Israel
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Iran cleric says missile strike on US base shifted regional power balance
Iran's interim Friday prayer leader said an IRGC strike on a US base shifted the regional balance of power, citing the Pentagon's account of the ceasefire holding despite the exchange.
Global oil inventories falling at record pace, critical storage threshold about to be breached - IEA
Global oil inventories are declining at a record rate as the market absorbs a major Middle East supply disruption, raising the risk of sharp price increases if the Strait of Hormuz remains closed, according to the International Energy Agency.
Israel widens Lebanon combat zone despite ceasefire, orders evacuations
Israel has declared a new swathe of southern Lebanon a combat zone and ordered civilians to move north, ignoring the ceasefire deal announced in mid-April as it continues to target Hezbollah.
Netanyahu confirms Israel will intensify Hezbollah strikes despite US-Iran talks
Israel is intensifying its strikes against Hezbollah in Lebanon despite the progression of US-Iran talks, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed.
Trump's Abraham Accords gambit appears doomed to fail, given Iran's regional strength
With Iran making itself a heavily relied upon partner to regional allies, US President Donald Trump's bid to bring Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Turkey into the Abraham Accords with Israel appears destined to fail.
UPDATE: US launches strikes on Iranian targets near Strait of Hormuz
The strikes came as the Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmail Baqai said some progress had been made in recent talks with Washington, although a deal to end the conflict was “not imminent”.
UAE walks political tightrope with Strait of Hormuz warning
The United Arab Emirates is walking a political tightrope, opposing Iran during the ongoing war while also appearing to placate its Arab partners with opposition to Israel on numerous occasions.
US and Iran near nuclear deal, US officials say agreement 95% done
The United States and Iran are within reach of a landmark nuclear agreement, with negotiators reporting that a framework deal is 95% complete, according to officials cited by Fox News on May 24.
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Iran says no deal without frozen asset release as nuclear commitments denied
Details of a potential US-Iran deal are emerging, with a 60-day ceasefire extension and Strait of Hormuz reopening among the reported terms, as Trump says the agreement is largely negotiated.
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Iran says it shot down Israeli Orbiter surveillance drone over Hormozgan
Iran's south-east air defence region says it has shot down an Israeli Orbiter reconnaissance drone over Hormozgan province, with the wreckage recovered by the Hormozgan coast guard.
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US and Iran near 60-day ceasefire extension with gradual Hormuz reopening
US and Iran are close to agreeing a 60-day ceasefire extension including gradual reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, Financial Times reports, as Pakistan's army chief leaves Tehran after productive talks.
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Iran's favourite kebab becomes a luxury as war drives prices through the roof
A single chicken kebab skewer now costs IRR10mn in Tehran restaurants as Iran's food inflation crisis deepens, with chicken prices up 191% in the past year amid war and economic collapse.
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Iran disconnected from Internet for 80 days with no plans to return online
Iran has no plans to restore general public internet access, with restrictions continuing on security grounds, a senior member of parliament's cultural commission has said.
Russia oil and gas revenues up 40% in May on Iran war pressures
Russia’s oil and gas revenues are expected to jump 39% year on year in May to about RUB700bn ($9.8bn), buoyed by higher global crude prices driven by the conflict involving Iran, according to Reuters calculations published on May 20.
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Somaliland to open Israeli embassy in Jerusalem
Somaliland will establish its Israeli embassy in Jerusalem, following the US, as Hargeisa seeks closer relations with the Mediterranean country.
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COMMENT: Did Trump ruin the Abraham Accords?
Trump has seemingly ruined his much hyped Abraham Accords after backing Israel's war on Iran. Now what?
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Israel's Decart secures $300mn in funding following Nvidia and Amazon deals
Israeli AI company Decart has raised $300mn in a new funding round less than a year after its previous raise, lifting its valuation to $4bn.
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Iran's Ghalibaf handed China portfolio in signal of deepening Beijing tilt
Iran has placed parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf in charge of relations with China, in a move described as a step to deepen ties with Tehran's most important strategic partner, academic Mohammad Marandi has said.
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Drone strike sparks fire at UAE's Barakah nuclear plant as IAEA voices concern
A drone strike has sparked a fire on the perimeter of the UAE's Barakah nuclear power plant, prompting the IAEA to express "grave concern", though authorities said radiation levels remain normal and operations were unaffected.
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COMMENT: The Oslo playbook returns to the Middle East
Norway has become the only NATO country still talking to Tehran. It is doing so for reasons that are partly diplomatic, partly mercantile, and with echos of the original Oslo accord of the 1990s.