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

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  Lebanese premier, Syrian president make ‘significant progress’ on issues in Damascus meeting

  by MI on May 9, 2026

  Lebanese Premier Nawaf Salam said he made “significant progress” on shared issues as he met Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa in Damascus on Saturday and discussed bilateral, regional and international developments, Anadolu reports. Salam arrived in Damascus on a day-long visit, his second since taking office last year, following his first visit on April 14, 2025. The SANA news agency said Sharaa received Salam at the People’s Palace in Damascus in the presence of ministerial delegations from both countries. Both sides discussed ways to strengthen bilateral ties, besides developing economic and trade cooperation in a manner that serves common interests and enhancing security coordination to support stability and confront challenges. Salam’s office said he led a delegation to Syria including Deputy

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  One Palestinian killed, several injured in Israeli strike in northern Gaza despite ceasefire

  by MI on May 9, 2026

  One Palestinian man was killed and several other Palestinians injured on Saturday in an Israeli drone strike targeting a motorcycle west of the Jabalia refugee camp in northern Gaza, part of Israel’s continued violations of a ceasefire agreement in force since last October. A medical source told Anadolu that Eyad al-Motawwaq was killed in the strike, while several others were wounded, without specifying their number. Witnesses told Anadolu that an Israeli drone targeted the motorcycle in an area west of the camp that lies outside the zones of Israeli military deployment under the ceasefire agreement. READ: Protesters rally in Stockholm against Israeli attacks on Gaza and Lebanon In a separate incident, witnesses said Israeli artillery intermittently shelled eastern areas of the

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  Protesters rally in Stockholm against Israeli attacks on Gaza and Lebanon

  by MI on May 9, 2026

  Demonstrators gathered at Observatorielunden Park in Stockholm, Sweden, on Saturday, to protest ongoing Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip and Lebanon, Anadolu Agency reports. Organized by multiple civil society organizations, the protest featured Palestinian, Lebanese and Iranian flags, along with banners reading “Stop killing civilians,” “End the food blockade on Gaza,” and “Stop attacks on Lebanon and Iran.” Protesters also condemned what they described as Greece’s passive stance regarding Israel’s intervention against the Global Sumud Flotilla. Swedish activist Dror Feiler criticized Israeli policies in Gaza and Lebanon, accusing the international community of remaining silent over the humanitarian situation. READ: Israel to release 2 activists of Gaza aid flotilla, says rights group Feiler also criticized Israeli and US strikes on Iran as

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

  by MI on May 9, 2026

  WATCH: Podcast by Jasim Al-Azzawi with Col. Wilkerson: The Iran war, was it inevitable or avoidable?

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  Iran can endure US blockade for months without major economic crisis: Report

  by MI on May 9, 2026

  The US military blockade of Iran’s ports is likely to cut Tehran off from vital oil revenue, but NBC News reported Saturday that the country could likely endure the pressure for months without a major economic crisis or lasting harm to its oil industry, possibly dimming US hopes of forcing a quicker end to the war. After the blockade began about a month ago, President Donald Trump and senior administration officials suggested it would quickly trigger a crisis in Iran’s oil sector. Trump said Iran’s oil infrastructure could “explode” within days if exports stopped. “If they don’t get their oil moving, their whole oil infrastructure is going to explode.” That prediction did not come true, though the blockade has stopped

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  US says 58 commercial vessels redirected under naval blockade of Iran

  by MI on May 9, 2026

  The United States said Saturday that 58 commercial vessels attempting to enter or leave Iranian ports have been redirected under a US naval blockade targeting Iranian maritime traffic, Anadolu Agency reports. “The US naval blockade against Iran continues to be fully enforced,” US Central Command, also known as CENTCOM, said in a statement posted on the US social media platform X. “As of today, CENTCOM forces have redirected 58 commercial vessels and disabled 4 since April 13 to prevent the ships from entering or leaving Iranian ports,” it added. Regional tensions sharply escalated since the US and Israel launched strikes against Iran, triggering Iranian retaliation against Israel and American allies in the Gulf, along with the closure of the Strait

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  More than 200,000 migrants have crossed English Channel to UK since 2018

  by MI on May 9, 2026

  More than 200,000 migrants have crossed the English Channel in small boats to reach the UK since records began in 2018, according to official figures cited by Britain’s Home Office, Anadolu reports. The BBC reported that 70 migrants arrived Friday aboard a single boat, bringing the total number of crossings over the past nine years to 200,013. The UK government first declared the growing number of Channel crossings a “major incident” in 2018 as increasing numbers of migrants began traveling from France to United Kingdom in small boats. Despite repeated promises by successive British governments to halt irregular migration and dismantle smuggling networks, the number of arrivals has more than doubled over the last three years, the report said. At

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  Erdogan says Turkiye opposes wider regional spread of US-Iran conflict

  by MI on May 9, 2026

  Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Saturday that Ankara does not want the conflict between the United States and Iran to spread further across the region, Anadolu Agency reports. Erdogan made the remarks during a meeting in Istanbul with Masrour Barzani, prime minister of Iraq’s Kurdish Regional Government (KRG), according to Turkiye’s Communications Directorate. The two sides discussed the latest regional developments during the meeting. Erdogan expressed concern over attacks on Iraqi territory, including in Erbil, amid the ongoing US-Iran conflict and said Turkiye opposed the expansion of the conflict to other countries in the region. He also said Turkiye would continue its solidarity with the KRG during the current period. READ: Turkiye becomes UAE’s 5th largest non-oil trading partner, Emirati

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  Podcast by Jasim Al-Azzawi with Col. Wilkerson: The Iran war, was it inevitable or avoidable?

  by MI on May 9, 2026

  WATCH: Podcast by Jasim Al-Azzawi with Jeremy Corbyn on Gaza war and Middle East issues

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  UK deploys Royal Navy warship to Mideast ahead of possible Hormuz security mission

  by MI on May 9, 2026

  The UK is deploying a Royal Navy warship to the Middle East in preparation for a possible multinational mission to protect commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, the Defense Ministry said on Saturday, Anadolu Agency reports. The HMS Dragon, a Type 45 destroyer previously stationed in the eastern Mediterranean near Cyprus, will “pre-position” in the region and stand ready to join a UK- and French-led maritime initiative once conditions allow, multiple UK news outlets reported, citing the ministry spokesman. The proposed mission, backed by Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron, aims to ensure freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz. “We can confirm that HMS Dragon will deploy to the Middle East to pre-position ahead

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  Israel to release 2 activists of Gaza aid flotilla, says rights group

  by MI on May 9, 2026

  An Israeli advocacy group for Palestinians said on Saturday that it was informed by Israeli security authorities of plans to release two activists of the Gaza-bound Global Sumud Flotilla, Anadolu reports. In a statement, Adalah said Israel’s internal security service Shin Bet informed its legal team that Brazilian national Thiago de Avila and Spanish activist of Palestinian origin Saif Abukeshek will be released later in the day. The Israeli authorities would then transfer Avila and Abukeshek to immigration authorities, where they would remain in custody until their deportation, it added. An Israeli district court in Beersheba on Wednesday rejected an appeal filed by rights group Adalah against the extension of the activists’ detention. READ: Israeli court rejects appeal over detention extension

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  Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem says extremism gaining ground in Israeli society amid Gaza war

  by MI on May 9, 2026

  Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa has warned that extremism is increasingly gaining traction within parts of Israeli society amid the Gaza conflict, saying a growing “culture of contempt” toward Arabs and non-Jews is becoming amplified by media narratives, Anadolu Agency reports. Speaking in an interview with Italian daily Corriere della Sera, Pizzaballa said the atmosphere created after the Oct. 7, 2023 attacks and Israel’s subsequent military campaign in Gaza contributed to the rise of extremist rhetoric. “Unfortunately extremism is gaining traction in this context,” the cardinal said. “We are seeing its consequences in certain sectors of Israeli civil society. Not everyone, of course, I would say it is not the majority.” “But the culture of contempt for everything

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  Bahrain says arrested 41 members of Iran-linked group

  by MI on May 9, 2026

  As many as 41 members of a group linked to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) were arrested in Bahrain, the country’s Interior Ministry said on Saturday, state news agency BNA reported. The action was the outcome of security reports and investigations carried out by public prosecutors into cases of espionage and foreign interference. Legal procedures against the detainees are ongoing, while search and investigation operations continue “against anyone proven to be involved in the activities of this organization or in acts that violate the law.” Bahraini authorities also arrested individuals earlier they said were linked to the IRGC amid regional escalation that started with US and Israeli attacks on Iran on Feb. 28. In response, Tehran retaliated with strikes

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  Israeli army arrests 3 Palestinians in occupied West Bank

  by MI on May 9, 2026

  The Israeli army stormed the city of Nablus in the northern part of the occupied West Bank on Saturday and arrested three Palestinians, including two former prisoners. The official Palestinian news agency WAFA reported that Israeli forces entered Nablus through the Huwara checkpoint to the south and Checkpoint 17 to the north, deploying around the Old City. Tariq Jaber and Imad al-Masimi, both former prisoners, were among those arrested, WAFA added. The Israeli army also conducted field interrogations of several Palestinians during the raid. The occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, has seen a surge in Israeli military operations, including raids, arrests, shootings, and excessive use of force, alongside rising attacks by Israeli occupiers on Palestinians and their property. Attacks

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  Massive oil slick spotted near Iran’s Kharg Island: Report

  by MI on May 9, 2026

  Massive oil slicks were spotted near Iran’s Kharg Island, the country’s main oil export terminal, with satellite imagery showing suspected leaks spreading across Gulf waters, Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth reported. It said images captured by the European Copernicus Sentinel-1, Sentinel-2 and Sentinel-3 satellites between May 6 and 8, showed traces of what appeared to be oil leaks west and southwest of the island. Visual comparisons between satellite images taken April 18 and more recent ones from May 6 showed suspicious material spreading across the sea surface for several kilometers. The images also showed light-colored surface patches consistent with the known characteristics of offshore oil spills in satellite imagery. The developments came amid heightened tensions in and around the Strait of

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  Trump threatens to resume ‘Project Freedom Plus’ if Iran deal not sealed

  by MI on May 9, 2026

  US President Donald Trump warned Friday that Washington may escalate its military posture in the Strait of Hormuz if a deal with Iran is not finalized, threatening to revive and expand the paused “Project Freedom” operation, Anadolu Agency reports. “We’ll go a different route if everything doesn’t get signed up, buttoned up,” Trump told reporters at the White House. When asked whether the US would return to “Project Freedom,” Trump responded, “I don’t think so,” but added that it still “might do it.” He explained that Pakistan, which is mediating talks between Washington and Tehran, asked the US not to resume the military operation. READ: US vice president meets Qatari premier on Iran war at White House “We may go back

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  US sanctions 10 individuals, companies for aiding Iran’s weapons, drone programs

  by MI on May 9, 2026

  The US Treasury Department announced sanctions Friday against 10 individuals and companies, including several based in China and Hong Kong, for allegedly enabling Iran’s military to procure weapons and materials used in Shahed-series drones and ballistic missiles, Anadolu Agency reports. The move targets networks that allegedly helped Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and its affiliated bodies acquire weapons components and aerospace-grade raw materials. The Treasury Department said it is ready to take economic action against Iran’s defense industrial base so that Iran cannot reconstitute its production capacity and project power outside its borders. “Under President Trump’s decisive leadership, we will continue to act to Keep America Safe and target foreign individuals and companies providing Iran’s military with weapons for

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  Israel forces Palestinian family in Jenin area to exhume their son’s grave, move body

  by MI on May 9, 2026

  The Israeli army forced a Palestinian family to exhume their son’s grave late Friday and move his body in the northern occupied West Bank. The official Palestinian news agency Wafa quoted local sources who said, “Israeli forces forced a Palestinian family in Jenin to exhume their son’s body and move it to another location, claiming the cemetery was too close to an Israeli settlement.” Sources added that “occupiers had begun digging up the grave of a person who had been buried earlier today in the cemetery of the village of Asasa in preparation for exhuming his body.” The Israeli army arrived later and forced the family to exhume the body, move it, and rebury it in another location, claiming that

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  Muslim group demands end to Israeli occupation, urges UN action on Palestinian statehood

  by MI on May 9, 2026

  The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) demanded immediate international action to end Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories on Friday, and advance a two-state solution, warning that the crisis in the Gaza Strip and occupied West Bank poses growing risks to global peace and security, Anadolu reports. Delivering a statement on behalf of the OIC Group during an Arria-formula meeting at UN headquarters, Türkiye’s UN Ambassador Ahmet Yildiz said the Palestinian issue has reached a point of urgency amid continuing violence and political deadlock. “The need for practical measures to resolve the Palestine question and the crises in the Middle East have become more pressing in view of the broad implications for global peace and security,” said Yildiz. The meeting focused

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  Tunisia court sentences former Ennahda leader’s office director to 14 years in prison

  by MI on May 9, 2026

  A Tunisian court sentenced Faouzi Kamoun, the former office director of Ennahda leader Rached Ghannouchi, to 14 years in prison after convicting him on “money laundering” charges, according to media reports. The Mosaique FM radio station said the criminal chamber specializing in “financial corruption cases” at the Tunis Court of First Instance issued the ruling Thursday. The report did not provide details about the case. An indictment chamber specializing in financial corruption cases at the Tunis Court of Appeal previously upheld an investigating judge’s decision to detain Kamoun pending an investigation on charges related to “money laundering.” READ: Former Tunisian justice minister sentenced to 20 years in prison On Feb. 16, 2023, the public prosecutor at the Tunis Court of First

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  US, Iran may resume talks next week in Islamabad: WSJ

  by MI on May 9, 2026

  Talks between the US and Iran could resume as early as next week in Pakistan’s capital Islamabad, the Wall Street Journal reported on Friday, citing people familiar with the matter. The Journal said the two sides are working with mediators to formulate a one-page, 14-point memorandum of understanding that would set the parameters for a month of talks aimed at ending the war. The draft is said to include discussions on Iran’s nuclear program, easing tensions in the Strait of Hormuz, and possible handling of Iran’s highly enriched uranium stockpiles to another country, though key issues remain unresolved. READ: US vice president meets Qatari premier on Iran war at White House The extent of any sanctions relief, however, remains up for

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  US vice president meets Qatari premier on Iran war at White House

  by MI on May 9, 2026

  US Vice President JD Vance held a closed-door meeting on Friday with Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim al-Thani at the White House to discuss ongoing negotiations with Iran, Anadolu reports. “During the meeting, they reviewed the close strategic cooperation relations between the State of Qatar and the United States of America, along with ways to support and enhance them across various fields, and discussed the latest developments in the regional situation, as well as the Pakistani mediation aimed at de-escalation to contribute to bolstering security and stability in the region,” Qatar’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement. The prime minister stressed the importance of all parties responding constructively to mediation efforts, the ministry added. He expressed

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  US opposes Israeli annexation of West Bank, diplomat tells UN

  by MI on May 8, 2026

  A US diplomat reaffirmed Friday that the US opposes Israeli annexation of the occupied West Bank and remains committed to pursuing peace and stability in the region, Anadolu Agency reports. Speaking during an Arria-formula session at the UN headquarters, Ambassador Jeff Bartos, the US representative for UN Management and Reform, said Washington continues to work closely with regional and international partners to advance security and prosperity in the Middle East. “The United States remains committed to working in close partnership with Israel and key Arab nations and the international community to bring peace, prosperity, security and dignity to the region,” Bartos told diplomats and Security Council members. Bartos said the Trump administration opposes unilateral Israeli annexation of territory in the

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  Israel continues to bar Red Cross representatives from meeting Palestinian detainees

  by MI on May 8, 2026

  Israel has decided to continue preventing representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) from meeting Palestinian detainees, despite allowing visits to prisons for the first time since October 2023, Haaretz daily reported Friday. “The Israeli government informed the Supreme Court Thursday that it would allow the ICRC representatives to visit prisons holding Palestinian security detainees for the first time since Oct. 7, 2023, while continuing to prevent the organization from meeting with prisoners individually,” the newspaper said. According to Haaretz, the decision was made on the instructions of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The report said Red Cross representatives would be allowed to tour prison facilities and meet prison staff but would not be permitted to hold private

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  UN experts demand release of Gaza aid flotilla activists detained by Israel

  by MI on May 8, 2026

  UN experts on Friday called for the immediate release of activists detained after Israeli forces intercepted a humanitarian flotilla carrying aid to Gaza in international waters in late April, Anadolu Agency reports. In a statement, the experts said they were “seriously concerned” by the seizure of 22 civilian boats and the detention of 180 people about 500 nautical miles off Israel’s coast on April 29. “The attack against a civilian flotilla engaged in a peaceful and strictly humanitarian mission to deliver life-saving goods to the Palestinian people is further evidence that Israel is determined to continue its genocidal policy of suffocating the population of Gaza by any means necessary,” the experts said. They described the interception as “a blatant violation

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  25 women killed, 109 injured in Lebanon since April 17 ceasefire, UN Women says

  by MI on May 8, 2026

  At least 25 women have been killed and 109 injured in Lebanon in the three weeks since a ceasefire took effect on April 17, highlighting the continuing risks faced by civilians despite the truce, a senior UN Women official said Friday, Anadolu Agency reports. Speaking from Lebanon via video link to reporters in Geneva, Moez Doraid said women and girls remain exposed to violence as they attempt to return to their homes “under the perceived safety of the ceasefire.” He said many women he met this week described widespread destruction in villages south of the Litani River, with one woman saying her village had become “completely unrecognizable.” READ: Lebanon committed to full ceasefire before talks with Israel: President Doraid said continued

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  Hamas’ al-Hayya says Israel using force to impose terms after son killed in strike

  by MI on May 8, 2026

  Khalil al-Hayya, head of the Hamas movement in the Gaza Strip, said on Thursday that Israel is trying to impose its conditions at the negotiating table through military force, adding that targeting leaders and their families would not achieve its goals. His remarks came in a recorded speech following the martyrdom of his son, Azzam, who died from severe wounds suffered in an Israeli air strike targeting the al-Daraj neighbourhood east of Gaza City on Wednesday. “Praise be to God, who honoured me further through the martyrdom of my son Azzam,” al-Hayya said. He described the incident as “part of the ongoing targeting by the Zionist enemy of our people and families”. Al-Hayya said Israel “has become accustomed to negotiating

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  China’s legal shield against US sanctions on Iranian oil

  by MI on May 8, 2026

  On May 2, 2026, China’s Ministry of Commerce issued a landmark prohibition order under its 2021 Rules on Counteracting Unjustified Extraterritorial Application of Foreign Legislation and Other Measures, commonly known as China’s Blocking Rules. The order bars the recognition, enforcement, or compliance inside China with U.S. sanctions imposed on five Chinese refineries accused of buying Iranian crude: Hengli Petrochemical (Dalian) Refinery, Shandong Jincheng Petrochemical Group, Hebei Xinhai Chemical Group, Shouguang Luqing Petrochemical, and Shandong Shengxing Chemical. This was not just another diplomatic complaint from Beijing about U.S. “long-arm jurisdiction.” It was the first formal use of China’s Blocking Rules and marked a sharper legal response to Washington’s secondary sanctions. By invoking the measure, Beijing signaled that it is prepared to

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  US says it is blocking more than 70 tankers from Iranian ports

  by MI on May 8, 2026

  The US military is blocking more than 70 tankers from entering or leaving Iranian ports, US Central Command (CENTCOM) said Friday. CENTCOM said the commercial ships have the capacity to transport more than 166 million barrels of Iranian oil worth an estimated “$13 billion-plus,” in a post on the US social media platform X. The US has enforced a naval blockade targeting Iranian maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz since April 13. According to CENTCOM, more than 15,000 troops, 200 aircraft and 20 warships are executing the mission. The blockade has added to pressure on regional shipping and energy flows as security risks remain elevated around the strategic waterway, a key chokepoint for global crude shipments. The latest figures

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  Britain quietly approves $11.85m arms licence to Israel despite Gaza ban

  by MI on May 8, 2026

  The UK Department for Business and Trade (DBT) has granted two new licences for the export of military equipment to Israel, including an £8.7 ($11.85) million licence covering “components and technology for targeting equipment”, the Campaign Against Arms Trade (CAAT) has revealed. The licences were issued despite the British government’s September 2024 suspension of such exports over fears they would be used in Israel’s genocide in Gaza. CAAT’s analysis of UK export licensing statistics for the fourth quarter of 2025, published on 30 April, found that the UK issued export licences worth £20.5 ($27.9) million in total for transfers to Israel during the quarter. The most significant of the new approvals was an Open Individual Export Licence for “components and

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  Iran says still reviewing US proposal to end war

  by MI on May 8, 2026

  Iran said Friday that its response to a US proposal aimed at ending the war remains under review. Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei told the semi-official Tasnim news agency that Tehran is still examining the proposal and will announce its final position once the review process is completed. Baghaei also described the US action overnight as both a “clear violation of international law” and a breach of the ceasefire. He said Iranian armed forces had delivered a “strong slap” to the enemy and repelled what he described as hostile actions “with full force.” “We are in a nominal ceasefire situation,” Baghaei said, adding that Iran’s armed forces remain fully prepared and are closely monitoring developments. “Wherever necessary, they will respond

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  Lebanon committed to full ceasefire before talks with Israel: President

  by MI on May 8, 2026

  Lebanese president stressed Friday that his country remains committed to a comprehensive and complete ceasefire and a halt to all military operations as a basis for launching negotiations with Israel, Anadolu Agency reports. Joseph Aoun made the remarks during a meeting with European Union Commissioner for Equality and Crisis Management Hadja Lahbib at the Baabda Presidential Palace, the Lebanese presidency said in a statement. Aoun told the European official that the EU’s support for Lebanon should help press Israel to abide by the ceasefire, the statement said. “Pressure must be applied on Israel to prevent it from blowing up and bulldozing homes in the villages it occupies in the south, as well as targeting medics, journalists and Civil Defense workers,” Aoun

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  US secretary of state says Washington expects response from Iran today on negotiations

  by MI on May 8, 2026

  US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Friday that Washington is expecting a response from Iran on renewed negotiations over the ongoing conflict, Anadolu Agency reports. “We should know something today. We’re expecting a response from them. We’ll see what the response entails. The hope is that something that it can put us into a serious process of negotiation,” Rubio told reporters during his visit to Rome, where he met with Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. Referring to reports of Iranian plans to establish an agency to control traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, Rubio said it would be problematic and unacceptable. He urged other countries to not normalize Iran controlling an international waterway, warning that this would set an precedent

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  Turkiye becomes UAE’s 5th largest non-oil trading partner, Emirati trade minister says

  by MI on May 8, 2026

  Turkiye has became the UAE’s fifth-largest non-oil trading partner globally as trade volume between the two nations reached $45.2 billion in 2025, the UAE foreign trade minister said on Friday, Anadolu Agency reports. The UAE Foreign Trade Minister Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi highlighted the strengthening economic ties at the UAE-Turkiye Business Forum organized by Turkiye’s Foreign Economic Relations Board (DEIK) in Istanbul. The non-oil trade volume saw a 15.5% growth compared to the previous year and nearly tripled the figures recorded in 2022. Al Zeyoudi stated that the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), which entered into force on Sept. 1, 2023, had a profound impact on doubling the value of non-oil intra-trade. The minister credited the record success to the

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  Understanding the EU Blocking Statute: Spain’s legal strategy to shield the ICC from US sanctions

  by MI on May 8, 2026

  on 6 May 2026, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s called for the European Union to activate its Blocking Statute in response to U.S. sanctions against the International Criminal Court (ICC). This call is not merely a diplomatic gesture; rather, it constitutes a legal mechanism that may be employed to shield the ICC from U.S. sanctions and to uphold the rule of law. It may also be regarded as a genuine test of Europe’s credibility as a defender of international law. Sánchez called for sanctioning those who uphold international justice threatens “the entire human rights system,” and Europe “cannot stand idly by” in the face of such pressure.” Slovenia has joined the call of Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez urging the European

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  Israeli fundraising platform ‘rebranding as American’ to dodge boycotts over genocide

  by MI on May 8, 2026

  Israeli companies are pretending to be American to escape the shame of the Israel brand, Paul Biggar, founder of Tech for Palestine, has uncovered. GivingTech — a “global” philanthropy fintech marketed in the US and Europe is in fact the Tel Aviv-based IsraelGives, Biggar reported. The organisation is reported to have channelled donations to Israeli military units and illegal West Bank settlements. Biggar, the Irish founder of the developer-tools firm CircleCI, laid out his findings in a thread posted on X on 7 May. The two organisations, he wrote, were tied together by a shared chief executive, an identical logo, near-identical websites and a string of technical fingerprints, including the same Google Analytics codes and an identically-hashed stylesheet that he

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  Emergency declared at Libya’s Zawiya refinery amid clashes near facility

  by MI on May 8, 2026

  A state of emergency was declared Friday at Libya’s Zawiya oil refinery amid armed clashes near the facility, local outlet Libya Al-Ahrar reported. The refinery, located about 40 kilometers (25 miles) west of the capital Tripoli, is considered Libya’s largest operational refinery, with a production capacity of 120,000 barrels per day. The facility is connected to the Sharara oil field, which produces around 300,000 barrels per day. Later on Friday, the Zawiya Security Directorate announced the launch of a broad security operation targeting what it described as “hideouts of outlaws,” according to a statement issued in coordination with security agencies and based on orders from the public prosecution. No immediate information was available about casualties or the extent of the

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  Lebanon says farmland area roughly size of Chicago destroyed in Israeli offensive

  by MI on May 8, 2026

  Lebanon’s Agriculture Ministry said Friday that Israel’s ongoing offensive has damaged more than 56,000 hectares of farmland — an area roughly the size of Chicago or about 78,000 football fields — and killed more than 1.8 million poultry and livestock, Anadolu Agency reports. The destroyed farmland includes more than 18,500 hectares in the south, where Israeli army jets and drones have carried out relentless airstrikes, the ministry said in a statement. The statement said the damage was largely concentrated in conflict zones in southern Lebanon, which account for 22.5% of all agricultural land damaged across the country. The damage in 64 southern towns affected farmland, irrigation networks and facilities linked to agriculture and food production. Small farmers were hit the

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  US opts for ‘reckless military adventure’ over diplomacy: Iran’s top diplomat

  by MI on May 8, 2026

  Iran’s foreign minister on Friday accused the United States of resorting to military action whenever a diplomatic solution seems possible. “Every time a diplomatic solution is on the table, the US opts for a reckless military adventure,” Abbas Araghchi said on US social media company X. “Whatever the causes, outcome is the same: Iranians never bow to pressure,” he added. Araghchi also dismissed reported US intelligence assessments of Iran’s missile capabilities. “The CIA is wrong. Our missile inventory and launcher capacity are not at 75% compared to Feb. 28,” he wrote, referring to the day the US and Israel launched the war. “The correct figure is 120%.” “As for our readiness to defend our people: 1,000%,” he added. READ: ‘It’s all

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  ‘It’s all just bullsh*t!’: Kamala Harris takes aim at Trump over Iran war

  by MI on May 8, 2026

  Former US Vice President Kamala Harris on Thursday slammed President Donald Trump over his administration’s ongoing war with Iran, saying: “It’s all just bullsh*t!,” Anadolu Agency reports. “When you look at this war in Iran, which the American people do not want, which was not authorized by (Congress) — but even if it was, it should not have been initiated,” Harris, who unsuccessfully ran against Trump in 2024, told a crowd in Las Vegas. “He talked about obliterating (Iran’s nuclear weapons), and then he said oh he did — It’s all just bullsh*t,” Harris said at an event organized by the Nevada Democratic Party, according to CNN. After the June 2025 US strikes on Iran, the official White House website posted:

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  Israeli occupiers torch Palestinian vehicle, spray racist graffiti near northeast Ramallah

  by MI on May 8, 2026

  Israeli occupiers set fire to a Palestinian vehicle Friday and sprayed racist graffiti on the walls of homes northeast of Ramallah in the occupied West Bank, witnesses said. Witnesses told Anadolu that occupiers entered the outskirts of Abu Falah village, torched a vehicle belonging to a Palestinian resident, wrote racist slogans on several homes and then fled the area. The occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, has seen a surge in Israeli military operations, including raids, arrests, shootings and excessive use of force, alongside rising attacks by the occupiers on Palestinians and their property. Attacks by the Israeli army and occupiers have killed at least 1,155 Palestinians, wounded about 11,750 and led to the arrest of nearly 22,000 since October

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  UAE Gulf Marine Services profit falls 24% after Gulf war disrupts vessel operations

  by MI on May 8, 2026

  The earnings of UAE-based Gulf Marine Services fell 24% in the first quarter of 2026 after the war in Iran forced the evacuation of four vessels from an unnamed GCC country, the company said Friday, Anadolu Agency reports. The London-listed offshore energy services firm said earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) fell to $19.5 million in the three months ending March 31, down from $25.6 million in the same period last year. Revenue declined 10% to $38 million from $42.3 million, while the company’s vessel utilization rate dropped to 74% from 89% a year earlier. Gulf Marine Services said it was instructed in early March to evacuate four vessels from one of the Gulf Cooperation Council countries as a

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  The prospect of peace remains murky

  by MI on May 8, 2026

  Several pauses toward a potential peace agreement between the United States and Iran have taken place, even as intermittent flare-ups continue to erupt across the region. Yet any clear certainty about a durable peace still appears distant and deeply complicated. What is undeniable, however, is that the balance of physical power on the ground has changed dramatically. The Iran sitting at the negotiating table in Islamabad is no longer the Iran of previous years. After more than 13,000 strikes by the United States and Israel, Tehran’s defense-industrial capacity has suffered severe structural degradation. Available assessments suggest that more than two-thirds of Iran’s missile and drone production facilities have been destroyed. Most strikingly, Iran’s navy has effectively been wiped out, with

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  Man pleads guilty to assaulting US Representative Ilhan Omar

  by MI on May 8, 2026

  A Minneapolis man pleaded guilty on Thursday after using a syringe to spray vinegar at Somalia-born Democratic House Representative Ilhan Omar during a town hall meeting last January, Anadolu Agency reports. US Attorney Daniel N. Rosen announced that Anthony James Kazmierczak, 55, “pleaded guilty to one count of Assaulting a United States Officer in US District Court,” a statement by US Attorney’s Office, District of Minnesota said. On Jan 27, Kazmierczak sat in the front row at an official Minneapolis town hall meeting hosted by US Rep. Ilhan Omar, when he stood up, and approached Omar as she was speaking. “Kazmierczak sprayed Rep. Omar with apple cider vinegar from a syringe, which landed on Rep. Omar’s clothing and skin. Lab analysis

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  Palestine marathon kicks off after 2-year pause due to Gaza war

  by MI on May 8, 2026

  The 10th edition of the Palestine International Marathon kicked off Friday in the occupied West Bank city of Bethlehem, alongside a parallel race in the Gaza Strip, after a two-year hiatus due to Israel’s war on Gaza, Anadolu Agency reports. The full 42.195-kilometer marathon began at 6 am local time (0300GMT). Thousands of Palestinian and international runners gathered outside the Church of the Nativity in central Bethlehem, the starting point for the race. Marathon coordinator Itidal Abdul Ghani told Anadolu that this year’s edition calls for “the unity of the homeland.” A separate 5-kilometer marathon was also held in central Gaza from Wadi Gaza Bridge northward, she said. The organizers also held a virtual marathon in several countries between April 17

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  Epic nonsense: Trump shelves Project Freedom

  by MI on May 8, 2026

  The waxwork figures of the Pentagon recently glowed with excitement with the announcement that the US military would be finally called upon to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.  With the ceasefire between Teheran and Washington barely holding, President Donald Trump, as far as his attention span would allow, gingerly put Operation Epic Fury to the side in favour of a new mission.  The effort to protect and navigate stranded and blocked vessels with US armed might would be dubbed Project Freedom. As with everything in this cerebrally cloudy and foolish conflict, descriptions and names are untethered to a discernible reality. Was Project Freedom separate from the blockade of Iran?  Yes, said certain administration officials.  Was it an annex to Operation

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  Egyptian fighter jets stationed in UAE, WAM reports

  by MI on May 8, 2026

  The United Arab Emirates announced on Thursday that Egyptian fighter jets are, for the first time, stationed on its territory, during a visit by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi to Abu Dhabi, the Emirati state news agency WAM reported. The agency said President Sisi met UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan during the visit, and the two leaders discussed regional developments and their impact on regional and international security and stability.  The agency added that the two leaders carried out an inspection visit to “the Egyptian fighter jet detachment stationed in the country, to review readiness and efforts aimed at strengthening operational capabilities and preparedness for various challenges”. READ: Egypt’s president visits UAE to show support after Iranian attacks

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  Germany’s moral reckoning in Lebanon

  by MI on May 8, 2026

  Germany has long spoken of Israel not merely as a partner, but as a matter of Staatsräson — a reason of state, a moral obligation etched into the national conscience after the Holocaust. Angela Merkel declared in 2008 that Israel’s security was ‘never negotiable’. Annalena Baerbock echoed that sentiment after October 2023 with the stark phrase: ‘In these days we are all Israelis’. Yet history, when turned into doctrine without moral balance, can become not remembrance but blindness.  The question confronting Berlin today is no longer whether Germany should support Israel’s security. It is whether that support has become detached from the very universal principles Germany claims to defend. Nowhere is this contradiction more visible than in Lebanon and Gaza.

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  Committee to Protect Journalists calls on Washington to reopen probe into Shireen Abu Akleh killing

  by MI on May 8, 2026

  The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) on Thursday called on US authorities to reopen the investigation into the killing of Palestinian-American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, an Al Jazeera correspondent who was shot dead in the occupied West Bank in May 2022. In a letter addressed to the US Department of Justice — which oversees the Federal Bureau of Investigation — and FBI chief Kash Patel, the committee said the FBI had opened an investigation into the incident in November 2022, “but no demonstrable progress” has been made. The committee added that “This troubling lack of concrete progress — four years after Abu Akleh’s death — represents a profound failure of the US government to respond promptly and impartially to the

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  Iran’s Revolutionary Guard says it attacked US destroyers with missiles, drones

  by MI on May 8, 2026

  The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced late on Thursday that it had attacked several US destroyers in response to what it described as a ceasefire violation, using ballistic missiles, anti-ship cruise missiles and drones carrying warheads. In a statement, the IRGC navy command said the operation followed what it described as a US attack on an Iranian oil tanker near Jask port and the approach of US destroyers towards the Strait of Hormuz, which Tehran said amounted to a breach of the ceasefire. The statement said Iranian forces had launched “a very large and precise combined operation” using various anti-ship ballistic and cruise missiles, along with kamikaze drones carrying high-explosive warheads, targeting US destroyers in the area.  It added