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

• 
  Israeli occupiers storm Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa compound ahead of Jerusalem Day march

  by MI on May 14, 2026

  Dozens of Israeli occupiers stormed Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in the occupied East Jerusalem on Thursday morning under the protection of Israeli forces, the official news agency Wafa reported. Local sources said occupiers entered the compound and publicly performed Talmudic rituals in its courtyards under Israeli protection, Wafa added. Al-Aqsa Mosque is the world’s third-holiest site for Muslims. Jews call the area Temple Mount, claiming it was the site of two Jewish temples in ancient times. Israeli police have allowed occupiers to enter the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound daily, except Fridays and Saturdays, since 2003. Israeli occupiers stormed the mosque 30 times in April, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Awqaf and Religious Affairs. Palestinians say Israel has intensified efforts for decades

• 
  Why Trump decided to back Iraq’s prime minister-designate, Ali al-Zaidi

  by MI on May 14, 2026

  The decision by United States President Donald Trump to back Ali al-Zaidi as Iraq’s next prime minister may have surprised some quarters. But when one looks into whom Trump was trying to keep out, his motivation becomes clear. Iraq’s dominant parliamentary bloc, the Coordination Framework, a coalition of Shia parties aligned with Iran, had initially thrown its weight behind former Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki. For Washington, the nomination of an openly pro-Iran premier was a red line, especially amid continuing attacks by pro-Iran Iraqi militias on US assets in the country and the region. Trump publicly announced his opposition to al-Maliki and threatened to cut off all aid to Iraq if he were appointed. The pressure campaign was swift and severe. Washington suspended cash payments

• 
  Report: Shin Bet chief and senior Israeli officials visited UAE amid Iran war

  by MI on May 14, 2026

  Senior Israeli security officials, including head of the Israeli Security Agency (Shin Bet) David Zini, visited the United Arab Emirates in recent weeks as part of ongoing security and intelligence coordination linked to the confrontation with Iran, according to Israeli media reports. The Israeli broadcaster Kan 11 reported that Zini conducted what it described as an “unprecedented” visit to the UAE during the fragile ceasefire period following the war with Iran. According to the report, the visit reflected deepening security cooperation between Israel and the UAE. Kan 11 also reported that a separate Israeli delegation led by Amir Baram travelled to Abu Dhabi during preparations for the joint Israeli-American attacks on Iran. The delegation reportedly included senior defence officials who

• 
  Arabs and Palestinians in Britain call on Starmer for equal protection during Nakba commemoration

  by MI on May 14, 2026

  Arab and Palestinian community leaders, campaigners, and professional figures in Britain have issued an urgent appeal to Prime Minister Keir Starmer, calling for equal protection for participants attending the 78th anniversary commemoration of the Palestinian Nakba in London on Saturday, 16th May, amid growing concerns over far-right threats. In the letter, signed by dozens of Arab and Palestinian figures, the signatories said British Palestinians and Arabs are living in “a state of heightened anxiety” due to what they described as an unequal sense of protection, particularly when compared with the speed and seriousness with which the government has responded to the fears of other communities in the British capital. The signatories stressed that, for British Palestinians, the Nakba is “not

• 
  No military solution to issues involving Iran, Tehran will not yield to threats: Iran’s top diplomat

  by MI on May 14, 2026

  There is no military solution to issues involving Iran, and Tehran will not surrender to pressure or threats, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Thursday, according to Iranian media. Speaking during a BRICS 2026 foreign ministers meeting in India, Araghchi said Iran had twice been subjected within less than a year to “brutal and illegal aggression” by the US and Israel, the Fars News Agency reported. Under the theme Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation, and Sustainability, the global meeting comes amid the US-Israeli war with Iran, which started on Feb. 28 but is currently under a ceasefire. “It should now be clear to everyone that Iran is invincible, and whenever it is subjected to pressure, it emerges stronger and more

• 
  UAE denies Netanyahu office statement on alleged visit

  by MI on May 14, 2026

  The United Arab Emirates has denied a statement issued by the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu regarding an alleged secret visit by Netanyahu to the UAE or the reception of any Israeli military delegation on its territory. In a statement issued on Wednesday, the UAE said that “its relations with Israel are public and were established within the framework of the well-known and publicly declared Abraham Accords,” adding that “These relations are not based on secrecy or clandestine arrangements”. It concluded: “Therefore any claims regarding undisclosed visits or arrangements are baseless unless issued by the relevant official authorities in the UAE.” READ: Israeli premier made secret trip to UAE to meet President bin Zayed

• 
  France investigates possible Israeli company interference in local elections

  by MI on May 14, 2026

  French authorities are investigating whether an obscure Israeli company called BlackCore played a role in a foreign interference campaign targeting the hard-left party La France Insoumise (France Unbowed – LFI) ahead of local elections held in March.  According to Reuters, citing two sources, French intelligence services are investigating who allegedly hired BlackCore to carry out a smear campaign against three party candidates through deceptive websites and social media accounts. The campaign reportedly included false accusations of criminal behaviour and disparaging digital ads.  On its website, BlackCore describes itself as “an elite influence, cyber, and technology company built for the modern era of information warfare.”     According to French authorities and the candidates involved, the campaign targeted Marseille mayoral candidate Sebastien Delogu, Toulouse

• 
  The assault on a French nun and the forgotten story of Palestinian Christians

  by MI on May 13, 2026

  The video is horrifying, though it is the kind of horror now synonymous with the behavior of Israel, its military, its armed settlers, and society that has been conditioned to see the ‘other’ as subhuman. Yet, this was not the typical viral video that emerges almost daily from occupied Palestine. The victim, this time, was not a Palestinian. She was an elderly French nun.   On May 1, footage surfaced from Jerusalem showing a 36-year-old Israeli man running behind a French nun—a researcher at the French School of Biblical and Archaeological Research—and shoving her violently to the ground.  In a chilling display of cruelty, the assailant did not simply hit and run. He walked away a few paces, then returned to

• 
  3 Republican senators join Democrats in bid to advance Iran war powers resolution

  by MI on May 13, 2026

  Three Republican senators broke with party leadership on Wednesday and voted with Democrats to advance a resolution seeking to limit President Donald Trump’s authority to continue military action against Iran without congressional approval, Anadolu Agency reports. Senators Lisa Murkowski, Susan Collins, and Rand Paul joined nearly all Senate Democrats in supporting a motion to discharge Senator Jeff Merkley’s war powers resolution from the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. The motion failed by a narrow 49-50 vote. Democratic Senator John Fetterman was the only member of his party to vote against advancing the measure, while Republican Senator Pete Ricketts did not vote. The vote marked the seventh congressional attempt to curb Trump’s war powers amid a fragile ceasefire with Iran. Regional tensions

• 
  Israeli premier made secret trip to UAE to meet President bin Zayed

  by MI on May 13, 2026

  Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office confirmed Wednesday that he made a secret trip to the United Arab Emirates to sit down with that country’s leader amid the war against Iran, Anadolu reports. “In the midst of Operation Roaring Lion, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu secretly visited the United Arab Emirates, where he met with UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed,” Netanyahu’s office wrote on US social media company X. Additional details were not available officially, but the CBS American television network reported that the visit occurred in late March, during the height of the US-Israeli war against Iran. A ceasefire was brokered in April and subsequently indefinitely extended by US President Donald Trump. The Wall Street Journal reported this week

• 
  ‘We are not asking Hamas to disappear as political movement,’ says Board of Peace envoy

  by MI on May 13, 2026

  Nickolay Mladenov, the high representative of the Board of Peace overseeing the Gaza ceasefire, said “we are not asking Hamas to disappear as a political movement,” Anadolu Agency reports. Speaking at a news conference in Jerusalem, Mladenov repeated demands for Hamas and other armed groups to disarm, describing the issue as “not negotiable.” Seven months after the ceasefire took effect in October 2025, “the door to the future of Gaza is still closed,” he said. “It is not what the Palestinians were promised and it is not what they deserve. And it is not giving Israel the security to move forward, as the Israeli people also want,” Mladenov added. “We have a ceasefire. It is holding. It is not perfect.

• 
  Pentagon strikes deal for 10,000 containerized missiles as Iran war eats into stocks

  by MI on May 13, 2026

  The Pentagon announced Wednesday that it inked agreements with several arms firms to acquire 10,000 low-cost containerized missiles, as the war against Iran badly eats into existing missile stocks, Anadolu reports. The agreements with Anduril, CoAspire, Leidos, and Zone 5 launch what the Defense Department is calling “the Low‑Cost Containerized Missles (LCCM) program.” A separate parallel agreement with Castelion will see the Pentagon acquire at least 500 low-cost Blackbeard hypersonic missiles per year. The two-year Castelion deal includes an option for the contract to be renewed for up to five years, and the Pentagon said in a statement that it is “actively seeking authority and funding” to purchase thousands more hypersonics from the company “to further encourage Castelion’s self-funded facility

• 
  Germany calls for probe of alleged Israeli torture and mistreatment of Palestinian detainees

  by MI on May 13, 2026

  Germany on Wednesday called for an investigation following a New York Times report about alleged Israeli torture and mistreatment of Palestinian detainees, Anadolu reports. “We have, of course, taken note of these reports. As a matter of principle, the federal government condemns sexual violence in all contexts. We do not have any information of our own regarding the cases mentioned, which is why it is absolutely crucial that these allegations be investigated and that the perpetrators be held accountable,” said foreign ministry spokesman Martin Giese at a press briefing in Berlin. Asked whether the German government would support independent bodies gaining access to prisons in Israel to investigate the matter, Giese replied, “Well, this is a policy that the federal

• 
  Iran says ‘smart management’ plan for Strait of Hormuz finalized in parliament commission

  by MI on May 13, 2026

  A strategic proposal on the “smart management” of the Strait of Hormuz has reached its final stage in Iran’s parliamentary National Security and Foreign Policy Commission and has been uploaded to parliament’s system for review and approval, the commission’s head said Wednesday, Anadolu reports. Ebrahim Azizi said the proposal aims to use Iran’s geographic position in the strategic waterway as a “power-generating leverage.” “The missile triad, the people and the Strait of Hormuz destroyed the product of 50 years of US efforts,” Azizi said in comments carried by the state broadcaster IRIB. He also praised public support during the recent conflict, saying the presence of people in streets and public squares “carried an important message.” The remarks came after Azizi

• 
  Israeli minister storms Al-Aqsa Mosque to mark East Jerusalem occupation

  by MI on May 13, 2026

  Israeli Minister of Negev and Galilee Affairs Yitzhak Wasserlauf stormed the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in occupied East Jerusalem on Wednesday, two days before the anniversary of Israel’s occupation of the city, according to Palestinian sources, Anadolu Agency reports. Wasserlauf is a member of the far-right Otzma Yehudit party led by National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir. Both Ben-Gvir and Wasserlauf had previously forced their way into the Al-Aqsa compound, drawing a wave of condemnations from Palestinians and Arab countries. Wednesday’s raid comes two days before Israel marks the anniversary of its occupation of East Jerusalem in 1967 according to Hebrew calendar. Far-right Israeli organizations have called on supporters to storm the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound to mark Israel’s occupation of the city.

• 
  Palestine hails EU sanctions on ‘extremist’ Israeli occupiers over West Bank violence

  by MI on May 13, 2026

  Palestine welcomed a decision by the European Union to sanction “extremist” Israeli occupier organizations and individuals involved in illegal settlement activities and violence against Palestinians, Anadolu reports. “This is an important step toward accountability and upholding international law,” Foreign Minister Varsen Aghabekian Shahin wrote on the US social media company X. She called for “concrete measures” to address Israeli settlement activity and attacks against Palestinians in the West Bank. On Monday, EU foreign ministers agreed on a new round of sanctions targeting Israeli occupiers and organizations accused of supporting illegal settlement activity in the occupied West Bank. The occupied West Bank has seen escalating violence since the start of Israel’s war on the Gaza Strip in October 2023, including killings,

• 
  Palestinian teen killed by Israeli fire during occupier attack in West Bank

  by MI on May 13, 2026

  A Palestinian teenager was killed Wednesday by Israeli fire during an attack by occupiers on the towns of Sinjil and Jiljilya in the central West Bank, according to health authorities and local sources, Anadolu reports. The Palestinian Health Ministry said in a statement that Yousef Ali Yousef Kaabneh, 16, was killed by Israeli fire near Jiljilya, north of Ramallah. The Palestinian Red Crescent Society said its teams treated a child in critical condition with a chest wound during an occupier attack on Sinjil and Jiljilya. The organization said four other people were injured during simultaneous raids in the two towns, including two wounded by gunfire and two injured after being beaten. READ: Israeli army raids West Bank’s Ramallah, renews closure of

• 
  Turkey’s Maritime Jurisdiction Bill: Energy, law, and power in the Eastern Mediterranean

  by MI on May 13, 2026

  Turkey’s reported plan to submit a bill to parliament asserting maritime jurisdiction over disputed areas of the Aegean and Eastern Mediterranean marks a serious escalation in one of the region’s most sensitive maritime disputes. The proposed legislation would reportedly formalize Ankara’s claims in contested waters believed to contain existing or potential natural gas resources. If submitted and passed, the bill would give Turkey’s long-standing claims a stronger domestic legal basis and could influence future exploration, drilling, and naval activity. Ankara appears to be trying to convert disputed maritime positions into national legislation, making them harder to reverse and easier to defend politically. The bill could also justify Turkish activity in areas claimed by Greece, Cyprus, and others, adding pressure to

• 
  International human rights organisations call for UN action on proposed “Execution of Palestinian Prisoners Law”

  by MI on May 13, 2026

  Geneva / Istanbul: A coalition of international legal and human rights organisations has submitted a formal communication to the United Nations Human Rights Council, urging immediate attention to the continued advancement of legislation commonly known as the “Execution of Palestinian Prisoners Law.” The communication was addressed to the President and Members of the Human Rights Council and jointly submitted by: The Geneva Center for Democracy and Human Rights, Geneva The International Justice Forum Against Genocide, Istanbul The International Union of Jurists, Geneva Branch The organizations expressed grave concern that the proposed legislation could provide domestic legal cover for the execution of Palestinian detainees and prisoners held under occupation. They warned that such a measure would represent a serious escalation in the

• 
  Russia says disputes over Iran, Greenland and Canada distract from Palestine

  by MI on May 13, 2026

  Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov accused the US of trying to distract global attention from Palestine, Anadolu reports. Commenting on the situation in the Middle East in an interview with RT India TV channel, Lavrov said ongoing US-provoked disputes involving Iran, Venezuela, Cuba, Greenland and Canada were distracting international attention from the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. “All of the efforts that are being taken right now on Venezuela, Iran, Cuba, Greenland, and now Canada … all of these issues are moving us away from settling the most protracted, the most negative crisis in the world – that is, the crisis around Palestine,” he said. The minister criticized American proposals regarding the future of the Gaza Strip, saying they did not address the

• 
  Palestinian students from Gaza arrive in Italy for university program

  by MI on May 13, 2026

  A group of 72 Palestinian university students from the Gaza Strip arrived in Italy on Tuesday, under an academic support initiative coordinated by Italian institutions, Anadolu Agency reports. The students landed at Rome’s Fiumicino International Airport after departing from Amman, Jordan, and were welcomed by Italian University Minister Anna Maria Bernini and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani. The program was promoted by the Italian Conference of University Rectors in cooperation with Italy’s Foreign and University Ministries. According to Italian officials, the students will continue their education at 21 universities across Italy, as well as in the Republic of San Marino. The initiative aims to provide educational opportunities and support for Palestinian students affected by the situation in Gaza. READ: Senior UN official briefly detained

• 
  Nakba at 78: The Beginning of the End of Zionism? | Palestine This Week with Mouin Rabbani

  by MI on May 13, 2026

  In this episode, we mark Nakba Day with a special discussion on the historical roots and continuing reality of Palestinian dispossession. We place the Nakba within the wider settler-colonial project that shaped Palestine from the Balfour Declaration and the British Mandate through 1948, 1967, Oslo and the ongoing genocide in Gaza. The episode examines whether Gaza represents the final and most violent stage of a century-long project to erase the Palestinian people, or whether this moment marks the beginning of the end of Zionism as a settler-colonial system. It also looks at the crisis of Palestinian political leadership, the collapse of Israel’s claim to moral legitimacy and the regional fallout from Gaza, including Iran, Trump and the limits of US

• 
  Israel becomes world’s most disliked country, global survey finds

  by Marwa A on May 13, 2026

  Israel is now perceived more negatively than any other country in the world, followed by North Korea, Afghanistan and Iran, according to new global polling published by Nira Data as part of its 2026 democracy and country perception research. The five most positively perceived countries were Switzerland, Canada, Japan, Sweden and Italy. The findings place Israel at the bottom of the Global Country Perceptions 2026 ranking, a survey of 46,667 respondents assessing how 129 countries and three international organisations are viewed around the world. The ranking was published alongside Nira Data’s 2026 Democracy Perception Index, which surveyed 94,146 respondents across 98 countries on how citizens experience democracy in their own countries. Israel is globally perceived more negatively than any other

• 
  Epic interruptus: The Iranian snare and American defeat

  by Marwa A on May 13, 2026

  On May 10, Robert Kagan, the high priest of neoconservative thought, the bell ringer for muscular interventionism and general American meddlesomeness, lamented in The Atlantic that the United States had suffered a unique defeat in its efforts to subjugate Iran.  The article says much about Kagan’s own identification with the obvious, some feat given the military fancy and fantasy that continues to blot the current Trump administration. Be that as it may, he finds the Iran War dishing out a defeat to the United States of unique quality, one that “can neither be repaired nor ignored.”  No ultimate American triumph could emerge, and nothing would “undo or overcome the harm done” to “return to the status quo ante”.  The Strait

• 
  Israel uprooted Palestinians 2.8 million times in a single year, new report reveals

  by Marwa A on May 13, 2026

  Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza forced Palestinian families to flee their homes 2.8 million times over the course of 2025, while displacement in the Israeli occupied West Bank surged to its highest level since 1967, according to a major new global report released on Tuesday. The Geneva-based Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC), in its Global Report on Internal Displacement 2026, found that Palestinians in the illegally occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, were uprooted from their homes more than five times as often as in the previous year — 51,000 displacements in total — the highest figure on record since the start of the Israeli occupation in 1967. Read: More than 700,000 people displaced in Gaza since March: UN In

• 
  Official report: Israel facing military fragility as armament stockpiles dwindle since October 2023

  by Marwa A on May 13, 2026

  An official report issued by Israel’s State Comptroller’s Office has revealed a significant decline in Israel’s weapons production capabilities and military stockpiles during the ongoing war since the 7th October attack. The report warned that Israel’s growing reliance on foreign imports had harmed its political and military decision-making freedom and threatened the availability of supplies needed by the Israeli army on the battlefield. The report, published by State Comptroller Matanyahu Englman, said the production capabilities of Israel’s military industries had deteriorated despite billions of dollars being invested in weapons manufacturing infrastructure. It added that some production lines had completely lost their efficiency, while others had weakened due to the security establishment’s decision to buy cheaper raw materials from abroad and

• 
  Senior UN official briefly detained by Israel after Gaza visit

  by Marwa A on May 13, 2026

  Israeli authorities detained the United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Safety and Security, Gilles Michaud, over his previous visit to the Gaza Strip. According to Israeli media reports, the UN official was stopped during security checks at Ben Gurion Airport, where security personnel confiscated his passport and took him to a special waiting area before questioning him about an official visit he made to Gaza in August last year. The visit had reportedly been coordinated in advance with Israeli authorities. Michaud described the incident as unprecedented treatment for a senior UN official, saying he had never faced similar conduct in any other country he had visited. Following the incident, the UN official cancelled all his scheduled meetings in Israel, in a move

• 
  Lebanese Red Cross says Israel killed more than 100 paramedics despite ceasefire

  by Marwa A on May 13, 2026

  Lebanese Red Cross President Antoine Zoghbi said the Israeli occupation forces have killed more than 100 paramedics and medical workers since the ceasefire took effect, condemning the continued targeting of emergency personnel. In an interview with Cairo News Channel, Zoghbi said that since 14th April Israel has killed more than 3,080 people, including over 100 medical and ambulance workers. He said rescue and medical teams now operate under extremely dangerous conditions, adding that there is “no real protection” for ambulances or medical personnel in either Gaza Strip or Lebanon. “Our problem today is that we have become targets, as if we were combatants,” Zoghbi said, adding that Lebanese officials and humanitarian organisations continue raising the issue in international forums. He

• 
  Report: Qatar working to improve Iranian proposal amid US-Israeli differences

  by Marwa A on May 13, 2026

  Qatar is intensifying mediation efforts between Iran and the United States in an attempt to improve Tehran’s latest proposal and keep negotiations alive, according to reports published on Monday. An Israeli source cited by Yedioth Ahronoth said Qatari mediators have become deeply involved following Iran’s submission of a 14-point proposal that Washington reportedly dismissed as inadequate. According to the report, Israel is concerned that US discussions with Iran are focused primarily on the nuclear file and reopening the Strait of Hormuz, without addressing Iran’s ballistic missile programme or allied regional groups. The report said US President Donald Trump is seeking two principal outcomes: reopening the Strait of Hormuz and securing a nuclear agreement that would end Iran’s possession of enriched

• 
  Pentagon says war on Iran has cost $29 billion

  by Marwa A on May 13, 2026

  US Assistant Defence Secretary for Financial Affairs Jules Hurst III said the cost of the US-Israeli war on Iran has so far reached about $29 billion, an increase of $4 billion from estimates announced in late April. Hurst made the remarks on Tuesday during a hearing held by the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defence to discuss the Pentagon’s standard budget request for the 2027 fiscal year. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Dan Caine attended the session. Asked by members of the House of Representatives about the impact of the war on the Pentagon budget since the United States joined Israel in military operations against Iran, Hurst said the figure had “reached about $29

• 
  Iran’s Revolutionary Guard conducts drills in Tehran amid fears of renewed confrontation

  by Marwa A on May 13, 2026

  Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps conducted military exercises in Tehran amid growing tensions and warnings that the regional ceasefire could collapse. According to Iranian state media, the drills involved both the Revolutionary Guard and its affiliated Basij units. State television quoted Brigadier General Hassan Hassanzadeh as saying the exercises were aimed at strengthening combat readiness against what he described as potential actions by the “American-Zionist enemy”. He said the scenarios carried out during the drills had been implemented successfully. The developments come more than two months after the United States and Israel launched attacks on Iran, triggering a regional conflict that expanded across the Middle East and disrupted global markets. Following the outbreak of war, Iran imposed restrictions on navigation

• 
  Podcast by Jasim Al-Azzawi with Gideon Levi: Israeli Genocide and Palestinian Statehood

  by MI on May 13, 2026

  WATCH: Podcast by Jasim Al-Azzawi with Former CIA Analyst Scott Ritter: Iran and Nuclear Armageddon

• 
  Western diplomat says Israel expanded control in Gaza through new “orange line”

  by Marwa A on May 13, 2026

  A Western diplomat has said Israeli forces expanded their control over additional areas of the Gaza Strip through what is now being referred to as the “orange line”, replacing the earlier “yellow line” established under the ceasefire agreement that took effect on 10th  October 2025. According to the Hebrew-language newspaper Israel Hayom, the diplomat said Israeli forces had seized more territory from Hamas control following recent developments on the ground. The diplomat reportedly stated that the expansion took place with the knowledge of the so-called “Peace Council” after Hamas failed to fulfil commitments related to disarmament, adding that additional measures could follow. Under the original ceasefire arrangement, the “yellow line” marked the separation between areas under Israeli military control in

• 
  “Steadfastness 2” aid convoy gathers in Libya on route to Gaza

  by Marwa A on May 13, 2026

  The “Steadfastness 2” land convoy, organised in support of the Gaza Strip, has deployed in Libya and is currently stationed in the Judaym Forest area west of Tripoli after entering Libyan territory two days ago. According to the Algerian Popular Coordination for the Support of Palestine, all Algerian participants in the convoy have arrived at the designated assembly point after travelling through Tunisia. In a statement, the coordination body said the Algerian convoy began its journey from multiple provinces across Algeria on 8th May before crossing Tunisia and reaching Libya. The organisation expressed hope that the convoy would continue safely towards the Rafah Crossing in order to deliver humanitarian assistance to Palestinians in Gaza. The organisers called on the governments

• 
  Why Washington keeps hitting a wall with Iran

  by Marwa A on May 13, 2026

  You know that old temptation in American foreign policy — the idea that if you’re strong enough, you can just force reality to go your way? Under Donald Trump, that belief has turned into the main playbook, especially with Iran. It’s not really a clever strategy anymore. It’s more like a high-risk gamble built on a shaky assumption: that raw power decides who’s right, and if you squeeze hard enough, any opponent will eventually cave. At the center of it all is this “maximum pressure” campaign — crushing sanctions, trying to isolate Iran diplomatically, and always keeping the threat of military action in the background. The aim is to make Tehran surrender on pretty much everything: its nuclear program, its

• 
  Somali pirates raise ransom demand for hijacked tanker carrying Egyptian sailors

  by Marwa A on May 13, 2026

  Somali pirates have reportedly increased their ransom demand for the release of the hijacked oil tanker M/T Eureka, which carries eight Egyptian sailors, from $3 million to $10 million. According to relatives of crew members, conditions aboard the vessel have deteriorated sharply. The wife of engineer Mohamed Radi said her husband informed her during a phone call that pirates had increased the number of armed guards on the ship while severely restricting food and water supplies. The M/T Eureka, flying the Togo flag and carrying around 2,800 tonnes of diesel, was hijacked on 2 May off the coast of Yemen’s Shabwa Governorate by armed Somali pirates. The vessel was subsequently taken into Somali territorial waters near the Puntland region. The

• 
  Iran says peace cannot be built through threats, outlines minimum demands for lasting settlement

  by Marwa A on May 13, 2026

  Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal and International Affairs, Kazem Gharibabadi, said Tehran remains committed to several core principles, including a permanent end to the war, preventing its recurrence, lifting sanctions and blockades, compensation for damages, and respect for Iran’s rights. In a post on X on Tuesday, Gharibabadi said that “True peace cannot be built with a literature of humiliation, threats, and coercive score-settling.” “When the party that has directly played a role in the war, siege, sanctions, and threats through brute force rejects Iran’s response solely because it is not a letter of surrender, it becomes clear that the main issue is not peace, but the imposition of political will through the path of threats and pressure,” he

• 
  Spanish PM defends Barcelona star Yamal’s display of Palestinian flag

  by Marwa A on May 13, 2026

  Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has addressed the recent actions of Barcelona star Lamine Yamal, who displayed a Palestinian flag during the club’s La Liga title celebrations. Speaking at a press conference, Sánchez responded to journalists’ questions regarding the incident by contextualising Spain’s diplomatic stance. He noted that Spain has already formally recognised the state of Palestine. “Spain has recognised the state of Palestine,” Sánchez stated. “From the very beginning, Spain condemned the attacks by Hamas, and later condemned the war being waged by the Israeli authorities in the Gaza Strip.” The Prime Minister’s comments come amid heightened scrutiny of public figures expressing political views on the conflict. Sánchez emphasised that Spain’s position remains balanced, advocating for a peaceful resolution

• 
  US intelligence reports surprise Trump with Iran’s underground missile capabilities

  by Marwa A on May 13, 2026

  US intelligence agencies have privately informed decision-makers that Iran has regained control of about 90 per cent of its underground missile facilities across the country, according to sources cited by The New York Times. The classified assessments, conducted earlier this month, said Tehran had preserved a large part of its missile arsenal, developing a strategic challenge for Washington amid what officials described as a severe shortage of key munitions. The assessments, based on satellite imagery and advanced surveillance technologies, showed figures described as alarming for senior US officials. They found that about 90 per cent of Iran’s underground storage and launch facilities were operating either partially or fully. Iran has also restored operational access to 30 out of 33 missile

• 
  UK to deploy drones, fighter jets, warship for future Hormuz security mission

  by Marwa A on May 12, 2026

  The United Kingdom will deploy drones, Typhoon fighter jets and the Royal Navy warship HMS Dragon as part of a future multinational mission to secure the Strait of Hormuz, the UK Defence Ministry said on Tuesday, Anadolu reports. The announcement came after a virtual summit involving defence ministers and representatives from more than 40 countries participating in the planned multinational military mission. According to the ministry, the UK contribution will include autonomous mine-hunting systems, counter-drone capabilities and mine-clearance specialists, backed by 115 million pounds ($152 million) in new funding. The package will also feature the Royal Navy’s modular “Beehive” system equipped with autonomous Kraken drone boats designed to detect, track and respond to threats. HMS Dragon is already heading to

• 
  Iran sets 5 conditions for new talks with US: Report

  by Marwa A on May 12, 2026

  Iran will not enter a second round of negotiations with the United States unless five trust-building conditions are met, Fars News Agency reported Tuesday, citing an informed source, Anadolu reports. The source said Tehran considers the conditions to be “minimum guarantees” necessary for starting any new negotiations with Washington. According to the report, Iran’s conditions include “ending the war on all fronts, especially Lebanon,” lifting sanctions, releasing frozen Iranian assets, compensating for war damage and recognizing Iran’s sovereignty rights over the Strait of Hormuz. Iran also informed Pakistani mediators that the continuation of the US naval blockade in the Arabian Sea and Gulf of Oman after the ceasefire has further reinforced Tehran’s distrust toward negotiations with the United States, the

• 
  Israeli airstrikes kill at least 10, injures 8 in southern Lebanon

  by Marwa A on May 12, 2026

  Ten people were killed and eight others injured Tuesday in Israeli strikes on southern Lebanon, including two civil defense workers killed while carrying out a rescue mission in Nabatieh despite ceasefire, according to official Lebanese media, Anadolu reports. An overnight Israeli airstrike targeting an inhabited house in Lebanon’s southern town of Kfar Dounine has killed at least six people and injured seven others, according to the National News Agency (NNA). The wounded were taken to hospitals in Tyre. Israeli artillery shells also targeted the outskirts of the towns of Mansouri and Majdal Zoun at dawn. In a separate incident, NNA reported that a Syrian man was killed and his wife wounded after an Israeli drone targeted their motorcycle on the

• 
  Nearly 50,000 displaced in Sudan’s Blue Nile state since start of 2026

  by Marwa A on May 12, 2026

  Nearly 50,000 people have been displaced across Sudan’s Blue Nile state since the beginning of 2026 amid ongoing clashes in the region, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said Tuesday, Anadolu reports. In a statement, the organization said an estimated 49,512 people, or 9,899 families, were displaced across the southeastern state between Jan. 11 and May 4. According to the IOM, 28,020 people were displaced from Kurmuk, 18,722 from Bau and 11,855 from Geissan. The displaced population moved to seven locations across Blue Nile state, including the state capital Damazin, which received 25,630 displaced people, the organization added. The IOM said 78 percent of the newly displaced people were sheltering in informal gathering sites, while 13 percent were staying in

• 
  Protesters rally outside Belgian broadcaster over Israel’s Eurovision participation

  by Marwa A on May 12, 2026

  A group of people gathered on Tuesday outside the headquarters of the Belgian public broadcaster RTBF in Brussels to protest Israel’s participation in the Eurovision Song Contest, Anadolu reports. Waving Palestinian flags, protesters expressed their opposition to Israel being included in the competition and accused RTBF of being complicit in its participation. Some demonstrators attached printed messages to the building’s metal fences, voicing their objections to RTBF’s involvement in the contest. Protesters carried placards reading “End complicity,” emphasizing that Israel’s participation in the contest was unacceptable, and called on the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and the broadcasters airing the event to take action. They also drew attention to journalists and media workers who have been killed in Israeli attacks in

• 
  Turkish Football Federation president repeatedly rejects meeting Israeli counterpart

  by Marwa A on May 12, 2026

  Turkish Football Federation (TFF) President Ibrahim Haciosmanoglu said Tuesday that he repeatedly refused to meet the head of the Israeli Football Association due to Gaza genocide, Anadolu reports. “We have a very important friendship with Spain as a country, in sports, and in politics. When I see the Spanish Football Federation president (Rafael Louzan) from afar, I go and hug him. They are also very sensitive about the Palestinian issue. If Israel had participated in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Spain would have said, ‘We will not participate,’” Haciosmanoglu told Anadolu. “The President of the Israeli Football Association (Moshe Zuares) repeatedly wanted to meet with me. I did not meet with him, and I will not. Where we need to

• 
  Kuwait summons Iranian ambassador to protest alleged ‘IRGC members’ infiltration on Bubiyan Island

  by Marwa A on May 12, 2026

  Kuwait summoned the Iranian ambassador on Tuesday to protest the alleged infiltration of members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to Bubiyan Island, where they clashed with Kuwaiti forces, Anadolu reports. The Kuwaiti Foreign Ministry said in a statement that Deputy Foreign Minister Hamad Suleiman al-Mashaan handed Iranian Ambassador Mohammad Totonji a formal protest note over an “armed infiltration” by IRGC elements. The ministry condemned the incident as a “hostile act,” calling on Iran to immediately and unconditionally halt such actions. Kuwait also held Iran fully responsible for a “blatant violation” of Kuwaiti sovereignty, international law, the UN Charter, and UN Security Council Resolution 2817 of 2026. The statement stressed that Kuwait reserves the full right to defend itself

• 
  Israeli ultra-Orthodox party threatens to topple government over draft bill delay

  by Marwa A on May 12, 2026

  Israel’s ultra-Orthodox Degel HaTorah party renewed threats Tuesday to topple the government and push for early elections after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly hinted at delaying a contentious military conscription bill until after the general election, Anadolu reports. The Knesset term ends in October, after which Israel is scheduled to hold national elections. Degel HaTorah and Agudat Yisrael form the ultra-Orthodox alliance United Torah Judaism, a partner in Netanyahu’s right-wing coalition government. The alliance holds seven seats in the 120-member Knesset and is seeking support from the ultra-Orthodox Shas party, which has 11 seats. Even if the alliance withdraws, the government would still retain 68 seats, meaning its departure would not necessarily collapse the coalition. It is not the first

• 
  Unanswered questions before Prince Turki Al-Faisal

  by MI on May 12, 2026

  In his recent article in Asharq Al-Awsat, Prince Turki Al-Faisal offers a sober and realistic reading of the balance of power in the Arabian Gulf. With his deep security and diplomatic experience, Prince Turki presents an analysis that commands the attention of observers. Western media often treat his statements as indicators of Riyadh’s strategic mood, despite the fact that he has held no official government position for years. Prince Turki reminds us that Saudi Arabia possesses the military capability to respond in kind to Iran. Yet any comprehensive retaliation would trigger a scenario of mutual destruction: strikes on Iranian facilities would be met with attacks on Saudi Arabia’s vital infrastructure—from oil installations to desalination plants stretching along the Gulf coast

• 
  Palestinian population reaches 15.5 million worldwide, half lives in Palestine

  by MI on May 12, 2026

  The Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS) said Tuesday that the number of Palestinians worldwide has reached about 15.5 million, including 7.4 million living in historic Palestine, Anadolu reports. In a statement marking the 78th anniversary of the Nakba, a term used by Palestinians to mark Israel’s creation in 1948, the bureau said about 8.1 million Palestinians live in the diaspora. It said more than two million Palestinians are displaced inside Gaza and the occupied West Bank as a result of Israel’s war on Gaza and continued settlement expansion. Israel’s war on Gaza has displaced nearly two million Palestinians out of about 2.2 million who lived in the enclave on the eve of the war, the bureau said. Many now live

• 
  Do not surrender to despair or hope

  by MI on May 12, 2026

  Marx analyzed the dynamics by which employers profit from workers’ labor, predicting that this exploitation would inevitably spark a revolution. A logical conclusion, it would seem—yet most workers have not revolted over the past hundred years, nor are they revolting today. Marx also predicted that European societies with the highest proportion of workers, such as Germany and the United Kingdom, would move toward socialism. Yet they turned to fascism, while the socialist revolution took place in Russian society, which had a low proportion of workers. This contradiction preoccupied the leader of the Italian Communist Party, Antonio Gramsci. He spent his years in Mussolini’s prisons analysing it and concluded that authorities exercise not only coercive, material, violent hegemony but also cultural