israel

Turkey Arrests Two on Charges of Spying for Israel

Turkish intelligence has arrested two people on suspicion of spying for Israel's Mossad and providing information that helped the spy agency target its enemies, state news agency Anadolu reported Friday. Security sources said Mehmet Budak Derya and Veysel Kerimoglu had been arrested in Istanbul, saying they had long been on the radar of ...

Iran–U.S. Talks Begin in Oman as Tehran Warns Against “Excessive Demands”

Iran and the United States began talks on Friday in Oman, with discussions limited to Iran’s nuclear programme, according to the Israeli newspaper Haaretz, citing a source described as knowledgeable about Middle East affairs. The source said Washington accepted Iran’s conditions after mediation by regional countries, including Qatar, ...

Aoun Orders Inquiry Into Israel’s Spraying of Unknown Substance in South Lebanon

President Joseph Aoun instructed the Lebanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Wednesday to investigate Israel’s spraying of an unknown substance on southern Lebanese land to document the violations for international bodies.  He declared that “these dangerous practices…require the international community and relevant United ...

Turkey's Erdogan Visits Saudi as Ties Between Former Rivals Warm

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan visited Riyadh on Tuesday in his first visit in more than two years, as ties warm between Saudi Arabia and its rival-turned-ally. Ankara hopes to "finalise negotiations towards a free trade agreement between Turkey and the member of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC)", the Turkish presidency said. "The two ...

Hezbollah’s Qassem Rejects State Authority, Frames Conflict as Existential Battle

Hezbollah Secretary General Naim Qassem on Tuesday adopted a defiant tone toward Lebanese officials and state institutions, rejecting any internal pressure on the group and reaffirming Hezbollah’s commitment to armed confrontation, while framing regional tensions as an existential battle against what he described as American and Israeli ...

January 2026: What the Surge in Israeli Strikes in Lebanon Signals

January 2026 marked a sharp escalation in Israeli military activity in Lebanon, with the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) conducting 87 airstrikes, more than double the number recorded in December 2025. It was the most active month since the ceasefire of November 27, 2024, underscoring a shift in operational tempo even as Israel maintains that its ...

Can a New Round of U.S.–Iran Talks Avert Escalation?

Amid elevated military tensions, the U.S. and Iran are now cautiously opening diplomatic channels, indicating an interest in averting a major conflict with potentially uncontrollable consequences for the region. In recent days, a series of mixed signals—from hawkish statements and regional warnings to indirect exchanges via ...

Israel Sets Red Lines Ahead of U.S.-Iran Talks as Witkoff Visits Jerusalem

Israel is seeking firm assurances from Washington ahead of anticipated U.S.-Iran talks on Friday in Turkey, with Israeli officials signaling that any agreement falling short of dismantling Tehran’s nuclear capabilities would be unacceptable. The issue will be central to meetings in Jerusalem on Tuesday, as U.S. Special Envoy for the Middle ...

Trump Warns Iran of Consequences if Diplomacy Fails

The United States and Iran are set to resume nuclear talks on Friday in Turkey, officials from both sides told Reuters, as President Donald Trump warned that “bad things” would likely happen if negotiations fail, with U.S. warships moving closer to Iran amid heightened regional tensions. U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreign ...

Witkoff to Visit Israel Amid Gaza Ceasefire Efforts

U.S. Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff is expected to visit Israel on Tuesday for meetings with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and military chief Eyal Zamir, two senior Israeli officials told Reuters on Monday. The trip comes as efforts to advance a Gaza ceasefire continue, despite repeated Israeli strikes and Hamas’s refusal to disarm. Under ...

Israeli Strikes Destroy Hezbollah Weapons' Depot, kill Operative

Israel struck a vehicle near Phoenicia University on the Zahrani–Tyre highway in southern Lebanon. Shortly after the attack, the Israeli army said it had targeted a Hezbollah member in the Saida district, north of the Litani River. The raids killed one person and injured eight others. Later in the day, the Israeli army issued an urgent ...