Trump addressed the U.S. Department of Energy in a post on his Truth Social platform encouraging it to "drill, baby, drill" and saying, "I mean now," despite no major oil disruptions after the bombings. In another post on the platform, Trump said in all caps: "Everyone, keep oil prices down, I'm watching! You're playing into the hands of the enemy, don't do it." U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright responded, "We're on it!" to the drilling message, in a post on X (Read more at MSN).
The move suggests that the US believed Saudi Arabia would not be targeted by Iranian strikes and points to coordination with Iran to limit the fallout of the attack. The New York Times earlier reported that Iran provided advanced notice to Qatari officials to minimise casualties (Read more at Middle East Eye).
Loud explosions were also heard, although so far no injuries have been reported. Qatar’s Defence Ministry says its air defence systems successfully intercepted missiles targeting Al Udeid Air Base (Read more at Aljazeera).
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer has reiterated that Trump needs to consult Congress before taking any military action against Iran. “I’ve seen press reports that Iranian missiles are targeting US military bases in the Middle East, putting the lives of thousands of American servicemembers at immediate risk,” Schumer said on X (Read more at Aljazeera).
The joint attacks against Iran aim to sow chaos and instability in order to secure regional domination. Clearly, the US and Israel are not after Iran’s nuclear programme. They are after Iran as a regional power, and that is why regime change has already been floated in public (Read more at Aljazeera).
A group of 12 House Democratic military veterans have thrown their weight behind efforts to constrain Donald Trump’s military authority, announcing they will support a War Powers Act resolution in response to the US president’s go ahead for airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities. The veterans – some of whom served in Iraq and Afghanistan – were strongly critical of Trump’s decision to launch what they called “preventive air strikes” without US congressional approval, drawing explicit parallels to the run-up to some of America’s longest recent wars (Read more at Guardian).
He wants to celebrate the joint U.S-Israeli bombing of Iran's nuclear program. Despite past tensions in their relationship, the two leaders are closer than ever and see the 12-day war against Iran as a monumental achievement — both for their countries and their personal legacies (Read more at Axios).
Bannon, the longtime Trump ally and leading figure in the MAGA movement, praised Trump for the strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities during an episode of his podcast “Bannon’s War Room.” But he questioned the “regime change narrative,” criticized the Pentagon for its messaging in the hours after the strike and urged Israel to “finish what you started” without U.S. involvement (Read more at Politico).
Attacks on US assets: The US has a range of military bases across the Middle East.
Withdraw from Non-Proliferation Treaty: Article 10 postulates that an NPT member has "the right to withdraw from the Treaty if it decides that extraordinary events have jeopardised the supreme interests of its country".
Block the Strait of Hormuz: The Strait of Hormuz is a key shipping lane for international trade and is a "chokepoint" for nearly a fifth of the world's daily oil flows.
Mobilisation of proxies: A range of Iran-backed armed groups in a number of countries including Yemen, Iraq and Lebanon are also likely to retaliate against US assets in the region (Read more at Middle East Eye).
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan wants to host US-Iran talks and maintain his good relationship with Donald Trump. Turkey has stopped short of condemning the US strikes on Iran, despite many of the Islamic Republic's major allies, as well as several regional states, criticising the escalation and viewing it as a risky gambit (Read more at Middle East Eye).
Iran’s most valuable nuclear asset is its stockpile of enriched uranium. As long as they continue to have that, they still actually have very much a nuclear programme that still could be weaponised (Read more at Aljazeera).
"This cannot continue. There will be either peace or there will be tragedy for Iran far greater than we have witnessed over the last eight days," Trump warned. It's an intervention fraught with risks and uncertainty — one that Trump and many of his predecessors had sought to avoid, including through diplomacy with Iran. The attack, which came on the ninth night of the unprecedented war between Israel and Iran, could provoke retaliation from Tehran against U.S. troops and military installations across the region (Read more at Axios).
President Trump's MAGA movement appeared to largely coalesce late Saturday in supporting his decision to strike Iranian nuclear sites, despite its bitter infighting recently over the prospect of the U.S. intervening in the Israel-Iran war. Skepticism of foreign entanglements is a foundational pillar of Trump's "America First" credo — but so is support for the president (Read more at Axios).
The objections center on the argument that Trump needed congressional authorization for such a provocative use of military force. "We need to immediately return to DC and vote on [Rep. Thomas Massie's] and my War Powers Resolution to prevent America from being dragged into another endless Middle East war," said Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.). Massie (R-Ky.), a libertarian who often breaks with Trump, said in a post on X reacting to the strikes: "This is not Constitutional." (Read more at Axios).
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told reporters the U.S. war against Iran is "not open-ended" and is "not about regime change," stressing that Saturday's U.S. military strikes were strictly targeted at Iran's nuclear program. Vice President Vance flatly denied that the U.S. is at war with Iran, telling NBC's "Meet the Press" instead: "We're at war with Iran's nuclear program." (Read more at Axios)
A surprise U.S. military attack on Iranian nuclear facilities involved more than 125 aircraft and 75 precision-guided weapons. The operation, dubbed Midnight Hammer, produced the longest B-2 Spirit mission since 2001 and the first real-world use of 30,000 pound bunker-busting bombs (Read more at Axios).
Israel: ‘Change History’, UK: ‘Stability is Priority’, EU: ‘Step Back’, UN: ‘Dangerous Escalation’, Iraq: ‘Grave Threat’, Saudi Arabia: ‘Exercise Restraint’, Hamas: ‘Brutal Aggression’, Democrats: ‘Unilateral Military Action’ (Read more at Defense Post).
President Trump said Friday that it will be "very hard" to pause Israel's war against Iran in order to allow for direct negotiations with the U.S., noting that Israel is "doing well" in its efforts to take out Iran's nuclear program. "I think it's very hard to make that request right now. If somebody is winning, it's a little bit harder to do than if somebody is losing," Trump said (Read more at Axios).
Pakistani army chief Munir’s US trip suggests warming ties after past diplomatic friction. But challenges remain. For Pakistan, analysts said, that comment underscored how the reset in ties with the US that Islamabad desperately seeks will be tested by two key challenges. Iran and the current crisis with Israel will force Pakistan into a diplomatic balancing act. But the Pakistani military conceded that the two leaders also held “detailed discussions” on the escalating tensions between Iran and Israel with both Munir and Trump – according to Islamabad – emphasising the need for a peaceful resolution (Read more at Aljazeera).
The comments come after Trump earlier this week cast doubt on Tulsi Gabbard’s March 25 report to Congress, in which she reiterated the US intelligence community’s assessment. On Tuesday, Trump told reporters, “I don’t care” that the intelligence community’s finding contradicted his own claims, saying Iran was in the late stages of developing a nuclear weapon (Read more at Aljazeera).
The foreign ministers of Germany, France and the U.K. — with Kaja Kallas, the former Estonian leader in question — are expected to join emergency talks in Geneva with representatives of Iran on Friday anyway. On Thursday Trump and his team gave European officials reasons to hope that their efforts may not be futile. The White House announced Trump will decide within the next two weeks whether to order U.S. military action as he believes “there’s a substantial chance of negotiations.” That longer timeframe for Trump to make his decision appears to open the door to a renewed diplomatic push, giving Friday’s talks in Switzerland potentially much more weight (Read more at Politico).
The unanimous ruling clears the legal pathway for victims to seek damages in the U.S. for attacks abroad connected to two political entities representing Palestinians. A 2019 law intended to facilitate lawsuits against the Palestinian Authority and Palestine Liberation Organization does not violate the Constitution, the Supreme Court found in their decision (Read more at Axios).
On a sweltering summer evening in New York City on Wednesday, hundreds of protesters assembled on the steps of the New York Public Library in Manhattan to convey what they said was a clear message to the city and country's elected officials: "No War on Iran". Protesters held up Palestinian flags, as well as signs urging for the bombardment to end. Several people waved placards that read: "Money for people's needs. Not War with Iran" (Read more at Middle East Eye).
At any moment, President Donald Trump could decide to directly involve the United States in yet another war in the Middle East—this time against Iran. The stakes could not be higher, and, this week, Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., joins "The Signal Sitdown" to discuss. “I think President Trump's instincts are to try to keep us out of war,” Paul told The Daily Signal. “I think he has these instincts within his belief system of restraint and less intervention.” Nevertheless, Paul warned that there might be “forces within his administration that would like to get us more involved.” (Listen here)
US President Donald Trump has made his administration “a subcontractor, a junior partner” to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s objectives in the Middle East, argues Democratic Senator Chris Van Hollen. As the president mulls further involvement in Israel’s attack on Iran, Senator Van Hollen tells host Steve Clemons that “This notion that you can just drop a few big bombs and be done with it misunderstands history, because there is a real risk that the United States will get dragged deeper and deeper into this war.” (Listen here)
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, a combat veteran who led troops in the Army’s 82nd Airborne Division in Afghanistan, accused President Donald Trump of displaying “a lack of seriousness” in dealing with the ongoing conflict between Israel and Iran (Read more at Politico).
Trump met with his top national security team in the Situation Room on Thursday — the third such meeting in three days. He's seriously considering joining the war, but wants to ensure three things are true (Read more at Axios).
Rep. Max Miller (R-Ohio) said Thursday he contacted the Capitol Police after being "run off the road" by a man displaying a Palestinian flag while he was driving in his congressional district. Miller said, the man initially "decided to lay on his horn," but then ran him off the road "when he couldn't get my attention." The man also yelled "death to Israel," he said. Miller, who is Jewish and pro-Israel, has been open about his fears of antisemitic violence since the onset of the war in Gaza, telling Axios in 2023 that he carries a weapon for self-protection (Read more at Axios).
60% of 1,512 polled Americans think the U.S. military should not get involved in the conflict between Israel and Iran, according to an Economist/YouGov poll released this week. Only 16% support U.S. military action, and 24% are unsure (Read more at Axios).
The base at Diego Garcia puts US bomber aircraft within 5,300km of Iran but requires UK authorisation for use. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer chaired an emergency Cobra meeting on Wednesday afternoon to discuss Britain's response if the US enters the conflict between Israel and Iran. Much of the discussion hinged on Diego Garcia, a shadowy UK-US military base deep in the Indian Ocean (Read more at Middle East Eye).
The report suggests Trump's military campaign has killed almost as many civilians in 52 days as in the previous 23 years of US military action against Yemen. Between the first recorded US strike in Yemen in 2002 until the beginning of Trump’s Operation Rough Rider campaign in March 2025, Airwars tracked at least 258 civilians allegedly killed by US actions (Read more at Middle East Eye).
“Through this action, the United States has dealt a serious blow to international peace and security,” he said, vowing that Iran would defend itself “by all means necessary against... US military aggression.” “I’m going to Moscow this afternoon” to hold “serious consultations with the Russian president tomorrow,” he added (Read more at Arabnews).
"The best-case scenario for Israel is either an American attack on the underground Fordow nuclear site or an agreement that causes the Iranians to give up the uranium there," he said. "The worst case scenario is a war of attrition with Iran, in which we continue to bomb them but cannot fully eliminate some of their sites, and they continue to bomb us and wake us up three times every night with ballistic missiles." The 10 days before the Israeli strike were a joint American-Israeli trap set for the Iranians" in which U.S. President Donald Trump deceptively declared he was pressuring Israel to stand down in deference to diplomatic efforts (Listen here).
U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee announced Wednesday that the United States is organizing evacuations of American citizens out of Israel, as the specter of the U.S. potentially striking against Iran looms (Read more at Politico).
Trump's doubts Wednesday about the certainty of success are one reason he was still questioning whether to move forward with a strike. If Trump enters the war it almost certainly would be to destroy the Fordow uranium enrichment site, which is built into a mountain south of Tehran. It's at the top of Israel's target list. But Israel lacks the 30,000-pound bunker-buster bombs needed to destroy it from the air, along with the B-2 bomber aircraft to carry them. The U.S has both within flying range of Iran. "We are the only ones who have the capability to do it, but that doesn't mean I am going to do it," Trump said Wednesday when asked whether he considers it essential to destroy Fordow. "I have been asked about it by everybody but I haven't made a decision." (Read more at Axios).
The conversation soured when Cruz claimed "we are carrying out military strikes today." Pressed by Carlson on whether it's the U.S. or Israel leading the strikes, Cruz said the U.S. was "supporting" Israel. "This is high stakes," Carlson responded. "You're a senator. If you're saying the United States government is at war with Iran right now, people are listening (Read more at Axios).
Democrats are demanding more information from the White House as President Trump considers joining the Israeli offensive against Iran. Democrats say that lawmakers aren't being given enough information about a potential U.S. military action (Read more at Axios).
President Trump said Wednesday that Iran still wants to negotiate with the U.S. and even proposed sending a delegation to the White House, but that it was getting "very late" for talks and he might soon authorize strikes on Iran's nuclear program (Read more at Axios).
The closest parallel to today is the Obama administration’s 2011 decision to lead a Nato bombing campaign on Libya during the Arab Spring. “Libya was seen as a ‘safer bet’ for intervention during the Arab Spring. No one thinks Iran is marginal. There is a big difference. But the concern about mission creep is there.” (Read more at Middle East Eye)
Senators Sanders, Tim Kaine and Elizabeth Warren have introduced "No War Against Iran Act" to prevent Trump from using federal funds for any "illegal wars” in or against Iran without approval from Congress (Read more at Middle East Eye).
The Israel-Iran conflict brings more instability to the Middle East, a region with extensive US interests. They'll be central to shaping president Donald Trump's strategy. So, what's at stake for Washington--and the pros and cons for Trump of further involvement? (Listen here)
Donald Trump loyalists are shaping a narrative of how the U.S. leader outfoxed Iran and lulled the mullahs into thinking he would restrain Benjamin Netanyahu. More likely the Israeli PM outthought them all (Read more at Politico).
The State Department sent a diplomatic note to several regional allies in the Middle East, including Qatar, informing them of the looming Israeli strikes on Iran. Tensions between Turkey and Israel have escalated as Ankara and Damascus have begun talks to establish several military bases in Syria to help train the country's fractured military (Read more at Middle East Eye).
British officials persuaded Trump administration not to sanction UK nationals involved in Israel case, including Amal Clooney, but fear more sanctions are still to come. The US has already imposed sanctions on the court's British chief prosecutor, Karim Khan, and four of its judges, but sanctioning the court itself could deal a fatal blow to its ability to function (Read more at Middle East Eye).
If Netanyahu indeed carries out an assassination of Iranian political leaders outside of the military's ranks, there is little doubt that the optics will point towards the US and its culpability in any such event. Trump, at this point in time, has no interest in taking a gamble with Iran's governance, not as long as Iran wants to return to the negotiating table (Read more at Middle East Eye).
Over the weekend, Israel had an operational window to assassinate Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, but President Trump made it clear that he is against such a move, U.S. officials said. The White House officials say Trump is still trying to prevent further escalation of the war and resume talks with Iran on a nuclear deal (Read more at Axios).
A group of pro-Israel members of Congress is urging President Trump to ensure "zero enrichment, zero pathway to a nuclear weapon" in negotiations with Iran. The lawmakers — including a Republican, Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.) — said Israel's strikes against Iranian nuclear sites and other military targets have created a "renewed sense of urgency" on the issue. The letter is led by Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-N.J.), a staunchly pro-Israel centrist Democrat, and signed by seven other House Democrats, in addition to Bacon (Read more at Axios).
Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) said, " that the U.S. response will be "triggered" by Iran's actions — and if they target Americans or the U.S. presence in the region, Iran "should be prepared for all of America's might to descend upon them." (Read more at Axios)
President Donald Trump said the United States could become involved in the Iran-Israel conflict, and that he would be “open” to his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin being a mediator. The Republican president also said talks over Iran’s nuclear program were continuing and that Tehran would “like to make a deal,” perhaps more quickly now that the Islamic Republic is trading massive strikes with Israel (Read more at Defense Post).
The modification is secret, but two US officials confirmed that Israel did not use mid-air refuelling during its Friday attack on Iran or land their warplanes for refuelling at any nearby countries. The F-35 is the only long-range stealth fighter in the world, and its features make it difficult for radar or infrared sensors to track it. The scale of Israel’s Friday attack and the surprise nature of it mean the improvement is a sea change for the F-35, the US officials said (Read more at Middle East Eye).
President Trump said after a call with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday that the war between Israel and Iran needs to end. Why it matters: Trump's call for ending the war comes less than 48 hours after Israel launched its attacks against Iran and shows the amount of concern at the White House from the escalating fighting (Read more at Axios).
Israel has asked the Trump administration over the past 48 hours to join the war with Iran in order to eliminate its nuclear program, according to two Israeli officials. The big picture: Israel lacks the bunker buster bombs and large bomber aircraft needed to destroy Iran's Fordow uranium enrichment site, which is built into a mountain and deep underground. The U.S. has both within flying distance of Iran (Read more at Axios).
Shortly after that, Oman also confirmed the talks “will not now take place”. Tehran branded dialogue over its nuclear programme with the US as “meaningless” after Israel launched its biggest-ever military strike against Iran, which Tehran accuses Washington, DC, of supporting (Read more at Aljazeera).
In a diplomatic note sent out Thursday afternoon, the State Department confirmed that the Israeli attack was set to take place late on Thursday. Qatar was among the countries which received the heads up. "We don't comment on private diplomatic conversations," a State Department spokesperson said when asked about the notifications sent to allies (Read more AOL).
The US State Department specifically named Iran, Iraq, Jordan, and Israel in its alerts, urging Americans in certain areas to shelter in place and in some cases leave immediately (Read more at MSN).
Accusing US President Donald Trump of having “authorised” the major Israeli attack on Iran on Friday, Iraqi group Kataeb Hezbollah said in a statement that “the American forces in Iraq have enabled this aggression by opening the Iraqi airspace to Zionist aircraft.” To stop Iraq from becoming “a battlefield,” Kataeb Hezbollah said that the government in Baghdad “must urgently remove these hostile foreign forces from the country in order to avoid additional wars in the region.” (Read more at Defense Post)
Minutes before heading to the Situation Room for a strategy session on Iran, President Trump told Axios he believes Israel's massive strike likely improved the chances of a U.S.-Iran nuclear agreement. Iranian officials have said explicitly that they blame the U.S. for the attack, along with Israel. The U.S. is preparing to defend against a potential Iranian retaliation on U.S. targets (Read more at Axios).
The Trump administration wants to use the war Israel started to get the Iranians back to the nuclear talks when they are in a weaker position. "I gave Iran chance after chance to make a deal. I told them, in the strongest of words, to just do it. But no matter how hard they tried, no matter how close they got, they just couldn't get it done," Trump wrote on Truth Social (Read more at Axios).
Trump would have undoubtedly been regarded with less ill will in Tehran had he stuck to the “America First” policy that is the cornerstone of his second administration. As the name suggests, this policy ostensibly promotes a focus on US citizens and their needs rather than on, you know, bombing people in other countries. And yet the at least tacit endorsement extended by Trump for today’s attacks on Iran would seem to call into question American priorities – and raise the possibility that the US is instead putting “Israel First” (Read more at Aljazeera).
In essence, Trump does not necessarily lack the right instincts, but he is a consummate bungler, executing his vision in a way that is often counterproductive. On nuclear negotiations with Iran, if Trump thinks he can reach an agreement with Tehran that includes zero enrichment, he is dreaming. Iran has not endured decades of sanctions to maintain its right to nuclear enrichment just to sell it off to the man who, among many other things, gave the order to kill General Qassem Soleimani. Trump might also believe that by facilitating and defending Israeli strikes on Iran he may increase his leverage in the nuclear talks with Tehran, but this choice could turn into a serious miscalculation, not to mention that Iran has already cancelled this weekend's planned talks (Read more at Middle East Eye).
“GHF, I think it’s fair to say, has been, from a principled humanitarian standpoint, a failure,” said Jens Laerke, spokesperson for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). “They are not doing what a humanitarian operation should do, which is providing aid to people where they are, in a safe and secure manner.” The UN and major aid groups have refused to cooperate with the GHF, citing concerns that it prioritises Israeli military objectives over humanitarian needs (Read more at Aljazeera).
"I think it's been excellent. We gave them a chance and they didn't take it. They got hit hard, very hard. They got hit about as hard as you're going to get hit. And there's more to come. A lot more," Trump was quoted as saying by an ABC reporter (Read more at Middle East Eye).
Iran launched a major counterattack against Israel on Friday, firing around 100 missiles in two barrages, according to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). The retaliatory attack began 18 hours after Israel launched a war against Iran, attacking its nuclear facilities and missile sites and killing top military leaders and nuclear scientists. The U.S. is helping to intercept incoming ballistic missiles, according to an Israeli official and a senior U.S. official (Read more at Axios).
The US sent around 300 Hellfire missiles to Israel. The transfer of such a large quantity of Hellfires suggests that the Trump administration was well-informed of Israel’s plans to attack the Islamic Republic of Iran (Read more at Middle East Eye).
Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said that U.S. commitment to Israel's defense must be "ironclad" after the country's attack on Iran. Schumer's statement was not critical of the Israeli offensive, while other top Senate Democrats have already panned the attack as "reckless." (Read more at Axios)
Rev. Johnnie Moore, a White House adviser during President Donald Trump's first term, and Rabbi Abraham Cooper, from the Jewish human rights organization Simon Wiesenthal Center, have promoted interfaith dialogue in Arab states for years (Read more at MSN).
In the podcast interview, Trump said the Iranians seem to be using delaying tactics. “I’m less confident now than I would have been a couple of months ago. Something happened to them, but I am much less confident of a deal being made,” he said (Read more at Middle East Monitor).
The two men arrived on a flight from Jordan around 1pm Wednesday and were denied entry with "no cause given" despite holding valid visas. Both were scheduled to speak at the Kehilla Community Synagogue to help fundraise for children's programming in the West Bank (Read more at Axios).
The U.S. would almost certainly help Israel defend itself from Iranian retaliation, as it has during past Iranian attacks. While Israel could cause significant damage to Iran's nuclear program, an Israeli operation would be more limited than one involving U.S. participation (Read more at Axios).
MAGA erupted with warnings that the movement could fracture if President Trump green-lights — or fails to stop — Israeli strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities. Non-interventionism is one of the core pillars of the "America First" movement — arguably as important to the MAGA base as immigration and trade (Read more at Axios).
The US operates in at least 19 locations in the region. Of these, eight are permanent bases, located across Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (Read more at Aljazeera).
White House envoy Steve Witkoff privately warned top Senate Republicans last week that Iran could unleash a mass casualty response if Israel bombs their nuclear facilities (Read more at Axios).
US envoy Massad Boulos is set to make his first official visit to Libya next week amid rising tensions in the capital city of Tripoli and neighbouring Sudan. Egyptian officials complained, saying they wanted him to visit Cairo first. Boulos met Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and the head of the Egyptian General Intelligence Service, Hassan Rashad, in May. Egypt is one of the main external powers in Libya. Ties between Egypt and the US have become strained over Washington’s reassessment of military aid to Cairo and Trump’s call earlier this year for a forced displacement of Palestinians from Gaza. In Libya, Boulos is expected to visit Tripoli first, home to the United Nations-recognised government, and then travel to Benghazi in eastern Libya, which is controlled by a parallel government backed by General Khalifa Haftar and his sons (Read more at Middle East Eye).
“We are not involved in strikes against Iran and our top priority is protecting American forces in the region. Israel advised us that they believe this action was necessary for its self-defense.” (Read more at New York Post)
The Senate voted 56-39 against considering legislation that would have blocked the $1.9 billion sale of armed drones and associated equipment to Qatar. The vote was largely along party lines, with Trump’s fellow Republicans opposing the effort to stop the sale and most Democrats backing it (Read more at Arab Weekly).
The US is lobbying foreign governments not to attend a UN conference next week sponsored by France and Saudi Arabia on a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The cable, sent to countries on Tuesday, warns them against taking "anti-Israel actions" and says attending the conference would be viewed by Washington as acting against US foreign policy interests (Read more at Middle East Eye).
The U.S. military is set to allow families of service members in Bahrain to temporarily depart the country because of heightened tensions in the region, a U.S. official told Reuters on Wednesday. The official was speaking on condition of anonymity (Read more at Yahoo news).
The diplomatic demarche, sent on Tuesday, says countries that take "anti-Israel actions" following the conference will be viewed as acting in opposition to U.S. foreign policy interests and could face diplomatic consequences from Washington (Read more at Bundle).
"It will be one of the highest honors of my life to address the Israeli Knesset at this fateful moment. Our ties run deeper than military partnerships and trade agreements,” Johnson said in a statement (Read more at Anadolu Ajansı).
Defence Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh said on Wednesday that Iran would target US military bases in the region if the US attacked it first. “Some officials on the other side threaten conflict if negotiations don’t come to fruition. If a conflict is imposed on us … all US bases are within our reach and we will boldly target them in host countries,” Nasirzadeh told reporters, the Reuters news agency reported (Read more at Aljazeera).
Turkey and Qatar are making themselves crucial to US President Donald Trump’s reshaping of the Middle East. Look no further than in Syria, where Qatari gas and cash, along with Turkish military might, are helping war-ravaged Syria back on its feet while Trump tries to fulfil his promise to pull the plug on western interventionists and “nation builders” (Read more at Middle East Eye).
The United States and Israel are seeking to turn nuclear talks into a "strategic trap" for Iran, they said. "The US is not serious in negotiations at all. It has set the goal of talks as imposing its demands and has adopted offensive positions that are diametrically opposed to Iranians' inalienable rights," the statement from parliamentarians said (Read more at Daily Star).
Netanyahu is interested in negotiating an updated security deal and working up towards a full peace agreement, according to a senior Israeli official. These would be the first such talks between Israel and Syria since 2011, and would be particularly remarkable given recent history. The Netanyahu government was highly concerned about the new Turkey-backed Syrian government, and lobbied the Trump administration to move cautiously in engaging with it (Read more at Axios).
“The State Department regularly reviews American personnel abroad and this decision was made as a result of a recent review,” White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly told Reuters when asked about reports of the partial evacuations, without giving further details. A White House official said U.S. President Donald Trump was aware of the move. The partial evacuations come at a moment of heightened tensions in a region already aflame after 18 months of war in Gaza that has raised fears of a wider conflagration pitting the U.S. and Israel against Iran and its allies (Read more at CNBC).
Israelis are more than twice as likely (69%) as the average (34%) among citizens of 24 countries, which the Pew Research Center polled, to have at least some faith in U.S. President Donald Trump’s foreign policies. The only one of the 24 countries that had a higher degree of confidence in the president’s global approach was Nigeria (79%), followed, after Israel, by Kenya (64%), Hungary (53%) and India (52%). (Read more at JNS)
The US State Department declined to comment Tuesday on remarks by US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee that the US is no longer pursuing the goal of an independent Palestinian state. "I'm not going to characterize the ambassador's remarks. I'm not going to explain them or really comment on them at all. I think he certainly speaks for himself," spokeswoman Tammy Bruce told reporters. Asked whether Huckabee was speaking on his own or if his remarks represented a change in the Trump administration’s policy, Bruce suggested that the reporter ask the White House (Read more at Anadolu Ajansı).
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio condemned sanctions imposed by the UK, Canada, Norway, New Zealand, and Australia on two right-wing members of the Israeli Cabinet. "These sanctions do not advance US-led efforts to achieve a ceasefire, bring all hostages home, and end the war,” Rubio said on X (Read more at Anadolu Ajansı)
Michael Kurilla, the Commander of the United States Central Command (CENTCOM), has revealed that the U.S. military has developed a broad range of military options in preparation for a possible confrontation with Iran should nuclear negotiations fail. Speaking before the House Armed Services Committee on Tuesday, June 10, Kurilla emphasized the strategic readiness of U.S. forces and indicated that these options have been presented to the President Donald Trump and the Defense Minister Pete Hegseth (Read more at Khaama Press).
The US on Tuesday sanctioned five individuals and five charities that it said were providing financial support to Hamas’s military wing, the al-Qassam Brigades, in addition to one charity it said was supporting the Popular Front For The Liberation Of Palestine (PLFP). “Today’s action underscores the importance of safeguarding the charitable sector from abuse by terrorists like Hamas and the PFLP, who continue to leverage sham charities as fronts for funding their terrorist and military operations,” Deputy Treasury Secretary Michael Faulkender said in a statement (Read more at Middle East Eye).
Alexander’s release paved the way for the subsequent talks. But soon after the preliminary ceasefire deal was struck, Witkoff changed course and came up with a modified plan that was accepted by the Israelis, thus tossing the ball back into Hamas’s court. Clearly, Witkoff could not persuade the Israelis to accept what had been agreed with Hamas in Doha, instead adopting as his own Israel’s counterproposal - which, to Hamas, seemed nothing short of capitulation. The Israelis and their US backers might have concluded that after many months of war, Hamas had been severely battered and was too weak to reject the proposal. This is not the first time they’ve been proven wrong (Read more at Middle East Eye).
"We discussed a lot of things, and it went very well, very smooth. We'll see what happens," Trump said. "You know, we're trying to do something with a country we just spoke about, Iran," he added. Noting the difficulty of engaging with Iran, Trump said: "They are good negotiators, but they're tough. Sometimes they can be too tough, that's the problem." (Read more at Anadolu Ajansı).
Trump did not elaborate and the White House did not immediately respond to a request for details of Iran’s involvement. The United States has proposed a 60-day ceasefire between Israel and Hamas (Read more at Dawn).
"I have provided the secretary of defense and the president with a wide range of options," U.S. Army General Michael "Erik" Kurilla, the head of U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), told a congressional hearing. Kurilla was responding to Representative Mike Rogers of Alabama, the chairman of the House of Representatives Armed Services Committee, who asked if CENTCOM was prepared to respond with overwhelming force if Iran does not permanently give up its nuclear ambitions (Read more at Global Banking and Finance).
The former Arkansas governor chosen by Donald Trump as his envoy to Israel went further by suggesting that any future Palestinian entity could be carved out of “a Muslim country” rather than requiring Israel to cede territory. “Unless there are some significant things that happen that change the culture, there’s no room for it,” Huckabee was quoted as saying. Those probably won’t happen “in our lifetime”, he said (Read more at Guaridan).
The White House has appointed Wayne Wall as the new senior director for Middle East at the National Security Council. Wall is one of the first senior hires at the NSC since the big purge ordered by President Trump and acting national security adviser Marco Rubio more than two weeks ago (Read more at Axios).
“Where is the outrage for these two young victims?” Rep. Mike Johnson said. “We must stand up and protect our Jewish brothers and sisters.” They remembered Sarah Milgrim and Yaron Lischinsky at the U.S. Capitol on Tuesday evening, as lawmakers of both political parties vowed to continue the fight against the Jew-hatred that has led to violence and the deaths of two young Israeli embassy employees on a Washington street earlier this month (Read more at JNS).
“They don’t want to have to give up what they have to give up. They seek enrichment. We want just the opposite,” Trump said during a business round table (Read more at Middle East Eye).
Saudi Arabia is batting down the hatches for a "long and shallow” oil price war, in part to clip the wings of US shale energy companies, the Bank of America’s top commodities expert said (Read more at Middle East Eye).
The Hostages and Missing Families Forum sent a letter to U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday, thanking him for helping secure an agreement to free the hostages being held by terrorists in Gaza and inviting him to meet with the group during his reported upcoming visit to Israel. “We would be deeply honored if you would meet with us during your upcoming visit to Israel. This could be one of the greatest shows of support in the history of Israel to a friend and ally. We know you will not rest until every last hostage is brought home,” the Tel Aviv-based organization wrote (Read more at JNS).
Esmaeil Baghaei, the ministry’s spokesman, told a weekly news conference on Monday that Iran was not satisfied with a US proposal and it would present its version via mediator Oman (Read more at Aljazeera).
A senior U.S. official told Axios the president sees both crisis as intertwined and part of a broader regional reality he is trying to shape. The meeting on Iran and Gaza was attended by Trump, Vice President Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, chief of staff Susie Wiles, special envoy Steve Witkoff, CIA director John Ratcliffe and other senior officials. Trump said Monday that "generals and admirals" also attended the meetings but declined to say what was discussed (Read more at Axios).
President Donald Trump told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that Washington had delivered a "reasonable offer" to Tehran to limit its nuclear programme, Netanyahu's office said in a statement (Read more at Barrons).
An Egyptian immigrant who had overstayed his visa in the US and was angry with Israel’s killings in Gaza was last week arrested and charged with a hate crime after he threw firebombs at a pro-Israel rally in Boulder, Colorado. No act of violence should be condoned or encouraged. Eight people suffered severe burns and were hospitalized as a result of the attack, during which Soliman yelled “Free Palestine.” The problem is that Americans are the biggest hypocrites when it comes to the rule of law. Americans are the worst when it comes to embracing consistent morality. Americans scream when someone commits an act of aggression against them, but are silent when their country’s actions fuel acts of aggression against others (Read more at Arabnews).
If the U.S. goes ahead with this massive funding, it will become the biggest donor to the foundation and will de facto "own" the operation. While such a move will increase the U.S. credibility in asking other countries to donate money to the foundation, it would also draw the U.S. deeper into active involvement in the Gaza war and make it more responsible for the humanitarian situation in the enclave (Read more at Axios).
Residents in northeastern Syria have described a US military vehicle patrolling the area and displaying the word "kafir" - infidel in Arabic - on its front as "offensive" and a "provocation". "Markings of this nature violate U.S. Department of Defense policy," the Combined Joint Task Force-Operation Inherent Resolve (CJTF-OIR) said in a written statement (Read more at Middle East Eye).
The foundation began distributing aid last week as Gaza’s 2.3 million people face widespread hunger, with many having been displaced by the conflict. But its operations, which circumvent traditional humanitarian agencies, have drawn criticism from the UN and major aid groups, which say it does not obey humanitarian principles (Read more at The National).
"The decision to ban the entry of Iranian nationals - merely due to their religion and nationality - not only indicates the deep hostility of American decision-makers towards the Iranian people and Muslims but also violates... international law," a senior Foreign Ministry official said in a ministry statement posted on the X social media platform (Read more at The Hindu).
The US officials have yet to determine the security conditions to export the advanced chips or how the agreement with the Gulf state will be enforced, leaving the deal far from resolved (Read more at New Arab).
It targets over 30 individuals and entities linked to three Iranian brothers who allegedly laundered billions of dollars through the international financial system. “Iran’s shadow banking system is a critical lifeline for the regime through which it accesses the proceeds from its oil sales, moves money, and funds its destabilizing activities,” said Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent emphasized (Read more at G Captain).
The head of Hamas in Gaza, Khalil al-Hayya, said in a pre-recorded speech on Thursday the group had not rejected the latest US proposal for a ceasefire with Israel but demanded changes that would secure the end of the war on the enclave (Read more at The Dawn).
The US State Department announced sanctions on Thursday against four judges of the International Criminal Court (ICC), targeting them over investigations involving the United States and its ally Israel. The sanctioned judges are: ICC Second Vice-President Reine Alapini-Gansou (Benin), Solomy Balungi Bossa (Uganda), Luz del Carmen Ibanez Carranza (Peru) and Beti Hohler (Slovenia). Alapini-Gansou and Hohler were targeted for their role as Pre-Trial judges in issuing arrest warrants in November 2024 for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant. The charges involve alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in Gaza (Read more at Middle East Eye).
Israel has sold a record amount of debt in the US since the war on Gaza erupted. The starting price for non-tradable retail Israeli bonds is as low as $36 (Read more at Middle East Eye).
The candidates were asked what their first foreign trip would be as mayor. “Given the hostility and the antisemitism that has been shown in New York, I would go to Israel,” said Andrew Cuomo, the former New York governor. Zohran Mamdani, an anti-Israel New York state representative who just received the endorsement of far-left, progressive “Squad” member Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), said that he would stay in the city (Read more at JNS).
“It’s a very important time, especially with Israel at war, that both Republicans and Democrats come together with Jewish and Christian leaders to celebrate the undivided capital of Jerusalem,” Josh Reinstein, president of the Israel Allies Foundation and director of the Knesset Christian Allies Caucus said. “Jerusalem is the symbol of Israel, and it’s a symbol of unwavering bipartisan support for Israel as well,” he added (Read more at JNS).
US Ambassador to Turkey and Special Envoy to Syria, Tom Barrack, met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in West Jerusalem on Wednesday, reaffirming Washington's vision of a Syria that cannot be used as a launchpad for regional threats (Read more at Medyanews).
In the course of supporting six operations in the ongoing campaign, five in Iraq and one in Syria, the US military reported two IS operatives were killed, two were detained – including an IS leader – and multiple weapons were recovered (Read more at Defense Post).
"We have close partner relations with Tehran and, naturally, President Putin said that we are ready to use this level of partnership with Tehran in order to facilitate and contribute to the negotiations that are taking place to resolve the issue of the Iranian nuclear dossier," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said (Read more at Mehrnews).
The U.S.-based Gaza Humanitarian Foundation said only two sites in southern Gaza’s Rafah area would operate Thursday, after all sites were closed the day before for maintenance. GHF had opened three sites earlier in the week, and one of Thursday’s sites was in a new location, it said (Read more at NBC News).
He urges action against the group due to its ties to extremism and antiquated influence under the Biden administration. Lawmakers have identified multiple strategies to financially target the Muslim Brotherhood, already labeled as a terrorist group by several Middle Eastern countries (Read more at Straightt Arrow News).
Judi Weinstein-Haggai and Gad Haggai from Kibbutz Nir Oz were murdered during the Oct. 7 attack while they were on their morning walk. Their bodies were held by a Hamas 0ff-shoot called "The Mujahideen Brigades" for more than 600 days (Read more at Axios).
The text, co-sponsored by Algeria, Denmark, Greece, Guyana, Pakistan, Panama, the Republic of Korea, Sierra Leone, Slovenia, and Somalia – collectively known as the E-10 – received 14 votes in favour, with the US casting the lone vote against (Read more at UN News).
Leavitt launched her attack on the BBC after being asked about reports that Israeli forces opened fire near a food distribution centre in Rafah. Brandishing a print-out of images taken from the BBC’s website, she accused the corporation of having to “correct and take down” its story about the fatalities and injuries involved in the attack. The BBC has defended its reporting on the war in Gaza and accused the White House of misrepresenting its journalism after Donald Trump’s administration criticised its coverage of a fatal attack near a US-backed food distribution site (Read more at Guardian).
The United States will scale down its military bases in Syria while changing its policy toward the country due to previous failures, the new U.S. ambassador to Türkiye and Donald Trump’s Special Envoy for Syria Thomas Barrack said (Read more at Daily Sabah).
The U.S.-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation on Tuesday named as its executive chairman an American evangelical Christian leader who has publicly backed President Donald Trump's proposal for the United States to take over the Palestinian enclave (Read more at Arabnews).
The GHF said it has asked the Israeli military to "guide foot traffic in a way that minimizes confusion or escalation risks" near military perimeters; develop clearer guidance for civilians; and enhance training to support civilian safety. Hospital officials have said more than 80 people were shot dead and hundreds wounded near distribution points in a three-day period from Sunday, including at least 27 killed on Tuesday. Locals say Israeli soldiers opened fire on the crowds, who gather before dawn to seek food. The military has denied this, but acknowledged on Tuesday that soldiers had fired at "suspects" who had ignored warning shots and were approaching their lines (Read more at CBC).
The U.S. State Department has approved the potential sale of equipment and services related to sustainment support for M1A2 Abrams main battle tank systems to Kuwait for an estimated $325 million. The principal contractor for the sales is General Dynamics (Source: Reuters).
The comments were delivered in a speech on Wednesday as the US and Iran continue to negotiate the details of a possible new nuclear deal. The issue of uranium enrichment has remained a sticking point in the talks, with the US reportedly demanding a complete halt or low-level enrichment in exchange for the lifting of Western sanctions against Tehran (Read more at Aljazeera).
The United States and the United Arab Emirates have agreed to start negotiations for a potential bilateral trade agreement that could ease tariffs on the Gulf state's steel and aluminium industry, according to four people familiar with the matter. Emirati officials discussed the possibility of a trade agreement with U.S. counterparts during President Donald Trump's two-day visit to Abu Dhabi last month, the sources said (Read more at Reuters).
President Trump has set a two-month deadline for reaching a deal with Iran. U.S. officials said the White House started counting this deadline once the talks with Iran began on April 12. That deadline will expire in a week (Read more at Axios).
"The article failed to make clear if attributing the deaths to Israel was the position of the Gaza health ministry or a fact verified by The Post," the newspaper said. "The Post didn't give proper weight to Israel's denial and gave improper certitude about what was known about any Israeli role in the shootings," it added. An archived version of the article indicates that an Israeli military statement about being "currently unaware of injuries caused by" the army was included in the second paragraph (Read more at Middle East Eye).
The officials being dismissed are all those with previous track records opposing what are shaping up to be Trump’s most significant Middle East endeavours: swiftly lifting sanctions on Syria and negotiating a nuclear deal with Iran. The reshuffle comes after Trump’s landmark visit to Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar last month. In a speech in Riyadh, Trump tore into "interventionists" and American "nation builders". Eric Trager was notified late last month that he would be removed from his position. Trager is an Iran hawk. He also wrote a book criticising the Muslim Brotherhood and Qatar. Unlike previous Middle East directors at the NSC, his influence in the White House was limited. Another notable firing was Merav Ceren, the NSC director for Israel and Iran, in late May (Read more at Middle East Eye).
The talks address IS detainees, integration of SDF into Syrian military, and Kurdish governance in high-stakes negotiations over the country's future (Read more at Middle East Eye).
Valued at $260 million, the deal includes the delivery of 612 FGM-148F Javelin missiles and 200 lightweight launch platforms, along with associated training equipment and logistical support. This includes training munitions, technical manuals, spare parts, diagnostic tools, training programmes for gunners and ammunition officers, as well as inspection, maintenance and integration services, and support tailored for tactical aviation and ground munitions (Read more at Arab Weekly).
A panel of experts examine Iraq’s balancing act amid changing US–Iran dynamics: 5 June 2025 — 6:00PM TO 7:00PM By Chatham House (Register here).
Iran’s Foreign Ministry said it would have to see if there are changes in the US position on sanctions, as the two countries negotiate a deal to resolve a decades-long dispute over Iran’s nuclear ambitions. “I regret to inform you that the American side has not yet been willing to clarify this issue,” ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said in a weekly press conference in Tehran (Read more at Middle East Monitor).
"Iran is drafting a negative response to the U.S. proposal, which could be interpreted as a rejection of the U.S. offer," said a senior diplomat, who is close to Iran's negotiating team (Read more at APA).
Adani Group companies are under inquiry by US prosecutors into whether they have been involved in importing Iranian petrochemical products. Certain tankers regularly traveling between Mundra and the Persian Gulf displayed behaviors typical of ships aiming to circumvent sanctions (Read more at Business Standard).
The United States has given its blessing to a plan by Syria's new leadership to incorporate thousands of foreign jihadist former rebel fighters into the national army, provided that it does so transparently, President Donald Trump's envoy said (Read more at Reuters).
The race on Saturday was organised by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (Unrwa) USA at Rock Creek Park in Washington, DC. People of all ages and walks of life took part in the five-kilometre run, with supporters coming from Massachusetts, New York, Maryland, Virginia and Washington, DC. (Read more at Middle East Eye)
A Hamas official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said proposed amendments focused on “the U.S. guarantees, the timing of hostage release, the delivery of aid and the withdrawal of Israeli forces.” There were no details. A separate Hamas statement said the proposal aims for a permanent ceasefire, a comprehensive Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and an ensured flow of aid. It said 10 living hostages and the bodies of 18 others would be released ” in exchange for an agreed-upon number of Palestinian prisoners.” Fifty-eight hostages remain and Israel believes 35 are dead. Witkoff on social media instead described a 60-day ceasefire deal that would free half the living hostages in Gaza and return half of those who have died. He urged Hamas to accept the framework proposal as the basis for talks that he said could begin next week (Read more at AP).
"If US seeks a diplomatic solution, it must abandon the language of threats and sanctions," an unnamed Iranian official said, adding that such threats "are open hostility against Iran's national interests." (Read more at Business Standard)
Omani Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi “paid a short visit to Tehran today to present elements of a US proposal which will be appropriately responded to in line with the principles, national interests and rights of the people of Iran,” Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on X (Read more at Dawn).
US President Donald Trump’s decision to ease sanctions on Syria is a hopeful but calculated gamble. With Americans now allowed to transact with Damascus and invest in the country, the ball is now in its leader Ahmed al-Sharaa’s court. How he repays this show of goodwill will determine how the US proceeds (Read more at Semafor).
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters that Israel “backed and supported” the new proposal. Hamas officials gave the Israeli-approved draft a cool response, but said they wanted to study the proposal more closely before giving a formal answer. “The Zionist response, in essence, means perpetuating the occupation and continuing the killing and famine,” Bassem Naim, a top Hamas official, told The Associated Press. He said it “does not respond to any of our people’s demands, foremost among which is stopping the war and famine.” (Read more at AP)
The document, which says the plan is guaranteed by US President Donald Trump and mediators Egypt and Qatar, includes sending humanitarian aid to Gaza as soon as Hamas signs off on the ceasefire agreement. The aid will be delivered by the United Nations, the Red Crescent and other agreed channels (Read more at Dawn).
The warning was made a week after Trump announced the direct talks between U.S. and Iran. Alarmed at the prospect of further instability in the region, Saudi Arabia's 89-year-old King Salman bin Abdulaziz dispatched his son, Prince Khalid bin Salman, with the warning destined for Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the report said (Read more at i24).
The Solidify Iran Sanctions Act of 2025—introduced in the Senate after unanimously passing the House earlier this month—would permanently extend provisions of the Iran Sanctions Act of 1996, removing the current sunset clause that allows it to expire (Read more at Iran News Update).
The leaders of Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates all argued against a strike on Iran's nuclear facilities during President Trump's recent visit and encouraged him to continue pushing for a new nuclear deal (Read more at Axios).
The newly-appointed United States Syria envoy said he believed peace between the Syrian Arab Republic and Israel was achievable as he made his first trip to Damascus on Thursday, praising the new government and saying it was ready for dialogue. Syria signed a $7 billion energy deal on Thursday with a consortium of Qatari, Turkish and US companies as it seeks to revive the war-torn country's crippled power sector. It aims to generate 5,000 megawatts (Read more at France 24).
In this friendship, money talks and strategic interests walk. America’s embrace of Qatar has always been a strange fit, but recently, President Donald Trump has doubled down, transforming this unholy alliance into something approaching the profane (Read more at JNS).
By late afternoon on Tuesday, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation said it had distributed about 8,000 food boxes, equivalent to about 462,000 meals, after an almost three-month-old Israeli blockade of the war-devastated enclave (Read more at MSN).
Chaos at aid distribution sites in southern Gaza. The UN has distanced itself from the operations of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation that's backed by the US and Israel. What’s behind this move to establish a separate aid mechanism? And what needs to change to help desperate Palestinians? (Listen here).
Witkoff sounded an optimistic note speaking at the White House on Wednesday, saying, “I have some very good feelings about getting to… a temporary ceasefire and a long-term, peaceful resolution of that conflict.” US President Donald Trump on Thursday confirmed that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had accepted a new ceasefire proposal from Witkoff, but added that Hamas had not yet accepted (Read more at Middle East Eye).
The White House is optimistic a new proposal from Trump envoy Steve Witkoff could help bridge the remaining gaps between Israel and Hamas and produce a ceasefire and hostage deal in Gaza soon. President Trump has made clear he wants to end a war that has killed more than 54,000 Palestinians and more than 1,600 Israelis. Over the past two weeks, Witkoff has been negotiating with Prime Minister Netanyahu and his top adviser Ron Dermer, and with Hamas leaders in Doha through Palestinian-American businessman Bishara Bahbah (Read more at Axios).
An Iranian national has pleaded guilty in the U.S. over his involvement in an international ransomware and extortion scheme involving the Robbinhood ransomware. Sina Gholinejad (aka Sina Ghaaf), 37, and his co-conspirators are said to have breached the computer networks of various organizations in the United States and encrypted files with Robbinhood ransomware to demand Bitcoin ransom payments (Read more at Hackernews).
Mohammad Eslami, head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI), told reporters on the sidelines of a cabinet meeting on Wednesday that the deputy director of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) will visit the remaining locations as agreed in the March 2023 joint statement (Read more at Mehrnews).
Asked if he warned Netanyahu not to attack Iran, Trump said "I would like to be honest, yes I did." Trump stressed he told Netanyahu a military strike on Iran in the current timing would be "inappropriate" because the U.S. and Iran are close to a deal. Trump said he believes the Iranian nuclear crisis can be solved with "a very strong document," and without military action (Read more at Axios).
“My impression is that if you have that type of agreement, a solid, very robust inspection by the IAEA ... should be a prerequisite, and I’m sure it will be, because it would imply a very, very serious commitment on the part of Iran, which must be verified,” Grossi said (Read more at Arabnews).
Iran may pause uranium enrichment if the U.S. releases frozen Iranian funds and recognises Tehran's right to refine uranium for civilian use under a "political deal" that could lead to a broader nuclear accord, two Iranian official sources said (Read more at AOL).
The U.S.-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, which Washington says operates independently, stated that “misinformation” had circulated about its operations on Tuesday and that it delivered supplies on Wednesday “without incident.” “Across the two sites, approximately 14,550 food boxes have been distributed so far. Each box feeds 5.5 people for 3.5 days, totaling 840,262 meals” (Read more at JNS).
Gaza Humanitarian Foundation had faced criticism from aid groups even before this week’s chaotic rollout. The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation had said it would securely provide food supplies to the Gaza Strip, ending an Israeli blockade that UN officials say have led to the brink of a famine. Instead, early reports and leaked video of its operations that began this week have depicted a scene of chaos, with crowds storming a distribution site and Israeli military officials confirming they had fired “warning shots” to restore order. Gaza health officials said at least one civilian had been killed and 48 injured in the incident (Read more at Guardian).
A fringe faction of the Democratic Socialists of America is praising the murder of two Israeli diplomats outside a Washington, DC, Jewish museum, and lionizing suspected killer Elias Rodriguez, according to posts on social media. The DSA Liberation Caucus, a self-identified Marxist-Leninist-Maoist caucus within the DSA, glorified Rodriguez in a social media post that appeared to be a direct call for more domestic terrorism. “It is right to rebel against the enemy. This is Maoist law,” the post from the DSA Liberation Caucus read (Read more at New York Post).
Ankara's latest effort to end a four decades long Kurdish insurgency is opaque and is full of risks and opportunities for Turkey and Syria's Kurds says lawmaker Cengiz Candar (Listen here).
The meeting was part of Noem’s larger jaunt to Italy, Bahrain and Poland, where she also spoke to world leaders about advancing US security interests. While in Israel, “the Secretary and Prime Minister had a candid conversation where the Secretary reiterated POTUS’s desire to bring peace to the region and for Iran to never have a nuclear weapon,” a readout of the meeting read (Read more at New York Post).
Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. Yechiel Leiter thanked Vance for the gesture (Read more at Vinnews).
U.S. Customs and Border Protection confirmed to JNS that former Hamas hostage Liri Albag was delayed for inspection at John F. Kennedy International Airport after she informed officials she had previously been held captive in Gaza (Read more at JNS).
The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation is taking over the handling of desperately needed aid under a new, U.S. and Israeli-backed system despite concerns raised about the group from the United Nations and the recent resignation of its executive director (Read more at AP).
SolarWinds is eyeing double-digit revenue growth in the Gulf as the Texas-based IT software company rebuilds following a cyberattack in 2020. More than 80% of government entities in Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Qatar already use its software, and the now privately held company aims to accelerate the rollout of new tools for the artificial intelligence age, SolarWinds’ chief technology officer said (Read more at Semafor).
One idea that was raised by Oman and adopted by the U.S. calls for establishing a regional consortium that will enrich uranium for civilian nuclear purposes under monitoring by the International Atomic Energy Agency and the U.S. One big question is where the consortium's uranium enrichment facilities would be located. The U.S. wants them to be outside Iran. Another idea is for the U.S. to recognize Iran's right to enrich uranium, while Iran fully suspends its uranium enrichment (Read more at Axios).
"We want to see if we can stop that. And Israel, we've been talking to them, and we want to see if we can stop that whole situation as quickly as possible," he said. Many of Israel's international allies, aside from Trump, have already broken publicly with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over his decision to expand the Gaza operation, suspend humanitarian aid, and oppose a long-term ceasefire. Trump has so far declined to publicly pressure Netanyahu (Read more at Axios).
The move comes after a Swiss NGO submitted a request for a probe into GHF's aid plan, which the United Nations has opposed, saying it is not impartial or neutral and forces further displacement and exposes thousands of people (Read more at WAFA).
"I think we could have some good news on the Iran front," Trump said. He added serious progress had been made. He did not elaborate on the talks in Rome between US special envoy Steve Witkoff and an Iranian delegation (Read more at Geo.TV).
Iran will be able to survive if negotiations with the US over its nuclear programme fail to secure a deal, President Masoud Pezeshkian has said, after US President Donald Trump described weekend talks with Tehran as "very good". Masoud Pezeshkian's comments follow Foreign Minister's denial that Tehran could freeze enrichment for three years (Read more at The National).
Negotiations have shown little progress. Meanwhile, the Israel Defense Forces are proceeding with an operation to displace all 2 million Palestinians in Gaza to a "humanitarian zone" and flatten most of the enclave (Read more at Axios).
Joseph Neumayer, 28, allegedly posted on social media that he planned to "burn down the embassy" in Tel Aviv before traveling there, writing, "Death to America," according to a DOJ release. Social media posts from an account believed to be used by him also revealed threats to assassinate President Trump, the DOJ said. Neumayer was taken into custody Sunday by FBI agents at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York after being deported from Israel, federal prosecutors said (Read more at Axios).
Kristi Noem, the U.S. secretary of homeland security, shared “unwavering support for the prime minister and the State of Israel” during a meeting on Sunday evening with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at his Jerusalem office, per an Israeli readout. “She also expressed great appreciation for the prime minister’s policy of building a fence along the Egyptian border and for his conduct of the war,” Netanyahu’s office stated (Read more at JNS).
“I stressed the cessation of sanctions against Syria will preserve the integrity of our primary objective – the enduring defeat of ISIS – and will give the people of Syria a chance for a better future,” said Donald Trump’s old friend Thomas Barrack, now serving as the US ambassador to Turkey and special envoy for Syria (Read more at Guardian).
Five Al-Qaeda members have been killed in a strike blamed on the United States in southern Yemen. Though the names of those killed in the strike were not known, it was believed one of Al-Qaeda’s local leaders was among the dead (Read more at Defense Post).
Speaking to JNS on May 23, McKenzie elaborated on the leverage the U.S. currently holds. When asked what specific U.S. capabilities or kinetic steps could credibly pose an existential threat to the Iranian regime, compelling this choice, the general replied, “Threatening the nuclear program is a key element of any threat to the regime. Beyond the nuclear program, potential targets could include the energy sector, including distillation and loading/holding facilities, power generation, and transmission lines. In short, targets that would immediately bring the economy of Iran to a halt.” (Read more at JNS)
The Treasury Department issued a general license that authorizes transactions involving the interim Syrian government led by President Ahmed al-Sharaa, as well as the central bank and state-owned enterprises. The general license, known as GL25, "authorizes transactions prohibited by the Syrian Sanctions Regulations, effectively lifting sanctions on Syria," the Treasury said in a statement (Read more at CGTN).
Last week, U.S. President Donald Trump visited three countries in the Middle East—Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Qatar—on the first scheduled foreign trip of his second term. While many of the headlines from the trip focused on the 747 jetliner Qatar donated for use as Air Force One, it’s probably more notable that Trump rejected decades of Western intervention in the region and declared that there would be “no more lectures” from America. Is the Trump administration re-aligning American priorities in the region? F. Gregory Gause, visiting scholar at the Middle East Institute, joins FP Live to discuss why the Gulf monarchies are rising in importance (Listen here).
The base is known as Qasrak and is one of two bases in the northeast Hasakah province where U.S. troops are based (Source: AOL).
No casualties were reported, and both Qatar and the Trump administration were made aware of the Iranian attack ahead of the time (Read more at Axios).
Bruce also told reporters that a U.S. team wouldn’t be readying for a fifth round of nuclear pact discussions with Iran in Rome on Friday “if we didn’t think that there was potential for it.” Amid mixed messaging from the Trump administration, Bruce said that the American position is that Iran can carry out “no enrichment” of uranium (Read more at JNS).
“The fifth round of Iran-US talks have concluded today in Rome with some, but not conclusive, progress,” said Omani mediator Badr al-Busaidi after Friday’s meeting at the Omani embassy in Rome’s Camilluccia neighbourhood. “We hope to clarify the remaining issues in the coming days,” he said after the high-level talks, which were led by Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and US President Donald Trump’s Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff (Read more at Aljazeera).
The U.S. secretary of state said in testimony on Capitol Hill that American pressure led to Israel lifting the blockade on Gaza aid. Rubio, who was called upon for information about the U.S. State Department’s budget requests, told the panel that the Trump administration is taking measures to get additional aid into the enclave (Read more at JNS).
The fifth round of Iran-US talks over Tehran's nuclear program will take place in Rome on Friday, Oman's Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi announced in a brief statement on Wednesday evening. International benchmark Brent crude decreased by around 1.2%, trading at $63.45 per barrel at 10.17 a.m. local time (0717 GMT), down from $64.22 at the previous session's close (Read more at Anadolu Agency).
Netanyahu, who had previously made no public comment on the issue, told reporters at a news conference that he had spoken to Trump around ten days ago and the president had told him: “Bibi I want you to know, I have a complete commitment to you and I have a complete commitment to the state of Israel.” (Read more at Middle East Monitor)
“Iran strongly warns against any adventurism by the Zionist regime of Israel and will decisively respond to any threat or unlawful act by this regime,” Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said in a letter addressed to United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. The minister said Tehran would view Washington as a “participant” in any such attack (Read more at Aljazeera).
Turkey's authorities should present credible evidence of corruption against Istanbul's jailed mayor or immediately release him, U.S. Senator Adam Schiff said on Thursday as he urged his colleagues to back a resolution calling out President Tayyip Erdogan over what he called democratic backsliding (Read more at Straits Times).
“As we await additional details, one thing remains clear: antisemitism has no place in our country, and we need to take action to put an end to this vile hate as violence worsens both at home and around the globe,” stated Rep. Jared Huffman (D-Calif.). (Read more at JNS).
The American Jewish Committee had been hosting an event at the Capital Jewish Museum aimed at bridge-building in the Middle East and North Africa. Lischinsky and Milgrim had exited the event when they were fatally shot around 9 p.m. After the shooting, the suspect walked into the museum looking “distraught,” JoJo Drake Kalin, who organized the Young Diplomats event, told Sky News. “I actually offered and gave him water, unbeknownst to me that I was actually looking evil in the eye,” Kalin said (Read more at NBC News).
The Trump administration welcomed progress from the Syrian government on two U.S. priorities during a meeting of the United Nations Security Council on Wednesday. John Kelley, the acting U.S. alternate representative to the United Nations, told the global body, “We take note of the Syrian government’s actions so far on critical files, including the destruction of Bashar al-Assad’s chemical weapons and the search for missing U.S. and foreign citizens in Syria.” (Read more at JNS).
Hosts Alistair Taylor and Matthew Czekaj speak with MEI Senior Fellow Mohammed Soliman about President Donald Trump’s recent trip to Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Qatar, which yielded a wave of major US-Gulf tech and AI deals. Soliman explains how these partnerships mark a shift in the relationship—from oil and arms to compute power and data infrastructure—and what it means for the Gulf’s strategic role in the global AI ecosystem. The discussion explores the energy bottlenecks behind AI development, evolving US export control policy, and the social and geopolitical implications of the Gulf’s ambitions to become a digital hub for emerging markets (Listen here).
Microsoft has fired an employee who interrupted a speech by CEO Satya Nadella to protest the company’s work supplying the Israeli military with technology used for the war in Gaza (Read more at AP).
The United States will appoint President Donald Trump’s longtime advisor and current US ambassador to Turkey, Thomas Barrack, as a special envoy for Syria, a person with direct knowledge of the matter and a diplomat in Turkey said, according to Reuters. The decision follows Trump’s landmark announcement last week that US sanctions on Syria would be lifted. It also suggests US acknowledgement that Turkey has emerged with key regional influence on Damascus since Bashar al-Assad’s ouster by rebels in December (Read more at Turkish Minute).
"The secretary of defense has accepted a Boeing 747 from Qatar in accordance with all federal rules and regulations," Sean Parnell, chief Pentagon spokesman, said in a statement. "The Department of Defense will work to ensure proper security measures and functional-mission requirements are considered for an aircraft used to transport the president of the United States," he added (Read more at ABC News).
In a statement, the U.S. Department of State said on Wednesday it had found Iran’s construction sector was controlled by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, and that it had identified another 10 strategic materials now subject to U.S. sanctions. The 10 materials include austenitic nickel-chromium alloy, magnesium ingots, sodium perchlorate, tungsten copper and certain aluminum sheets and tubes, among others, it said (Read more at whbl).
Speaking before the Senate Appropriations Committee, Rubio said that while the United States has not followed European countries in issuing sanctions or public warnings over aid shortfalls, the administration has conveyed its expectations (Read more at JNS).
What sets Iran apart from every other nuclear-armed nation—or those seeking the bomb—is its disbelief in mutual assured destruction. Iranian leaders openly embrace martyrdom. And that’s what terrifies Israelis—and what should alarm the entire world (Read more at JNS).
