War in the Middle East

US Strikes on Fordo: Britain’s Strategic Dilemma
AnalysisUS Strikes on Fordo: Britain’s Strategic Dilemma

For days now, the Middle East has been gripped by a geopolitical crisis of extraordinary intensity. The open conflict between Israel and Iran – ignited by a sweeping Israeli military offensive – shows no sign of abating and is already reshaping the region’s balance of power. Not only has the balance tipped decisively toward Israel, but ...

Southern Lebanon: Israeli Strikes, UNIFIL Patrol Intercepted
Southern Lebanon: Israeli Strikes, UNIFIL Patrol Intercepted

From Friday night into Saturday, the Israeli military intensified its strikes in southern Lebanon amid escalating regional tensions between Israel and Iran. The Israeli army fired bursts of gunfire from the radar site toward the outskirts of Shebaa on Saturday. Lebanese army units, including engineering teams, intelligence forces, and the ...

UN Urges More Support to Speed Up Syria Refugee Returns
UN Urges More Support to Speed Up Syria Refugee Returns

UN refugee agency chief Filippo Grandi has urged more international support for Syria to speed up reconstruction and enable further refugee returns after some 14 years of civil war. "I am here also to really make an appeal to the international community to provide more help, more assistance to the Syrian government in this big challenge of ...

Iran-Israel War: Latest Developments
Iran-Israel War: Latest Developments

Here are the latest developments: Iran Arrests 22 Over Israeli Spy Links Police in Iran's Qom province said 22 people "linked to Israeli spy services" had been arrested since June 13. "22 people were identified and arrested on charges of being linked to the Zionist regime's spy services, disturbing public opinion and supporting the criminal ...

Arab Foreign Ministers Hold Emergency Talks in Istanbul Over Iran-Israel Escalation
Arab Foreign Ministers Hold Emergency Talks in Istanbul Over Iran-Israel Escalation

Arab League foreign ministers gathered in Istanbul late Friday to discuss the escalating war between Iran and Israel, Turkish state news agency Anadolu said, quoting diplomatic sources. The ministers were in Turkey's largest city on the eve of weekend gathering of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), which was also slated to discuss the ...

Washington Deploys Third Aircraft Carrier Near the Middle East
Washington Deploys Third Aircraft Carrier Near the Middle East

The USS Gerald R. Ford will depart for Europe next week, a Navy official said Friday, placing a third American aircraft carrier in closer proximity to the Middle East as Israel and Iran trade strikes. Israel launched an unprecedented air campaign against Iran last week, and US President Donald Trump has said he is weighing whether to join Israel ...

Tactical Nukes Worry Strategists
SpotlightTactical Nukes Worry Strategists

The Kremlin, via spokesperson Dmitry Peskov, reiterated on Friday its firm opposition to the use of tactical nuclear weapons, describing any potential US strike on Iran as “catastrophic.” Peskov was responding to “media rumors” about a possible nuclear strike aimed at destroying Iran’s uranium enrichment facility at Fordow, stressing ...

Israel’s Strikes in Iran Have Killed at Least 657 People, Says US-Based Rights Group
Israel’s Strikes in Iran Have Killed at Least 657 People, Says US-Based Rights Group

A US-based NGO said Friday that Israel's strikes against Iran have killed at least 657 people, including civilians and members of the security forces, a toll based on sources and reports in Iran. The Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) said that at least 263 civilians had been killed nationwide since Israel began its strikes on June ...

What Would Actually Set Off a Nuclear Disaster
ExplainerWhat Would Actually Set Off a Nuclear Disaster

Since the Israeli strikes on Iran’s Natanz nuclear site on June 13, one question has taken on new urgency: What exactly needs to be hit in a nuclear facility to trigger a radioactive or chemical leak? And more critically, did the recent strikes come dangerously close to that threshold? To assess the risk, we first need to understand what a ...

Israel Says It Expects a “Prolonged” War With Iran
Israel Says It Expects a “Prolonged” War With Iran

Israel declared on Friday that it was expecting a “prolonged” war against Iran, as talks were underway in Geneva between Tehran and European powers, focusing on Iran’s nuclear program. A week after the outbreak of the conflict—triggered by an unprecedented Israeli attack on Iran on June 13, the two countries have continued to exchange ...

UK, Switzerland and Other Countries Withdraw Diplomats from Iran Amid War with Israel
UK, Switzerland and Other Countries Withdraw Diplomats from Iran Amid War with Israel

The United Kingdom and several other countries, including Switzerland—which represents U.S. interests in Iran—have announced the withdrawal of their diplomatic staff from Iran due to the ongoing war with Israel. "Due to the current security situation, we have taken the precautionary measure of temporarily withdrawing our British staff from ...