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

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  China urges Israel to halt ‘forced establishment’ of settlement expansion in occupied West Bank

  by EditorMehdi on October 16, 2026

  Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Thursday urged Israel to halt “forced establishment” of settlements in the occupied West Bank and called for the full reopening of access to the Gaza Strip, Anadolu reports. Beijing maintains that the Palestinian question is the “biggest historical injustice of this century” and that the two-state solution is the correct path to resolving it, Wang told Israeli President Isaac Herzog during a meeting in Baku, Azerbaijan, on the sidelines of the seventh CICA summit. He described the current regional situation as tense and added that peace and tranquility remained far from being achieved. The Chinese foreign minister said the urgent priority was to fully reopen access to Gaza to prevent its two million residents

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  Israeli rabbi permits occupiers to steal Palestinian olive harvest in West Bank

  by EditorMehdi on October 16, 2026

  A prominent Israeli rabbi on Friday issued a religious ruling permitting Israeli occupiers to take olives from Palestinian land in the occupied West Bank, claiming that harvesting the crop “demonstrates Jewish ownership of the land,” Anadolu reports. The ruling was issued by Rabbi Dov Lior, one of the most prominent religious authorities among Israeli occupiers in the West Bank, and was published by Israeli Channel 13. It comes amid escalating occupier violence against Palestinians and their property, particularly farmers during the olive harvest season. Lior claimed that Palestinians do not own their land, arguing that they had not purchased it from the “people of Israel” or from any Jewish person and describing the land as “stolen property.” Citing Jewish religious law,

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  Netanyahu, opposition blocs tied as 55% back unity government if election inconclusive: Poll

  by EditorMehdi on October 16, 2026

  An Israeli opinion poll published on Friday showed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s bloc and the opposition tied, with neither reaching the majority needed to form a government, while 55% of respondents favored a unity government if the upcoming election produces no decisive result, Anadolu reports. The Maariv poll, published 11 days before the Oct. 27 general election, showed that if voting were held today, both Netanyahu’s bloc and the Jewish opposition would win 51 seats each in the 120-member Knesset. Arab lawmakers, meanwhile, were projected to win 14 seats, while the Reservists Party would secure four, without indicating which bloc it would support. A government requires the backing of at least 61 lawmakers. Otherwise, Israel could face another election. Both

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  Iran’s navy reports oil tanker fire in Gulf of Oman

  by EditorMehdi on October 16, 2026

  Iran’s navy said Friday that an oil tanker caught fire in the Gulf of Oman while attempting to cross a restricted area east of the Strait of Hormuz with its tracking systems switched off, according to a statement carried by state broadcaster IRIB, Anadolu reports. The navy’s public relations office said monitoring teams detected the burning tanker during surveillance operations in the eastern part of the strategic waterway. The vessel had disabled its tracking systems and was attempting to navigate a “prohibited area” in the Gulf of Oman, the statement said. The navy warned that unauthorized movements through restricted maritime routes and areas pose security risks to other vessels. The statement did not identify the tanker, its flag or operator,

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  Starvation killed 466 Palestinians since 2024, says Gaza Health Ministry

  by EditorMehdi on October 16, 2026

  At least 466 Palestinians, including 157 children, have died from malnutrition and starvation since 2024, Gaza’s Health Ministry said Friday, Anadolu reports. The figures were released on World Food Day, observed annually on Oct. 16. At least 189 elderly people died of starvation, representing 40.5% of the deaths, it said. In August 2025, the UN declared famine in Gaza. More than 1.4 million people are expected to face crisis-level food insecurity or worse through the end of 2026, the ministry added. Starvation as a weapon Israeli authorities have used starvation as a weapon during the genocide in Gaza since October 2023, according to Palestinian government bodies and rights organizations. Israel tightened restrictions on crossings in March 2025, preventing thousands of

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  Trump administration reopened citizenship probe into Rep. Ilhan Omar: Report

  by EditorMehdi on October 16, 2026

  The Trump administration has reopened an investigation into US Rep. Ilhan Omar’s citizenship, seven years after federal officials examined similar allegations and found insufficient evidence of wrongdoing, The Washington Post reported Thursday. Federal agents searched the Minnesota Democrat’s Washington, DC, home on Monday as part of a renewed inquiry into whether Omar or her late father provided false information on immigration paperwork, according to the report. The current investigation focuses on documents submitted after Omar and her family arrived in the US as Somali refugees decades ago, including paperwork used to obtain legal status and eventual citizenship. Omar and her family were granted asylum when they came to the US in 1995, when she was 12 years old, and she

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  Turkiye urges international community to act against Israel’s violations of international law

  by EditorMehdi on October 16, 2026

  The international community cannot remain silent in the face of persistent Israeli violations of international law, Turkish Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmus said on Friday, Anadolu reports. Addressing a meeting of the European Conference of Presidents of Parliament in Rome, Kurtulmus said: “We cannot let impunity go unpunished. “ Kurtulmus called upon the international community to take concrete steps to uphold international law. The erosion of the rules-based international order is starkly reflected in the years-long humanitarian catastrophe and genocide in Gaza, he said. “We can no longer turn a blind eye to the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza and the wider region and the blatant human rights violations and crimes against humanity perpetrated by the Israeli government against the people of

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  19 countries condemn Colombia’s opening of embassy in Jerusalem

  by EditorMehdi on October 16, 2026

  The foreign ministers of Turkiye and 18 other countries on Friday strongly condemned Colombia’s inauguration of its embassy in Jerusalem, Anadolu reports. In a joint statement released by Turkiye’s Foreign Ministry, the ministers expressed their “unequivocal rejection” of the decision. They said the move violates relevant UN Security Council resolutions and undermines international efforts to achieve a just and lasting peace based on a two-state solution. The statement was issued by the foreign ministers of Turkiye, Algeria, Djibouti, Egypt, Indonesia, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Malaysia, Oman, Pakistan, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen. The ministers reaffirmed that any measure or decision intended to alter the legal or historical status of occupied Jerusalem, or to recognize the city

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  Ousted US general warned before Iran war of missile defense shortages lasting until 2030: Report

  by EditorMehdi on October 16, 2026

  Ousted US Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George warned months before the US-Israeli war against Iran that American missile defense stockpiles were critically low and could take until 2030 to recover, CBS News reported Thursday. George raised the warning in late December, two months before the conflict began, according to US officials familiar with his assessment. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth removed him from his post in April as the war was underway. The general’s assessment, included in the Pentagon’s fiscal 2027 force allocation planning, identified shortages of Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) interceptors and Patriot missiles, with supplies expected to remain at strategically low levels until 2030. The officials reportedly attributed the shortfall to weapons transfers to Ukraine,

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  Why Ethiopia and Eritrea’s march to war demands global attention

  by Marwa A on October 16, 2026

  The distant thunder of drones over Adigrat is not merely another African conflict. It is the sound of a continent’s most fragile peace shattering—and with it, the already slender prospects for stability across the Red Sea corridor that carries twelve per cent of global trade. Barely eight years after Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and President Isaias Afwerki embraced in Asmara, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate’s handshake now lies in ruins. Eritrean troops have crossed into northern Tigray, advancing up to sixty kilometres into Ethiopian territory. Ethiopia has responded with multiple drone strikes targeting those forces, destroying lorries and ammunition, witnesses say, amid reports of civilian deaths. Both nations have severed diplomatic ties. Ethiopia calls it an “all-out invasion.” Eritrea calls

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  Podcast by Jasim Al-Azzawi with Scott Ritter: Is Striking Iran Trump’s Only Remaining Option?

  by EditorMehdi on October 16, 2026

  WATCH: Podcast by Jasim Al-Azzawi with Kelley Beaucar Vlahos: Target Locked: Is Trump’s Iran Brinkmanship Psy-Op or a Trap?

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  Coercive diplomacy: What does the call between Netanyahu and al-Sharaa really mean?

  by Marwa A on October 16, 2026

  The phone call between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Syrian interim leader Ahmed al-Sharaa—following months of firing salvos via fighter jets, missiles, and third-party intermediaries, alongside strikes that targeted the courtyard of the Syrian Ministry of Defence and the perimeter of the presidential palace—was no ordinary diplomatic formality. Rather, it was a condensed moment signalling a tectonic shift in the geopolitics and power balance of the Middle East. When Netanyahu and Sharaa speak directly to discuss sectarian tensions in the Druze-majority province of Sweida, we are not merely witnessing a localised security arrangement dictated by geography and overwhelming force. We are standing before a series of uncomfortable questions shaping the region’s future: Is Syria capitulating entirely to the rhythm

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  The Yemen trap: Why Saudi Arabia should reject Israel’s help

  by Marwa A on October 16, 2026

  If reports are true that Benjamin Netanyahu tried to offer Israeli involvement on Saudi Arabia’s side in the war in Yemen, this should not be read as help. It should be read as a political and strategic trap. Israel does not want to save Saudi Arabia from Yemeni missiles. It wants to insert itself into the heart of Gulf security, connect this role to normalization, and open a new door for political and military pressure. This is exactly what Saudi Arabia should reject. The idea is simple. If Israel enters the Yemen war under the title of “helping Saudi Arabia”, it does not give Riyadh extra strength. It gives Saudi Arabia’s opponents a golden narrative: Saudi Arabia is no longer

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  Human Rights Watch warns 50 detainees face imminent execution in eastern Libya

  by Marwa A on October 16, 2026

  Human Rights Watch (HRW) has warned that at least 50 detainees face imminent execution at Gernada military prison in eastern Libya, after forces led by Khalifa Haftar reportedly executed at least 31 people following military trials that the organisation described as seriously unfair. In a statement dated 14th October, the rights organization said the Libyan Arab Armed Forces had carried out the executions since late August 2026, raising concerns about further death sentences being implemented. According to HRW, the executions were the first known instances of capital punishment in Libya since 2010, ending a de facto moratorium on executions that had lasted approximately 15 years. The organisation called on authorities in eastern Libya to immediately suspend the implementation of death

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  Sudan’s Burhan says he wrote to Trump reaffirming commitment to US peace efforts

  by Marwa A on October 16, 2026

  Sudan’s Transitional Sovereignty Council Chairman Abdel Fattah al-Burhan said on Thursday that he wrote to US President Donald Trump to reaffirm commitment to Washington’s efforts to achieve peace in the war-torn country. “I wrote to President Donald Trump reaffirming Sudan’s commitment to U.S. peace efforts,” Burhan wrote on X, a US social media platform. “The Government of Sudan is ready to work in good faith with all parties for a just, lasting peace that safeguards our sovereignty, unity, territorial integrity, & our people’s dignity,” he added. The remarks came days after US senior advisor Massad Boulos condemned a 9th October drone strike that killed at least 12 civilians in An Nuhud, West Kordofan. The Joint Force of armed groups allied

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  Netanyahu rules out giving key ministries to Ben-Gvir, sparking coalition dispute

  by Marwa A on October 16, 2026

  Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday that he intends to keep the Interior and National Security ministries under the control of his Likud party in the next government, rejecting demands by far-right politician Itamar Ben-Gvir for a senior ministerial position. Netanyahu made the remarks at a conference in the northern Israeli city of Acre, according to the Hebrew-language newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth, triggering a public dispute over the distribution of cabinet portfolios ahead of the Knesset elections scheduled for 27th October. Ben-Gvir, leader of the Otzma Yehudit (Jewish Power) party, has said during his election campaign that he intends to seek the National Security portfolio. He has also called for the Justice Ministry to be assigned to Tally Gotliv, the

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  Houthis say Aden palace strike targeted Saudi military headquarters, warn of further attacks

  by Marwa A on October 16, 2026

  Yemen’s Houthi movement said Thursday that its missile attack on the Ma’ashiq Presidential Palace in Aden targeted a Saudi military operations headquarters, warning that Saudi military personnel and facilities would remain targets wherever they are deployed. Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree said the operation was consistent with the group’s declared policy of targeting Saudi military concentrations. “The shelling of the Saudi enemy’s military operations headquarters in Aden is part of our declared strategy to strike Saudi military concentrations wherever they are located,” Saree said. He added: “We consider any military presence of the Saudi enemy to be a legitimate target for our forces, wherever it may be.” Earlier Thursday, a Houthi military source told the Sana’a-based Saba News Agency that

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  Sisi warns against threats to Saudi Arabia, says Gulf security is linked to Egypt’s national security

  by Marwa A on October 16, 2026

  Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi warned on Thursday against continued attacks targeting Saudi Arabia, stressing that the security of the Kingdom and the Gulf region is directly linked to Egypt’s national security. Sisi said Egypt and Saudi Arabia occupy central positions in the Arab and Islamic worlds, warning that any threat to either country would have serious consequences for regional security. He emphasised that Egypt’s position on Gulf security reflects shared strategic interests rather than diplomatic solidarity alone. “The security of the Gulf and Saudi Arabia is linked to Egypt’s national security,” Sisi said, describing the relationship as “not merely a gesture of goodwill, but a reality and a shared interest.” The Egyptian president reaffirmed Cairo’s support for Saudi Arabia’s

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  Two guards killed, six wounded in Houthi missile attack on Presidential Palace in Aden

  by Marwa A on October 16, 2026

  Two guards were killed and six others wounded on Thursday in a missile attack attributed to the Houthi movement targeting the Presidential Palace in Aden, the seat of Yemen’s internationally recognized, Saudi-backed government, according to Yemeni officials. Yemeni Minister of Youth and Sports Nayef al-Bakri confirmed the casualties in statements reported by Al Arabiya, saying the prime minister and other ministers present at the complex were unharmed. Reports indicated that government officials intended to remain in Aden despite the attack. Witnesses told Reuters they heard powerful explosions near the presidential compound, while the Associated Press reported at least six explosions across Aden, Yemen’s interim capital. Local security sources said air defence systems attempted to intercept the incoming missiles. However, the

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  Damascus rejects Israeli politicisation of Syria’s Druze after Netanyahu’s brief call with al-Sharaa

  by Marwa A on October 16, 2026

  Damascus has rejected attempts to draw the Druze community in Sweida into Israeli politics, hours after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu revealed that he had held a sharp phone call with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, claiming that he had stopped the bloodshed in the area. A Syrian government official said in a statement carried by the state-run SANA news agency on Thursday that the Druze community in Sweida province has been and will remain an integral part of Syria’s national fabric and rejected any attempt to politicise it or involve it in Israeli propaganda and election campaigns. The official said Israel had played a major planned role in undermining civil peace in Sweida in July last year by arming an outlawed

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  Why a new US–Israeli war against Iran could carry enormous risks

  by Marwa A on October 16, 2026

  In recent days, three developments have emerged as key preliminary indicators that the US may be preparing to step up its military campaign against Iran. First, the dispatch of a third aircraft carrier strike group alongside additional American forces toward the waters surrounding Iran; second, the directive from the United States Central Command (CENTCOM) to achieve full operational readiness; and third, the continuation of economic pressure, sanctions, and blockades, alongside disputes over the Strait of Hormuz and diplomatic friction surrounding negotiations. While these developments clearly signal an expansion of military options and an intensification of coercive pressure, they do not, on their own, constitute definitive proof of an executive decision to launch a broad war. This new force posture serves

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  Diplomats to MEMO: Colombia’s ICJ withdrawal reflects alignment with US

  by Marwa A on October 16, 2026

  Colombia’s decision to withdraw from South Africa’s genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), followed by the opening of its embassy in occupied Jerusalem on Wednesday, has drawn criticism from former Latin American ambassadors, who see the moves as a significant shift in Bogotá’s foreign policy, particularly its stance on Palestine. Colombia’s Foreign Ministry confirmed that it had informed the Court of its decision to withdraw the declaration of intervention filed on 5th April 2024 under Article 63 of the ICJ Statute. The move marks a reversal of the position taken by former President Gustavo Petro, whose government cut diplomatic ties with Israel in May 2024 over its military offensive in Gaza and backed South Africa’s

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  Brazil’s Lula and Bolsonaro face tight run-off as Netanyahu, Trump back latter

  by Marwa A on October 16, 2026

  Brazil’s presidential election is entering its most critical phase ahead of a run-off scheduled for 25th  October, with President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva facing Senator Flavio Bolsonaro in a close race increasingly shaped by ties with the United States and Israel, Brazil’s role in the Global South and its position on the Palestinian cause. Flavio Bolsonaro, son of former president Jair Bolsonaro, surprised his rivals by finishing first in the initial round on 4 October, securing 47.03 per cent of the vote against Lula’s 45.16 per cent. The narrow margin has set the stage for a highly polarised run-off. Recent opinion polls indicate that the race remains close, with Flavio holding a slight lead in several surveys. However, the

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  Hezbollah acknowledges ownership of explosives seized by Lebanese authorities

  by Marwa A on October 16, 2026

  Hezbollah acknowledged on Thursday that a shipment of explosives seized by Lebanese authorities last week belonged to the group, saying it was intended for use against Israel. The statement came after Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam vowed to take firm action against any weapons held outside the authority of the state. A Lebanese judicial source said on Saturday that security forces had arrested two men suspected of belonging to Hezbollah in the Dhahr al-Baidar area, on the international road between Beirut and the Syrian border, as they were transporting 500 kilogrammes of explosives. Hezbollah MP Hassan FadlAllah said in a televised statement that the group had contacted the security and judicial authorities after the vehicle was stopped, informing them that

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  From Hormuz to Bab el-Mandeb: Saudi Arabia’s difficult choices

  by Marwa A on October 16, 2026

  Developments in Yemen today cannot be separated from the repercussions of the war waged by the United States and Israel against Iran. The prolonged nature of this war, and the fact that it remains unresolved, arguably compel the countries of the region to reassess their strategic realities from a perspective different from the traditional approach that has shaped their thinking for decades. The US-Israeli war against Iran has brought about significant shifts in the region’s military, economic and political calculations, confronting Tehran with serious challenges and looming threats to its security, economy and future regional standing. For its part, Iran has drawn on a range of strategic assets at its disposal across the region to mitigate these threats by raising

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  Egypt suspends truck traffic to Sudan after Khartoum attack

  by Marwa A on October 16, 2026

  Egypt has indefinitely suspended the passage of trucks bound for Sudan through the Qustul land port after two Egyptian drivers were killed and a third was injured in a shooting at a market south of the Sudanese capital, Khartoum. The management of Egypt’s Qustul port, which operates under the General Authority for Land and Dry Ports at the Ministry of Transport, has ordered all trucks heading to the port to stop. Trucks will not be allowed to cross by ferry into Sudan until further instructions, citing “security developments in Sudan’s Northern State”. The suspension does not apply to passenger traffic. Buses, private cars, minibuses and individual travellers are still allowed to cross, while the restrictions apply only to trucks. An

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  Ben-Ami: Israel is living under apartheid, two-state solution currently impossible

  by Marwa A on October 16, 2026

  Former Israeli foreign minister and chief negotiator at the Camp David summit, Professor Shlomo Ben-Ami, has said there is no realistic prospect of implementing a two-state solution under current conditions, arguing that Israel effectively operates as a “binational state” with discriminatory and segregationist policies resembling the apartheid system once practiced in South Africa. Speaking on a history podcast, Ben-Ami said the continued expansion of settlements in the occupied West Bank, alongside a clear shift to the right in Israeli society and the military establishment, had made a two-state settlement extremely difficult to achieve. He also warned that continuing along this path could lead to prolonged internal conflict or something resembling a long-term civil war. The Israeli politician and historian addressed

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  Israeli firm weaponized digital ad network for spyware attacks, research shows

  by Marwa A on October 15, 2026

  Israeli digital advertising firm Discover-Tech weaponized a vast commercial ad network to harvest personal data and deliver mercenary spyware to targeted devices worldwide, Canadian cyber watchdog Citizen Lab and New York-based ad security firm Confiant reported Thursday, Anadolu reports. “The core finding is the weaponization of ad infrastructure for advanced staging, preliminary targeting, and payload delivery, characterized by exceptional technical sophistication, robust anti-interception measures, and surgical micro-targeting,” Confiant said in its investigative findings. The coordinated operation enabled US-blacklisted Israeli spyware company Candiru, rebranded as Integrity Labs, and surveillance vendor Intelos to exploit commercial ad inventory across major global platforms, including Google, Beeswax and Russia’s Yandex, to track targets and compromise consumer devices. Citizen Lab described the campaign as the first

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  Lebanon presses US to push Israel for halt to attacks

  by Marwa A on October 15, 2026

  Lebanon on Thursday asked the US to urge Israel to halt attacks that target southern Lebanese towns despite a framework deal, Anadolu reports. Lebanese President Joseph Aoun held a phone call with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio to discuss the latest situation in Lebanon and the region, according to a presidency statement. Aoun asked Rubio to push Tel Aviv to abide by the provisions of the framework agreement, cease land-clearing operations, allow farmers to access their fields, and refrain from targeting them. He informed Rubio that the Lebanese army and security forces were fully carrying out their duties in implementing decisions to prevent armed displays, seize weapons and ammunition, and combat smuggling. The Lebanese president stressed that the judicial

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  Sisi says he repeatedly told Netanyahu that Palestinian state would bring ‘lasting peace’

  by Marwa A on October 15, 2026

  Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said on Thursday he has repeatedly told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that establishing a Palestinian state would bring peace and benefit everyone, Anadolu reports. Speaking at the Police Academy’s 2026 graduation ceremony in New Cairo, Sisi said that in all his meetings and communications with Netanyahu since 2014, he had repeatedly emphasized that “the establishment of a Palestinian state would benefit everyone and lead to lasting peace and stability in the region.” Netanyahu, who is wanted by the International Criminal Court on war crimes charges related to Gaza, has repeatedly rejected the establishment of a Palestinian state as envisaged in relevant UN resolutions. Israel was established in 1948 on Palestinian lands seized by armed

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  UN says more than 230,000 displaced by fighting in Yemen since August

  by Marwa A on October 15, 2026

  More than 230,000 people have been displaced by fighting in Yemen since August, UN deputy spokesman Farhan Haq said on Thursday, Anadolu reports. Haq told reporters that the fighting between the Houthis and the internationally recognized Yemeni government continues to force people from their homes and place additional pressure on humanitarian operations, citing warnings from the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). “Our colleagues at the International Organization for Migration have reported more than 230,000 people displaced by fighting since the start of August,” said Haq. Despite the challenges, humanitarian partners have reached more than 152,000 people with emergency assistance, he added. “We reiterate our call on all parties to respect international humanitarian law, protect civilians and

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  UN official sounds alarm about Gaza, West Bank year after ceasefire

  by Marwa A on October 15, 2026

  A senior UN official warned on Thursday that the situation in the Gaza Strip and the occupied West Bank is dangerously fragile, saying a return to war must be avoided at all costs, Anadolu reports. Briefing the UN Security Council on Palestine, Ramiz Alakbarov, UN acting special coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, marked the anniversary of the Oct. 7 events, saying Palestinians and Israelis need a political horizon. “Palestinians and Israelis deserve more than short-term fixes. They deserve a credible path to peace and finally an end to this conflict,” he said. “The international community must move beyond words and take concrete actions to ensure the future of security and dignity of the people. It is time to

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  Gaza government denies imposing fees on trucks, demands entry of 600 daily

  by Marwa A on October 15, 2026

  The Government Media Office in the Gaza Strip on Thursday denied imposing taxes or fees on commercial trucks, accusing Israel of promoting allegations to justify restrictions on the entry of goods and demanding that Israel be compelled to allow 600 trucks into the enclave daily, Anadolu reports. It came in response to allegations made Wednesday by Yoram Halevi, the Israeli government’s coordinator of activities in the Palestinian territories, regarding the imposition of financial charges on traders and measures regulating cash transactions in Gaza. The media office accused Israel of waging a “disinformation campaign” and attempting to hold Gaza’s government authorities responsible for delays in allowing trucks to enter the enclave. It said it sent messages to mediators and international bodies

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  Iran reports another oil tanker fire in restricted area east of Strait of Hormuz

  by Marwa A on October 15, 2026

  Iran’s Navy said Thursday that another oil tanker caught fire in a restricted area east of the Strait of Hormuz after allegedly attempting to navigate the Gulf of Oman with its tracking systems switched off, Anadolu reports. The navy’s public relations office said in a statement carried by Iranian state broadcaster IRIB that monitoring teams detected the burning tanker during patrol and surveillance operations east of the strategic waterway. The vessel was attempting to cross “an unauthorized area” with its tracking systems disabled, it said. The navy did not identify the tanker, its flag or operator, or specify what caused the fire. It provided no information on possible casualties or the crew’s condition. The Iranian Navy also said the Strait

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  19 killed, 364 injured in Houthi attacks on Saudi airports: Saudi-led coalition

  by Marwa A on October 15, 2026

  Nineteen people were killed and 364 injured in attacks by Yemen’s Houthi group on Saudi airports, including King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh and Abha International Airport, the Saudi-led coalition said Thursday, Anadolu reports. “Houthi attacks on the Kingdom have intensified since the beginning of October, following an escalation by the Iran-aligned group against Saudi Arabia since July,” spokesman Turki al-Maliki said at a news conference broadcast by the Saudi Alekhbariya News TV. “King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh had been targeted in 20 Houthi attacks since the beginning of October,” he said. “Seventeen people were killed and 333 others injured in attacks on the airport between Oct. 7 and 11.” “Two people were also killed and 28 others injured

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  The Gulf needs a security order that Washington cannot switch off

  by EditorMehdi on October 15, 2026

  The Gulf has spent decades buying security from the world’s most powerful military. American bases dot the region, advanced weapons fill its arsenals, and defence agreements bind its rulers to Washington. Yet the war involving Iran has exposed a troubling paradox. The Gulf’s security arrangements may help deter adversaries, but they cannot guarantee that the region will escape a conflict shaped by decisions made elsewhere. The consequences are no longer confined to military installations or oil terminals. Disruption around the Strait of Hormuz threatens energy exports and maritime commerce, while attacks on critical infrastructure jeopardise the economic transformation programmes on which Gulf governments have staked their futures. Wealth can finance reconstruction, but it cannot restore lost confidence overnight. The problem

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  2nd week of Rafah crossing closure worsens crisis for patients: Gaza Health Ministry

  by EditorMehdi on October 15, 2026

  Israel has continued to close the Rafah land crossing for a second week, preventing patients from leaving the Gaza Strip for treatment abroad and causing a “dangerous buildup” of critical cases, the Gaza Health Ministry said Thursday. In a statement, the ministry warned that the continued closure had led to a “dangerous and rapidly growing accumulation of critical cases,” with waiting lists for treatment abroad increasing by the day. It said the number of people awaiting evacuation far exceeds the capacity of Gaza’s deteriorating and besieged hospitals to accommodate them or provide even the minimum level of treatment. The ministry described the continued closure as a “grave violation of international humanitarian law and a deliberate deprivation of patients and wounded

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  The international community does not object to permanent forced displacement

  by EditorMehdi on October 15, 2026

  Mere days after Israel’s High Court of Justice ordered a detailed plan for the return of over 33,000 Palestinians forcibly displaced by Israeli forces from Tulkarem, Jenin and Nur al-Shams refugee camps, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared that the forced displacement is permanent.  The difference between the occupied West Bank and Gaza is starting to diminish. In both areas, Palestinians have been declared terrorists. Israel subjected Gaza to genocide which displaced almost the entire remaining population, while enhancing forced displacement tactics, already normalised, in the occupied West Bank. In both areas, a permanent Israeli military presence became a new reality.  In another move that reeks of permanence, the Israeli military started building a base in Jenin, under the pretext

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  Obama says Israel has ‘ceded moral ground’ in Middle East conflict

  by EditorMehdi on October 15, 2026

  Former US President Barack Obama has criticized Israel’s handling of the Middle East conflict, warning that military strength cannot guarantee lasting security and that refusing concessions to Palestinians risks undermining its moral standing, Anadolu reports. The former president made the remarks on Tuesday during a discussion with award-winning writer and journalist Susan McKay at Belfast, northern Ireland, according to the Belfast Telegraph. Speaking about the Israeli war on Gaza, Obama said the violence should “pain everybody”, describing it as a destructive cycle driven by historical grievances, hardened attitudes and deep divisions. He acknowledged the long history of persecution faced by Jewish people in Europe. However, he also stressed that Palestinians had suffered injustice through the loss of their land. “That

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  London Protest to Oppose Hijab Restrictions in Azerbaijani Schools This Friday

  by EditorMehdi on October 15, 2026

  The student organisation ASAP in Britain and its partners are preparing to hold a protest outside the Azerbaijani Embassy in London on Friday 16 October, in opposition to restrictions on the wearing of hijab in Azerbaijani schools and in solidarity with Muslim pupils and teachers who face measures preventing them from attending school or continuing their work because they wear the hijab. The demonstration is scheduled to take place from 4pm to 6pm outside the Azerbaijani Embassy at 66 Holland Park, London, W11 3SJ, near Holland Park station. It will be held under the slogan “Hands Off My Hijab”. The protest comes amid renewed opposition to restrictions in Azerbaijan, where school uniform rules have sparked widespread controversy following reports that

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  From underground wealth to diplomatic power: Azerbaijan’s energy strategy

  by EditorMehdi on October 15, 2026

  Azerbaijani oil passes through Turkiye to Israel, its gas reaches European markets, and Emirati and Saudi capital finances its power plants. This network places Azerbaijan at the intersection of interests that do not always align. Baku has made itself relevant to several competing actors. Its harder task is to turn those relationships into lasting influence while preserving strategic autonomy. Continued oil deliveries to Israel, despite Ankara’s trade restrictions, illustrate the challenge. Infrastructure, contracts and commercial interests can sustain connections across political divisions. Azerbaijan gains revenue and strategic importance, while becoming exposed to disputes among its partners. Ankara and Tel Aviv: Two relationships, one route Turkiye is both a political partner and Azerbaijan’s gateway to overseas markets. The Baku–Tbilisi–Ceyhan pipeline carries

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  Trump could lose Congress and still expand the US war on Iran

  by EditorMehdi on October 15, 2026

  President Trump has promised that the United States will not attack Iran before the 3rd  November midterm elections. That statement sounds like restraint and at the same time also be read as a warning. By tying military restraint to election day, Trump has made the period after the vote more dangerous. The Iran war is making the election harder for the Republican Party. As of now, prediction markets give Republicans roughly a one-in-ten chance of retaining both chambers of Congress. An October AP-NORC poll found that 69 per cent of Americans believed the war was not worth fighting, while only 28 per cent approved of Trump’s handling of Iran. For many voters, the war is no longer a distant foreign-policy

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  Secret meeting held between US ambassador, opposition leader ahead of Israeli elections: Report

  by EditorMehdi on October 15, 2026

  US Ambassador Mike Huckabee held a secret meeting with an Israeli opposition leader just weeks before this month’s hard-fought Knesset elections, Israel’s public broadcaster reported Thursday. The broadcaster said Huckabee’s meeting with opposition Yashar party leader Gadi Eisenkot took place in recent days, in the runup to the Oct. 27 elections, and was their first and only meeting. It did not disclose where or when it was held. Citing a source familiar with details of the previously unreported meeting, the broadcaster said their discussion covered security issues, including tensions in the occupied West Bank and occupier violence, as well as the situation in the Gaza Strip. Neither the US ambassador nor Eisenkot’s office issued an official announcement about the meeting,

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  Gaza’s future is not Washington’s to decide, says rights chief

  by EditorMehdi on October 15, 2026

  Nearly a year after the UN Security Council endorsed the Board of Peace to oversee Gaza’s transition, questions over who controls it, and in whose interest, have not gone away. For Anouar El Gharbi, president of the Geneva Centre for Democracy and Human Rights (GCDHR), the problem begins with the Board’s origin. It was not born of an independent international process grounded in the freely expressed will of the Palestinian people, he told MEMO in an interview, but of a political initiative led by the US. That origin, he argues, shapes everything that follows: the scope of the Board’s mandate, the powers it holds and the people it answers to. The Board emerged from the “Comprehensive Plan to End the

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  Egypt, Qatar stress need to halt hostilities against Saudi Arabia

  by EditorMehdi on October 15, 2026

  Egypt and Qatar stressed the need to halt all hostilities against Saudi Arabia and expressed solidarity with the kingdom, according to the Egyptian Foreign Ministry on Thursday, Anadolu reports. The position was expressed during a phone call late Wednesday between Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty and his Qatari counterpart, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, the ministry said in a statement. The call came as part of “continuous communication and coordination between the two brotherly countries on various issues of common interest,” the statement said. The two officials discussed bilateral relations and areas of cooperation, including exchanges of high-level visits. They praised the progress in ties and affirmed their commitment to further strengthening them, according to the statement. On regional

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  US considering using ‘mother of all bombs’ against Iran: Report

  by EditorMehdi on October 15, 2026

  The US military has developed new strike plans that include the potential use of the “mother of all bombs” against Iranian energy infrastructure and nuclear sites if President Donald Trump orders a resumption of combat operations, CNN reported Wednesday, citing multiple US officials familiar with the plans. The proposed use of the GBU-43/B Massive Ordnance Air Blast Bomb (MOAB), the largest non-nuclear bomb in the US arsenal, would mark a significant escalation in the conflict with Iran, although officials have questioned whether the weapon could achieve Washington’s military objectives. According to CNN, Trump has directed the military to prepare additional strike options against Iranian targets, including energy infrastructure and facilities associated with the country’s nuclear program. The plans could be

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  Don’t let Britain shelve Sally Rooney

  by EditorMehdi on October 15, 2026

  This week, something happened in Britain that should worry every reader, every writer and everyone who believes in free speech. Faber, the publisher of the Irish novelist Sally Rooney, announced that it will no longer supply her books in the United Kingdom, in any format. Her novels, Normal People, Conversations with Friends, Beautiful World, Where Are You and Intermezzo, will slowly disappear from British bookshops. Faber said that current UK law means it cannot pass on UK earnings to the author. It said that selling a writer’s work without paying her is not acceptable for any publisher. It will continue to sell her books in every other country. Think about that for a moment. A British publisher can sell its

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  Trump says Qatar offered to gift 747 jet to US after he asked to ‘borrow’ it for Air Force One

  by EditorMehdi on October 15, 2026

  US President Donald Trump said Wednesday that he initially asked Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani to lend the US a Boeing 747 jet for temporary use as Air Force One, but the Qatari leader offered to give the aircraft to Washington instead, Anadolu reports. “When you’re given gifts, you take ’em, right?” Trump told the crowd at a rally in Arizona. “When they give you a 747, you say two words: ‘thank you.’” Trump said he approached Sheikh Tamim because the US presidential aircraft currently in service are ageing. “We’d love to borrow it because our planes are 35 years old. “So I called up the head of Qatar, highly respected guy, great guy, young, handsome guy actually

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  Israeli Spy Pollard stole the files, today’s it’s delivered through official channels

  by EditorMehdi on October 15, 2026

  Espionage novels portray the spy as a person in a trench coat carrying stolen documents and disappearing into a dark alley. Israeli spy, Jonathan Pollard, certainly fit that picture. A Navy analyst who stole American secrets including the complete ten-volume manual of the National Security Agency exposing how the US gathers its signal intelligence and the names of thousands of foreign individuals who worked for US spy agencies. Intelligence officials believe Israel shared stolen documents with the Soviet Union. According to several intelligence assessments, Pollard was one of the most damaging spies in US history. Pollard received a life sentence in 1987 and was released in 2015. At first, Israel claimed he was a rogue, apologised and did not admit

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  Iran’s Revolutionary Guards warn US would ‘regret’ any new attack

  by EditorMehdi on October 15, 2026

  Iranian Revolutionary Guards spokesperson Hossein Mohebbi said on Wednesday that another US attack on Iran would be “illogical” but remained possible, warning that Tehran was prepared to respond with measures Washington would “regret.” Speaking during a television program, Mohebbi suggested that US President Donald Trump could consider renewed military action against Iran to secure political gains ahead of the US midterm congressional elections. He said Iran was prepared for such a scenario and warned that any new American attack would trigger a response that the United States would regret. Mohebbi also claimed that Iran had used older-generation weapons during the conflict that began on 28th February but now possessed more advanced weapons systems. READ: Iran’s IRGC Navy threatens to sink US