Middle East
Who is Nasrallah?
Slain Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah, whose death was confirmed yesterday by his Iran-backed movement, wielded great power in Lebanon but led a life in hiding to avoid assassination by his group’s arch-enemy, Israel.
Khamenei moved to a secure location
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has been transferred to a secure location inside the country with heightened security measures in place, two regional officials briefed by Tehran told Reuters.
Tens of thousands protest against Lebanon 'bloodbath' in Iran, Yemen
Tens of thousands protested in Iranian cities and in the rebel-held Yemeni capital on Friday to condemn Israeli attacks on Lebanon and Gaza, AFP journalists and state media reported
Israel hits Hezbollah HQ in Beirut with heavy airstrikes
The Israeli military said it had targeted Hezbollah’s central headquarters in Beirut’s southern suburbs yesterday in an attack that shook the Lebanese capital and sent thick clouds of smoke over the city.
Over 30,000 crossed into Syria from Lebanon
Well over 30,000 people, mainly Syrians, have crossed into Syria from Lebanon in the past 72 hours, the UN refugee agency said yesterday, amid an escalating conflict between Israeli forces and Hezbollah that has killed hundreds of people in Lebanon.
Israeli strikes kill 92 in Lebanon in past 24 hours: ministry
Israeli strikes have killed 92 people in Lebanon over the past 24 hours, the country's health ministry said late Thursday
Israel rejects truce proposal from US
Israel yesterday rejected global calls for a ceasefire with Lebanon’s Hezbollah movement, defying its biggest ally the US and pressing ahead with strikes that have killed hundreds in Lebanon and heightened fears of an all-out regional war.
Iraqi Islamic Resistance drone hits Israel’s port
The pro-Iran Islamic Resistance in Iraq group said it attacked Israel’s Red Sea port of Eilat Wednesday as another group urged more attacks amid soaring tensions over Gaza and Lebanon.
More than half of Gaza structures damaged
Some 55 percent of all structures in the Gaza Strip have been destroyed, damaged or possibly damaged since the Israeli offensive began in the Palestinian territory eight months ago, according to preliminary satellite analysis by the UN.
European powers seek to censure Iran at UN nuclear meeting
Britain, France and Germany will seek to censure Iran over its lack of cooperation with the UN nuclear watchdog at its board meeting starting today despite US opposition, diplomats told AFP
Israel accepts Biden’s Gaza truce plan
An aide to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu yesterday confirmed that Israel had accepted a framework deal for winding down the Gaza offensive now being advanced by US President Joe Biden, though he described it as flawed and in need of much more work.
Iran’s Ahmadinejad to run in polls
Iran’s hardline former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has registered to run for president in the country’s June 28 election, organized after the death of Ebrahim Raisi in a helicopter crash last month, Iran’s state television reported yesterday.
Palestinian mothers search for milk
Amira al-Taweel scoured pharmacies in northern Gaza for milk to feed her child, but could not find a single bottle to satisfy his hunger.
Kuwait's emir makes Sheikh Sabah al-Khalid crown prince
Kuwait's Emir Sheikh Meshal al-Ahmad al-Sabah issued a decree nominating Sheikh Sabah al-Khalid al-Sabah as crown prince, the state news agency KUNA reported on Saturday
Israel pounds Gaza defying US truce plan
But Netanyahu took issue with Biden’s presentation of what was on the table, insisting on Friday the transition from one stage to the next was “conditional” and crafted to allow Israel to maintain its war aims.
UN mission in Iraq to end after 2 decades
At the request of Baghdad, the UN Security Council unanimously decided Friday that the United Nations political mission in Iraq will leave the country at the end of 2025 after more than 20 years.
Israel offers new Gaza ceasefire plan
US President Joe Biden yesterday said Israel had proposed a Gaza ceasefire in exchange for the release of hostages, and called on Hamas to agree to the new offer, saying it was the best way to end the conflict.
Israel presses with raids into Rafah
Rafah residents reported intense artillery shelling and gunfire in Gaza’s far-southern city yesterday after Israel said it had seized Philadelphi corridor on the Palestinian territory’s border with Egypt.