Malis new turmoil tests Algerian bid to reclaim mediator role in the Sahel Submitted by Samira Elsaidi on Tue, 05/26/2026 - 09:27 Latest crisis in Mali offers Algiers a chance to regain diplomatic influence on a key security issue, but distrust prevails in Bamako Black smoke rises above buildings in the Malian capital Bamako after attacks by the Azawad Liberation Front and the Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims, 26 April 2026 (AFP) Off Recent fighting in Mali that has weakened the ..

'From position of power: Iran should negotiate as victor, lawmaker says Iranian lawmaker Ebrahim Rezaei has said Tehrans diplomats should approach mediated negotiations with the United States from what he described as a position of strength. Rezaei, a spokesperson for the parliaments National Security and Foreign Policy Commission, said in a post on X that Iran had emerged as the definitive victor of the conflict and argued that negotiators should reflect that assessment in ongoing diplomatic ..

China and Pakistan back five-point plan for Middle East stability China and Pakistan have expressed their readiness to make a joint contribution to restoring peace and stability in the Middle East, according to Pakistans Foreign Ministry. The ministry said China praised Pakistans role in helping facilitate the ceasefire between Washington and Tehran and welcomed Islamabads diplomatic efforts during the crisis. Both countries also reaffirmed their commitment to implementing a five-point ..

Report says UK jailing Palestine supporters and climate activists The United Kingdom has effectively created a new category of political prisoners through its treatment of protesters involved in Palestine solidarity and climate activism campaigns since 2019, a new report claims. The report, titled Britains Political Prisoners, was co-published by Queen Mary University of London's Centre for Climate Crime and Climate Justice and Defend Our Juries. This report strips away the illusion that ..

Iranian military says targets identified for future conflict A senior spokesperson for Irans armed forces has said the country is prepared for any renewed conflict and has already identified targets in the event of a new attack by the United States or Israel, Press TV reported. According to remarks carried by the state media, the spokesperson said any future Iranian response would differ from previous operations and would involve new tactics. He warned that if the region entered another round ..

Gold falls as Iran tensions fuel inflation concerns Gold prices fell on Tuesday after renewed US military strikes in Iran pushed oil prices higher, raising concerns that inflation could remain elevated and keep interest rates higher for longer, Reuters reported. Spot gold fell 0.7 percent to $4,537.54 an ounce by 02:18 GMT, while US gold futures for June delivery edged up 0.3 percent to $4,538.50. Analysts said higher oil prices have renewed fears of inflationary pressure, increasing ..

Pakistan defence minister rejects joining Abraham Accords Pakistani defence minister Khawaja Asif has said he does not believe Pakistan should join the Abraham Accords, rejecting calls to normalise relations with Israel. Speaking to Samaa TV, Asif said joining such an arrangement would conflict with Pakistans fundamental principles and added that the countrys position on the issue remained clear. His comments came after US President Donald Trump urged several regional countries, including ..

Residents leave southern Beirut amid fears of escalation Families have begun fleeing Beiruts southern suburbs following new threats from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Al Jazeera Arabic reported. The reported departures come as Israel intensifies military operations in southern Lebanon and the eastern Bekaa Valley. In a video message on Monday, Netanyahu signalled a further escalation in the campaign, saying Israel was not easing its military pressure and had instead ordered forces ..

Rubio says Iran deal remains within reach despite strikes US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said negotiators were still working through the wording of an initial draft agreement and that finalising the terms could take several days due to ongoing discussions over specific language, AFP reported. He said it was important to keep strategic waterways open, adding that the straits would remain accessible one way or another. CNN quoted a US official as saying the recent strikes against Iran were a ..

Iran says it will not yield to US pressure in talks Iran has reaffirmed its position in ongoing negotiations aimed at ending the conflict, with senior officials insisting Tehran will not accept what it describes as US pressure or maximalist demands, Press TV reported. President Masoud Pezeshkian said Iran would not surrender to external pressure and that its negotiators would seek the full restoration of the country's rights through diplomacy. The report added that Parliament Speaker Mohammad ..

Qatar rejects claims Iran was offered payment for deal Qatars foreign ministry spokesperson Majed al-Ansari has rejected reports suggesting Iran was offered a payment to secure an agreement to end the war, describing the claims as rumours spread by parties seeking to derail diplomatic efforts. In a post on X, al-Ansari said the allegations were being circulated by actors attempting to sabotage the deal and undermine ongoing efforts to reduce tensions in the region. He added that Qatars ..

Canada raises concerns over treatment of flotilla activists Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney told Israeli President Isaac Herzog that Israels treatment of civilians aboard the Gaza-bound flotilla was unacceptable during a phone call between the two leaders. In a summary of the conversation posted on X, Carney said he stressed the need for de-escalation across the Middle East and called for a genuine resumption of dialogue among all parties. He added that achieving peace and stability in the ..

Iran calls for accountability over deadly February strike on sports hall Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei has accused the United States of carrying out a deadly missile strike on a sports hall in the southern city of Lamerd on 28 February, the day the US and Israel launched military operations against Iran. In a post on X, Baghaei said US precision- guided missiles struck a residential area in Lamerd, located in Fars province, including a sports hall. The attack slaughtered 24 ..

Fifa confirms Iran World Cup base camp in Mexico instead of US The international football governing body, Fifa, has confirmed that Irans national team will be based in the Mexican border city of Tijuana during the upcoming World Cup rather than in Arizona in the United States. In its final list of team base camps, Fifa identified the Centro Xoloitzcuintle in Tijuana as Irans training location. The confirmation follows remarks by Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, who said Mexico had agreed to ..

On the cusp of reining in Trump, House Republicans cancel war powers vote The Republican-led House of Representatives on Thursday unexpectedly cancelled a war powers vote that could have reined in US President Donald Trump's ability to resume hostilities against Iran . It was to be the fourth attempt under the 1973 War Powers Act since February. The vote was scheduled to be among the last on the agenda before lawmakers went away for the extended Memorial Day holiday - and it was likely to be a ..

Iran says ending war and lifting US blockade are priorities in talks An Iranian official has told Al Jazeera that Tehrans priorities in ongoing peace talks remain ending the war, lifting the US blockade and securing stability in the Strait of Hormuz. Ending the war, lifting the US blockade, and ensuring the stability of the Strait of Hormuz are priorities, the official said. The source, speaking on condition of anonymity, also said Tehran views economic relief as central to any deal, not a ..

Foreign students, workers will now be forced to leave US to apply for Green Cards Submitted by MEE staff on Fri, 05/22/2026 - 20:58 The move is a hugely consequential pivot from decades in which foreigners could seek to adjust their US status Director of US Citizenship and Immigration Services Joseph Edlow testifies before a Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC on 12 February 2026 (Brendan Smialowski/AFP) Off The Trump administration on ..

Iran destroyed 20 percent of US's MQ-9 Reaper drone fleet: Report Iran has destroyed $1bn worth of MQ-9 Reaper Drones, or roughly 20 percent of the USs pre- war inventory of the sophisticated unmanned aerial vehicles, according to a report by Bloomberg on Friday. The report said that many of the drones were downed by Iran in flight, but that others had been destroyed on the ground when Iran targeted US military bases in the Gulf. The MQ-9 is both a surveillance drone and capable of carrying a ..

Trump skips sons wedding over Iran and other things Trump says he will miss his eldest sons wedding this weekend, citing Iran and other government business as Washington remains locked in talks to end the US-Israeli war on the Islamic Republic. Donald Trump Jr is due to marry Palm Beach socialite Bettina Anderson on a small island in the Bahamas, CNN reported, citing two people familiar with the plans. While I very much wanted to be with my son, Don Jr., and the newest member of the Trump ..

Tulsi Gabbard's resignation as director of national intelligence removes sidelined Iran war sceptic Submitted by MEE staff on Fri, 05/22/2026 - 19:26 The former Democratic congresswoman and presidential candidate said she was resigning due to her husband's rare bone cancer Tulsi Gabbard speaks at the Faith and Freedom Coalition's Road to Majority' conference in Washington, DC, on 21 June 2024 (Anna Moneymaker/Getty images via AFP) Off Tulsi Gabbard is set to resign in June as US director of ..

Tulsi Gabbard resigns as US intelligence chief Tulsi Gabbard is stepping down as the US director of national intelligence, according to a letter she shared on Friday on X. In her resignation letter, addressed to US President Donald Trump, Gabbard said she is deeply grateful for the trust you placed in me and for the opportunity to lead the Office of the Director of National Intelligence for the past year and a half. Unfortunately, I must submit my resignation, effective June 30, 2026, she ..

Iran says Pakistani mediation marks turning point in US talks Iran says intense diplomatic activity in Tehran could mark a decisive stage in efforts to reach a peace agreement with the United States. Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said the presence of senior Pakistani officials in the Iranian capital signals a critical moment in the talks. The current process and the presence of senior Pakistani officials in Tehran means that we have reached a turning point or a decisive situation, ..

Iran says US talks remain far from deal as gaps stay deep and significant Iran says negotiations with the US are far from a breakthrough, with major gaps still separating the two sides. Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said state media reports that talks are not close to producing an agreement and that it remains difficult to judge whether a deal could emerge over weeks or months. He said the differences between Tehran and Washington remain deep and significant. We cannot necessarily ..

Qatari delegation holds talks in Tehran as Pakistan mediates Iran negotiations Iran says a Qatari delegation is holding talks in Tehran as diplomatic efforts continue around negotiations involving Iran. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said on Friday that the Qatari team was meeting Irans foreign minister. He added that Pakistan remains the main mediator in the talks, signalling Islamabads central role in efforts to keep negotiations moving.

Fifa World Cup 2026: Is this the most exclusionary tournament in history? Submitted by Azad Essa on Tue, 05/19/2026 - 23:31 Eye-watering costs, visa restrictions and long travel distances mean this World Cup edition may not 'unite the world' the way Fifa claims A view of signage ahead of the 2026 World Cup at New York New Jersey Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on 19 May 2026 (Dustin Satloff/AFP) Off The Fifa World Cup represents the pinnacle of the worlds most popular game. For decades, ..

World Central Kitchen halves Gaza meals as Iran war drives up costs World Central Kitchen says it has cut its hot meal distribution in Gaza by half, warning that soaring food and fuel costs linked to the war on Iran have made its operations impossible to maintain at previous levels. The aid group, the largest provider of hot meals in Gaza, has reduced daily servings from one million to 500,000. The cut threatens Palestinians already pushed to the edge by Israels devastating assault and ..

Pakistan army chief arrives in Tehran for US-Iran mediation push Pakistans military says army chief Asim Munir has arrived in Tehran as Islamabad continues efforts to mediate between the US and Iran. Irans ISNA news agency also reported Munirs arrival on Friday. The visit comes as diplomatic activity intensifies around efforts to ease tensions and secure progress in talks between Washington and Tehran.

From 'Baby Shah' to Bond villains, Iran war coverage has reached new heights of absurdity Submitted by Tanya Goudsouzian on Fri, 05/22/2026 - 16:27 The insertion of former president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad into the narrative is just the latest telenovela-worthy twist Former Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is pictured in Tehran on 2 June 2024 (Atta Kenare/AFP) Off Media coverage of the Iran war has reached full telenovela levels of absurdity. One moment, audiences are told the Baby Shah, Reza ..

Trump went to Beijing to talk Iran. He came back empty-handed Submitted by Marco Carnelos on Tue, 05/19/2026 - 18:20 While Washington doubles down on military force, Beijing is quietly weaving the Middle East together through infrastructure and diplomacy - on its own terms US President Donald Trump gestures towards Chinese President Xi Jinping while leaving after a visit to the Zhongnanhai Garden in Beijing, China on 15 May, 2026 (Reuters) On On the eve of the 14 May Beijing summit between US ..

South Korean-flagged tanker attempts Hormuz crossing A South Korean-flagged supertanker is attempting to cross the Strait of Hormuz, according to ship- tracking data cited by Bloomberg. The tanker, Universal Winner, began transmitting signals on Wednesday morning, showing its presence in the strait south of Irans Larak Island. Bloomberg reported that the vessel was following two Chinese supertankers that had travelled along a similar route and were also attempting to pass through the strategic ..