Middle East

Iran State TV Says European Countries in Talks with Tehran for Hormuz Transit
Iran State TV Says European Countries in Talks with Tehran for Hormuz Transit

Iranian state television said on Saturday that European countries were in talks with Tehran over transit for ships through the Strait of Hormuz. "Following the passage of ships from East Asian countries, notably China, Japan, and Pakistan, we received information today indicating that Europeans have also begun negotiations with the Revolutionary ...

Israel Announces Killing of Senior Hamas Commander Izz al-Din al-Haddad
Israel Announces Killing of Senior Hamas Commander Izz al-Din al-Haddad

The Israeli military and Shin Bet security agency announced on Saturday that they had killed Izz al-Din al-Haddad, a senior commander in Hamas’s military wing whom Israeli officials described as one of the last high-ranking leaders involved in the October 7, 2023 attacks. In a joint statement, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and Shin Bet ...

Iraq Exports Through Hormuz Fell to 10 Million Barrels in April: Oil Minister
Iraq Exports Through Hormuz Fell to 10 Million Barrels in April: Oil Minister

Iraq's oil exports through the Strait of Hormuz plunged to just 10 million barrels in April, the country's new oil minister said Saturday. A founding member of the OPEC oil cartel, Iraq normally exports the majority of its crude through the crucial waterway, but like other exporters in the oil-rich region, it has been left scrambling for ...

Trump Says Patience With Iran Is Running Out Over Strait Closure
Trump Says Patience With Iran Is Running Out Over Strait Closure

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Friday that his patience with Iran was wearing thin and claimed that Chinese President Xi Jinping agreed Tehran should reopen the Strait of Hormuz, though Beijing gave no sign it intended to intervene directly. Speaking aboard Air Force One while returning from Beijing after two days of talks with Xi, Trump ...

U.S. arrests senior Kata’ib Hezbollah commander over plotted international terror campaign
U.S. arrests senior Kata’ib Hezbollah commander over plotted international terror campaign

Federal authorities in the United States have announced the arrest of Mohammad Baqer Saad Dawood Al-Saadi, an Iraqi national identified in a criminal complaint as a senior commander within Kata’ib Hezbollah, a group designated by the U.S. as a foreign terrorist organization. Officials say he was arrested overseas, transferred into U.S. custody, ...

Lebanon-Israel Talks to Resume June 2 as Ceasefire Extended by 45 Days
Lebanon-Israel Talks to Resume June 2 as Ceasefire Extended by 45 Days

The United States announced Friday that Lebanon and Israel concluded two days of “highly productive” talks in Washington, agreeing to extend the April 17 ceasefire by 45 days as negotiations continue amid ongoing cross-border tensions.  In a statement, the State Department said the talks, held on May 14 and 15, focused on ...

Trump: ‘Decimation’ of Iran 'To Be Continued' After Talks With Xi
Trump: ‘Decimation’ of Iran 'To Be Continued' After Talks With Xi

U.S. President Donald Trump signaled Thursday that Washington could resume military operations against Iran despite the fragile ceasefire currently in place, while simultaneously seeking Chinese support to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and contain the regional crisis threatening global energy markets. The remarks came after Trump met Chinese ...

Iraq PM Vows Monopoly on Arms as Parliament Approves Government
Iraq PM Vows Monopoly on Arms as Parliament Approves Government

Iraqi lawmakers approved a new government on Thursday led by Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi, who vowed to ensure a state monopoly on weapons amid growing US pressure to dismantle Tehran-backed groups. Iraq has long walked a tightrope between the competing influences of its allies, neighboring Iran and the United States. Iraq's parliament voted ...

IDF Intensifies Strikes in Southern Lebanon and Bekaa Valley as Washington Hosts Third Round of Talks
IDF Intensifies Strikes in Southern Lebanon and Bekaa Valley as Washington Hosts Third Round of Talks

On the same day that the third round of indirect negotiations between Lebanon and Israel reportedly began in Washington, the Israeli military announced a significant escalation of operations in southern Lebanon. In an official statement, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said that over the past 24 hours it had struck approximately 65 targets ...

CENTCOM Pushes Lebanese Army Support as Hezbollah Supply Routes Collapse
CENTCOM Pushes Lebanese Army Support as Hezbollah Supply Routes Collapse

During a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing held today, Chairman Roger Wicker questioned Admiral Brad Cooper on Iran’s continued support for regional proxy groups, including Hezbollah, Hamas, and the Houthis, amid ongoing U.S. military operations in the Middle East. Wicker stressed that Iran’s influence extends beyond its nuclear ...