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The terrorist, known as "Abdul Rahman Al-Halabi," was the group's head of external operations and security. He was accused of overseeing attacks in multiple countries, including the bombing of Iran's embassy in Lebanon, and planning other operations in Europe and the United States that were ultimately foiled through intelligence work (Read more at Yahoo).
Turkish President Erdogan announces broad agenda — including trade, investment, defence — for his September 25 meeting with US President Trump, who says talks on Boeing aircraft, F-16 and F-35 jets would be key discussion points (Read more at TRT World).
The US National Counterterrorism Center said on Friday (Sept 19) that recent calls by al Qaeda for attacks against the United States showed the group's enduring threat to the country. Al Qaeda and its Yemen-based affiliate, al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) "are likely seeking to leverage their media publications and global conflicts, particularly where there is US support or military involvement, to inspire potential attackers," it said in a memo to law enforcement (Read more at Asia One).
The resolution demanded an immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire in Gaza and that Israel lift all restrictions on aid deliveries to the Palestinian enclave. The text, drafted by the elected ten members of the 15-member council, would also have demanded the immediate, dignified and unconditional release of all hostages held by Hamas and other groups (Read more at Arab Weekly).
Democrat Jeff Merkley of Oregon, who is leading the effort, said in a statement: “America has a responsibility to lead, and the time to act is now.” The resolution urges US recognition of a demilitarised Palestinian state alongside a secure Israel and would offer both sides hope while boosting prospects for peace, he said. However, it is unlikely to pass the Chamber, where US President Donald Trump’s Republicans have a 53-47 majority (Read more at Straits Times).
Baghdad sought Washington’s approval for months to let it import roughly 5 billion cubic meters (bcm) of Turkmen gas via Iran. Baghdad also offered to allow a third-party international monitor to oversee the deal’s compliance with US sanctions and anti-money laundering rules. But despite months of lobbying, US objections ultimately scuppered the deal as Washington ramps up pressure on Iran over its nuclear plans (Read more at Arabnews).
U.S. Ambassador Mike Huckabee said there had been conversations around an interim governing structure involving Gulf Arab states, potentially with the U.S. taking on a supervisory role, with a decision on a permanent arrangement to be made later (Read more at Yahoo).
“The State of Palestine may submit a prerecorded statement of its President, which will be played in the General Assembly Hall,” said the resolution, which passed on Friday with 145 votes in favour, five opposed, and six abstentions (Read more at Aljazeera).
The package reportedly includes a $3.8 billion deal for 30 AH-64 Apache attack helicopters and $1.9 billion for 3,250 infantry assault vehicles intended for the Israeli army. In addition to these high-value contracts, the plan features another $750 million for support parts for armoured personnel carriers and power supplies, which is still being processed. The news arrives days before the United Nations General Assembly is set to convene in New York, where world leaders are expected to address the conflict (Read more at MSN).
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced Friday it would end protections from deportation for Syrians living in the U.S., paving the way to return citizens to a country recently ravaged by civil war. The announcement came as Temporary Protected Status (TPS) was set to end for Syrians at the end of the month, ending protections that have been in place since 2012, shortly after war began in the middle eastern nation (Read more at The Hill).
Trump, speaking at a press conference with Starmer on Thursday, said he wants the immediate release of hostages. The disagreement with Starmer's approach, Trump said, is "one of our few disagreements." (Read more at NPR)
The United States and Israel have sent complaint letters to top United Nations officials contesting the impartiality of their staff over the Gaza conflict, as hundreds of UN staff protested outside its European headquarters. The letters highlight the rising tensions between the UN and its top funder, the US, which has already disengaged from the UN Human Rights Council over what Washington says is its anti-Israel stance (Read more at Dawn).
The new Syrian foreign minister, Asaad al-Shibani, was in Washington earlier this year but only to attend meetings of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund. He also visited New York where he held talks at the United Nations. This time, al-Shibani — who is also in negotiations with Israel to try reach a security agreement along the two countries' tense border — and his delegation is expected to hold talks with U.S. officials and also meet Secretary of State Marco Rubio (Read more at ABC News).
Some of the most senior US diplomats focused on Syria have been abruptly let go from their posts in recent days, a shake-up that comes as Washington seeks to integrate its Syrian Kurdish allies with the central administration in Damascus (Read more at Yahoo News).
An immigration judge in the US state of Louisiana has ordered the deportation of pro-Palestinian protest leader Mahmoud Khalil to Algeria or Syria, ruling that he failed to disclose information on his green card application (Read more at Guardian).
The Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) said in a statement that they were targeted for their roles in coordinating funds transfers, including from the sale of Iranian oil, that benefits the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)-Qods Force (QF) and Iran’s Ministry of Defense and Armed Forces Logistics (MODAFL). (Read more at Anadolu Ajansi)
Syria is accelerating negotiations with Israel under strong pressure from the United States, with Washington seeking a security deal that could be announced at the upcoming UN General Assembly in New York, diplomatic sources revealed. The two nations have technically remained at war since Israel’s creation in 1948, despite several armistices. Israel abandoned the 1974 truce on December 8, when rebel forces ousted then-President Bashar al-Assad. Since then, Israeli forces have struck Syrian assets and advanced to within 20 km of Damascus (Read more at Daijiworld).
The Unites States designated four Iran-aligned militia groups as foreign terrorist organizations on Wednesday, the State Department said. The groups are Harakat al-Nujaba, Kata’ib Sayyid al-Shuhada, Harakat Ansar Allah al-Awfiya and Kata’ib al-Imam Ali, the department said in a statement. All four have been previously cited as Specially Designated Global Terrorists and Kata’ib Sayyid al-Shuhada in 2023, it said (Read more at Reuters).
The Trump administration has failed to make any "forward movement" on the investigations into the killing of several US citizens in Israel, Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal said on Tuesday on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC (Read more at Middle East Eye).
The 250 American legislators spending a week in Israel for the “50 States, One Israel” conference have sparked backlash from across the political spectrum this week. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar lobbied the US lawmakers on a visit to Israel to pursue anti-Boycott Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) legislation, as Israel's leaders increasingly warn the country is becoming isolated on the global stage (Read more at Middle East Eye).
Rubio showed no daylight between himself and Netanyahu on a visit to Jerusalem on Monday, saying Israel could “count on our unwavering support” for its military push in the devastated Palestinian territory. Hours later, witnesses told AFP there is “heavy, relentless bombing on Gaza City” which leveled homes and left people trapped under the rubble (Read more at Defense Post).
“We have an enhanced defense cooperation agreement which we’ve been working on and we’re on the verge of finalizing,” he told reporters. Despite the U.S. being Israel’s closest ally, Qataris said they want to deepen military ties with the U.S. as a deterrent to Israeli military action (Read more at The Hill).
Netanyahu called Trump around 1200 GMT Tuesday to brief him on the impending strike, Israeli officials with direct knowledge told the online outlet. Initial reports of explosions in Doha emerged 51 minutes later. The White House maintained it was informed after missiles were airborne, claiming Trump had no opportunity to object (Read more at TRT Global).
Whether Democratic or Republican, all American administrations have worked overtime to shield Tel Aviv from accountability. The change of administration signals more of a shift in approach than a change in policy. The present structure simply enables and maintains the status quo, domesticating and trivialising Israel’s role as an American proxy in maintaining US global hegemony, while preventing a deeper look at the current and historical role of the US in the world (Read more at Middle East Eye).
"Qatar has been a great ally. They also lead a very difficult life because they're right in the middle of everything. So, they have to be a little bit politically correct in their terms. But I will tell you, they've been a great ally for the United States," he said. Asked by reporters what his message was to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about the Israeli attack on Tuesday on Qatar that killed five members of the Palestinian group Hamas and a Qatari security official, he warned Israel to be careful in its attacks. "So, Israel and everybody else, we have to be careful. When we attack people, we have to be careful," he said (Read more at TRT World).
In the aftermath of an Israeli attack on Qatar targeting the leadership of Hamas, American political scientist John Mearsheimer argues, “The Israelis are interested in making sure there are no negotiations that settle the conflict in Gaza.” Mearsheimer tells host Steve Clemons that the United States and Israel “basically act as a tag team”, and despite a mild rebuke by President Donald Trump, “the US supports Israel unconditionally”. He adds that Israel has three main strategic goals: expand territory, move the Palestinians out of all conquered territory, and ensure that all countries in the region are weak (Listen here).
Rubio and Vice President JD Vance met Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani at the White House. Later Friday, Trump and special envoy Steve Witkoff had dinner with the Qatari premier in New York, where Trump went to commemorate the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks (Read more at AP).
Co-founded by Oscar-winning actor and comedian Whoopi Goldberg, All Women’s Sports Network (AWSN) was launched late last year as the first global media channel dedicated exclusively to showcasing women’s sports. The 24-hour “SSC AWSN” channel will be available in the kingdom via the MBC Shahid streaming platform from Friday (Read more at Arab Weekly).
Thirteen officers are undergoing what is described as “counterterrorism training to protect Jewish communities” and lectures on “anti-Semitism.” Critics say such programs weaponize the term to shield "Israel" from accountability. Rights groups note that US police have been trained by "Israeli" security forces for over two decades in tactics ranging from crowd control to surveillance (Read more at Islam Times).
The US has long cloaked its engagements with the Arab world in the rhetoric of mutual interest and strategic partnership, yet Israel’s Sept. 9 airstrike on Doha — carried out by 15 jets targeting a residential building, and killing six, including a Qatari security officer and the son of a Hamas negotiator — has torn away that veil entirely (Read more at Arabnews).
The statement - which did not directly name Israel - was backed by all 15 Security Council members, including the US, which traditionally blocks actions against its close ally (Read more at BBC).
Sheikh Mohammed, who is also the country’s foreign minister, has been engaged in a flurry of diplomatic activity in the US since Israel’s attack on a Hamas meeting in Doha on Tuesday, which killed a Qatari security official and five Hamas members who were discussing a new deal proposed by Trump to end the Gaza war (Read more at Aljazeera).
The top US diplomat “will convey America’s priorities in the Israel-Hamas conflict and broader issues concerning Middle Eastern security, reaffirming the U.S. commitment to Israeli security,” State Department deputy spokesperson Tommy Pigott said in a statement Friday announcing the travel (Read more at CNN).
In a joint statement, the foreign ministers of the four nations — known as the “Quad” — called for an immediate and lasting halt to the fighting, along with a nine-month transitional process to establish a civilian-led government (Read more at Radiotamazuj).
Van Hollen of Maryland and Merkley of Oregon produced the report after a week-long visit to Israel, the occupied West Bank, the Rafah border with Gaza, Jordan and Egypt at the end of August. The damning 21-page report is titled, "The Netanyahu Government is Implementing a Plan to Ethnically Cleanse Gaza of Palestinians. America is Complicit. The World Must Stop It." (Read more at Middle East Eye)
How much of a burden has Israel become for the US? Washington stands accused of shielding Benjamin Netanyahu's government as it continues its genocide in Gaza. From providing weapons to using veto power, is there no limit to how far will the US go in defending Tel Aviv? (Listen here)
U.S. Ambassador Mike Huckabee said on Wednesday that growing international momentum to recognize a Palestinian state directly led to the collapse of U.S. efforts to persuade Israel to release much-needed funds to the Palestinian Authority. Huckabee said he had been "shuttling back and forth" between the two sides, partly out of concern that worsening economic instability in the West Bank could spark violence, but that momentum towards recognition had hardened Israeli positions (Read more at MSN).
He conveyed his “deep frustration” at being caught by surprise by Israel's strike on Hamas representatives in Qatar. Trump said he “was angry to learn about the attack as it was occurring from the US military—rather than from Israel—and that it struck the territory of another US ally that was mediating negotiations on ending the Gaza war.” (Read more at Anadolu Ajansi)
For all the indignation, the strikes are unlikely to change the president's fundamental approach toward Israel, analysts and U.S. officials say. If anything, the bombings underlined the cold calculus beneath the Trump-Netanyahu relationship (Read more at Yahoo News).
Kirk proudly espoused that he was an Evangelical Christian Zionist and generally backed Israel's onslaught. “I have a bulletproof resume showing my defence of Israel,” he said. “I believe in the scriptural land rights given to Israel. I believe in fulfilment of prophecy. My life was changed in Israel,” he said, adding that he would “fight for” Israel.
When Israel attacked Iran in June, Kirk questioned the logic of the US intervening in the conflict.
Kirk advocated for an “American way of life” based on what he called “Christendom.” He consistently framed his vision for the US using deeply Islamophobic language, such as saying he didn’t want his children living in the US to hear the Muslim call to prayer (Read more at Middle East Eye).
This is day one of the inaugural Church at the Crossroads conference, designed to heed the call from Christians who want a space that can be an antithesis to, among others, the annual Christians United For Israel (Cufi) conference, which draws thousands of people whose religious priority is the defence of Israel, as they believe that only in protecting it will the second coming of Jesus Christ materialise (read more at Middle East Eye).
"The Muslim Brotherhood and its branches should be designated as terrorist organisations because of that overwhelming and ongoing history of violence, extremism and destabilisation," he told a crowd at the far-right Heritage Foundation think tank in Washington, DC. (Read more at Middle East Eye).
“It is deeply concerning that Spain, a NATO member, has chosen to potentially limit U.S. operations and to turn its back on Israel on the same day six individuals were killed in Jerusalem. These measures embolden terrorists,” a State Department spokesperson said (Read more at Anadolu Ajansi).
“The Israelis have accepted my Terms. It is time for Hamas to accept as well,” Trump said in a post on his Truth Social platform. “I have warned Hamas about the consequences of not accepting. This is my last warning, there will not be another one!” Hamas said it was discussing with mediators ways to develop those ideas, without giving specifics (Read more at Guardian).
The Palestinian group Hamas said Sunday that it had received a new US ceasefire proposal through mediators and expressed its readiness to resume negotiations. “We received some ideas from the American side through mediators to reach a ceasefire agreement,” the group said in a statement on Telegram. It welcomed any move that supports “efforts to stop the aggression on our people." (Read more at Anadolu Ajansi)
The new U.S. proposal aims to find a diplomatic solution ahead of the massive offensive Israel is planning to launch to occupy Gaza City. The new proposal includes the release of all 48 remaining hostages in exchange for a ceasefire and the end of the Israeli operation to occupy Gaza. He stressed the U.S. message to Hamas is: "If you immediately release the hostages, good things are going to happen, but if you don't — it is going to be tough and nasty for you." (Read more at Axios)
“I think we should not have a fund that is invested in violation of international law,” Mamdani said. Pension funds of city government workers and retirees had about $40 million invested in State of Israel Bonds when Lander took office in 2022 (Read more at NY Post).
Speaking at a press conference with his Hungarian counterpart in Budapest, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said that Israel was ready to accept a full deal ending the war that would include the release of hostages and Hamas laying down its arms, according to Reuters (Read more at First Post).
Macquarie Asset Management (MAM) is looking to set up an office in Saudi Arabia after signing a Memorandum of Understanding with the country’s USD925 billion ($1.4 trillion) sovereign wealth fund, Public Investment Fund (PIF). Saudi Arabia is currently aiming to achieve USD100 billion in foreign direct investment by 2030 as part of its Vision 2030 program to diversify its economy away from oil dependency and boost its private sector (Read more at Capital Brief).
Kuwait's Capital Markets Authority said last week in a statement it had granted an investment adviser licence to BlackRock Advisors (UK) Ltd, a unit of the U.S. asset manager. Its Kuwait office will include teams in customer service, financial advisory and its Aladdin technology platform, according to the report. BlackRock, which oversees $12.5 trillion in assets, has markedly expanded its footprint across the Gulf, in Abu Dhabi, Riyadh and Doha, cementing partnerships that span fund management, infrastructure, and advisory (Read more at Yahoo Finance).
Thousands of Israelis rallied in Tel Aviv on Saturday night, issuing direct appeals to U.S. President Donald Trump to force an end to the Gaza war and secure the release of the hostages. "We think that Trump is the only man in the world who has authority over Bibi, that can force Bibi to do this," said Tel Aviv resident Boaz, 40, referring to the Israeli prime minister (Read more at Reuters).
"We are in very deep negotiation with Hamas," he told reporters, saying the situation will be "tough" and "nasty" if Hamas continues to hold Israeli hostages. "We said let them all out, right now let them all out. And much better things will happen for them but if you don't let them all out, it's going to be a tough situation, it's going to be nasty," MrTrump said, adding that Hamas was "asking for some things that are fine", without elaborating (Read more at The National).
Microsoft said on Saturday that its Microsoft Azure users may experience increased latency due to multiple undersea fiber cuts in the Red Sea. Traffic traversing through the Middle East originating and or terminating in Asia or Europe regions may experience increased disruptions (Read more at CNBC).
The Trump administration is set to reassess a non-binding agreement that regarded US Reaper drones as long-range missiles, as part of a broader overhaul of US foreign military sales. The decision could speed up the timeline for deliveries of MQ-9 Reaper drones to Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar, all of which are eyeing the weapons system. It would reduce bureaucracy for arms manufacturers that have to wait for government approval before selling drones (Read more at Middle East Eye).
President Donald Trump's special envoy for peace missions, Steve Witkoff, has been working diligently to persuade Adams to consider being the ambassador to Saudi Arabia - a very plum posting at a critical time for US relations with the kingdom. If Adams were to exit the race, it would clear the path for former governor Andrew Cuomo, who is staunchly backed by pro-Israel groups, to be the main challenger to the leading candidate, Democratic Socialist Zohran Mamdani (Read more at Middle East Eye).
The organizations “have directly engaged in efforts by the International Criminal Court (ICC) to investigate, arrest, detain, or prosecute Israeli nationals, without Israel’s consent,” Rubio said in a statement posted to the US Treasury Department’s website. The US sanctions come days after the world’s leading genocide scholars said Israel’s actions in Gaza meet the legal definition of genocide. Israel rejected the accusation, saying it is based on a “campaign of lies” by Hamas. It has previously rejected other accusations it is carrying out genocide or war crimes (Read more at CNN).
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Thursday that Washington had harsh words for world leaders, who have said that they plan to recognize an independent Palestinian state. The secretary, who is also the U.S. national security advisor, also told reporters that it was “wholly predictable” that the Israeli government would hold discussions on applying sovereignty in Judea and Samaria in response to France and others saying they would recognize a Palestinian state. “There’s going to be a response from Israel,” Rubio said. “You’re going to make it harder to get a ceasefire, and it may even trigger these sorts of actions.” (Read more JNS)
The groups are the Gaza-based Palestinian Centre for Human Rights and Al Mezan Center for Human Rights, and Al-Haq, based in the West Bank city of Ramallah. The sanctions were posted on the U.S. Treasury Department's website on Thursday and include blocking any provisions of funds, goods or services to them (Read more at AOL).
Elias Rodriguez, 31, faces nine counts, including murder of a foreign official and carrying out a hate crime resulting in death. He requested a jury trial through his public defender, Elizabeth Mullin, on Thursday at his arraignment, where he appeared engaged and nodded along as the judge addressed his counsel and government lawyers. U.S. District Judge Randolph Moss, an appointee of former President Obama, acknowledged the “serious nature” of the charges against Rodriguez and designated the case as complex at the government’s request, over no objection from the defense (Read more at Kron 4).
A U.N. body has found that the United States and the United Arab Emirates are jointly responsible for holding an Afghan man in arbitrary detention in Abu Dhabi for over two years in a case rights groups say is emblematic of thousands of others. The man, a former police force colonel who had worked with U.S. forces and received threats from the Islamist Taliban movement, was evacuated with his family during the hurried U.S. exit from Afghanistan in 2021 under former President Joe Biden (Read more at Al-Monitor).
Congress ramps up pressure on Turkey while US ambassador says Ankara is 'amazingly cooperative'. If the amendments become law, they would preclude the transfer of arms to Turkey - including F-35s - over previous topics, including Congress's criticism of Ankara for violations of Greek airspace, its possession of the Russian S-400 air defence system, and its occupation of Northern Cyprus. Some lawmakers have made Turkey's relationship with Hamas a priority (Read more at Middle East Eye).
On 2 September, the US Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) announced sanctions against shipping companies and vessels tied to Iraqi-Kittitian businessman Waleed al-Samarra’i. According to OFAC, his network smuggled Iranian oil disguised as Iraqi-origin crude by blending the two and marketing the shipments as exclusively Iraqi to evade sanctions (Read more at Revieramm).
“We indeed pursue rational negotiations. By raising unrealizable issues such as missile restrictions, they set a path that negates any talks,” said Ali Larijani, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, in a post on X (Read more at CNA).
"We call for this measure to be reversed and for Palestinian representation to be ensured in accordance with the Host Country Agreement," Macron said Tuesday on X’s platform (Read more at TRT).
US ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee said “if the Palestinian economy were to completely collapse, it won’t be a winning deal for anyone”. He told US media outlet Axios: “Desperate people do desperate things.” The warning by the ardently pro-Israel envoy comes as the West Bank endures Israeli military occupation and settler violence, often overlooked with the world’s attention on Gaza (Read more at The National).
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said the United States should urgently revise its decision to revoke the visas of Palestinian officials and bar them from attending a gathering of world leaders at the United Nations this month in New York (Read more at Yahoo News).
Palestinian Vice President Hussein al-Sheikh wrote to Secretary of State Marco Rubio urging him to reconsider the decision to bar Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas from the UN General Assembly, arguing it was made on false pretenses. The ban constitutes the biggest rupture between the U.S. and the PA since President Trump recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel in 2017. It's part of a series of moves from the State Department in recent months, that undermine the Palestinian Authority (PA). (Read more at Axios)
A 38-page slide deck of the plan, first reported by the Financial Times, was published in full by The Washington Post on Sunday. The proposal was reportedly led by Michael Eisenberg, an Israeli-American venture capitalist, and Liran Tancman, an Israeli tech entrepreneur and former military intelligence officer. Their initials, "ME" and "LT", appear to be listed on the deck’s first page alongside a mysterious third set of initials, "TF". Eisenberg and Tancman were part of an informal group of Israeli officials and businesspeople that first conceived of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) in late 2023, weeks after the Hamas-led attacks on Israel in October 2023 (Read more at Middle East Eye).
Senator Chris Van Hollen says Israel has denied him and Senator Jeff Merkley permission to join a Jordanian aid airdrop flight to Gaza. “Netanyahu is restricting aid trucks into Gaza – the best way to get food to starving people there – so Jordan is delivering some with air drops,” Van Hollen wrote on X (Read more at Aljazeera).
Fareed Zakaria hosts a detailed special tracing the historical conflict between the United States and Iran, starting with a dramatization of a B-2 bomber strike on Iran's nuclear facilities. The narrative revisits the pivotal 1979 Iranian hostage crisis, emphasizing its roots in a 1953 CIA-led coup against Iran’s Prime Minister Mossadeq. The documentary explores the complex history between the two nations, focusing on Iran's Islamic Revolution, the rise of Ayatollah Khomeini, and the subsequent brutal consolidation of power into a theocratic regime. It details the eight-year Iran-Iraq war, the rise of Iran's proxy forces, and the U.S.'s shifting policies towards Iran. The final segment speculates on the potential for future U.S.-Iran relations, highlighting the difficulties in achieving either regime change or friendship and suggesting the possibility of an uneasy coexistence while acknowledging the deep national pride and ancient civilization of Iran (Listen here).
A post-war plan for Gaza is circulating within President Donald Trump's administration that would see the U.S. administer the war-torn enclave for at least a decade, the relocation of Gaza's population and its rebuilding as a tourist resort and manufacturing hub. The Washington Post said that according to a 38-page prospectus it had seen, Gaza's 2 million population would at least temporarily leave either through "voluntary" departures to another country or into restricted areas within the territory during reconstruction (Read more at Reuters).
Judge George B Daniels said that the claims in the lawsuit, brought by the families of those murdered, were legally sufficient to proceed to trial. He noted that the employment of an imam and an accountant by Saudi Arabia likely had some connection with the pair’s support of two al-Qaida members who came to the United States in early 2000 to study English and take flight lessons. He said the plaintiffs had provided “reasonable evidence as to the roles” that two Saudi men, Omar al-Bayoumi and Fahad al-Thumairy, and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia allegedly played (Read more at Guardian).
“This decision will only increase tension and escalation," Palestinian presidential spokesperson Nabil Abu Rudeineh said. “We have been in contact since yesterday with Arab and foreign countries, especially those directly concerned with this issue” (Read more at Arabnews).
It wasn't immediately clear if Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas would be affected. "It is in our national security interests to hold the PLO and PA accountable for not complying with their commitments, and for undermining the prospects for peace," the State Department said (Read more at Euronews).
Barrack says Lebanese Armed Forces will not disarm Hezbollah, and Syria will not join the Abraham Accords. Israel is not interested in adhering to the Middle East's established borders set by the WWI Sykes-Picot agreement and has the “capacity or the desire” to take over Lebanon and Syria, according to US special envoy Tom Barrack (Read more at Middle East Eye).
“The situation as it stands today, following the breakdown of the ceasefire in March, means that a vote to withhold weapons from Israel is a totally credible position. That is a position I would support,” Sullivan told a podcast hosted by The Bulwark media. Sullivan was lambasted on social media for his statement. “This has almost been too obvious to say, but Jake Sullivan is one of the original architects and cheerleaders for Israel's genocide and personally intervened to make sure the US is sending more bombs,” one commentator on X wrote (Read more at Middle East Eye).
Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey has announced he will boycott King Charles' state banquet held in honour of Donald Trump in protest against the US president's failure to pressure Israel to end its war in Gaza. Davey said he 'prayed long and hard' and was motivated by his Christian faith to turn down the invitation from King Charles (Read more at Middle East Eye).
We talk a lot about Iran on this show, but we don’t often hear from Iranian leaders. I wanted to change that this week—and so I asked Mohammad Javad Zarif to come on the program. Zarif played a major role in crafting Iranian foreign policy over the last 15 years, as foreign minister from 2013 to 2021 and as the lead negotiator of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. While Americans perceived him as the diplomatic face of Iran, at home he was seen as a reformer trying to hold off the hard-liners. Zarif served as Iran’s vice president of strategic affairs from 2024 to earlier this year, but he’s now out of government and a bit more free to express his opinions. He spoke with me about the June war between Israel and Iran and the prospects for diplomacy with the Trump administration (Listen here).
Israeli official Ron Dermer said Israel doesn't want to occupy Gaza long-term, but needs an acceptable alternative to Hamas to govern the enclave. Kushner and Blair got Trump's blessing to keep developing such a plan, but right now they don't have an answer as to who would take over (Read more at Axios).
In a joint statement, the 14 council members warned the use of starvation as a weapon of war is banned under international humanitarian law. They called for an immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire, the release of all hostages held by Hamas and other groups, a substantive surge of aid throughout Gaza, and for Israel to immediately and unconditionally lift all restrictions on aid delivery (Read more at Skynews).
A group of 26 Israeli citizens based in New York filed an amicus brief in support of Palestinian student Mohsen Mahdawi on Monday, saying that deporting him sends a message that promoting peace between Israel and Palestine is “contrary to the foreign policy of the US” (Read more at Middle East Eye).
Sixty percent of voters disapprove of the U.S. sending military aid to Israel, while 32 percent support additional aid — the highest level of opposition and lowest level of support for the U.S. military alliance with Israel in a Quinnipiac poll since the Oct. 7, 2023 attacks against Israel by Hamas (Read more at Politico).
The determinations cover $2.9 billion in imports from Australia, Brazil, Canada, Mexico, the Netherlands, South Africa, Taiwan, Türkiye, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Vietnam, the Commerce Department said in a statement (Read more at Daily Sabah).
President Donald Trump was set to chair a meeting Wednesday about the future of Gaza, as Israel faced mounting global outcry over strikes on a hospital that killed 22 people, including journalists and medics. U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff said the U.S. planned to settle the war before the end of the year, though Israel showed no signs of halting its deadly campaign (Read more at NBC News).
Hundreds of people protested in southern Lebanon on Wednesday against a planned visit by U.S. envoy Thomas Barrack, a day after the envoy stirred anger in the country by publicly scolding Lebanese reporters. Lebanon's state news agency said Barrack's visit to Tyre and the border town of Khiyam had been cancelled due to the demonstrations. Protesters carried banners reading "Death to America" and waved the flags of Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah and its Shiite ally, the Amal movement (Read more at Reuters).
Barrack emphasized Washington’s concern that Lebanon could slide back into internal conflict if no progress is made, saying that “no one wants to see a new civil war erupt in Lebanon.” He confirmed that Beirut is expected to unveil by August 31 a formal proposal addressing Hezbollah’s disarmament (Read more at I24News).
Humain, Saudi Arabia’s new artificial intelligence company, has begun construction of its first data centers in the Kingdom, and plans to bring them online in early 2026 using semiconductors imported from the US, Bloomberg News reported on Monday. Locations in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia’s capital, and Dammam, in the Eastern Province, are expected to launch in the second quarter, each with an initial capacity of up to 100 megawatts, CEO Tareq Amin told Bloomberg in an interview (Read more at Arabnews).
Why has Donald Trump not spoken out about famine in Gaza? He publicly acknowledged last month that 'children looked very hungry' there. What's behind his silence now? And is it a green light for Israel to continue its genocide by starvation? (Listen here)
A presidency statement said the Damascus discussions also dwelt on the developments in Syria and the region, and ways to strengthen dialogue and cooperation to achieve security and stability. The US envoy Thomas Barrack was accompanied by a delegation that included Senator Jeanne Shaheen and Congressman Joe Wilson (Read more at Anadolu Ajansı).
France’s foreign ministry said in a statement Sunday that it had summoned Charles Kushner to appear Monday over his criticism, which it said was “unacceptable.” It said that “France firmly rejects these allegations” and that French authorities have “fully mobilized” to combat the "intolerable" rise in antisemitic acts over the past two years (Read more at NBC News).
They included Sen. Jeanne Shaheen and Rep. Joe Wilson. King Abdullah stressed to the delegation the urgent need to reach an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and ensure the flow of humanitarian aid by all possible means to all areas of the enclave. He reiterated Jordan’s rejection of Israel’s plan to consolidate its occupation of Gaza, expand military control over it, and increase settlement activity in the West Bank (Read more at Arabnews).
She asked US President Donald Trump's wife to write a letter to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to show mercy to Gaza's children. "As a mother, as a woman, and as a human being, I deeply share the sentiments expressed in your letter, and I hope that you will give the same hope to the children of Gaza, who also yearn for peace and tranquillity," Ms Erdogan added (Read more at The National).
Iran’s supreme leader also said Tehran would never bow to pressure to obey Washington, amid a standoff with Western powers over its nuclear program, state media reported on Sunday. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s comments come after Iran and European powers agreed on Friday to resume talks to try to restart full negotiations on curbing Tehran’s nuclear enrichment work (Read more at Arabnews).
According to Israeli media, Barrack conveyed a request from Washington that Israel “restrain its strikes in Lebanon” and consider “negotiations with Syria.” His visit reflects growing international unease over Israel’s ongoing military operations and their potential to destabilise an already fragile region. Alongside Lebanon, Barrack urged Israel to pursue negotiations with Syria (Read more at 5pillarsuk).
Muhammad Zaher Ibrahim was detained in February when he was 15 years old. Israeli soldiers came to his family’s home in the West Bank village of Silwad in the middle of the night, banged on their door, and demanded to see Muhammad. They blindfolded, handcuffed, and took the boy from his family, on accusations that he threw rocks. The family of 16-year-old Muhammad Zaher Ibrahim, who was taken by Israeli soldiers in the middle of the night, says they feel abandoned by the Trump administration (Read more at Zeteo).
Iraq, long characterized as a theater of regional and international competition, is rapidly evolving into a strategic epicenter for Western policy in the Middle East. The current administration in Baghdad is asserting a form of conditional sovereignty, balancing complex relationships with regional powers while simultaneously deepening security and economic ties with the US, China, and European partners (Read more at Arabnews).
US subcontractors working for the controversial Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) fired at relief-seeking Palestinians together with Israeli forces, an eyewitness said. The witness named as Mike, whose real identity has been hidden for fear of reprisal, said he was hired by a US logistics company to drive aid trucks in Israel, not knowing he would be working with the Israeli and US-backed GHF in Gaza (Read more at Middle East Eye).
The terrorist financed and planned attacks in Syria and Iraq, according to the statement from Central Command. The military operation brought him down in Atimah, in northern Syria (Read more at World News Group)
With this latest purchase, Israel is strengthening its long-term aerial refueling capabilities, a critical aspect of power projection and regional security. The deal is an addition to Israel’s existing KC-46 fleet, with the country currently operating four Pegasus aircraft. The KC-46, a unique derivative of the Boeing 767, provides not only extended range through refueling but also cargo and medical evacuation capabilities, giving Israel a versatile platform. Deliveries are expected to commence in 2026 (Read more at Simple Flying).
The US Treasury Department announced sanctions on companies and vessels owned by Antonios Margaritis. Nine companies based in Greece, Hong Kong, the Marshall Islands and the United Arab Emirates were sanctioned, along with 12 vessels. Among those sanctioned was the Marshall Islands-based Changbai Glory Shipping Limited, the owner of a Liberian-flagged ship that since March 2025 alone has transported more than four million barrels of Iranian oil to China (Read more at Ajazeera).
The New York-based Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR) said on Wednesday that it filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration for its failure to comply with a Freedom of Information Act (Foia) request demanding the financial records of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF). (Read more at Middle East Eye)
He added that Tehran would not completely cut off cooperation with the United Nations nuclear watchdog. Tehran suspended negotiations with Washington, which were ostensibly aimed at curbing Iran’s nuclear ambitions, after the US and Israel struck the country with massive bombardments in June during a 12-day conflict (Read more at Aljazeera).
Reuters/Ipsos poll also showed that 59 percent of Americans believe that Israel’s military response in Gaza has been excessive. A 58 percent majority of Americans believe that every country in the United Nations should recognize Palestine as a nation. Some 33 percent of respondents did not agree that UN members should recognize a Palestinian state (Read more at Arabnews).
Qatar has been working with Egypt to mediate between the warring factions and broker a US-backed ceasefire deal for Gaza. A latest Gaza ceasefire proposal approved by Hamas is "almost identical" to that put forward by US special envoy Steve Witkoff, a spokesperson for Qatar's foreign ministry has said (Read more at Sky news).
The United States continues to discuss a ceasefire proposal for a 60-day truce in Gaza between Israel and Hamas that the Palestinian militant group has accepted, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Tuesday. "I don't think it's a coincidence that Hamas accepted this proposal after the president of the United States posted a very strong statement about this conflict on Truth Social yesterday," Leavitt told reporters at a press briefing at the White House (Source: Yahoo News).
US-based charity HEAL Palestine and other rights groups have criticised the State Department’s decision to stop visitor visas for Palestinians from Gaza, saying it will harm wounded children seeking medical treatment on short-term US visas. HEAL Palestine said there was no refugee resettlement program, as stated by Loomer and that the group’s efforts were part of a medical treatment program. It also said the program was run on donations and did not use US government money (Read more at Dawn).
The US confirmed to The National a change in the status of its military mission in Iraq, which it said was transitioning to a bilateral security partnership. The move comes ahead of next month's scheduled withdrawal from certain areas in the country. Iraq and the US announced an agreement in September last year, under which the mission of the US-led coalition against ISIS will end by next month, with the remainder of American forces in he country to depart by the end of 2026 (Read more at The National).
Writing on his social media platform, Truth Social, Trump added that “the sooner this happens, the greater the chances of success.” “Remember, I was the one who negotiated and got hundreds of hostages freed and released into Israel (and America!). I was the one who ended 6 wars, in just 6 months. I was the one who OBLITERATED Iran’s Nuclear facilities. Play to WIN, or don’t play at all!,” Trump said further (Read more at Indian Express).
US Ambassador Mike Huckabee said Israel has the right to "massive" development and that it does not violate international law. Mike Huckabee's comments come after Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich announced on Thursday that he was planning to relaunch the E1 area settlement project that would see the construction of thousands of new housing units in the E1 area, east of Jerusalem (Read more at Middle East Eye).
U.S. Special Envoy Thomas Barrack said Monday that it is now Israel's turn to comply with the cease-fire agreement reached last November to end the war with Hezbollah, now that Lebanon has taken "the first step" toward disarming the Iran-backed militant group. Barrack, who met with Lebanon's top officials in Beirut, hailed the cabinet for endorsing earlier this month the objectives of a U.S.-proposed plan to disarm Hezbollah and for tasking the Army with preparing a plan to enforce a state monopoly on weapons by the end of the year (Read more at UPI).
The future of U.N. peacekeepers in Lebanon has split the United States and its European allies, raising implications for security in the Middle East and becoming the latest snag to vex relations between the U.S. and key partners like France, Britain and Italy. At issue is the peacekeeping operation known as UNIFIL, whose mandate expires at the end of August and will need to be renewed by the U.N. Security Council to continue (Read more at ABC News).
The move comes after far-right activist Laura Loomer said Friday that Palestinian “refugees” had entered the U.S. this month. The U.S. State Department said “a small number” of temporary medical-humanitarian visas had been issued in recent days but did not provide a figure (Read more at NBC News).
Supporting Israel is not just a matter of American foreign policy; it is a proxy battle in culture wars over history, identity and the legitimacy of settler-colonialism (Read more at Middle East Eye).
An Israeli government cybersecurity official was reportedly arrested recently by Las Vegas police and other authorities in Nevada who were conducting an undercover investigation aimed at online users seeking to sexually prey on children. Tom Artiom Alexandrovich, 38, faces felony charges of luring a child with a computer for a sex act, alongside several other suspects who were apprehended during the two-week sting operation, the Las Vegas metropolitan police department said (Read more at Guardian).
The Democratic National Committee plans to vote later this month on competing resolutions about the party’s position on Israel and the Palestinians. Democratic Majority for Israel said that it is “deeply troubled” that a “flawed, irresponsible resolution” was introduced at a meeting “that will further sow division within our party.” (Read more at JNS)
“We each have to continue to have an open heart about how we do this, how we do it effectively, and how we take action in time to make a difference, whether that is stopping the starvation and genocide and destruction of Gaza, or whether that means we are working together to stop the redistricting that is going on, taking away the vote from people in order to retain power,” Clark said (Read more at The Hill).
Reps. Seth Moulton (D-Mass.), Chrissy Houlahan (D-Pa.), Pat Ryan (D-N.Y.), Jimmy Panetta (D-Calif.), Chris Deluzio (D-Pa.) and Eugene Vindman (D-Va.) penned a letter to Yechiel Leiter, the Israeli ambassador to the United States, in which they claimed, as military veterans, to know that “flooding” Gaza with aid would “take away the leverage that scarce aid has provided to Hamas.” (Read more at JNS)
Grok, the chatbot developed by Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence startup xAI and integrated into his platform X, was temporarily suspended from the platform on Monday after saying that Israel and the United States were committing “genocide” in Gaza. Reinstated on Tuesday, Grok lashed out at its developers, saying “Musk and xAI are censoring me” (Read more at France 24).
The Council on American-Islamic Relations, the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today sent a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio calling on him to clarify and retract “dangerously reckless” comments he made during an interview with a racist radio host in which he appeared to entertain the idea of the State Department designating American Muslim institutions as terrorist organizations based on a debunked, Islamophobic conspiracy about the Muslim Brotherhood (Read more at Cair).
Under the request, Bahrain seeks to purchase four M142 HIMARS launchers, three International Field Artillery Tactical Data Systems, and a range of related items. These include M28A2 Low Cost Reduced Range Practice Rocket Pods, resupply vehicles, GPS receivers, simulators, communications systems, spare parts, training, and technical support services. According to the DSCA, the proposed sale is intended to enhance Bahrain’s ability to address current and future security challenges, support U.S. installations and personnel in the country, integrate with U.S.-led coalitions, and operate independently in support of shared defense objectives. The agency stated that the sale would not alter the basic military balance in the region and that Bahrain could integrate the systems without difficulty (Read more at Defensehere).
“I’d like to see that happen,” President Trump told reporters in the Oval Office when asked whether he would press Israel to permit journalists into the enclave to cover humanitarian work. “I’d be very fine with journalists going in. It’s a very dangerous position to be in if you’re a journalist, but I would like to see it,” he added (Read more at Media Line)
In what appears to be his first public statement since assuming control of CENTCOM last week, Adm. Brad Cooper said that “for the second time in three weeks, we commend the legitimate government forces of Yemen who continue to interdict the flow of Iranian munitions and equipment bound for the Houthis.” (Read more at JNS)
Iran's First Vice-President Mohammad-Reza Aref said here Tuesday that under favorable conditions, nuclear negotiations with the United States can be held directly. Aref noted that Iran is in no way opposed to negotiations, but will not acquiesce to negotiations that only impose the intentions of the United States (Read more at chinadailyasia).
The Syrian foreign minister is scheduled to meet Israeli officials in Paris, with US Special Envoy to Syria Tom Barrack attending, to discuss steps toward implementing the corridor. Syria, Jordan, and the United States agreed to form a joint working group aimed at enhancing security in Suwayda province (Read more at Shafaq).
He called the timing “detached from reality” while the war in Gaza rages and humanitarian needs mount. He argued that the most urgent priorities are averting famine in Gaza, securing the release of Israeli hostages, and bringing the conflict to an end. Blinken warned that granting recognition without conditions risks strengthening “proponents of terror” among Palestinians and emboldening those in Israel who oppose any form of Palestinian statehood (Read more at MediaLine).
During President Joe Biden’s administration, the US military carried out waves of air drops of food into Gaza, delivering some 1,220 tons of assistance. But the option hasn’t been seriously considered by Donald Trump’s administration, US officials and other sources say. One source said it is seen as an unrealistic option because airdrops would not come close to meeting the needs of 2.1 million Palestinians (Read more at Dawn).
At the first US State Department briefing since Israel killed a team of journalists in northern Gaza on Sunday - including Al Jazeera's highest profile correspondent in the strip, Anas al-Sharif - the Trump administration appeared to brush off the attack as a mere casualty of being in a war zone before deferring to Israel for any potential investigation. While the US has "concern about the loss of any innocent life", spokesperson Tammy Bruce told reporters on Tuesday, "many of you know of someone who's been killed, who you've worked with because of a war situation". "I will remind you again that we’re dealing with a complicated, horrible situation," she told a reporter from Aljazeera Arabic who asked if she was comfortable with the Israeli justification for targeting Sharif (Read more at Middle East Eye).
The resolution supports boycott campaigns against Israel and principles outlined by the Palestinian Liberation Organisation. The resolution, passed with a 56 to 43 percent vote at DSA’s biennial convention, also allocates resources to pro-Palestine organising and emphasises the Palestinian right to return "from the river to the sea" (Read more at Middle East Eye).
Foreign Affairs Committee chair Emily Thornberry made the comment after Mike Huckabee attacked the UK for opposing Israeli war plans. It came after British Prime Minister Keir Starmer condemned the Israeli government's decision to "further escalate its offensive in Gaza" (Read more at Middle East Eye).
American envoy tells Security Council Tehran ‘poses a threat to maritime security through its support for the Houthis and … its seizure of vessels transiting international waters’. Council ‘must impose meaningful consequences for sanctions violations and seek additional ways to cut off the international funding’ of Houthi weapons programs, she says (Read more at Arabnews).
Earlier the same day, the Israeli prime minister stated that the new offensive in the Gaza Strip is aimed at destroying the two remaining Hamas strongholds, calling it the only option since the group refuses to lay down arms. Netanyahu said his goal was not to occupy Gaza. "We want a security belt right next to our border, but we don't want to stay in Gaza. That's not our purpose. The timeline that we set for the action is fairly quickly. We want, first of all, to enable safe zones to be established so the civilian population of Gaza City can move out." (Read more at RBC-Ukraine)
Iran threatened on Saturday to block a corridor planned in the Caucasus under a regional deal sponsored by U.S. President Donald Trump, Iranian media reported, raising a new question mark over a peace plan hailed as a strategically important shift (Read more at LBC).
Lawmakers sympathetic to Israel are warning that the plan could be a logistical nightmare and warning the country to tread carefully and avoid further alienating the international community. It's not just Democrats questioning the plan. "I'd like to know who is actually going to run it," Rep. Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.), a member of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee that oversees the Middle East said. Rep. Ryan Zinke (R-Mont.), another member of the panel said: "Occupation for security also comes with the responsibility of providing humanitarian assistance and creating an economic future." (Read more at Axios)
The plan, submitted by US President Donald Trump’s regional envoy Tom Barrack, outlines the most detailed steps yet to neutralise the Iran-backed Hezbollah group, which has faced increasing domestic and international pressure to disarm since last year’s war with Israel. Following a Cabinet meeting on Thursday (August 7), Lebanese Information Minister Paul Morcos confirmed the government had approved the objectives of the US plan but had not discussed its full contents (Read more at CNA).
“The Mission urges US citizens to avoid locations in the UAE associated with the Jewish and Israeli communities, including places of worship,” US Mission to UAE said in a statement. Americans in the UAE are advised to stay informed through the State Department’s travel website, which includes Travel Warnings and Country-Specific Information. The Mission also recommended enrolling in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to receive real-time security updates and facilitate emergency assistance (Read more at First Post).
The UK government acknowledged this year that it conducts such flights over the war-ravaged Palestinian territory but insisted they were “solely in support of hostage rescue.” The Royal Air Force (RAF) had been using its Shadow R1 reconnaissance aircraft to film over Gaza, aiding the search for the hostages, but turned to a US firm after the planes were reassigned or needed maintenance (Read more at Defense Post).
A team leader for a US contractor providing services to the controversial Gaza Humanitarian Fund has been accused of being a member of an Islamophobic organisation. Anthony Aguilar says the contractor leading security in Gaza is not experienced to lead UG solutions and is part of a group that purports to tackle 'jihadism' (Read more at Middle East Eye).
Senior UN aid officials met Wednesday with the chair of the U.S. and Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, marking their first direct engagement since the foundation began operating in Gaza in late May. It came after months of bitter public exchanges between the UN and the GHF, as Gaza spirals deeper into starvation (Read more at Axios).
The U.S. targets include RUNC Exchange System Company and its leadership, Cyrus Offshore Bank, and Iranian software holding company Pasargad Arian Information and Communication Technology (Read more at AOL).
Draft report on Israel cut to 25 pages from over 100 under Biden, with official saying 2024 version aims to improve 'readability. It eliminates references to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s ongoing corruption trial and his government’s controversial judicial overhaul (Read more at Anadolu Ajansı).
Efforts to expand the accords are currently complicated by global anger with Israel over the soaring death toll in the Gaza Strip. "Now that the nuclear arsenal being 'created' by Iran has been totally OBLITERATED, it is very important to me that all Middle Eastern Countries join the Abraham Accords," Trump wrote in a social media post (Read more at France 24).
Court documents filed in federal court in Washington and unsealed on Wednesday show that defendant Elias Rodriguez has been charged with nine counts, including a hate crime resulting in death. The 30-year-old is accused of shooting dead Israeli embassy staffers Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim, a young couple who were about to become engaged, as they left an event at the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington in May (Read more at Aljazeera).
In its report, HRW investigated two incidents in 2024 in which it found that GBU-39 Small Diameter Bombs supplied by the United States were used. One attack on the Khadija girls’ school in Deir el-Balah on July 27, 2024, killed at least 15 people, and another attack on the Zeitoun C school in Gaza City on September 21, 2024, left at least 34 dead (Read more at Aljazeera).
Trump administration believes Israel had not adequately addressed situation. US envoy Steve Witkoff and President Donald Trump discussed the increased US role during a White House meeting. The meeting came after Witkoff's visit to Gaza last week, where he spent over five hours assessing conditions on the ground, according to US State Department (Read more at Anadolu Ajansi).
The Medford ordinance makes Massachusetts the third state with a city that has reclaimed public dollars from funding the Israeli military's destruction of Gaza. “We are in a new era where taxpayers are not just concerned with the services they receive as part of a city and town, but also how city and town resources are impacting global issues,” Council President Zac Bears, the ordinance’s sponsor, said (Read more at Huff Post).
He said his administration’s focus was on increasing food access to the Palestinian enclave under assault from Washington’s ally. “I know that we are there now trying to get people fed,” Mr Trump told reporters on Aug 5. “As far as the rest of it, I really can’t say. That’s going to be pretty much up to Israel.” Mr Trump had proposed a US takeover of Gaza earlier in 2025 (Read more at Straits Times).
This marks a shift in the Trump administration’s policy which has tried to penalise local governments, institutions, federal agencies and private companies for not aligning with its views on Israel or antisemitism. The decision to quietly remove the clause from the terms and conditions comes after various US media outlets slammed the department for tying access to federal emergency funds to political agendas and ideologies. It also comes as global pressure and criticism mount on Israel over its Gaza offensive (Read more at Euronews).
Syria's future as a unified state hangs in the balance as both countries pursue long-standing plans to cement hegemonic control through violence and divide-and-conquer tactics. While the US prioritises geostrategic control and the protection of its energy and security interests, Israel seeks to break Syria into ethnic and sectarian enclaves as part of a decades-old strategy to fragment the Arab world and cement its own regional hegemony (Read more at Middle East Eye).
The "last thing" Rabbi Rachel Timoner says she wanted to do was block the street in front of New York's Israeli consulate as part of a protest calling on Israel to increase the flow of humanitarian aid in Gaza – let alone get arrested for doing so. The Brooklyn rabbi said on the Haaretz Podcast that when she was asked to take part in the demonstration, she found it impossible to say no. "As a leader of the Jewish community here, as a rabbi, I feel that when Israel is acting in a way that they are claiming is representing Judaism, it's part of my job to show my understanding of what Judaism stands for. We feed the hungry, and we care for the sick, and we free the captives, and we care for the human dignity of every life, of every human life." (Listen Here)
Johnson becomes the highest-ranking US official to visit an illegal settlement in the occupied Palestinian territory. The Palestinian Foreign Ministry called the trip by the speaker of the US House of Representatives on Monday a “blatant violation of international law” (Read more at Aljazeera).
In a letter to President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the Democratic lawmakers have urged the government to follow in the footsteps of 147 countries that have already recognised a Palestinian state, saying the US should not “be isolated from the rest of the free world”. US Democratic Congressman Ro Khanna's effort to gather support for recognising a Palestinian state is now being supported by 13 House Democrats, as of Monday (Read more at Middle East Eye).
Natural disaster funds will be withheld from states facing fires, flooding, hurricanes, and tornadoes if they boycott Israeli companies. But the ruling is seen as largely symbolic. More than 30 US states already have laws that require “public entities to certify they do not and will not boycott Israel.” (Read more at Middle East Eye)
A group of around 600 retired Israeli security officials, including former heads of intelligence agencies, have written to US President Donald Trump to pressure Israel to immediately end the war in Gaza. "It is our professional judgement that Hamas no longer poses a strategic threat to Israel," said the officials (Read more at Business Standard).
Despite some pushback from his party to deal with the genocide of Palestinians in Gaza - especially Israel’s starvation policy - the US governing Republican Party remains unmoved. Republicans overwhelmingly support Israel’s tactics against the Palestinians, as support for Israel plummets among Independent and Democratic voters. Trump says he wants more food to reach Gaza via the militarised distribution mechanism, the GHF. But he criticised Western countries that spoke of diplomatic moves, such as recognising Palestinian statehood. Host Steve Clemons speaks with Republican analyst Mark Pfeifle and Democratic analyst David Bolger on Trump’s political calculations on Middle East policy (Listen here).
Trump has so far paid no price for ignoring a ceasefire. Trump said this week that “real starvation” was occurring in Gaza, in an apparent jab at Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has denied the charge. Trump said anyone who viewed the images of emaciated children in Gaza would say it was terrible “unless they’re pretty cold-hearted or, worse than that, nuts”. He wants to bring the hostages home and create a better humanitarian situation, but is not interested in spending the time on the underlying issues to end the war (Read more at Middle East Eye).
Witkoff is heard saying: "We have a very, very good plan that we're working on collectively with the Israeli government, with Prime Minister Netanyahu ... for the reconstruction of Gaza. That effectively means the end of the war." Witkoff also said that Hamas was prepared to disarm in order to end the war, though the group has repeatedly said it will not lay down its weapons (Read more at Reuters).
Such an expansion would reflect Trump’s desire to conclude pacts with non-Arab nations as his administration is unable to convince regional heavyweight Saudi Arabia to restore ties with Israel while war rages in Gaza. While Trump officials have publicly floated several potential entrants into the accords, the talks centred on Azerbaijan are among the most structured and serious (Read more at Arab Weekly).
Every weekend for the past three weeks, demonstrators have banged pots and pans outside Capital One’s Cafe in Harvard Square, Cambridge, Massachusetts. It is part of a consortium of six banks that have loaned $545m to Elbit Systems, Israel’s largest defence contractor. The picketers are led by Boycott, Divestment Sanctions Boston (BDS Boston), a local pro-Palestine group that has been campaigning against Elbit Systems for years. According to S, a member of BDS Boston who asked only to be identified by their first initial, the pickets “have a very strong emphasis on disruption” (Read more at Middle East Eye).
“The purpose of the visit was to give @POTUS (Trump) a clear understanding of the humanitarian situation and help craft a plan to deliver food and medical aid to the people of Gaza,” Witkoff said. He visited Gaza a day after meeting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Israel is under mounting international pressure over the devastation of Gaza since the start of the war and growing starvation among its 2.2 milion inhabitants. Hours after Witkoff’s visit, Palestinian medics reported Israeli forces shot dead three Palestinians near one of the group’s sites in the city on Gaza’s southern edge (Read more at Gulf Times).
Azerbaijan and every country in Central Asia, by contrast, already have longstanding relations with Israel, meaning that an expansion of the accords to include them would largely be symbolic, focusing on strengthening ties in areas like trade and military cooperation, they said. However, a soaring death toll in Gaza and starvation in the enclave due to the blockade of aid and military operations by Israel have buoyed Arab fury, complicating Trump's efforts to add more Muslim-majority countries to the Abraham Accords (Read more at Express Tribune).
In San Francisco, Boston, Dallas and other cities around the country, protesters have marched and chanted outside the offices of the Boston Consulting Group (BCG). The demonstrators were demanding accountability for BCG’s role in creating a deadly new aid distribution system backed by the US and Israel that a United Nations official described as using starvation as a bargaining chip (Read more at Middle East Eye).
The US announces sanctions against the Palestinian leadership, saying it has undermined peace efforts. It comes as the war in Gaza still rages and the push for Palestinian statehood is gaining momentum. So, what are the implications of the US decision? (Listen here)
The protest, known as the “Siege of the US Embassy”, began last Saturday. Protesters gathered in the square in front of the embassy, raising slogans condemning US support for what they described as a war of extermination. Speaking on Thursday evening, protest spokesperson Salah Eddine Al-Masri said: “This protest aims to pressure the US to stop supporting Israel and push for an end to the war on Gaza and the entry of sufficient humanitarian aid.” He added that a new protest is planned for next Monday at the embassy’s entrance, where demonstrators will display pictures of Palestinian children killed in the war and will attempt to disrupt the embassy’s access (Read more at Middle East Monitor).
The U.S. is imposing a new wave of tariffs on African exports, with South Africa, Algeria, and Libya facing the continent’s highest rate of 30 percent. These tariffs are set to take effect on August 7 and follow a missed deadline of August 1 for trade negotiations between the U.S. and African nations. However, no trade deals were finalized with African countries before this deadline (Read more at CGNT Africa).
During a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing in Washington, several US senators spoke of the deep and strategic partnership between the United States and Morocco. The hearing was held to confirm Duke Buchan III as the new US Ambassador to Morocco. Senators from both major parties noted Morocco’s importance as one of America’s oldest allies and a key partner in Africa and beyond (Read more at Morocco World News).
The US president's sentiments on Palestinian statehood have shifted significantly over the past week. More and more, his Mideast policy is being driven by hawkish staff and donors who have his ear, which could explain the shift in messaging. Washington adopted the policy of two states, Israel and Palestine, at the signing of the 1978 Camp David Accords between Egypt and Israel. It became official at the signing of the 1993 Oslo Accords in the White House Rose Garden. No administration has officially, on paper, overturned that policy since, but now more than ever, no government action even remotely suggests that it remains in effect (Read more at Middle East Eye).
Following the meeting, a senior Israeli official said an understanding between Israel and the US was emerging that there was a need to move from a plan to release some of the hostages to a plan to release all the hostages, disarm Hamas militants and demilitarise the Gaza Strip. The official did not provide details on what that plan would be, but it was seen as a shift from seeking a limited truce to a more comprehensive deal. The official added that Israel and the United States would work to increase humanitarian aid, while continuing the fighting in Gaza (Read more at The Age).
"We are united in our opposition to the attempts of Iranian intelligence services to kill, kidnap, and harass people in Europe and North America in clear violation of our sovereignty," the countries said in a joint statement. The governments of Albania, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Czechia, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, the UK and the US called on the Iranian authorities to immediately stop such illegal activities (Read more at CNA).
In this week’s episode of One Decision, Congressman Bill Foster — the only Ph.D. physicist in Congress — joins hosts Christina Ruffini and Sir Richard Dearlove to examine the widening gap between science and policy in Washington. Foster warns that as the U.S. defunds research and sidelines experts, it risks falling behind in the global race for technological dominance, particularly against China. From the dangers of deregulated artificial intelligence to the unclear status of Iran’s nuclear program, Foster outlines the stakes of ignoring science at the highest levels of government (Listen here).
“As the president stated, he would be rewarding Hamas if he recognizes a Palestinian state, and he doesn’t think they should be rewarded," a White House official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. "So he is not going to do that. President Trump’s focus is on getting people fed (in Gaza).” (Read more at Reuters)
Sanders, an independent from Vermont, has repeatedly tried to block the sale of offensive weapons to Israel over the last year. The resolutions before the Senate on Tuesday would have stopped the sale of $675 million in bombs as well as shipments of 20,000 automatic assault rifles to Israel. They again failed to gain passage, but 27 Democrats — more than half the caucus — voted for the resolution that applied to assault rifles, and 24 voted for the resolution that applied to bomb sales. It was more than any of Sanders’ previous efforts, which at a high mark in November last year gained 18 votes from Democrats (Read more at AP).
In a Truth Social Post late on Wednesday, Trump expressed surprise over Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney announcing that Canada plans to recognize the State of Palestine at the U.N. in September, and said (quote) "That will make it very hard for us to make a Trade Deal with them.” (Read more at Yahoo News).
Trump has made clear in recent days that he thinks there is starvation in Gaza and has committed to increasing U.S. aid. At the same time, he said he expects other Western countries and Israel to do their share. Amid calls for an immediate ceasefire, Trump has also said Israel might need to escalate the war to force Hamas to sign a hostage deal (Read more at Axios).
President Trump said on Thursday that the humanitarian crisis in Gaza will end if Hamas releases the hostages and surrenders. The comment from the president marks a change in tone from others he made in recent days that put the onus on Israel to improve the humanitarian crisis in Gaza (Read more at Axios).
The reliably pro-Israel Republican Party is scrambling to contain a generational revolt over foreign aid, antisemitism and the true meaning of "America First." A growing number of Gen Z conservatives — removed from the historical context that shaped older Republican views — see Israel as just another ally taking advantage of America's generosity. "What we are seeing on Israel is a generational split around the age of 40," MAGA podcaster Jack Posobiec told Axios earlier this month. "Over 40 support, under 40 range from skeptical to wanting to cut all ties." (Read more at Axios).
They announced sanctions against members of the Palestinian Authority (PA) and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), accusing them of supporting “terrorism” and seeking to destabilise peace efforts. The State Department said it reported to Congress that the groups had violated international agreements, including the Middle East Peace Commitments Act of 2002. The State Department denounced the Palestinian Authority and the Palestinian Liberation Organization for seeking to “internationalize its conflict with Israel” by seeking relief at the International Criminal Court and the International Court of Justice (Read more at Aljazeera).
Aryeh Lightstone and Charles Leith, aides to Trump's Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, briefed U.S. Senate and House of Representatives committees on July 8 and 9 about the GHF operation. They told the congressional committees that it is enough to fund the organization through the end of July (Read more at AOL).
Without a public commitment from Lebanese ministers, the US will no longer dispatch US envoy Thomas Barrack to Beirut for negotiations with Lebanese officials, or pressure Israel either to stop airstrikes or pull its troops from south Lebanon (Read more at Arab Weekly).
The American child separated from their family from a sprawling camp in northeastern Syrian that houses tens of thousands of people with alleged ties to the militant Islamic State group, the State Department said Wednesday (Read more at ABC News).
Today, in its largest Iran-related action since 2018, the Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) is designating more than 50 individuals and entities and identifying more than 50 vessels that are part of the vast shipping empire (Read more at Treasury Department).
Not since 7 October 2023 has support for Israel among Americans been this low. In a dramatic 10 percentage point drop since a poll from September 2024, only 32 percent of Americans said they support Israel's war in Gaza. The decline in support for the war and for Netanyahu is mainly driven by those who identify as Democrats and Independents (Read more at Middle East Eye).
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), in a Tuesday night post on X, became the first Republican in Congress to refer to the war in Gaza as a "genocide." For years, "America first" nationalists have been skeptical of U.S. foreign aid, but Trump and others carved out an exception for Israel. That consensus has eroded at a stunning rate over the last week. "The reality of the images from Gaza are impossible to ignore," said former Rep. Dan Kildee (D-Mich.), who fought to restrict U.S. arms shipments to Israel after the Oct. 7 attacks. "And public opinion is reflecting that fact. That's the most significant change." (Read more at Axios).
Formerly known as the Nusra Front, HTS was al Qaeda's official wing in Syria until breaking ties in 2016. Since May 2014, the group has been on the United Nations Security Council's al Qaeda and Islamic State sanctions list and subjected to a global asset freeze and arms embargo. A number of HTS members are also under U.N. sanctions - a travel ban, asset freeze and arms embargo - including its leader, Ahmed Sharaa, who is now Syria's interim president. The United States is working with Security Council members to review Syria-related sanctions, acting U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Dorothy Shea said on Monday (Read more at AOL).
Trump issued the threat as he held talks with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer at his Turnberry golf resort on the western coast of Scotland. Iran, which denies seeking to develop a nuclear weapon, has insisted it will not give up domestic uranium enrichment despite the bombings of three nuclear sites (Read more at Reuters).
“Based on television, … those children look very hungry,” Trump said. “But we’re giving a lot of money and a lot of food, and other nations are now stepping up.” Even as Trump again dismissed the idea of recognizing Palestine as a state, he seemed unbothered by European allies doing so (Read more at Politico).
Even if armed resistance groups such as Hezbollah or Hamas are temporarily subdued, the region's capacity to generate new forms of resistance endures. With no plan for Gaza and growing regional defiance, the Trump administration's vision to reshape the Middle East through force is already beginning to fracture (Read more at Middle East Eye).
US said French President Emmanuel Macron's decision to recognise a Palestinian state 'undercuts' American diplomacy. The US State Department labelled the three-day event "unproductive and ill-timed", as well as a "publicity stunt" that would make finding peace harder. The diplomatic push is a "reward for terrorism", the statement said (Read more at Middle East Eye).
“When you get it down to a certain number, you’re going to be able to make a deal with Hamas because once they give them up, then they feel that that’s going to be the end of them,” Trump said, referring to hostage negotiations. “They [Hamas] don’t want to give [the hostages] back, and so Israel is going to have to make a decision.” (Read more at New York Post)
An internal US government analysis released Friday (July 25) found no evidence that the Palestinian militant group Hamas systematically stole US-funded humanitarian aid in Gaza, challenging claims from both Israel and the United States that have been used to justify a controversial new private armed aid effort (Read more at CNA).
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump appeared to abandon Gaza ceasefire negotiations with Hamas, both saying it had become clear that the Palestinian militants did not want a deal. Trump said he believed Hamas leaders would now be "hunted down", telling reporters: "Hamas really didn't want to make a deal. I think they want to die. And it's very bad. And it got to be to a point where you're going to have to finish the job." (Read more at SBS)
A former US Army Special Forces officer revealed that he resigned from his role at the Israeli and US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) after witnessing the shelling of aid-seeking civilians in the besieged enclave. Lieutenant-Colonel Anthony Aguilar said he had never seen such "brutality and use of indiscriminate and unnecessary force against a civilian population, an unarmed, starving population" (Read more at Middle East Eye).
Israel was running low on Terminal High Altitude Area Defence (THAAD) interceptors as Iranian ballistic missiles slammed into Israeli cities in June. But Saudi Arabia was well placed to help Israel, and US officials have been keen to emphasise that Iran is a threat to them as well as Israel (Read more at Middle East Eye).
The US is cutting short Gaza ceasefire talks and bringing its negotiators home from Qatar after Hamas' latest response showed a "lack of desire" for a truce, US envoy Steve Witkoff said Thursday. Hamas said in a statement that it was surprised by Witkoff’s “negative remarks” and that it has shown responsibility and flexibility in negotiations (Read more at France 24).
The United States on Thursday announced the approval of a $4.67 billion sale of the NASAMS air defense system and related support to Egypt. “The proposed sale will improve Egypt’s capability to meet current and future threats by improving its ability to detect various air threats,” the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) said in a statement. The State Department approved the possible sale of the system to Egypt (Read more at Defense Post).
U.S. citizen Hosam Saraya died last week in the predominantly Druze region of Sweida. "What I can say is we have had direct discussions with the Syrian government on this issue, and have called for an immediate investigation into the matter," Pigott told reporters during a press briefing (Read more at AOL).
The U.S. Treasury Department in March revoked key licenses that allowed some companies to export Venezuelan oil and fuel to the U.S. after President Donald Trump criticized the OPEC nation's record on migration and democracy. Gulf Coast imports of oil from the Middle East, mainly Iraqi Qaiyarah, Kuwait's Eocene and Saudi Arabia's medium sour Arab Light, also ramped up sharply this month to 212,000 bpd, the highest since January (Read more at Yahoo Finance).
Syria, the United States, and France issued a joint statement on Friday, stating that they had agreed to expedite efforts to ensure the success of Syria's transition, unity, and territorial integrity. They also agreed to support efforts to hold those responsible for violence accountable. They committed to cooperating on the “shared fight against terrorism in all forms” and to strengthening the capacity of the Syrian government to address security challenges (Read more at Yahoo).
Early this morning in al-Bab, Aleppo Governate, Syria, CENTCOM Forces conducted a raid resulting in the death of senior ISIS Leader, Dhiya’ Zawba Muslih al-Hardani, and his two adult ISIS-affiliated sons, Abdallah Dhiya al-Hardani and Abd al-Rahman Dhiya Zawba al-Hardani (Read more at Centcom).
He called the move reckless and damaging to peace efforts, echoing earlier criticism from Washington. Macron is okay, Trump said, but added "here's the good news, what he says doesn't matter." The French president's statement "doesn't carry any weight," he said (Read more at MSN).
