Middle East

Hezbollah Signals Openness to Indirect Talks with Israel
Hezbollah Signals Openness to Indirect Talks with Israel

In a notable shift in tone, Hezbollah’s Secretary General Naim Qassem signaled for the first time openness to indirect negotiations with Israel, framing diplomacy as a viable path—while firmly rejecting any form of direct talks. “We support diplomacy that stops the aggression and enforces agreements,” Qassem said in a statement on Monday, ...

U.S. Ambassador Issa: Aoun–Trump Meeting Would Not Be a Concession
U.S. Ambassador Issa: Aoun–Trump Meeting Would Not Be a Concession

U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon Michel Issa said Monday that a potential meeting between Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, U.S. President Donald Trump, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu should not be viewed as a loss or concession for Lebanon. Speaking in a live address, Issa stressed that such a meeting would provide an opportunity for ...

Why Iran’s Influence in Lebanon Persists Despite Hezbollah’s Losses
Op-edWhy Iran’s Influence in Lebanon Persists Despite Hezbollah’s Losses

Israel’s military blows to Hezbollah and its seizure of a strip of territory in southern Lebanon have not changed Tehran’s strategic calculus. The Islamic Republic of Iran continues to regard its influence in Lebanon as a strategic priority, despite the scale of casualties among Lebanon’s Shia population, the waves of displacement, and the ...

Tanker Hit by 'Unknown Projectiles' off UAE Coast: UK Maritime Agency
Tanker Hit by 'Unknown Projectiles' off UAE Coast: UK Maritime Agency

A tanker was hit by unidentified projectiles off the coast of the United Arab Emirates, a British maritime agency reported Monday, as the United States said it would escort ships through the blocked Strait of Hormuz. "A tanker has reported being hit by unknown projectiles," the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said, ...

Israel Expands Air Power with F-35I and F-15IA Deal Following Lessons from Iran Conflict
Israel Expands Air Power with F-35I and F-15IA Deal Following Lessons from Iran Conflict

Israel has approved the acquisition of two additional fighter jet squadrons from the United States. The deal includes a fourth squadron of F-35I stealth fighters and a second squadron of F-15IA strike aircraft, both supplied by U.S. defense manufacturers Lockheed Martin and Boeing. The announcement, made by the Israeli Ministry of Defense, ...

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent: “We Are Strangling the Regime”
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent: “We Are Strangling the Regime”

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent stated on Sunday that Washington has intensified its crackdown on all entities attempting to financially support Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). He stressed that the United States is “strangling the Iranian regime” economically, claiming that Tehran is now struggling to pay its ...

Funeral Gunfire Sparks Tensions Between Army and Hezbollah Supporters
Funeral Gunfire Sparks Tensions Between Army and Hezbollah Supporters

Tensions flared in Beirut’s southern suburbs on Sunday as units of the Lebanese Armed Forces deployed during a funeral procession for four individuals killed in recent violence, sparking friction with supporters of Hezbollah and highlighting the limits of state authority in the area. According to eyewitnesses and local media, the situation ...

Netanyahu Warns Israel Can Strike Anywhere in Iranian Airspace
Netanyahu Warns Israel Can Strike Anywhere in Iranian Airspace

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday in a recorded speech that Israel is capable of striking “anywhere in Iranian airspace" in a renewed warning to Tehran as indirect negotiations between Iran and the United States continue through Pakistani mediation. Netanyahu emphasized that Israeli pilots are “ready” to ...

Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Warns U.S., Sets Deadline to Lift Naval Blockade
Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Warns U.S., Sets Deadline to Lift Naval Blockade

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) intelligence arm issued a series of new warnings on Sunday, saying Tehran has given Washington a deadline to lift its naval blockade on Iranian ports, as tensions escalate alongside fragile diplomatic efforts. The IRGC said on Sunday that Iran had granted the Pentagon a “final ...

Trump Says U.S. Not Likely to Accept New Iran Peace Proposal
Trump Says U.S. Not Likely to Accept New Iran Peace Proposal

U.S. President Donald Trump said Saturday he would review a new Iranian peace proposal but cast doubt over its prospects as he left open the possibility of future attacks on Iran. Negotiations between the two countries have been deadlocked since a ceasefire came into effect on April 8, with one round of peace talks to end the more than two-month ...