War in the Middle East

Oil Surges as Trump Signals Escalation Against Iran
Oil Surges as Trump Signals Escalation Against Iran

Oil prices jumped in volatile trading on Thursday morning after Donald Trump warned of potential further military action against Iran, dampening hopes for a near-term de-escalation in the conflict, CNBC reported. U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures for May rose 5.9% to $106.02 a barrel as of 3:11 a.m. ET, while June Brent crude ...

UAE Signals Willingness to Join Military Effort in Hormuz: Report
UAE Signals Willingness to Join Military Effort in Hormuz: Report

The United Arab Emirates is preparing to support a potential military operation led by the United States and its allies to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, Arab officials told the Wall Street Journal. If confirmed, the move would mark the first time a Gulf state has formally entered the conflict with Iran. Emirati officials are pushing for a United ...

Israel Strikes Litani Bridges to Pressure Lebanese Government
AnalysisIsrael Strikes Litani Bridges to Pressure Lebanese Government

As Israel presses its ground invasion of south Lebanon, it has destroyed several bridges spanning the Litani River, saying Hezbollah was using the crossings for military purposes. Analysts told This Is Beirut that the strikes also form part of a broader pressure campaign on the Lebanese state. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said the bridges ...

Stocks Rally, Oil Dives as Trump Says War to End 'Very Soon'
Stocks Rally, Oil Dives as Trump Says War to End 'Very Soon'

Equities rallied and oil tumbled Wednesday after US President Donald Trump said the Middle East war would be over in up to three weeks and his Iranian counterpart said Tehran had "the necessary will" to bring it to an end. The remarks came as the economic impact of the conflict worsens, with average US gasoline prices topping $4 a gallon for the ...

Iran FM Says Not Responded to U.S. Plan, 'No Negotiations'
Iran FM Says Not Responded to U.S. Plan, 'No Negotiations'

Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said there were no negotiations with the United States and that Tehran had not responded to a reported 15-point proposal from Washington to end the war. "We receive messages from the American side, some direct and some through our friends in the region, and whenever necessary we respond to these messages," ...

Iranian Missile Barrage Hits Israel, Reports Indicate Use of Cluster Munitions
Iranian Missile Barrage Hits Israel, Reports Indicate Use of Cluster Munitions

Israel reported renewed missile launches from Iran on Wednesday targeting central and northern areas, causing multiple casualties and damage across several sites, with reports indicating the possible use of cluster munitions that pose long-term risks to civilians. The military stated it had “identified missiles launched from Iran toward the ...

U.S. Defense Secretary Warns of Intensified Strikes Against Iran
U.S. Defense Secretary Warns of Intensified Strikes Against Iran

U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth held a press conference Tuesday at the Pentagon alongside Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, providing an update on the ongoing U.S.-Israeli military operations against Iran. Hegseth described the campaign as a “laser-focused, maximum authority mission” employing overwhelming ...

Israeli Forces Will Occupy Swathe of South Lebanon After War: Defense Minister
Israeli Forces Will Occupy Swathe of South Lebanon After War: Defense Minister

Defense Minister Israel Katz on Tuesday said Israel's military would occupy a swathe of southern Lebanon even after the end of the current war against the Hezbollah armed group. "At the end of the operation, the IDF will establish itself in a security zone inside Lebanon, on a defensive line against anti-tank missiles, and will maintain security ...

Army Withdrawal Sparks Anxiety in Southern Border Villages
Army Withdrawal Sparks Anxiety in Southern Border Villages

Residents of the predominantly Christian southern villages of Rmeish, Debel, and Ain Ebel are experiencing growing anxiety following the sudden withdrawal of security forces and the closure of local police stations on Tuesday, according to local officials and community leaders. Concerns intensified after units of the Lebanese Army redeployed from ...

Iran Executes Two More Convicted of Links to Banned Opposition
Iran Executes Two More Convicted of Links to Banned Opposition

Iran executed two men on Tuesday convicted of membership in a banned opposition group and plotting to overthrow the Islamic republic, the judiciary said, a day after two others were hanged on similar charges. "Babak Alipour and Pouya Ghobadi... were executed by hanging on Tuesday after legal procedures were completed and their sentences ...

Leavitt Says U.S. Talks with 'More Rational' Iranians are Ongoing
Leavitt Says U.S. Talks with 'More Rational' Iranians are Ongoing

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt spoke on the status of U.S. operations in Iran in a press conference on Monday She said that talks with Iranians are ongoing and making good progress. Remnants of the regime are inclined to negotiate. The U.S. is currently speaking with “more rational” Iranians to reach an ...

Israel Maintains High Pressure in West Bank Amid Iran War
Israel Maintains High Pressure in West Bank Amid Iran War

As war with Iran and its proxies touches most of the region, Israel maintains pressure in the West Bank as violence mounts, while the Knesset approved a bill setting the death penalty on charges of deadly acts of terrorism.  On Monday, 2 Palestinians in the West Bank were killed by Israeli soldiers in separate incidents, according to ...