Middle Eastern Politics

Netanyahu plans to sue Haaretz over claims he ignored a UAE warning before Hamas’s October 7 attack, as Israel’s election intensifies scrutiny.

Yemen war escalates as Houthi missiles wound 73 in Saudi Arabia, trigger coalition airstrikes and fierce ground fighting near Taiz and the Red Sea.

The US launched Operation Economic Outcast against Iran that expands secondary sanctions risk across five critical sectors and targets nearly 60 entities.

US removes Syria from its terrorism list, completing a phased sanctions rollback that could unlock international trade, investment and reconstruction after Assad’s fall.

Israel, Syria and Turkey edge toward war after Israeli airbase strikes; US-mediated talks in Jordan seek de-escalation and new security rules.

US President Donald Trump has launched what he calls an “Economic D-Day” against Iran, vowing the “most crushing economic operation ever taken against any country”.

Kushner held rare back-to-back meetings with Hamas and Israeli leaders to revive a stalled 15-point Gaza peace plan.

Trump posted an AI-generated image on his Truth Social platform labeling the Strait of Hormuz as "NEW US TERRITORY."

Both Washington and Tehran have ruled out extending the deal, with President Donald Trump declaring that Iran must "put up the white flag of surrender".

Washington says its naval blockade has secured the strategic waterway while Tehran insists no vessel may pass without its approval.

Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and Pakistan have pledged to treat an armed attack on one as an attack on all, creating a new layer of regional deterrence.

Remains recovered from the rubble in Gaza City’s Sabra neighbourhood were identified through fragments of clothing, jewellery and other evidence

After Iran denied holding talks, Trump publicly lashed out, calling the Iranian leadership "unbelievably duplicitous" and insists talks are ongoing.

Hamas has agreed for the first time to a detailed roadmap to surrender its weapons and give up any governing role in Gaza.

The overlap highlighted Graham’s standing as a longtime foreign-policy hawk, bringing together leaders tied to two of the world’s most consequential conflicts.

The US halted its recent strike campaign after 13 consecutive nights of attacks, while Iranian forces also stopped retaliatory strikes for the time being.

Trump signaled that he sees little room for compromise at this stage, saying Iran is “not ready” and has not “received enough pain yet”.

From a strategic perspective, the agreement effectively blocks competitors like China and Russia from securing a nuclear foothold in the region.

It is the first visit by a Lebanese head of state to Washington in nearly two decades and signaling renewed diplomatic momentum in the Middle East.

Former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad denied allegations that he was recruited by Israeli intelligence as part of a regime-change plot.

The move signals a strategic consolidation by the pragmatic coalition around Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and President Masoud Pezeshkian.

The meeting marked al-Zaidi’s first official visit since taking office following a prolonged political deadlock in Baghdad.

Trump posted on Truth Social that he was dropping the fee after “highly productive conversations with Middle East leadership".

The US is reinstating a naval blockade on Iran and will charge a 20% fee on cargo moving through the Strait of Hormuz, escalating a maritime standoff.

Abbas’s decree revives a long-dormant electoral timetable after the last Palestinian legislative vote, which resulted in a Hamas victory and the political split that left the Palestinian Legislative Council inactive since 2007.

Iran’s threats against President Donald Trump have escalated on two parallel tracks: a reported plot and Khamenei's revenge rhetoric.

At the center of the declaration is a clear shift toward what officials increasingly describe as a "wartime industrial base".

President Trump declared the truce “over” following a rapid exchange of military strikes, yet signaled diplomatic channels remain open through intermediaries.

Iran has completed the burial of its late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in the holy city of Mashhad.

The United States and Iran have tentatively agreed to pause their latest exchange of strikes for fresh talks in Qatar on Tuesday.

Israel and Lebanon signed a US-brokered framework agreement on June 26 that sets out a sequenced path to end months of fighting

High-level talks between the United States and Iran in Switzerland ended with a 60-day roadmap toward a broader settlement.

Israel and Hezbollah agreed to a renewed ceasefire on June 19, 2026, in a fragile truce brokered by US and Qatari mediators with diplomatic backing from Iran.

US President Donald Trump signed the agreement during a G7 gala dinner at the Palace of Versailles in France on Wednesday, June 17.

The United States and Iran have electronically signed a preliminary MoU to end the conflict and are expected to formally sign an agreement in Switzerland on Friday.

This incident has shifted the diplomatic calculus: Tehran is now reconsidering peace talks while Washington signals that delays will be punished militarily.

Iran and Israel have agreed to pause direct military operations following first direct attacks since an April 2026 ceasefire.

Pakistan-mediated negotiations between the US and Iran have advanced through rapid exchanges.

This declaration sidesteps the War Powers Resolution of 1973, which would have otherwise required him to seek congressional authorization.

Negotiations between the United States and Iran are in a state of high-tension stalemate.

The truce was described as an initial 10-day cessation of hostilities, with the possibility of extension if both sides agreed and negotiations made progress.

Vance cited Iran's refusal to commit to permanently giving up its nuclear program as the primary breaking point.

The ceasefire was the culmination of a weeks-long series of escalating threats and shifting deadlines from President Trump.

Since the failure of this resolution, diplomatic focus has shifted toward a two-week ceasefire announced on 8 April.

The Strait of Hormuz crisis is transitioning from a total blockade to a highly controlled, permission-based transit regime.

The primary goal is to find diplomatic and political solutions to restore the safe passage of commodities like oil and gas.

This was his first televised address since the conflict began in late February.

President Trump stated that the US will withdraw within 2 to 3 weeks, with or without a formal agreement with Tehran.

While Moscow has avoided direct military intervention, its support has been critical in helping Iran target US and Israeli assets in the Middle East.

Iranian state-linked media reports the organization of over a million combatants for a potential ground battle against US forces.