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

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  Saudi Arabia says Dammam airport attacked as Houthis claim strikes on aviation, oil facilities

  by Marwa A on October 11, 2026

  Saudi Arabia said Sunday evening that King Fahd International Airport in the eastern city of Dammam had come under attack, as Yemen’s Houthi group claimed strikes on two Saudi airports and major oil facilities, Anadolu reports. The Saudi General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) said damage assessments and safety inspections were underway at the airport in coordination with relevant authorities. It provided no immediate details about casualties or the extent of the damage, saying the incident came amid continued attacks on civilian aviation facilities in the kingdom. READ: Death toll from Riyadh airport attack rises to 13 as Indian national succumbs to injuries Earlier Sunday, GACA reported another attack on King Khalid International Airport in the capital Riyadh, saying it caused

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  Hundreds join pro-Palestinian demonstration in Amsterdam

  by Marwa A on October 11, 2026

  Large crowds gathered at Dam Square in Amsterdam on Sunday, for a pro-Palestinian demonstration marking three years since the start of Israel’s war on Gaza, Anadolu reports. Demonstrators carried Palestinian flags and called for an end to violence against Palestinians. Participants also urged the international community to take action and impose sanctions on Israel. Since October 2023, Israel’s war in Gaza has killed more than 74,000 Palestinians and injured over 175,000, according to Palestinian figures. READ: An estimated quarter of a million join London march marking three years of Gaza genocide The war has also destroyed 90% of the enclave’s infrastructure, Palestinian figures have shown. A ceasefire agreement was reached in October 2025, though Israel continued its attacks and maintained restrictions

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  Death toll from Riyadh airport attack rises to 13 as Indian national succumbs to injuries

  by Marwa A on October 11, 2026

  The death toll from Saturday’s Houthi attack on King Khalid International Airport in Saudi Arabia’s capital Riyadh rose to 13 after an Indian national succumbed to his injuries on Sunday, the Indian Embassy said, Anadolu reports. In a statement on Facebook, the embassy said an Indian citizen injured in the Oct. 10 attack “has unfortunately lost his life today.” The embassy expressed condolences to the victim’s family and said it was in contact with them. It also pledged full support to ensure the prompt repatriation of his remains to India. Saudi authorities said earlier that the attack on the airport had killed 12 people and injured 309 others. READ: Saudi Arabia can fight the Houthis, it may not be able to

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  Iran says US response to conditions for reopening Strait of Hormuz ‘insufficient’

  by Marwa A on October 11, 2026

  Iran considers Washington’s response to its seven conditions for reopening the Strait of Hormuz “insufficient,” a senior Iranian official said, according to the semi-official Tasnim News Agency. Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, said the US had accepted some of Tehran’s conditions, while others remained unclear. Rezaei said Washington had approached Tehran over the past two months through three channels — Pakistan, Qatar and Iraq — asking Iran to submit its proposals. About two weeks ago, Iran conveyed seven conditions to the US, explicitly stating that the Strait of Hormuz would not reopen to Washington and no negotiations would take place until those conditions were met, he said. Rezaei said Tehran was no longer in the process

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  The president who can’t say his name

  by Marwa A on October 11, 2026

  Three weeks before Michigan decides whether to send the first Muslim senator to Washington, the president still cannot or will not say the man’s name. “Mike Rogers, the great American Patriot and Republican Candidate for the U.S. Senate from Michigan, completely obliterated Mohammed El-Sayed in the big debate tonight,” Trump wrote on Truth Social after Thursday’s debate. Rogers had skipped it. “Mohammed is a Jihadist lunatic who hates our Country, the Black People of Detroit, and wants to see the U.S. fail.” The candidate’s name is Abdul El-Sayed. Mohamed is his middle name, inherited from his Egyptian immigrant father. He rarely uses it. Yet the president repeats it so relentlessly that it reads less like a mistake than a strategy

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  UN alarmed by reports of drone strikes killing at least 17 civilians in Sudan

  by Marwa A on October 11, 2026

  The UN expressed deep concern Sunday over reports that drone strikes killed at least 17 civilians, including women and children, in Sudan’s West Kordofan state, Anadolu reports. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Sudan said a drone strike reportedly hit a building sheltering displaced families in An Nuhud on Oct. 9. At least 12 civilians, including women and children, were reportedly killed and eight others injured, the office said in a statement. On the same day, another drone strike reportedly killed five civilians, including three children, in a residential neighborhood hosting displaced families in Ghubaish town, according to the UN office. OCHA said the victims had already been forced from their homes by conflict, only

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  Yemeni government approves draft law designating Houthis ‘terrorist organization’

  by Marwa A on October 11, 2026

  The Yemeni government on Sunday approved a draft law designating the Houthi group a “terrorist organization” and criminalizing its activities and financing, Anadolu reports. The decision came during a Cabinet meeting in the temporary capital Aden, chaired by Prime Minister Shaya al-Zindani, according to a statement from the prime minister’s office. The Cabinet approved the draft following a presentation by the legal affairs minister and instructed officials to complete the constitutional and legal procedures required for its ratification. The meeting came a day after a Houthi attack on King Khalid International Airport in the Saudi capital Riyadh killed 12 people and injured 309, according to the statement. READ: EU chief warns of ‘dangerous escalation’ after Houthi attack on Riyadh airport The

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  Indonesian, Egyptian presidents condemn Israeli settlement expansion in Jakarta talks

  by Marwa A on October 11, 2026

  Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto and his Egyptian counterpart Abdel Fattah el-Sisi condemned Israel’s illegal settlement expansion during bilateral talks in Jakarta on Sunday, according to Indonesia’s state-run Antara news agency. “We strongly condemn Israel’s illegal settlement construction and actions that only worsen the situation,” Subianto said in a joint statement, calling for an immediate de-escalation of regional conflicts, Antara reported. The two leaders expressed concern over violations of international law and military operations causing civilian casualties, reaffirming their support for a two-state solution. Subianto pledged continued humanitarian aid and diplomatic support for Palestinians, warning that further escalation threatened global stability. READ: Israeli occupiers give 47 Palestinian families 24 hours to leave West Bank homes Sisi called for an independent Palestinian state

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  Israeli army renews airstrikes, artillery shelling in southern Lebanon despite US deal

  by Marwa A on October 11, 2026

  The Israeli army launched renewed airstrikes and artillery shelling in several towns in southern Lebanon on Sunday, in the latest violations of a US-sponsored framework deal signed in June. Israeli warplanes bombed the town of Kfar Tebnit in the Nabatieh district, Lebanon’s National News Agency (NNA) reported. In the Tyre district, Israeli warplanes struck the town of Mansouri, while artillery shelling hit Majdal Zoun, the agency said. Overnight, the area between the towns of Mayfadoun and Zawtar al-Sharqiyah was subjected to heavy and concentrated Israeli artillery shelling. READ: Lebanon looks to EU support for state control of weapons, end to Israeli occupation The attacks came amid Israel’s ongoing offensive against Lebanon, which began on March 2 and has killed 4,386 people

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  EU chief warns of ‘dangerous escalation’ after Houthi attack on Riyadh airport

  by Marwa A on October 11, 2026

  European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Sunday warned that the latest Houthi attack on Riyadh’s airport marked a “dangerous escalation,” describing it as the deadliest such attack on the facility so far, Anadolu reports. “The deadliest Houthi attack so far on Riyadh’s airport marks a dangerous escalation,” von der Leyen said on US social media company X. “Our thoughts are with the victims and their families,” she said, expressing solidarity with Saudi Arabia and its people. Von der Leyen warned that the attacks were contributing to growing instability across the region. “These attacks by Iran’s proxies are pushing the region into a spiral of violence,” she said. She also highlighted the broader consequences for international transportation and energy

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  Hamas urges national dialogue after Palestinian elections postponed to next year

  by Marwa A on October 11, 2026

  Palestinian resistance group Hamas said late Saturday that the postponement of Palestinian elections until next September should pave the way for a “comprehensive national dialogue,” expressing readiness to take part, Anadolu reports. It said conditions are not in place for free and fair elections in the occupied Palestinian territories, including occupied East Jerusalem. Hamas said it is ready to join “serious and productive” talks to reach binding agreements on restructuring Palestinian institutions, particularly the Palestinian National Council and Legislative Council. It also urged an agreement on a national strategy covering a common political program, arrangements for a transitional period and confronting serious Israeli threats to the Palestinian cause, particularly in the Gaza Strip. READ: Palestinian president postpones legislative elections to Sept.

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  Israeli occupiers give 47 Palestinian families 24 hours to leave West Bank homes

  by Marwa A on October 11, 2026

  Israeli occupiers on Saturday gave 47 Palestinian families in the northern occupied West Bank until Sunday evening to leave their homes after a 27-day blockade, Anadolu reports. Hassan Mleihat, head of the Palestinian rights group Al-Baydar, told Anadolu that the families face an uncertain future after weeks of road closures isolating the Ras al-Ahmar community southeast of Tubas. He said the ultimatum heightened fears for residents about their ability to remain on their land and protect their livelihoods. Mleihat called for urgent intervention by rights groups, humanitarian organizations, and international bodies to protect residents and their property, and end the blockade. READ: Israeli fire wounds Anadolu photojournalist in occupied West Bank The Israeli army in September closed the last remaining route

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  El-Sisi in Jakarta: Trade promises, a Nile pledge and an outdated Palestine formula

  by Marwa A on October 11, 2026

  Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi landed in Jakarta on Saturday evening, 10 October 2026, at the end of an Asian tour that began in South Korea and passed through Malaysia. The route tells a story. Cairo is looking east for money, technology and friends while its own region burns. Jakarta wants a firm partner at the far end of the sea route linking Asia to Europe. The two presidents had met only a month earlier at the BRICS summit in New Delhi. BRICS is a club of large developing economies that both countries have joined. Meeting again so soon signals hedging: spreading bets across many partners so that no single power has too much control. In April 2025 the two

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  Saudi Arabia can fight the Houthis, it may not be able to defeat them

  by Marwa A on October 11, 2026

  Saudi Arabia can afford a long war. It can buy aircraft, missiles, drones, air-defense systems and intelligence. It can absorb losses that would bankrupt a poorer state. Yet that does not mean it can defeat the Houthis. That distinction has become impossible to ignore. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman reportedly called Donald Trump twice last week and urged Washington to strike the Houthis directly. Trump declined, although Washington agreed to provide intelligence and targeting support. The episode is revealing not because Saudi Arabia lacks military power, but because Riyadh appears to recognize that the Houthi problem is no longer one that firepower alone can solve. The timing matters. The Houthis have seized Mocha on Yemen’s Red Sea coast and moved

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  Yemen in the Middle East’s energy equation: From natural resources to the right to development

  by Marwa A on October 11, 2026

  In a mountainous area of Yemen, solar-powered pumps changed how families obtained water. Households that had spent hours collecting it gained access to a system carrying water through tanks at different elevations to their homes. Documented in a World Bank report on electricity access, the experience delivered benefits visible in everyday life: time saved, accessible water and greater opportunities for work and education. Local electrification projects and the opening of Aden’s solar power plant raise a broader question: how can energy partnerships grow from individual projects into lasting economic capacity? Yemen’s oil and gas resources, strong solar potential and maritime access provide a basis for economic development. Energy partnerships should connect these assets with domestic production, reliable services and local

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  Arab bloc in Israel can help bring down Netanyahu government: Joint List leader

  by Marwa A on October 11, 2026

  Joint List leader Yousef Jabareen said Saturday that the Arab political alliance can help bring down Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government and set conditions for any future governing coalition, Anadolu reports. “In our hands is the ability to bring down this government and impose our conditions on any political formation after the election,” Jabareen said in a speech released by his office. He pledged to use “all available tools” to bring about a change in government. “According to all the data, there is no alternative government to the government of Netanyahu, (National Security Minister Itamar) Ben-Gvir and (Finance Minister Bezalel) Smotrich that can be formed without negotiating with the Joint List,” he said. Jabareen described the upcoming vote as

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  The Makkah alliance has been called defensive. Now it has to prove it

  by Marwa A on October 11, 2026

  When Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkiye signed the Makkah Alliance for Defence in August, most of us read it as a statement of intent. It took barely two months for that to change. On October 5, ministers and commanders met in Riyadh and agreed to activate collective deterrence measures and send forces and capabilities to the Kingdom at speed. The same meeting appointed retired Lt Gen Nauman Mahmood, a Pakistani, as the alliance’s first secretary-general for three years. Then came Thursday. Two Houthi attacks hit Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport, one on the facilities and one on a Saudia aircraft. Three Saudi citizens died, among them a pilot, and people of several nationalities were wounded. Hundreds of flights were cancelled,

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  An estimated quarter of a million join London march marking three years of Gaza genocide

  by Marwa A on October 11, 2026

    The Palestinian Forum in Britain (PFB) estimates that more than a quarter of a million people took part in a major demonstration in central London on Saturday 10 October, marking the third anniversary of Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza. Protesters called on Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s Government to impose a complete and immediate arms embargo on Israel. The demonstration was organised by the Palestine Coalition, comprising the Palestinian Forum in Britain, Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC), Muslim Association of Britain (MAB), Stop the War Coalition, Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) and Friends of Al-Aqsa. The march set off from Victoria Embankment and passed through central London before concluding with a rally and sit-in on Whitehall, near Downing Street. Participants carried

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  FEDA urges UN and European Parliament to take urgent action to protect hunger-striking detainees in Egyptian prisons

  by Marwa A on October 11, 2026

  The Families of Egyptian Detainees Association (FEDA) has called on the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (WGAD) to take urgent action following reports of hunger strikes and collective protests among detainees in several Egyptian prisons, particularly during 7th–9th October. The association warned of potential risks to detainees’ lives and health amid reported restrictions on fundamental rights and concerns over access to medical care. In an urgent appeal dated 10th October 2026, FEDA urged the UN Working Group to seek clarification from the Egyptian authorities regarding the reported hunger strikes and the grievances behind them, and to take appropriate steps within its mandate to protect detainees from death, serious injury, ill-treatment, and reprisals for participating in peaceful protests. As

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  Rights group files ICC complaint against Israeli medical officials over torture of Palestinian detainees

  by Marwa A on October 10, 2026

  The Hind Rajab Foundation filed a complaint with the International Criminal Court (ICC) against Israeli medical officials over torture and mistreatment of Palestinian detainees, Israeli media reported Saturday, Anadolu reports. The complaint targets the Israeli Medical Association, Health Ministry officials and medical personnel over abuses at the Sde Teiman military detention facility in southern Israel. According to the Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth, the Brussels-based rights group submitted the complaint to the ICC prosecutor under Article 15 of the Rome Statute. The foundation said that Israeli medical personnel and officials were involved in practices amounting to war crimes and crimes against humanity. – Allegations of systematic mistreatment Since October 2023, the Sde Teiman military base in Israel’s southern Negev desert has

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  60 countries participate in historic Global Day of Action for Palestine

  by Marwa A on October 10, 2026

  The Global Day of Action for Palestine called for today, 10th October, has received massive support worldwide. Convened by the Global Alliance for Palestine with the support of the Anti-Apartheid Movement (AAM) and SANED, this historic international mobilisation unites over 200 organisations through 325 mapped events across 60 countries and six continents. From London to capitals and cities worldwide, people of conscience are rising together to declare that the genocide and suffering of the Palestinian people will never be swept aside, and Israel’s illegal occupation will never be normalised. A press statement from the organisers said the scale of today’s mobilisation demonstrates that solidarity with Palestine has blossomed into a thriving, borderless movement, with communities everywhere finding their voice: Europe

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  Palestinian president postpones legislative elections to Sept. 11, 2027

  by Marwa A on October 10, 2026

  Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas issued a decree Saturday setting presidential and legislative elections for Sept. 11, 2027, revoking an earlier decree that had scheduled legislative elections for Nov. 28, 2026, Anadolu reports. The decree calls on Palestinians, including those in the occupied West Bank and the Gaza Strip, to take part in simultaneous elections for the president of the State of Palestine and members of the Palestinian Legislative Council, the official Palestinian news agency Wafa reported. The decree followed “a decision by the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and consultations with Palestinian factions and political forces, which resulted in a national consensus on obstacles posed by Israeli measures to holding elections on the previously scheduled date and

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  Pillay’s defiance, Sharif’s disgrace: The prize, the praise, and the politics of prostration           

  by Marwa A on October 10, 2026

  The 2026 Nobel Peace Prize has exposed two political universes: a South Africa that defies imperial power and Israeli impunity, and a nuclear-armed Pakistan whose prime minister has elevated subservience into an instrument of statecraft. History occasionally delivers a political verdict so devastating that satire becomes redundant. The 2026 Nobel Peace Prize has produced precisely such a spectacle. On one side stands Navi Pillay, the formidable South African jurist who confronted apartheid and exposed Israel’s conduct in Gaza as genocide. On the other stands Shehbaz Sharif, prime minister of nuclear-armed Pakistan, who has repeatedly championed Donald Trump for the same distinction, apparently convinced that a president presiding over devastating wars deserves humanity’s highest honour for peace-making. One confronted Pharaoh. The

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  5 Palestinians killed in Gaza as Israeli army continues strikes 1 year into ceasefire

  by Marwa A on October 10, 2026

  Five Palestinians were killed and others wounded on Saturday in two Israeli airstrikes that targeted gatherings of Palestinian civilians in the Gaza Strip, Anadolu reports. The attacks come as Tel Aviv continues daily strikes despite a ceasefire that has been in effect since Oct. 10, 2025. Four Palestinians were killed and five others wounded in an Israeli drone strike targeting a gathering of people near Haidar Roundabout in western Gaza City, medical sources told Anadolu. Another Palestinian was killed, and others were wounded in an Israeli drone strike targeting a gathering of people in the Tuffah neighborhood in eastern Gaza City, the sources added. Since October 2023, Israel’s war in Gaza has killed more than 74,000 Palestinians and injured over

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  French associations seek court order to halt shipment to Israeli arms company

  by Marwa A on October 10, 2026

  Three French associations petitioned an administrative court in Paris on Friday to halt a shipment intended for Israeli defense firm Elbit Systems, citing France’s obligations under international law, Anadolu reports. The Franco-Palestinian association NIDAL, the human rights association ASER and JURDI (Jurists for Respect for International Law) said in a statement that they had petitioned the emergency judge at the Paris Administrative Court under the expedited procedure to protect fundamental freedoms. The associations said their legal action followed reports that Mijno Precision Gearing SAS, a company based in Saint-Etienne, had attempted to ship planetary gearboxes intended for military vehicles to Elbit Systems Land, the Israeli firm’s land systems division. The shipment, initially scheduled to leave on an Air France flight

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  Riyadh airport resumes normal operations after Houthi attacks: Media

  by Marwa A on October 10, 2026

  Passenger and air traffic at King Khalid International Airport in the Saudi capital returned to normal Friday after two attacks by Yemen’s Houthis killed three Saudi citizens and injured others, Saudi state media reported, Anadolu reports. State-run Alekhbariya TV said passenger movement at the airport is “flowing smoothly,” with operational services resumed and air traffic back to normal. The broadcaster said the rapid restoration of flights reflected the readiness of the airport’s infrastructure and the flexibility of Saudi Arabia’s civil aviation system in dealing with exceptional circumstances and containing their effect, while prioritizing the safety of passengers and staff. It noted that the attack on the airport was not the first this week, with the country facing Houthi attacks targeting

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  Palestine welcomes Navi Pillay’s 2026 Nobel Peace Prize

  by Marwa A on October 10, 2026

  Palestine on Friday welcomed South African jurist Navi Pillay’s being awarded the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize, saying the honor recognizes her efforts to defend international law and document Israeli crimes, Anadolu reports. The Foreign Ministry said Pillay’s win represented an elevation of “the voice of truth and the voice of the oppressed,” and recognized her efforts to advance peace and international law. It said Pillay devoted her career to upholding law and justice and defending the rights of oppressed people in South Africa and around the world, including Palestinians. The ministry praised her leadership of the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and Israel, which she chaired from 2021 to 2025. It

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  Lebanon welcomes US decision to lift air travel restrictions

  by Marwa A on October 10, 2026

  Lebanese President Joseph Aoun on Saturday welcomed US President Donald Trump’s decision to revoke executive orders restricting air travel between the US and Lebanon, Anadolu reports. The move reflects “confidence in the measures taken by the Lebanese state to ensure civil aviation safety, protect air traffic to and from Beirut, and enhance the security of flights connecting Lebanon with countries around the world,” the Lebanese Presidency said in a statement on US social media company X. Aoun also stressed Lebanon’s commitment to aviation safety in line with international standards to protect passengers and bolster confidence in its institutions, according to the statement. READ: Israeli soldier killed, 3 injured in southern Lebanon as Tel Aviv continues to violate framework deal

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  Israeli Democrats leader says killing of Iran’s Ali Khamenei was a ‘mistake’

  by Marwa A on October 10, 2026

  Yair Golan, head of Israel’s opposition Democratic Party, said that the killing of Iran’s former supreme leader Ali Khamenei at the outset of the US-Israeli war on Iran in late February was a “mistake,” Anadolu reports. “I think, unequivocally, the elimination of Khamenei the father was a mistake,” Golan said during an interview at an event in the city of Rishon LeZion south of Tel Aviv, The Times of Israel reported on Friday. “Not because he didn’t deserve to die, only because it doesn’t serve the interests of the State of Israel,” he stated, noting that Khamenei was 86 years old. The Israeli politician claimed that Ali Khamenei’s succession by his son, Mojtaba Khamenei, had left Iran under the leadership

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  Former military secretary accuses Netanyahu’s office of falsifying Oct. 7 records

  by Marwa A on October 10, 2026

  Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s former military secretary said the Prime Minister’s Office falsified records related to Oct. 7, 2023, including altering the recorded time of a key phone call, Yedioth Ahronoth’s Ynet news outlet reported Thursday, citing an interview aired on Channel 12. “I will give everything I know, leave my impressions and let them understand the reality,” Avi Gil said in the interview. “The past few weeks have set me on a different path and signaled to me that I need to come out and tell the truth.” Gil, 54, who served as Netanyahu’s military secretary from July 2021 to May 2024, told Israel’s Channel 12 that a stenographer in the Prime Minister’s Office approached him in January

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  Israeli fire wounds Anadolu photojournalist in occupied West Bank

  by Marwa A on October 10, 2026

  The Israeli army on Saturday shot and wounded Anadolu’s Palestinian photojournalist Issam Rimawi with a rubber bullet in the occupied West Bank, Anadolu reports. Earlier, farmers in the village of Deir Nizam, near Ramallah, appealed to activists for help harvesting their olives after attacks by Israeli occupiers prevented them from accessing their land. Following the appeal, the farmers headed to their land alongside a large number of activists to harvest their olives. However, Israeli occupiers arrived and attacked the Palestinians and activists as they gathered olives. Israeli soldiers later arrived at the scene, sided with the occupiers, and fired tear gas and rubber bullets at the Palestinians. Rimawi, who was covering the olive harvest in the area, was struck in

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  Waffling at the UN: OpenAI, Anthropic and selling Artificial Intelligence

  by Marwa A on October 10, 2026

  They are a trying lot, spruiking their overvalued, loss-making firms, sowing discord and fear, and then seeking state collaboration that will serve to implicate all the parties concerned should things sour.  And what will the rest of us get?  Hardly the promised land.  But the United Nations, for the first time in history, became a centre stage for the propagandists from Artificial Intelligence firms during the September deliberations, diplomats hanging off the banal declarations from such figures as Sam Altman, the CEO from OpenAI, and Dario Amodei, his equivalent from Anthropic. In his September 23 address to the UN Security Council, no less, Altman slipped into that familiar messianic tone about choices to be made, largely because these choices are

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  When a threat alone moves a superpower’s bombers

  by Marwa A on October 10, 2026

  On Sunday, Oct. 4, every American B-1 bomber at RAF Fairford lifted off and flew home. Twelve aircraft, the backbone of the only forward bomber base available to Washington in Europe, left within hours. No ceremony marked the departure. U.S. European Command confirmed only that “all U.S. bombers that were deployed to R.A.F. Fairford are redeploying to their home stations in the United States.” The reason traced back eight days to a Sunday morning when five British men were arrested near the base’s perimeter, three white vans were found suspicious enough to trigger a bomb-disposal response, and 85 homes were evacuated. Iran did not fire a shot. It did not need to. British Prime Minister Andy Burnham told the BBC

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  Israeli occupiers carry out 19 attacks on Palestinians, olive farmers across West Bank in hours

  by Marwa A on October 9, 2026

  Israeli occupiers carried out 19 attacks against Palestinians across the occupied West Bank from early Friday until around noon, targeting olive farmers, trees, crops, livestock and vehicles, according to the Colonization and Wall Resistance Commission, Anadolu reports. The commission said its preliminary monitoring, based on field reports, showed a surge in attacks during the olive harvest season, including assaults on farmers and the burning and uprooting of olive trees. “The attacks included torching a vehicle during an assault on farmers in Tell, uprooting more than 50 olive trees in Qusra and targeting olive pickers in Jurish, Beita, Naqoura, Birzeit, Deir Ibzi and Far’ata,” according to the commission. “Occupiers also opened fire in Deir Ballut, while a farmer was injured in

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  Islamabad lauds Pope Leo’s call for ‘just resolution’ of Palestine conflict as Vatican’s top diplomat tours Pakistan

  by Marwa A on October 9, 2026

  Pakistan on Friday welcomed Pope Leo XIV’s calls for peace and a “just resolution” of the Palestine conflict as Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar met the Vatican’s top diplomat, Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, in Islamabad, Anadolu reports. Dar reaffirmed Pakistan’s solidarity with Palestinians and expressed concern over the continuing humanitarian crisis, the Foreign Ministry said on US social media company X. Both officials emphasized sustained international efforts to advance peace in the region, according to the ministry. Gallagher, the Holy See’s secretary for relations with states and international organizations, commended Pakistan’s role in promoting regional stability through mediation, dialogue and diplomacy. Dar acknowledged the Vatican’s contribution to interfaith harmony and praised Pakistan’s Catholic community for its work in education and health

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  UAE says FlyDubai co-pilot planned ‘suicide attack’ on Ben Gurion Airport

  by Marwa A on October 9, 2026

  The United Arab Emirates said Friday that a FlyDubai co-pilot had planned to seize control of an aircraft and carry out a “suicide attack” on Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv, Anadolu reports. Federal Attorney General Hamad Saif Al Shamsi said an investigation into the Sept. 30 flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv found that the 29-year-old Omani co-pilot had planned the attack in advance, according to the official WAM news agency. The suspect “had begun carrying out a premeditated terrorist plot to seize control of the aircraft and use it to launch a suicide attack targeting the passenger terminal at Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv, with the aim of causing the greatest possible loss of life,” Al Shamsi

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  Pakistan has ‘substantial’ number of forces in Saudi Arabia: Foreign Ministry

  by Marwa A on October 9, 2026

  Pakistan has deployed “substantial” number of military forces and resources in Saudi Arabia, the Foreign Ministry said Friday, Anadolu reports. “Pakistan already has a substantial number of forces, as well as resources, in Riyadh,” Foreign Office spokesperson Sajjad Haider Khan told reporters in Islamabad, according to an official transcript of his news conference. Khan stressed the Mecca pact between Türkiye, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia “is a defensive organisation… an alliance intended to defend the three countries against aggression.” “Therefore, these forces would not cross the border into Yemen to launch attacks against the Houthis. However, they would, of course, be utilised to defend the country’s territory and safeguard its sovereignty,” he explained. The new Mecca Alliance was formed on Aug.

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  EU calls US sanctions announcement against International Criminal Court ‘deeply regrettable’

  by Marwa A on October 9, 2026

  The EU on Friday called the US announcement of imposing sanctions on the International Criminal Court “deeply regrettable,” reaffirming its commitment to protecting the court’s independence and operations, Anadolu reports. “The European Union has been a constant supporter of the International Criminal Court (ICC). It is deeply regrettable that the United States has announced intentions to impose sanctions,” the European Commission said in a statement. The bloc pledged to work closely with the court to ensure it could continue operating effectively. It also said it would cooperate with all 125 states party to the Rome Statute, the court’s founding treaty, to safeguard its independence and “vital mission.” Noting that the sanctions would not take effect for another six months, the

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  US imposes sanctions on International Criminal Court, threatens to ‘dismantle’ it

  by Marwa A on October 9, 2026

  The US on Friday imposed sanctions on the International Criminal Court (ICC), Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced, hours after former court judge Navi Pillay won the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize, Anadolu reports. “President Trump will never allow the International Criminal Court to prosecute Americans. That is why, today, the United States is sanctioning the International Criminal Court,” Rubio said in a statement. Rubio said Washington had deferred the designation “in hopes that the ICC would change course or would otherwise be restrained by States Parties,” but neither had “taken meaningful steps to address our concerns.” “Either the ICC will end its threats, or we will end the ICC,” Rubio said, calling on US allies that are members of the

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  Yemen humanitarian crisis ‘sharply worsens’ as fighting displaces over 200,000: UN

  by Marwa A on October 9, 2026

  Yemen’s humanitarian crisis has “sharply worsened” amid renewed fighting that has displaced more than 200,000 people since early August, a senior UN humanitarian official warned Friday, Anadolu reports. Mohamed Yahya, assistant secretary-general for humanitarian affairs and deputy emergency relief coordinator, delivered the warning during a UN Security Council briefing on behalf of UN humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher. “Today, I must warn the Council that Yemen’s humanitarian crisis has sharply worsened. Further inaction will cost lives,” Yahya said. He said escalating fighting over the past two months had forced families already exhausted by more than a decade of conflict to flee their homes. Many displaced families had depleted their savings, lost livelihoods and had few options for safety, he added. According

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  Iraq cannot restore its sovereignty by disarming militias alone

  by EditorMehdi on October 9, 2026

  Iraq is approaching a decisive test of its sovereignty. Following the end of the US-led coalition’s military mission in federal Iraq on 30 September 2026, Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi has set a new deadline of 30 June 2027 for bringing powerful armed factions under state control. The plan begins with a 90-day halt to military activity before moving towards weapons control and the integration of fighters into official security institutions. Yet the refusal of influential factions to surrender their autonomy reveals a deeper problem. Baghdad is attempting to discipline armed organisations that have become embedded in the political order it seeks to reform. The distinction matters. Iraq is not dealing simply with armed groups operating beyond the reach of the

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  UN urges Israel to end harassment, intimidation, detention of civilians in Syria

  by EditorMehdi on October 9, 2026

  The UN human rights office on Friday urged Israeli authorities to halt actions that harass or intimidate civilians in southern Syria, including military raids, movement restrictions, detentions and destruction of crops, Anadolu reports. The office cited open-source monitoring that recorded about 280 incidents involving armed Israeli incursions into Syria in September alone, the highest monthly figure since the beginning of the year. According to information received by the office, 49 Syrians remain in Israeli custody, although it said it had not independently verified the current total number of detainees. Released detainees and other sources alleged torture and ill-treatment, including beatings, prolonged forced standing and threats against detainees and their families. “Israeli authorities should cease actions that harass or intimidate civilians

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  Iran says LPG carrier struck, catches fire while crossing Strait of Hormuz via ‘illegal’ route

  by EditorMehdi on October 9, 2026

  Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said Friday that a liquefied petroleum gas carrier was struck and caught fire while attempting to cross the Strait of Hormuz via an “illegal route,” Anadolu reports. “A giant ship carrying LPG gas called NV Sunshine belonging to the Natwit company, which was trying to cross the illegal route south of the Strait of Hormuz, was hit and suffered a massive fire in the engine room and propulsion system,” the IRGC said in a statement carried by the semi-official Tasnim news agency. The statement blamed “the aggressor American army” for escalating tensions in regional maritime transport. The Revolutionary Guard also said its naval forces would not allow “invading forces” to remain in the area and

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  Nearly 50,000 women, girls killed or severely injured in Gaza since October 2023: UN Women

  by EditorMehdi on October 9, 2026

  Nearly 50,000 women and girls have been killed or severely injured in Gaza since October 2023, equivalent to one in every 21 women and girls in the enclave, UN Women said Friday. “More than 38,000 killed and 11,700 left with injuries so severe that they now live with lifelong disabilities,” Sofia Calltorp, UN Women’s chief of humanitarian action, told reporters in Geneva. She said most casualties occurred during the first two years of the war, but violence has continued despite the ceasefire agreement entering into effect a year ago, with 277 women and girls killed since October 2025. Nearly one million women and girls have been forced from their homes, while almost all remain displaced, many living in tents or

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  Iranian president proposes ‘CIS+1’ cooperation format

  by EditorMehdi on October 9, 2026

  Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian proposed on Friday a CIS+1 cooperation format to boost cooperation between Iran and members of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), Anadolu reports. “The format ‘CIS member states + Iran’, or ‘CIS+1,’ format should be established as a flexible and effective mechanism for dialogue and cooperation,” Pezeshkian said at the CIS summit in the Avaza tourist zone of Turkmenistan. He called on the nations of “this important and strategic region” to play a key role in shaping a multipolar world, according to Iran’s semi-official Fars news agency. READ: Putin offers Russian mediation to end war in talks with Pezeshkian Regional diplomacy must go beyond meetings to manage crises, maintain communication, prevent conflict escalation and promote practical cooperation,

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  Gaza ceasefire ‘exists only on paper,’ say over 100 NGOs in joint statement

  by EditorMehdi on October 9, 2026

  More than 100 humanitarian and human rights organizations said on Friday that the Gaza ceasefire “exists only on paper,” citing continued Israeli attacks and restrictions on aid and reconstruction a year after the agreement, Anadolu reports. In a joint statement, the organizations said Israeli attacks, shootings and military operations have killed more than 1,400 Palestinians, including at least 324 children, over the past year. “A ceasefire is meaningless if children continue to be killed and families remain unable to rebuild their lives,” said Save the Children Chief Executive Inger Ashing. “Since the ceasefire was announced, nearly one child has been killed every day.” The statement said Israeli forces have moved the so-called Yellow Line deeper into Gaza, beyond the withdrawal

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  Thousands of health workers petition world medical body to suspend Israeli Medical Association

  by EditorMehdi on October 9, 2026

  Doctors and healthcare workers are demanding the suspension of Israeli Medical Association (IMA) from the World Medical Association (WMA) over its complicity in the destruction of Gaza’s healthcare system and the torture of Palestinian detainees. Protests are planned over the weekend outside WMA’s office in Rotterdam. The IMA OUT! coalition organising the demonstration will deliver a petition signed by nearly 6,500 health workers worldwide, calling for the Israeli Medical Association (IMA) to be suspended over violations of medical ethics. Campaigners accuse the Israeli association of failing to uphold its responsibilities towards Palestinian patients, healthcare workers and prisoners, and of defending the destruction of healthcare facilities while blocking international condemnation. “The IMA is not a bystander. It defends these attacks and

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  MEMO statement on articles removed following OpenAI’s report on an alleged influence operation

  by Marwa A on October 9, 2026

  It has been brought to our attention that a small number of recent articles published on our platform have been linked to an alleged AI-enabled influence operation identified by OpenAI. We take this matter seriously and have reviewed and removed the articles in question. MEMO receives a very large volume of article submissions daily. This is the first instance of this kind we have identified. We are reviewing our submissions process and strengthening our editorial safeguards to reduce the risk of a recurrence. Maintaining the trust of our readers and protecting our editorial integrity remain central to our work.

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  Bab el-Mandeb ‘cleared of Houthi remnants,’ Saudi envoy to Yemen says

  by EditorMehdi on October 9, 2026

  Saudi Ambassador to Yemen, Mohammed Al Jaber, said on Friday that the Bab el-Mandeb Strait has been “cleared” of the Houthi group. “Blessed Friday, and victory for every Yemeni and Arab. Bab al-Mandeb has been cleared of the remnants of the Houthi terrorist militia,” Al Jaber said in a post on US social media company X, without providing further details. The Houthis did not immediately comment on the ambassador’s statement. Yemen has been engulfed in conflict since the Houthis seized the capital Sanaa and several provinces in 2014, prompting a Saudi-led coalition to intervene in March 2015 in support of the internationally recognized government. The military escalation that began in July has marked the most extensive fighting in Yemen since

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  UN says Gaza shelter supplies cover just 17% of winter needs as nearly 2M require aid

  by EditorMehdi on October 9, 2026

  Nearly 2 million Palestinians in Gaza urgently need shelter assistance as winter approaches, while Israeli restrictions continue to prevent the entry of critical supplies, the UN migration agency said on Friday, Anadolu reports. The IOM said in a statement that nearly all of Gaza’s population remains in need of shelter assistance one year after a ceasefire was announced, with available stocks and incoming supplies covering only 17% of identified winter needs. “Families who have already endured repeated displacement and devastating loss must be able to face the winter in safety and dignity,” IOM Director General Amy Pope said in the statement. More than half of tents and makeshift shelters are in “poor condition,” which requires replacement, while many Palestinians are