Tag Archives: Middle East news

On Saturday, April 26, 2025, a devastating explosion occurred at Iran’s Shahid Rajaee Port in Bandar Abbas, resulting in at least 25 fatalities and injuring over 1,000 individuals. The blast originated from a fire in a hazardous materials storage area, leading to the detonation of several containers. Among the chemicals involved was sodium perchlorate, a compound used in missile fuel. …

Israel’s military launched an airstrike targeting a residential building on the outskirts of Damascus, claiming it was a command center for the Palestinian Islamic Jihad militant group. The military stated that the facility had been used to orchestrate attacks against Israel and warned of further military action against Palestinian factions operating within Syria. The attack took place in Dummar, a …

New details emerging about the deteriorating condition of released hostages have intensified pressure on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to extend the fragile ceasefire in Gaza, even as former U.S. President Donald Trump reiterated his pledge that the United States would take control of Gaza. Ceasefire Talks and Stalled Negotiations The second phase of negotiations, aimed at securing the release …

After weeks of intense political negotiations, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam successfully formed a government on Saturday, marking the end of over two and a half years of caretaker leadership in Lebanon. Salam had previously committed to excluding political party members from ministerial positions, aiming to break away from Lebanon’s long-standing sectarian and corruption-linked political system. However, given the country’s sectarian-based …

Hamas conducted a public display on Saturday, parading three Israeli hostages before a gathered crowd in Gaza ahead of their official handover to the Red Cross. The three Israeli civilians were released in exchange for dozens of Palestinian detainees held by Israel as part of an ongoing ceasefire that has temporarily halted the conflict in Gaza. Unlike previous prisoner exchanges, …

The head of Hezbollah’s parliamentary bloc, Mohammad Raad, strongly criticized remarks made by visiting U.S. official Morgan Ortagus on Friday, calling them an unacceptable interference in Lebanon’s internal affairs. Raad described Ortagus’s statement as malicious and irresponsible, arguing that it directly targeted a fundamental part of Lebanon’s political structure. He accused the U.S. of blatant interference in the country’s sovereignty, …