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

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  Israel allocates over $40M to regain support among US conservatives: Report

  by Mehdi Editor on June 18, 2026

  Israel has allocated more than $40 million to influence right-wing audiences in the US amid declining support for the country and growing criticism over its role in the war against Iran, according to an Israeli media report published Thursday. Haaretz reported that Israel has significantly increased spending on public relations and influence campaigns aimed primarily at conservative Christian audiences in the US. According to the newspaper, the campaign began late last year but has recently shifted its focus to defending Israel’s war against Iran and countering criticism directed at Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government. The report said the Israeli government more than doubled the budget for the effort to over $40 million as support for Israel among parts of the

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  Libya’s rival leaders agree roadmap for presidential, parliamentary elections by February 2027

  by Mehdi Editor on June 18, 2026

  The heads of Libya’s three main political bodies agreed Thursday on a roadmap to hold simultaneous presidential and parliamentary elections before February 2027 and establish a high-level committee to oversee the process, Anadolu reports. The agreement was reached during a meeting between Speaker of the House of Representatives Aguila Saleh, Chairman of the High Council of State Mohammed Takala and Chiarman of the Presidential Council Mohamed al-Menfi, according to a joint statement. The three leaders said they adopted a principles document that would serve as a roadmap for ending Libya’s prolonged transitional phase. The roadmap includes completing the constitutional and legal framework required for presidential and parliamentary elections, unifying sovereign institutions and strengthening national sovereignty. The document also calls for

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  Israeli foreign minister severs ties with EU foreign policy chief

  by Mehdi Editor on June 18, 2026

  Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said Thursday he was severing all contact with European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, accusing her of comparing Israel to apartheid-era South Africa, Anadolu reports. In a post on US social media platform X, Saar accused Kallas of acting “obsessively and with blatant unfairness” toward Israel. “Recently, it was published that during her visit to Mexico, she compared Israel to the racist apartheid regime that existed in South Africa,” he wrote. “I have no choice but to sever all contact with Ms. Kallas until she retracts the blood libel she directed” at Israel, Saar said. “To date, no denial, clarification or response has been issued by her regarding this severe statement,” he added. Saar

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  NHS doctor challenges use of IHRA definition in High Court after suspension over political speech

  by Mehdi Editor on June 18, 2026

  Lawyers representing Dr Ranjeet Brar have filed a judicial review claim at the High Court against King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, challenging the use of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) working definition of anti-Semitism to suspend him in breach of his right to freedom of expression. Dr Brar, who is also director of Right to Protest Limited, was suspended by the Trust on 6 April 2026 following a speech he delivered at a memorial for 168 children killed in a US Tomahawk cruise missile strike on the Minab primary school in Iran. His legal team contends that the IHRA definition was deployed to justify the suspension. The claim is brought under Article 10 of the European Convention on

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  Gaza municipalities warn of humanitarian, health catastrophe as basic services near collapse

  by Mehdi Editor on June 18, 2026

  The Union of Gaza Strip Municipalities warned on Thursday of a looming humanitarian, health and environmental catastrophe as basic municipal services in Gaza near collapse, Anadolu reports. Water, sewage and waste-management services are deteriorating due to restrictions imposed by Israel on the entry of industrial oils, diesel, spare parts, tires, pumps and other equipment needed to operate and maintain vital facilities, the union said in a statement. It said shortages of industrial oils pose the most serious threat, as generators, water wells, sewage stations and municipal machinery depend on them directly, adding that their depletion could halt operations even if limited diesel supplies are available. Municipalities and water authorities operate dozens of wells and stations to provide more than 140,000

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  Israel’s censor silenced 5,700 reports in 2025

  by Mehdi Editor on June 18, 2026

  Israel’s military censor blocked or altered more than 5,700 news reports in 2025, an average of 15 items per day, making it the second-highest year for media censorship in Israel since records began 15 years ago, according to new data published by +972 Magazine. The figures, obtained through a freedom of information request submitted by +972 and the Movement for Freedom of Information, show that the censor demanded redactions in 4,974 news items in 2025, while completely barring 753 further items from publication. Both totals remain far above the previous annual average of around 2,300 redactions and 320 full bans recorded between 2011 and 2023. The year 2024, the height of Israel’s genocide on Gaza, still holds the record for

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  Pakistani premier signs Islamabad MoU as mediator between US, Iran

  by Mehdi Editor on June 18, 2026

  Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday signed the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding (Islamabad MoU) agreed to by the US and Iran to end the war, Anadolu Agency reports. Pakistan is the main mediator between the US and Iran after it secured a ceasefire on April 08 and hosted the highest level of talks between the two nations on April 12 and 13 since they severed diplomatic ties in 1979. According to a statement from the Pakistan prime minister’s office, Sharif signed the Islamabad MoU as “mediator.” Sharif’s signing followed electronic signatures by US President Donald Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian during the intervening night of Wednesday and Thursday. READ: US-Iran memorandum of understanding formally finalized after presidents sign text

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  Israeli army urges government to preserve freedom to strike across Lebanon

  by Mehdi Editor on June 18, 2026

  The Israeli army has urged the government to preserve its freedom to conduct operations throughout Lebanon, maintain a buffer zone and pursue the disarmament of Hezbollah, an Israeli newspaper reported Thursday. According to the Israeli daily Yedioth Ahronoth, the army delivered what it described as an important message to Israel’s political leadership regarding future military activity in Lebanon. The move came just hours after the US and Iranian presidents signed a memorandum of understanding to end the war on all fronts, including Lebanon. READ: Trump turns on Israel over Lebanon war, says Syria could fight Hezbollah better The report claimed that the recent decline in Israeli strikes deep inside Lebanon is not the result of a policy change but rather the

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  The U.S.-Iran deal: What has changed and what does this mean for the region?

  by Mehdi Editor on June 18, 2026

  War is a perilous political act aimed at shifting the balance of power. What balance did the United States seek to impose when it launched its war against Iran, and what did it achieve? And what does this mean for Palestine and the region? What were the objectives of the aggression? The U.S. administration did not wage the war because of Trump’s unique personality; politicians do have a margin of freedom, but it is limited by the political agenda they have agreed to pursue in the interest of the organized social groups that support them. Nor was it to divert attention from the Epstein case, especially given the limited influence of public opinion in the reality of the capitalist United

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  The occupation targeted a vehicle in central Gaza City, resulting in several fatalities and injuries

  by Mehdi Editor on June 18, 2026

  WATCH: Funeral procession for a number of martyrs who were killed in Israeli attacks during the past few hours

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  Trump open to Iran keeping nuclear enrichment rights as new deal takes shape

  by Mehdi Editor on June 18, 2026

  US president Donald Trump has signalled that he is open to Iran retaining the right to enrich uranium for civilian purposes, in remarks that represent a major shift in Washington’s position as a ceasefire deal with Tehran takes shape. Speaking at the G7 summit in Cannes, France, yesterday, Trump suggested that denying Iran the right to enrich uranium was difficult to justify when neighbouring states possessed the same capability. “It’s a little hard when other people have it, other adjoining states have it and you’re not letting them have it for purposes of electricity and things like that,” Trump told reporters. “You have to use a little common sense.” The comments come as the Trump administration and Tehran work to

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  50 Palestinian Bedouin, herding communities displaced since late 2023, rights body says

  by Mehdi Editor on June 18, 2026

  The Independent Commission for Human Rights (ICHR) said Israel’s settlement expansion and military restrictions have led to the displacement of 50 Palestinian Bedouin and herding communities since late 2023. According to the official Palestinian news agency WAFA, the findings were contained in a special survey on Bedouin and herding communities in the occupied West Bank conducted by the ICHR in cooperation with the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics. The survey found that around 300 violations targeting individuals and institutions in these communities were recorded in April 2025 alone. The results were presented on Wednesday during a conference attended by representatives of government institutions, relevant ministries, international and UN organisations, and civil society groups, WAFA reported. READ: Israel tops UN list of

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  Project Freedom and the end of the Arabs’ automatic “yes” to Washington

  by Mehdi Editor on June 18, 2026

  When Donald Trump spoke of “Project Freedom” to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, the plan was supposed to be a display of restored American deterrence: an operation meant to prove that Washington could still open the world’s energy artery with its military fleet and its network of regional bases. Yet the rapid suspension of the project, after Saudi Arabia’s initial opposition to the use of its bases and airspace, carried a deeper meaning. This was not merely an operational disagreement. “Project Freedom” showed that the Persian Gulf security order has entered a new phase: Arab states have not turned their backs on America, but they are no longer willing, without calculation, to serve as the launchpad for Washington’s war with

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  Israel tops UN list of grave violations against children in 2025

  by Mehdi Editor on June 18, 2026

  Israel was responsible for the highest number of verified grave violations against children in the occupied Palestinian territories in 2025, according to a new UN report, which recorded a sharp rise in abuses against children in conflict zones worldwide. The report, titled Children and Armed Conflict 2025 and prepared by UN Secretary-General António Guterres, found that grave violations against children increased by 34 per cent compared with the previous year. According to the 47-page report, parties to armed conflicts committed a record number of grave violations against children in 2025, marking “the highest number of children affected since the establishment of the Children and Armed Conflict mandate”. The UN documented 38,558 grave violations against children worldwide during 2025. These violations

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  US-Iran memorandum of understanding formally finalized after presidents sign text

  by Mehdi Editor on June 18, 2026

  Iran said early Thursday that a 14-point memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the United States aimed at ending the war had been formally finalized after the presidents of both countries signed the text of the agreement, Anadolu reports. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei said the “Islamabad memorandum” had become fully official after being signed by both Tehran and Washington, according to remarks carried by Iran’s semi-official Mehr News Agency. Baghaei said the agreement was signed digitally and confirmed that negotiations under the memorandum would focus exclusively on nuclear issues and sanctions relief. He said the two sides would hold talks for up to 60 days, with the possibility of extending negotiations if necessary due to the complexity of the

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  Iran to charge ships for services in Strait of Hormuz, parliament speaker says

  by Mehdi Editor on June 18, 2026

  Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said Iran has sovereign rights over the Strait of Hormuz as a coastal state overlooking the strategic waterway. Ghalibaf said the Strait of Hormuz “will not return to what it was before”, but stressed that Iran does not intend to act in violation of international law. He added that Iran has sovereign rights in the strait and that it is natural for the country to charge fees for services provided to vessels passing through it, clarifying that these are service fees rather than tolls. Ghalibaf also said that Article 13 of the memorandum of understanding stipulates that commitments will be implemented on a “step-for-step” basis. READ: Trump says US will have to give Iran’s money

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  Palestinian female prisoner Lama Khater details alleged abuse in Israeli prisons

  by Mehdi Editor on June 18, 2026

  Palestinian prisoner and political activist Lama Khater has described what she said were harsh conditions during her detention in Israeli custody, alleging systematic abuse inside interrogation centres and prisons. According to a statement relayed by her lawyer following a recent visit, Khater said Palestinian female prisoners face ongoing violations, including beatings, humiliation, strip searches and solitary confinement. Khater was arrested after Israeli forces raided her home in Hebron in the early hours of 23 March 2026. She was then transferred to the Al-Moskobiya interrogation centre in occupied Jerusalem. READ: Israeli Security Minister Ben-Gvir appoints relatives of slain Israelis as prison inspectors: Reports She described Al-Moskobiya prison as “hell,” stating that guards subjected her to a full strip search upon arrival followed

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  Hezbollah chief: Resistance thwarted ‘Greater Israel’ project, disarmament will not pass

  by Mehdi Editor on June 18, 2026

  Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem said on Wednesday that the resistance had succeeded in “thwarting the Greater Israel project” and protecting what he described as Lebanon’s existence from plans of “extermination and displacement”. In a recorded speech, Qassem said that the basis of any negotiations with Israel should be “mutual security”, reiterating the group’s firm rejection of any proposal to disarm Hezbollah. He described such proposals as an “Israeli prescription” that would not be accepted. He called on the Lebanese authorities and political forces to engage in internal dialogue to organise national affairs away from external dictates or any direct negotiations, stressing Hezbollah’s readiness to cooperate on efforts to protect Lebanon’s sovereignty. READ: Israel cannot stop home demolitions in southern Lebanon: Ben-Gvir

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  US envoy says ‘without Israel, there would be no America’

  by Mehdi Editor on June 18, 2026

  US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee said that “without Israel, the United States would not exist”, during his participation in a settlement conference held on Tuesday evening at Herodium National Park, about 6 kilometres southeast of Bethlehem in the occupied West Bank. According to Maariv, the event was titled the “International Conference on Israeli Heritage and Archaeology in Judea and Samaria” — the biblical term used by Israel for the West Bank. In his speech, Huckabee said: “My role is not only to represent the United States in Israel, but also to convey Israel’s importance to the United States.” READ: ‘Without me there is no Israel’ says Trump warning Tel-Aviv to stop flattening homes Addressing Israeli Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu, in

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  Maximum pressure: How Trump spent five years proving Obama was right about Iran

  by Mehdi Editor on June 18, 2026

  Tomorrow, Friday June 19, will mark yet another historic day in the international community’s decades-long preoccupation with Iran’s nuclear program—an assumed ghoul that, despite endless Western hyperbole, never actually materialized into a weapon. With the signing of a memorandum of understanding in Geneva between Washington and Tehran, the true history being made tomorrow is not the substance of the agreement itself, but the spectacular, ironic collapse of Washington’s “Maximum Pressure” strategy—or rather Trump’s endless boasting about American power and his tactical use of force, besides calling himself the God of all deals! It has taken Donald Trump five long years—counting his first term, a prolific barrage of senseless social media threats, and rhetoric warning that “whole civilisation will die tonight”—to

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  Trump says US will have to give Iran’s money back

  by Mehdi Editor on June 17, 2026

  President Donald Trump said Wednesday that the US has taken “a lot of” Iranian money and will have to give it back, Anadolu reports. “We have taken a lot of their money, and we have their money,” Trump said at a news conference in France as the G7 summit ended. “It’s not our money, it’s their money, and we froze it at a certain point in time. I guess we’re going to have to give it back, you know, if we didn’t give it back, nobody would ever invest in the dollar again,” he added. A memorandum of understanding (MOU) was signed between the US and Iran electronically on Sunday, which includes an end to the military operations on all

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  When the Iran War is over: Why the West Bank may be Netanyahu’s next front

  by Mehdi Editor on June 17, 2026

  Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is facing perhaps the most precarious moment of his political career. He knows it. His allies know it. And his rivals—both within his coalition and across Israel’s political spectrum—are preparing to capitalize on his growing weakness. Former Israeli Justice Minister Haim Ramon, who also served as deputy prime minister between 2007 and 2009, is among the latest Israeli political figures to join a growing chorus of criticism directed at Netanyahu. “In the final result,” Ramon said in an interview with Radio Galey, cited by the Israeli outlet Srugim, “we did not win.” He then broke down that failure in blunt terms: “We did not win in Lebanon, we did not win in Iran, and we

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  Is Israel Losing Its American Shield? | Palestine This Week with Mouin Rabbani

  by Mehdi Editor on June 17, 2026

  In this episode, we examine whether Gaza features in the Iran ceasefire calculation, the crisis facing Israel’s security doctrine and its fear of US abandonment. We also discuss whether the Iran deal signals a deeper rupture in US-Israel relations, Al Jazeera’s shocking investigation into Israel’s abuse of Palestinian detainees and Israel’s strangling of the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank. Get your copy of ‘Gaza Apocalypse’ by Mouin Rabbani: https://orbooks.com/catalog/gaza-apocalypse/ Watch the Al Jazeera documentary ‘Bodies of Evidence’ : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e3pApprHfrY    WATCH: 100 Days In: Palestine, Iran, and the War Remaking the Middle East | Palestine This Week with Mouin Rabbani

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  Israel cannot stop home demolitions in southern Lebanon: Ben-Gvir

  by Mehdi Editor on June 17, 2026

  Israel cannot stop home demolitions in southern Lebanon, Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said Wednesday, following statements by US Vice President JD Vance that a draft agreement with Iran includes Lebanon, Anadolu reports. “Israel cannot stop the demolition of houses in southern Lebanon. We simply cannot stop, that’s all,” Ben-Gvir said in comments carried by the Knesset’s channel. “We cannot allow the residents of southern Lebanon to return. We must continue to control the territory even if we disagree with (US President Donald) Trump, we are an independent state,” he added. In statements early Wednesday, Vance described the agreement with Iran as “regional peace,” saying it “will include the Gulf states, Israel, and it will include Lebanon.” “The basic

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  Italy to reopen embassy in Tehran on Friday

  by Mehdi Editor on June 17, 2026

  Italy will reopen its embassy in Tehran on Friday, Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said Wednesday, according to the ANSA news agency. “Our embassy in Tehran will reopen on Friday,” Tajani said during Question Time in parliament. The announcement comes after Italy temporarily closed its diplomatic mission in the Iranian capital earlier this year amid regional tensions. Tajani said the Italian ambassador, along with diplomats and staff from the Foreign Ministry, would return to Tehran as part of the reopening process. READ: Italy’s premier backs sanctions on Israeli settlers, Ben Gvir ahead of EU Council He described recent understandings between the US and Iran as an “encouraging development” and said there was a “glimmer of peace” in the Middle East that should

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  Trump turns on Israel over Lebanon war, says Syria could fight Hezbollah better

  by Mehdi Editor on June 17, 2026

  “Syria can do the job” of fighting Hezbollah better than Israel, Donald Trump has said, in a remarkable rebuke of Tel Aviv’s war in Lebanon and its mounting civilian toll. Speaking ahead of a bilateral meeting with Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani at the G7 summit in Evian, Trump said he was “not happy” with Israel’s handling of Lebanon and warned that its offensive was undermining Washington’s efforts to secure a wider regional deal with Iran. “I’m not happy with the way Israel has handled themselves with Lebanon and with Hezbollah,” Trump said. “It just goes on forever, and when that happens, it throws a negative light on the big deal, and that’s the deal with Iran.”

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  The war that failed to define Iran

  by Mehdi Editor on June 17, 2026

  Iran did not win the war. But it denied Washington and Tel Aviv the victory they needed most: the power to decide what the war had made of Iran. The recent US-Iran memorandum of understanding is important for that reason. It is designed to end the near four-month war, reopen the Strait of Hormuz gradually and move the hardest questions into follow-on negotiations. That is not the result of a state untouched by punishment. It is the result of a state damaged enough to need relief, but still coherent enough to bargain over the terms of its survival. This distinction matters. The campaign hurt Iran. Its infrastructure, economy, military networks and civilian population absorbed severe pressure. But damage answers only

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  US: Clinton says Netanyahu is ‘obsessed’ with Iran, Saudi normalisation

  by Mehdi Editor on June 17, 2026

  Former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Wednesday that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was “persistent” and “obsessed” with striking Iran and normalising relations with Saudi Arabia during her tenure, Anadolu reports. Speaking in an interview with New Yorker Editor David Remnick at an event in New York City, Clinton discussed Netanyahu’s approach while she served as secretary of state. Clinton said Netanyahu was relentlessly insistent on attacking Iran. “He would say, ‘You have to support us in attacking Iran.’ This was during the period from 2009 to 2012,” Clinton said. READ: Trump says Israel’s Netanyahu must be ‘more responsible’ on Lebanon She said the issue of attacking Iran was a recurring topic and recalled a lengthy phone conversation with

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  Israel approves Jewish religious school construction in occupied West Bank’s Hebron

  by Mehdi Editor on June 17, 2026

  Israeli authorities on Wednesday approved the construction of a Jewish religious school in the city of Hebron in the southern occupied West Bank, in an unprecedented move, Anadolu reports. The decision marks the first implementation of Israel’s announcement on Tuesday that it was stripping the Palestinian Hebron municipality of its authority over building and planning, in violation of the Hebron Agreement. The Higher Planning Committee in the Civil Administration approved plans to build 576 new housing units in Judea and Samaria, as part of the government’s policy to expand settlements, Israel’s private Channel 7 reported. Judea and Samaria is the biblical term Israel uses for the West Bank. As part of the decision, approval was also granted for the first time

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  Pope Leo stresses need for US-Iran deal to enhance security, stability across Middle East

  by Mehdi Editor on June 17, 2026

  Pope Leo XIV on Wednesday stressed the need for the recently announced agreement between the US and Iran to enforce security and stability across the Middle East, Anadolu reports. “I hope that this agreement will contribute to strengthening mutual trust, security, and stability in the Middle East, and promote paths of dialogue and cooperation among the peoples,” the pontiff said through US social media platform X. He also welcomed, “with satisfaction,” the agreement as an “encouraging outcome of patient work in dialogue and negotiation.” “I express my gratitude to the countries that have strived to foster the encounter between the parties and make such an understanding possible,” the pope added. Washington and Tehran reached a temporary truce this April through Pakistani

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  Israeli Security Minister Ben-Gvir appoints relatives of slain Israelis as prison inspectors: Reports

  by Mehdi Editor on June 17, 2026

  Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has decided to appoint relatives of slain Israelis as official prison inspectors in a move aimed at tightening detention conditions for Palestinian detainees, Israeli media reported Wednesday. “The minister’s goal is to worsen the conditions of security prisoners,” people close to Ben-Gvir said, according to Israel’s Channel 12. Israel uses the term “security prisoners” to refer to Palestinian detainees. According to the broadcaster, Ben-Gvir decided to appoint the family members as official visitors and inspectors of Palestinian prisoners instead of qualified professionals. “Minister Ben-Gvir reduced the number of inspectors to fewer than 20, and instead appointed bereaved families,” the channel said. The inspectors are responsible for overseeing prisoners and monitoring their detention conditions and

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  Iran won, power no longer looks the same

  by Mehdi Editor on June 17, 2026

  The most dangerous mistake in international affairs is to confuse military destruction with strategic success. That mistake now risks obscuring one of the most consequential geopolitical shifts in the modern Middle East. For decades, the United States and its allies defined victory through familiar metrics: air superiority, precision strikes, technological dominance, sanctions pressure, and the ability to shape the diplomatic endgame. Yet the outcome of the 2025–26 Iran conflict suggests a different reality. Despite absorbing devastating attacks, suffering immense economic damage, and confronting the combined weight of American and Israeli military power, Iran emerged with something far more valuable than an unscarred battlefield: it emerged with leverage. And in contemporary geopolitics, leverage is power. If the reported contours of the

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  When peace becomes a media battlefield

  by Mehdi Editor on June 17, 2026

  When a war begins to give way to diplomacy, the battle rarely ends at the negotiating table. It continues in headlines, guest segments and the emotional frame through which audiences are told to interpret a possible end to violence. Reuters has reported that the United States and Iran have agreed on a framework to end their war, halt Washington’s blockade and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, while The Associated Press has reported that mediators were working to finalise agreed language. The details remain uncertain and the hardest questions, including sanctions and Iran’s nuclear programme, may be pushed into another phase. Yet even a fragile opening can threaten the political usefulness of panic. That is why the media war matters. Iran

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  ‘Without me there is no Israel’ says Trump warning Tel-Aviv to stop flattening homes

  by Mehdi Editor on June 17, 2026

  US President Donald Trump has delivered a rare public rebuke of Israel’s military conduct in Lebanon, warning that Israel is killing too many civilians in its war with Hezbollah and does not need to destroy entire apartment buildings in pursuit of individual targets. Speaking to reporters at the G7 summit in France, Trump said: “Israel’s fighting Hezbollah too long, and too many people are being killed. And you don’t have to knock down an apartment house every time you’re looking for somebody. Because there are a lot of people in those apartment houses, and they’re not all Hezbollah, that I can tell you.” Trump said Israel doesn’t need to knock down an apartment building every time it’s looking for someone

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  UAE plans to cut Strait of Hormuz dependency to ‘zero’: Report

  by Mehdi Editor on June 17, 2026

  The United Arab Emirates is working on a major plan to eliminate its dependence on the Strait of Hormuz after the recent closure of the critical waterway exposed the vulnerability of Gulf trade and energy flows, Anadolu Agency reports. UAE Minister of Foreign Trade Thani Al Zeyoudi said the country is moving toward “zero Hormuz dependency,” according to a Bloomberg report. The plan comes as global markets await the full reopening of the strait following an interim peace deal between Iran and the US. The Strait of Hormuz, through which around a fifth of global crude oil and liquefied natural gas shipments passed before the war, has been disrupted since US and Israeli strikes on Iran began in late February.

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  Israeli occupiers set fire to 2 mosques, army demolishes Palestinian home in occupied West Bank

  by Mehdi Editor on June 17, 2026

  Israeli occupiers on Wednesday set fire to parts of two mosques in the villages of Jiljilya and Mazra’a al-Nubani, north of the central occupied West Bank city of Ramallah, and sprayed Hebrew slogans on their walls, while Israeli forces demolished an inhabited Palestinian home east of Yatta, Anadolu Agency reports. A group of occupiers stormed Jiljilya at dawn and set fire to the village mosque, burning the women’s prayer hall and damaging the mosque’s exterior walls, local sources told Anadolu Agency. The village has recently witnessed an escalation in occupier attacks, the sources said. Last month, occupiers attacked the village and stole a flock of sheep. In a separate incident, occupiers attacked Mazra’a al-Nubani and set fire to a mosque

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  Trump says Iran pact ‘not final,’ warns of renewed strikes

  by Mehdi Editor on June 17, 2026

  US President Donald Trump said Wednesday that the deal announced with Iran this week is a “memorandum of understanding” and remains subject to change, Anadolu reports. “If I don’t like it, we’ll go back to shooting at them,” Trump told reporters during a meeting with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. He warned that if Iran’s leaders “don’t behave,” the US will resume “dropping bombs” on their territory. Washington and Tehran reached a temporary truce this April through Pakistani mediation before announcing a framework agreement this Monday to end the conflict. The accord is expected to be formally signed in Switzerland on Friday. Nuclear goals, funding denied Trump said the core objective of the deal is preventing Tehran from obtaining nuclear

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  HRW: Israel escalating home demolitions, evictions in East Jerusalem

  by Mehdi Editor on June 17, 2026

  Israeli authorities are accelerating home demolitions and forced evictions of Palestinian residents in the Silwan district of occupied East Jerusalem, Human Rights Watch said today. The organisation said the forcible deportation or transfer of the population of an occupied territory within or outside the territory, unless justified on a temporary basis for the protection of the population itself or imperative military reasons, is a violation of international humanitarian law and amounts to a war crime.  Silwan lies south of Jerusalem’s Old City. Among its 12 neighbourhoods, al-Bustan and Batn al-Hawa have for decades been the primary focus of eviction and demolition campaigns led by Israeli authorities and settler organisations such as Ateret Cohanim. These campaigns intensified under cover of the hostilities in Gaza and, this year,

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  Iran’s Khatam al-Anbiya warns Israel of ‘harsh response’ over southern Lebanon violations

  by Mehdi Editor on June 17, 2026

  The Iranian Khatam al-Anbiya Headquarters said on Tuesday that Israel has violated the ceasefire in southern Lebanon 84 times over the past two days, warning that continued actions would trigger a “harsh” response. The headquarters said in a statement that the Israeli army had “violated the ceasefire in southern Lebanon 84 times over the past two days”. The statement further alleged that Israeli forces persisted in their attacks and killings in Lebanon even after US President Donald Trump announced the end of the war. It warned that if Israel continues its actions in southern Lebanon, it should expect a “harsh response” from Iranian armed forces. On the ground, Israeli forces continued strikes and demolitions in southern Lebanon, which Khatam al-Anbiya

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  The art of the recycled deal: Trump and the outcome Israel cannot tolerate

  by Mehdi Editor on June 17, 2026

  There are many lessons to be learned from the lates made-for-Israel war on Iran. The first and most damning is that the war resolved the very crisis it created. Donald Trump celebrated the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and the lifting of the blockade against Iran. Two conditions that were fully in place before Benjamin Netanyahu dog walked Trump into this war. The agreement that concluded the war took us back to exactly where we stood before America spent $200 billion, and where Americans continue to pay Israeli surcharge tax at the pump and grocery stores.  As for Iran’s nuclear program, the arithmetic does not lie. The 400 kilograms of 60-percent enriched uranium that Iran possessed were zero before

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  Al-Aqsa preacher says opening of embassies in Jerusalem will not change its Palestinian status

  by Mehdi Editor on June 17, 2026

  The head of the Higher Islamic Council in Jerusalem and preacher of Aqsa Mosque, Sheikh Ekrima Sabri, said on Tuesday that Jerusalem “was, is and will remain Palestinian,” stressing that opening embassies in the city would not change its status.  His remarks came in a statement following the opening of an embassy for the self-declared Somaliland region in occupied Jerusalem on Monday, attended by Somaliland leader Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi and Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar. Sabri said that any political or diplomatic steps related to the holy city would not grant legitimacy to the Israeli occupation or alter its historical and national identity. READ: President of Somaliland breakaway region makes 1st visit to Israel, to open embassy in Jerusalem He added

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  Trump considers dismissing senior officials opposed to Iran deal, including defence secretary, CIA chief

  by Mehdi Editor on June 17, 2026

  US President Donald Trump is considering dismissing several senior officials in his administration because of their opposition to a developing agreement with Iran, according to Hebrew media reports on Tuesday. The Hebrew daily Israel Hayom, citing senior US sources, reported that Trump is reviewing the possible removal of a number of high-ranking figures from the White House and US security and military institutions. The sources said the main reason behind the move is the officials’ opposition to the emerging agreement with Iran. According to the report, those whose positions could be at risk include US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth and CIA Director John Ratcliffe. READ: US rejects Israeli request to review Iran agreement memorandum, Hebrew media report

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  Israel strips Hebron Municipality of planning and construction powers

  by Mehdi Editor on June 17, 2026

  Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich announced that Israel has cancelled the Hebron agreements in the southern occupied West Bank and transferred their powers to Israeli authorities. Speaking during the announcement of a new settlement in Hebron on Tuesday, Smotrich, a far-right minister, said what he described as a “historic” step had been completed, under which all planning and construction powers granted to the Hebron Municipality under the Hebron Agreement had been withdrawn. According to Smotrich, planning and construction authorities, as well as responsibility for the Ibrahimi Mosque, are no longer under the control of the Hebron Municipality and have been returned to full Israeli responsibility. READ: Ben-Gvir raids Hebron neighborhood following Israeli curfew in occupied West Bank

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  Podcast by Jasim Al-Azzawi with Ronnie Chatah: Will The Big Boys Squeeze Lebanon?

  by Mehdi Editor on June 17, 2026

  WATCH: Podcast by Jasim Al-Azzawi with Phyllis Bennis: The Deal Will be Signed, But at Whose Expense?

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  Israeli media: UAE security delegation visited Israel secretly during Iran war

  by Mehdi Editor on June 17, 2026

  A senior UAE security delegation secretly visited Israel during the war on Iran as part of ongoing security and military coordination between the two sides, according to Israeli media reports. Israeli public broadcaster Kan 11 reported on Tuesday evening that the delegation held undisclosed meetings with Israeli security and military officials to discuss coordination and developments related to the conflict. According to the report, the visit took place in the early days of the war launched by Israel and the United States against Iran on 28 February, revealing that senior Emirati officials travelled to Israel while the conflict was ongoing. READ: Israeli premier made secret trip to UAE to meet President bin Zayed Kan 11 said the delegation met senior figures

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  US rejects Israeli request to review Iran agreement memorandum, Hebrew media report

  by Mehdi Editor on June 17, 2026

  The United States has rejected a formal request from the Israeli government to review the memorandum of understanding being developed between Washington and Tehran, according to Hebrew media reports. Israel’s Channel 12 reported that Israel had submitted an official request to the United States to examine the memorandum of understandings taking shape between Washington and Iran, but the request was refused by the US side. The broadcaster said the move indicates that Israel still does not know the full details of the agreement, which is expected to be signed in Switzerland on Friday. Earlier, US President Donald Trump said he would hold a press conference on the agreement with Iran, stating that he would “read the document word for word”.

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  Call for Hamas de-proscription

  by Mehdi Editor on June 17, 2026

  In the years of Pro-Palestine demonstrations I’ve attended since 7th October 2023, there is rarely a mention of the group at the core of the whole issue: Hamas. For people are fearful to talk about them. But whilst calling for support for Hamas may be illegal, seeking its de-proscription is not. The UK Government’s 2000 Terrorism act permits requesting the de-proscription of any “terrorist” group. You can’t be penalised for calling for de-proscription. Citizens have the right to appeal against proscription if you give a reason as to why its proscription affects you. Following the events of 7th October 2023, I did exactly that and launched a petition to the Home Secretary. Initially I tried to get the petition before

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  Iraq’s bid to rein in Iran-linked militias becomes key test of US ties

  by Mehdi Editor on June 16, 2026

  The Iran war thrust Iraq’s powerful Iran-linked militias back into the spotlight, Anadolu reports. Throughout the conflict, armed groups operating from Iraq claimed attacks against US interests, carrying out drone and missile strikes linked to the wider confrontation, underscoring how quickly Iraq can be drawn into regional conflicts despite government efforts to stay on the sidelines. The violence also highlighted one of the biggest challenges facing Iraq’s new Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi, who has made bringing weapons under state control a central priority of his administration. Ibrahim al-Marashi, an associate professor of modern Iraqi history at California State University, San Marcos, said Iraq’s leadership faces an increasingly delicate balancing act. “Zaidi will have to balance between a chastened US failing

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  Israeli analysts call Netanyahu ‘liar,’ ‘humiliated’ by Trump after US-Iran deal

  by Mehdi Editor on June 16, 2026

  Israeli analysts sharply criticized Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday, describing him as a “failure” and a “liar,” while noting that US President Donald Trump “humiliated” him by excluding him from an agreement with Iran to end their military conflict, Anadolu reports. On Monday evening, Netanyahu acknowledged that he was unaware of the details of the memorandum of understanding reached between Washington and Tehran to end the war launched by the US and Israel against Iran on Feb. 28. Netanyahu claimed he had saved Israelis from “nuclear annihilation” by launching the war against Iran and acknowledged differences of opinion with Trump, saying such disagreements “exist in the best of families.” While Trump said Monday that the US and Iran had

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  Iran, Oman reaffirm commitment to ‘safe, free’ navigation through Hormuz after US deal

  by Mehdi Editor on June 16, 2026

  Iran and Oman reaffirmed their commitment on Tuesday to ensuring safe and free maritime navigation through the Strait of Hormuz following a memorandum of understanding between Tehran and Washington, Anadolu reports. During a phone call, Omani Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi and his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi reviewed bilateral ties and underscored their shared commitment to strengthening cooperation across various fields based on principles of good neighborliness and longstanding historical and cultural links, according to Oman’s state news agency ONA. In light of the recent US-Iran understanding, the two ministers renewed their commitment to international law regarding “the safe and free passage of maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz,” the agency said. They also expressed hope that all parties would