Lebanon
US-Europe relations strains bring Nato alliance close to breaking point
The West is discussing a new defence alliance format to replace Nato that would include Ukraine. Nato's current form is ineffective, so it is worth creating a new defence structure.
US public opinion turns sharply against Israel and Netanyahu, Pew says
Americans’ views of Israel and its prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, have grown markedly more negative over the past four years, with disapproval now spanning age groups and widening across political divides.
Beirut’s safe zones are gone as Israel targets beyond Hezbollah’s strongholds
For years, Beirut lived by an unspoken rule: war has its boundaries. The southern suburbs of the capital, traditional Hezbollah strongholds would burn, frontlines would shift, but parts of the city remained off limits for attacks.
Ukraine’s hope for a peace deal with Russia rekindled by Iran ceasefire
Ukraine’s hopes for restarting peace talks with Russia have been rekindled after a two-week ceasefire deal in Iran was agreed on April 7.
Oman rules out transit fees in Strait of Hormuz despite ceasefire proposal
Oman has said it will not impose the $2mn transit fees on vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz that were part of the two-week ceasefire deal agreed on April 7, reaffirming its adherence to longstanding international agreements.
Iran ceasefire begins but Netanyahu strikes Beirut as war in Lebanon intensifies
A two-week ceasefire between the United States and Iran officially came into effect on April 8, but Israel ignore the deal and launched the biggest missile strike across the country since hostilities began.
IDF conducts largest strikes in Lebanon since start of war
The Israel Defense Forces confirmed it had conducted its broadest attack against Hezbollah in Lebanon since the start of the ongoing war.
Israel-Hezbollah fighting continues in Lebanon despite US-Iran ceasefire
Fighting between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon has persisted despite the two-week US-Iran ceasefire announced on April 7.
Ceasefire: Iran, US agree to two-week Gulf War pause and 10-point plan
In a last-minute deal, US President Donald Trump pulled the world back from the brink of a massive escalation in the Gulf War and announced he had agreed to a two week suspension of military operations against Iran after he agreed to a 10-point plan.
Iranian crude trades at a premium to Brent after US waives sanctions
Iranian Light crude is trading at a $1 premium to the benchmark Brent price since the US waived a sanctions-ban on buying Iran crude already at sea to ease prices on the international market.
Russia shares Israel key power sector targeting intelligence for a possible Iranian Power Day retaliation
With US President Donald Trump’s Power Day deadline looming, where he has promised to do “irreversible damage” to Iran's power grid, Russia has reportedly provided Iran with intelligence of the weaknesses of Israel’s power system.
Trump’s global disapproval reaches all-time high - Gallup
A record 48% of adults worldwide now disapprove of the United States’ leadership, marking the highest level since tracking began, according to Gallup.
Iran and US-Israeli coalition trade tit-for-tat missiles strikes as Trump’s Power Plant Day deadline looms
The clock is running down on US President Donald Trump’s “Power Day” deadline, where he has threatened to destroy Iran’s entire power sector, that could lead to major escalation in the Gulf war.
Tehran rejects Pakistan's two-phase peace plan, offers its own 10-point plan
Tehran responds to Pakistan's two-phase peace plan Tehran has responded to Pakistan's two-phase peace plan which calls for 45 day ceasefire followed by negotiations to bring about a more lasting peace in the Iran conflict in a second phase.
Pakistan proposes a two-phase ceasefire deal to Iran war
Pakistan is proposing a two-phase ceasefire to the escalating war in Iran ahead of US President Donald Trump’s deadline threatening to destroy the country's power sector that would lead to a massive escalation.
Israel shifts from conventional confrontation to "total war of attrition" in Lebanon
In just two days, something changed in Israel’s war against Lebanon. The military clash is no longer a mere exchange of fire along the border, but a fill war of attrition, targeting vital arteries and infrastructure.
US pilot shot down in Iran rescued in prelude to possible ground invasion
A dramatic game of cat and mouse played out in the mountains of Iran in the last few days following the Downing of an F15E Strike Eagle by an Iranian missile as US Special Forces searched for and eventually extracted one of its airmen.
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Mission Impossible: Trump’s Iran campaign faces mounting setbacks as asymmetric tactics bite
Iran's elite IRGC troops and mountain villagers joined forces in a manhunt for a down US pilot after Iran shot down a F-15 jet fighter over its territory. The US flew in special forces to try and find him.
This is "the worst oil crisis in history", says Goldman Sachs
US investment bank Goldman Sachs says we are facing the “worst oil crisis in history” as a result of the shutdown of Gulf state hydrocarbon exports.
Rosatom warns of nuclear risk after reported strike near Iran's Bushehr plant
Rosatom says a strike breached the protection circuit of Iran’s Bushehr nuclear power plant, warning the risk of a catastrophic nuclear incident is rising sharply as Russian personnel are evacuated from the site.