Middle East

Middle East

Israel strikes Syria, saying it hit group that attacked Druze

Israel said it carried out a strike in Syria against "an extremist group" that attacked members of the Druze community, following through on a promise to defend the minority group as deadly sectarian violence spread near Damascus.

1d ago

Qatar PM sees ‘a bit of progress’ on Gaza truce

Gaza mediator Qatar yesterday said there was some progress in talks in Doha this week aimed at securing a new truce in the Israel-Hamas war.

5d ago

Death toll from blast at Iran's Bandar Abbas port rises to 40

The death toll from a powerful explosion at Iran's biggest port of Bandar Abbas has risen to at least 40, with more than 1,200 people injured, state media reported on Sunday, as firefighters worked to fully extinguish the fire

5d ago

Hamas open to long Gaza truce but not to disarming

Hamas is open to a years-long truce with Israel in Gaza but is not willing to lay down its arms, an official said yesterday, as leaders of the Palestinian Islamist militant group met mediators in Cairo for ceasefire talks.

6d ago

Progress made in nuclear talks

The United States and Iran reported progress in their latest round of nuclear talks yesterday and agreed to meet again next week as they pursue a deal that could help ease soaring Middle East tensions.

6d ago

Huge blast at key Iran port kills 18, hurts hundreds

A powerful explosion ripped through a key port in southern Iran yesterday, killing five people and injuring more than 500, state media said.

6d ago

Iraqi politicians oppose Syrian leader’s possible visit to Baghdad

Several powerful pro-Iran Iraqi politicians have in recent days voiced opposition to a potential visit by Syrian interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa to Iraq for the upcoming Arab League summit.

1w ago

Hunger in Gaza / ‘Deprivation by design’: UN 92 killed by Israel in two days

Israeli strikes killed at least 92 people in the Gaza Strip in the last 48 hours, the health ministry said yesterday, as UN said the tiny Palestinian territory is being subjected to “deprivation by design”.

1w ago

Israeli air attacks batter south Beirut

Israeli air attacks battered Beirut’s southern suburbs overnight and early yesterday in the most intense bombardment of the Lebanese capital since Israel sharply escalated its campaign against Iran-backed group Hezbollah last month.

6m ago

Iran prepares plan to respond to any Israeli attack

Iran has prepared a plan to respond to a possible Israeli attack following the Islamic republic’s retaliatory missile strike against it last week, local media reported yesterday.

6m ago

Palestinians wonder how to deal with tonnes of rubble

In the ruins of his two-storey home, 11-year-old Mohammed gathers chunks of the fallen roof into a broken pail and pounds them into gravel which his father will use to make gravestones for victims of the Gaza offensive.

6m ago

Potential new Hezbollah leader out of contact, Lebanese source says

The potential successor to slain Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah has been out of contact since Friday, a Lebanese security source said on Saturday, after an Israeli airstrike reported to have targeted him

6m ago

Mothers struggle to care for newborns

Gazan mother Rana Salah cradles her one-month-old daughter Milana in her arms in a sweltering tent for the displaced, and speaks of the guilt she feels for bringing her child into a world of war and suffering.

6m ago

Israel readying response to Iran’s attack

Israel was preparing a military response to Iran’s missile attack this week that heightened fears of a wider regional war, an Israeli official said yesterday, as fighting raged in Lebanon and Gaza.

6m ago

Iran’s allies will keep fighting Israel

Iran’s supreme leader yesterday vowed in a rare address that his allies around the region would keep fighting Israel, as he defended his country’s missile strike on its arch-foe.

7m ago

How might Israel strike back against Iran?

Israel has sworn it will retaliate for Iran’s missile barrage on Tuesday, which involved more than 180 ballistic missiles and was largely thwarted by Israel’s air defense systems. Below are some ways Israel, backed by the United States, could strike back.

7m ago

Lebanon conflict pushes Gaza truce out of focus

Palestinians fear the crisis in Lebanon is diverting the world’s attention from Gaza, where Israeli strikes killed dozens more people this week, and diminishing already dim prospects for a ceasefire a year into an offensive that has shattered the enclave.

7m ago

US President Biden does not believe there will be 'all-out-war' in Middle East

U.S. President Joe Biden said he did not believe there is going to be an "all-out war" in the Middle East, as Israel weighs options for retaliation after Tehran's largest ever assault on its arch-enemy.

7m ago