving only a small part of the building standing,” Lebanon’s National News Agency (NNA) said. Israeli aircraft also launched a strike on Mansouri at the same time as the large explosion at the school, the agency added. At dawn, the Israeli army detonated explosives on the hill

• 
  The Aegean’s new arms race isn’t about weapons anymore

  by Mehdi Editor on September 11, 2026

  For decades, Eastern Mediterranean security debates centered on who bought what—fighter jets, missile batteries, submarines. The transaction was the story. That era is ending. A new contest has begun, and it is architectural rather than transactional. The question is no longer which country owns the best missile. It is which country can fuse sensors, interceptors, and command systems into a single, thinking shield. Israel’s €3 billion “Achilles Shield” deal with Greece marks the moment this shift became undeniable. A Shield, Not a Shopping List At first glance, the Achilles Shield package reads like an inventory. David’s Sling handles medium-range ballistic and cruise missile threats. Barak MX covers wider area defense. SPYDER manages short-range air defense. M-MMR radars provide multi-mission sensing.

• 
  Iran says Oman to host regional meeting on Hormuz shipping on Monday

  by Marwa A on September 11, 2026

  Iran’s Foreign Ministry said on Friday that a meeting involving Iran, Iraq, and Gulf states will be held in Oman on Monday to discuss commercial shipping routes through the Strait of Hormuz, Anadolu reports. The meeting will discuss the outcome of negotiations between Tehran and Muscat on establishing safe routes for commercial shipping through the strait, the ministry’s spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said in a statement carried by the state-run broadcaster IRIB. Stating that Iran and Oman reached an understanding on temporary shipping lanes in the waterway, Baqaei added: “Iran remains committed to ensuring the security of navigation in the strait.” The statemen came as the recent days witnessed heightened tensions between Tehran and Washington over the Strait of Hormuz, despite

• 
  Israeli occupiers attack Palestinian homes, injure family, steal sheep in Nablus

  by Mehdi Editor on September 11, 2026

  Israeli occupiers on Friday injured a Palestinian man and his children in an attack on their home in Beita, south of Nablus in the occupied West Bank, local sources and a rights group said, Anadolu reports. Others also stole sheep from the town under the protection of Israeli forces, the sources said. The occupiers assaulted the Palestinian man and his children, injuring them, Al-Baydar Organization for the Defense of Human Rights said. It did not specify the nature of their injuries or whether they were taken to hospital. Earlier Friday, local sources told Anadolu that occupiers attacked Palestinian homes in the Al-Dhahra and Sahl al-Hara al-Tahta areas in Beita, before stealing several sheep. READ: Israel advances plans for more than 1,000 settlement

• 
  At least 46,000 displaced as fighting escalates in Yemen: UN migration agency

  by Mehdi Editor on September 11, 2026

  At least 46,000 people have been displaced in Yemen since fighting escalated last week, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said Friday, warning that the figure is rising “by the hour,” Anadolu reports. The UN agency called on all parties to the conflict to guarantee safe humanitarian access and protect civilians, aid workers and humanitarian assets on the ground. “Families are being forced to flee for the second or third time in this conflict, with almost nothing left,” IOM Director General Amy Pope said in a statement. “As fighting spreads, reaching people with lifesaving assistance is becoming harder. We urgently need safe, unimpeded access,” she added. Pope urged all parties to protect civilians and humanitarian personnel, as well as the supplies,

• 
  Morocco issues extreme wildfire warnings in 6 provinces

  by Mehdi Editor on September 11, 2026

  Morocco on Friday issued extreme wildfire warnings for six provinces, urging residents near forests to exercise caution until Tuesday, Anadolu reports. The National Agency for Water and Forests issued red alerts for Fahs-Anjra, Tangier-Assilah, Taounate, Taza, Essaouira and Taroudant, indicating an extreme risk of fires breaking out. The agency urged residents near forests, as well as workers, vacationers and visitors, to take precautions and avoid activities that could ignite fires. READ: Over 100 families evacuated in Tunisia as wildfires spread Another 24 provinces were placed under orange alerts, indicating a high risk of forest fires. The agency urged people to immediately inform local authorities if they notice smoke or suspicious behavior. Morocco uses an early warning system managed by the National Agency

• 
  EU foreign policy chief backs ‘principled’ trade ban on illegal Israeli settlements

  by Mehdi Editor on September 11, 2026

  EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas has backed a bloc-wide ban on trade with illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories, calling it a justified “principled stance,” Anadolu reports. In an interview with The Irish Times on Thursday, Kallas said there was broad agreement among EU foreign ministers that expanding Israeli settlements violated international law. “When Crimea was occupied, then it was very clear — it’s illegal, we don’t recognize this,” she said. “We should have the same principled stance — you know this is illegal, everybody agrees, so we should stop trading with Occupied (Palestinian) Territories.” Kallas said an EU ban on imports from Israeli settlements would not require the unanimous backing of all 27 member states. As

• 
  Norway’s foreign minister warns Netanyahu government driving Israel into ‘very dangerous place’

  by Mehdi Editor on September 11, 2026

  Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide warned that the government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has taken Israel to a “very dangerous place,” Anadolu reports. In remarks to Euronews in Riga, Latvia published on Friday, Eide described the current Israeli government as “the most far-right government in Israel’s history” and expressed hope that the country would eventually recognize it had been on a “very dangerous track,” regardless of the outcome of elections scheduled for October. Eide also criticized Western countries’ response to conflicts in the Middle East, arguing that they “undermined” their credibility through what he called a “wobbly, unclear and unprincipled” approach. “The problem has been that too many countries have been careful in criticizing Israel because you were