Coverage of events across the Middle East region.
U.S. forces have reportedly struck two Iranian launchers on Larak Island near the Strait of Hormuz, marking the first direct U.S. attack on Iran since late July, while Tehran has vowed a forceful retaliation.
An Israeli airstrike in Jenin killed three Palestinians, including Hamas leader Qais al-Batawi, with Hamas and Islamic Jihad confirming the deaths.
A recent Israeli strike on a Syrian military airbase has highlighted growing strategic tensions between Israel and Türkiye over Syria’s future. As Damascus seeks stronger ties with Ankara and Washington, analysts warn that Syria risks becoming an arena for regional power competition, while its new leadership faces the challenge of protecting national sovereignty and achieving internal stability.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ruled out the possibility of a diplomatic agreement with Iran’s leadership while backing U.S. President Donald Trump’s campaign to intensify economic pressure on Tehran and those supporting its government.
The United States has offered up to $10 million in rewards for information on five senior IRGC officials accused of overseeing attacks against U.S. personnel and destructive cyber operations targeting critical infrastructure.
Israel has found the largely intact wreckage of the Altalena, an arms ship sunk by Israeli forces in 1948, 78 years after the incident that exposed a deep political and military divide within the newly established state.
Iran has executed Majid Adineh, who was convicted of working for Israel and the United States during anti-government protests in January. His execution followed a death sentence upheld by the Supreme Court.
Israel’s expanding military presence in southern Syria, including new bases, raids and arrests, has raised concerns that its declared temporary security zone could become a long-term military presence, with experts citing security, strategic and water-related interests.
Iraq has established a new operations command near the Saudi border to strengthen security along its southern and western frontiers and prevent attacks against neighboring states.
Turkey has announced an international arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over Israel’s interception of a humanitarian aid flotilla bound for Gaza, according to Turkish Justice Minister Akın Gürlek.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has called for an end to the war with the United States, saying Tehran should conclude the conflict from what he described as a “position of strength,” while ruling out any possibility of surrender.
Israel’s military has acknowledged that its soldiers fired on the vehicle carrying five-year-old Palestinian girl Hind Rajab and her family in Gaza in 2024 and has opened a criminal investigation into the incident.
