📰 Five years after the Taliban’s return to power on 15 August 2021, Afghanistan has transformed from a chaotic battlefield into a functioning but deeply authoritarian state.
Foreign troops are gone, and fragmented opponents have failed to mount a significant challenge to Kabul’s centralised control. The movement has established a degree of internal security unimaginable under the previous government.
However, this stability rests on systematic exclusion, most notably of women, leaving the nation economically fragile and politically isolated. While the Taliban have proven they can govern without western support, they remain an international pariah managing a historic humanitarian crisis.
Afghanistan today is quieter than before 2021, but it is also poorer, more isolated, and severely repressive towards half its population
🔗 Click the link to read more https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/five-years-taliban-rule-state-has-survived-what-cost
Foreign troops are gone, and fragmented opponents have failed to mount a significant challenge to Kabul’s centralised control. The movement has established a degree of internal security unimaginable under the previous government.
However, this stability rests on systematic exclusion, most notably of women, leaving the nation economically fragile and politically isolated. While the Taliban have proven they can govern without western support, they remain an international pariah managing a historic humanitarian crisis.
Afghanistan today is quieter than before 2021, but it is also poorer, more isolated, and severely repressive towards half its population
🔗 Click the link to read more https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/five-years-taliban-rule-state-has-survived-what-cost
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Israeli army demolish houses in southern Lebanon
Footage shows the Israeli army demolishing houses in the village of Meiss El Jabal in southern Lebanon.
The Israeli military killed two people and injured nine in an attack on Deir ez-Zahrani. Earlier, Israeli warplanes killed seven people in a strike on a house in the village of Ansar, also in southern Lebanon.
Footage shows the Israeli army demolishing houses in the village of Meiss El Jabal in southern Lebanon.
The Israeli military killed two people and injured nine in an attack on Deir ez-Zahrani. Earlier, Israeli warplanes killed seven people in a strike on a house in the village of Ansar, also in southern Lebanon.
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🗞️ "Nearly three years after the 7 October Hamas attack shattered the illusion of a manageable status quo - one serving US-Israeli interests, while harming Palestinian rights - and midway through President Donald Trump’s second term, the Middle East no longer maps neatly onto the two axes that have defined it for decades.
The region’s fault line long ran between Iran’s 'Axis of Resistance' - comprising Hezbollah, the Houthis, Iraqi armed groups, and a battered but defiant Syria under the Assad regime - and the Israeli-inspired 'Pax Americana': an informal architecture of deterrence, normalisation, and military primacy that Washington and Tel Aviv sought to impose through the Abraham Accords, blatant double standards, international law violations and overwhelming force"
✍️ Marco Carnelos
🔗 Click the link to read the full column https://www.middleeasteye.net/opinion/how-pragmatic-axis-could-reshape-middle-east
The region’s fault line long ran between Iran’s 'Axis of Resistance' - comprising Hezbollah, the Houthis, Iraqi armed groups, and a battered but defiant Syria under the Assad regime - and the Israeli-inspired 'Pax Americana': an informal architecture of deterrence, normalisation, and military primacy that Washington and Tel Aviv sought to impose through the Abraham Accords, blatant double standards, international law violations and overwhelming force"
✍️ Marco Carnelos
🔗 Click the link to read the full column https://www.middleeasteye.net/opinion/how-pragmatic-axis-could-reshape-middle-east
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Palestinian journalist Hind Khoudary opens cafe in Gaza City
Hind Khoudary, a Palestinian journalist known for her coverage of Israel's genocidal war on Gaza for Aljazeera, has opened a beachside cafe in Gaza City.
'On the beach' opened to the public a week ago, to "provide even a small service" to Palestinians suffering intense heat, Israeli strikes, and limited food and aid supplies to the besieged enclave, said Khoudary.
"I missed seeing Gaza the way I used to love seeing it," she added, hoping the space would provide a sense of relief after over two years of genocide.
Hind Khoudary, a Palestinian journalist known for her coverage of Israel's genocidal war on Gaza for Aljazeera, has opened a beachside cafe in Gaza City.
'On the beach' opened to the public a week ago, to "provide even a small service" to Palestinians suffering intense heat, Israeli strikes, and limited food and aid supplies to the besieged enclave, said Khoudary.
"I missed seeing Gaza the way I used to love seeing it," she added, hoping the space would provide a sense of relief after over two years of genocide.
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"The Iran war may be fought primarily remotely via the air, but its strategic outcome is increasingly being decided at sea.
The latest strikes and counterstrikes have clarified rather than altered that central fact. Washington may escalate through a ground intervention, wider attacks on Iran’s critical infrastructure, or a strike against the deeply buried nuclear-linked complex at Pickaxe Mountain in Isfahan province.
Each option could inflict further damage and expand the war. None, however, is likely to eliminate Iran’s distributed maritime architecture or make the Strait of Hormuz strategically irrelevant.
Ukraine has shown the entire world that a fleet can be beaten without a fleet. Iran has shown that a navy can destroy a superpower’s strategic objectives and shape diplomacy without winning a single naval battle."
✍️ Opinion by Omar Ashour
🔗 https://www.middleeasteye.net/opinion/how-iran-and-ukraine-are-strategically-sinking-their-rivals-sea
The latest strikes and counterstrikes have clarified rather than altered that central fact. Washington may escalate through a ground intervention, wider attacks on Iran’s critical infrastructure, or a strike against the deeply buried nuclear-linked complex at Pickaxe Mountain in Isfahan province.
Each option could inflict further damage and expand the war. None, however, is likely to eliminate Iran’s distributed maritime architecture or make the Strait of Hormuz strategically irrelevant.
Ukraine has shown the entire world that a fleet can be beaten without a fleet. Iran has shown that a navy can destroy a superpower’s strategic objectives and shape diplomacy without winning a single naval battle."
✍️ Opinion by Omar Ashour
🔗 https://www.middleeasteye.net/opinion/how-iran-and-ukraine-are-strategically-sinking-their-rivals-sea
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Iran attributes instability of Hormuz Strait to US and Israel
During a press conference Iran's foreign ministry spokesperson, Esmaeil Baghaei, remarked how the current state of instability in the Strait of Hormuz has entirely been caused by the US-Israeli aggression against Iran.
"We all know that the Strait of Hormuz had no problems up to 28 February 2026, and it was open," he said. He added that "the United States continues to speak with pride about implementing a naval blockade against Iran," despite it being an "admission of an aggressive act against Iran."
During a press conference Iran's foreign ministry spokesperson, Esmaeil Baghaei, remarked how the current state of instability in the Strait of Hormuz has entirely been caused by the US-Israeli aggression against Iran.
"We all know that the Strait of Hormuz had no problems up to 28 February 2026, and it was open," he said. He added that "the United States continues to speak with pride about implementing a naval blockade against Iran," despite it being an "admission of an aggressive act against Iran."
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Israeli football fans chant ‘fuck you Palestine’ in Vienna
Supporters of Israeli football team Jerusalem Beitar marched through Vienna ahead of a game on Thursday, repeatedly chanting ‘fuck you Palestine’ as they passed by a pro-Palestine protest.
Several incidents of racist and violent behaviour were reported as the fans made their way to the game, with one instance where they violently attacked a person.
Supporters of Israeli football team Jerusalem Beitar marched through Vienna ahead of a game on Thursday, repeatedly chanting ‘fuck you Palestine’ as they passed by a pro-Palestine protest.
Several incidents of racist and violent behaviour were reported as the fans made their way to the game, with one instance where they violently attacked a person.
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Israeli forces raid Palestinian pre-wedding celebration
Israeli forces raided a pre-wedding henna celebration in the city of Umm al Fahm on Saturday night, with footage showing guests lying face down between overturned chairs as armed officers stand near them.
The raid came a day after far-right Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir boasted about the arrest of a Palestinian bride and groom because their wedding convoy allegedly disrupted traffic.
Israeli forces raided a pre-wedding henna celebration in the city of Umm al Fahm on Saturday night, with footage showing guests lying face down between overturned chairs as armed officers stand near them.
The raid came a day after far-right Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir boasted about the arrest of a Palestinian bride and groom because their wedding convoy allegedly disrupted traffic.
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Oil leaks from grounded Russian tanker off Oman’s coast
An oil spill from a tanker that ran aground off Oman has reached the coastline, affecting roughly 390 square kilometres, according to the most recent analysis from the country's environment agency.
The crude oil tanker Caroline Bezengi had been stranded for weeks near Oman's Al-Qibliyyah island after it was damaged by explosions.
Omani authorities have not yet identified the cause of the spill. But British maritime security company Vanguard told AFP last week that the tanker was hit by explosions in early June as it sailed off the coast of Yemen, causing water to enter several sections of the vessel.
An oil spill from a tanker that ran aground off Oman has reached the coastline, affecting roughly 390 square kilometres, according to the most recent analysis from the country's environment agency.
The crude oil tanker Caroline Bezengi had been stranded for weeks near Oman's Al-Qibliyyah island after it was damaged by explosions.
Omani authorities have not yet identified the cause of the spill. But British maritime security company Vanguard told AFP last week that the tanker was hit by explosions in early June as it sailed off the coast of Yemen, causing water to enter several sections of the vessel.
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Yemen pro-government forces attack Houthi positions
Yemen's pro-government armed forces stated on Sunday morning that they carried out 181 military operations against Houthi military targets in 24 hours.
Spokesperson Colonel Al-Nuzaili said the strikes killed and wounded dozens of Houthi members, destroyed vehicles, weapon depots, and other military equipment.
The retaliatory strikes follow a series of Houthi attacks against military and civilian targets in government-controlled areas of Yemen, which killed dozens of civilians, with the cities of Mocha and Marib being most targeted.
Yemen's pro-government armed forces stated on Sunday morning that they carried out 181 military operations against Houthi military targets in 24 hours.
Spokesperson Colonel Al-Nuzaili said the strikes killed and wounded dozens of Houthi members, destroyed vehicles, weapon depots, and other military equipment.
The retaliatory strikes follow a series of Houthi attacks against military and civilian targets in government-controlled areas of Yemen, which killed dozens of civilians, with the cities of Mocha and Marib being most targeted.
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US doctor recounts treating injured children in Gaza
US doctor recounts treating patients and injured children in Gaza amid severe medical shortages and relentless Israeli bombardment, including the amputation of a five-year-old girl without anesthesia.
“I did a leg amputation on a five-year-old girl, and the only anesthesia that we had was the anesthesia doctor singing to her. She didn't faint. We were praying for her to faint. She stayed awake the whole amputation,” says Dr Mark Perlumtter.
US doctor recounts treating patients and injured children in Gaza amid severe medical shortages and relentless Israeli bombardment, including the amputation of a five-year-old girl without anesthesia.
“I did a leg amputation on a five-year-old girl, and the only anesthesia that we had was the anesthesia doctor singing to her. She didn't faint. We were praying for her to faint. She stayed awake the whole amputation,” says Dr Mark Perlumtter.
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Protesters commemorate Rabaa massacre in Manchester
Protesters gathered on Saturday to commemorate the 13th anniversary of the Rabaa Square massacre, during which over a thousand peaceful Egyptian protesters were killed by the country's army, headed by now-president Abd el Fatah al Sisi.
"The Rabaa massacre is a wound that doesn't heal," said Tarek Morsy, a former Egyptian MP, and added that there is not a specific day to commemorate the massacre, as it "always lives in our hearts and minds."
Protesters gathered on Saturday to commemorate the 13th anniversary of the Rabaa Square massacre, during which over a thousand peaceful Egyptian protesters were killed by the country's army, headed by now-president Abd el Fatah al Sisi.
"The Rabaa massacre is a wound that doesn't heal," said Tarek Morsy, a former Egyptian MP, and added that there is not a specific day to commemorate the massacre, as it "always lives in our hearts and minds."
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📰 Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Sunday that Tehran and Muscat were working to establish a temporary maritime route through the Strait of Hormuz, while stressing that the talks were separate from any decision on reopening the strategic waterway.
“The routes that existed previously are no longer functional, so a new route needs to be defined,” Araghchi said.
“For now, we are designing a temporary route, which can then, at a later stage, be turned into a final route.”
Araghchi said negotiations with Oman were continuing over maritime routes for ships passing through the strait.
🔗 https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/iran-oman-work-temporary-hormuz-shipping-route-trump-threatens-claim-strait
“The routes that existed previously are no longer functional, so a new route needs to be defined,” Araghchi said.
“For now, we are designing a temporary route, which can then, at a later stage, be turned into a final route.”
Araghchi said negotiations with Oman were continuing over maritime routes for ships passing through the strait.
🔗 https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/iran-oman-work-temporary-hormuz-shipping-route-trump-threatens-claim-strait
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📰 "In the Gaza Strip, modern brutality has made its terrible presence felt through atrocity after atrocity, in full view of the entire world.
These horrors were caused not by a natural disaster, but by the tsunami of modern genocide carried out by Israel using American and western weapons, munitions and technologies.
Genocide has taken possession of the defining features of everyday life in all their details, leaving its tragic imprint on the population in every sphere.
The fragments that follow are drawn from that reality.
The children of Gaza know no daily life without a menacing sound accompanying them day and night, without pause. This has been the case almost since the moment they first opened their eyes to the world."
✍️ Opinion by Hossam Shaker
🔗 https://www.middleeasteye.net/opinion/gaza-genocide-how-israel-made-horror-ritual-daily-life
These horrors were caused not by a natural disaster, but by the tsunami of modern genocide carried out by Israel using American and western weapons, munitions and technologies.
Genocide has taken possession of the defining features of everyday life in all their details, leaving its tragic imprint on the population in every sphere.
The fragments that follow are drawn from that reality.
The children of Gaza know no daily life without a menacing sound accompanying them day and night, without pause. This has been the case almost since the moment they first opened their eyes to the world."
✍️ Opinion by Hossam Shaker
🔗 https://www.middleeasteye.net/opinion/gaza-genocide-how-israel-made-horror-ritual-daily-life
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Why AIPAC never mentions Israel in their ads: Former Congressman
‘You can't bring up Israel and not bring up Palestine. That's why AIPAC doesn't bring it up. Because they don't want to out themselves.'
Former Congressman Jamaal Bowman on why AIPAC won't mention Israel in their ad campaigns.
He recently spoke with Mohamed Hashem on Real Talk.
Watch in full: https://youtu.be/4JKFrylv8y0
‘You can't bring up Israel and not bring up Palestine. That's why AIPAC doesn't bring it up. Because they don't want to out themselves.'
Former Congressman Jamaal Bowman on why AIPAC won't mention Israel in their ad campaigns.
He recently spoke with Mohamed Hashem on Real Talk.
Watch in full: https://youtu.be/4JKFrylv8y0
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Why are Israel and Venezuela friends again?
A diplomatic shift that would have seemed impossible barely a year ago: Israel and Venezuela have restored full diplomatic relations, ending 17 years of severed ties.
For years since Israel’s 2009 war on Gaza, Venezuela has been one of Israel's fiercest critics in the Americas, and a close ally of Iran and the Palestinians.
Under Trump and a compliant new government, Venezuela has swung sharply towards both Washington and Israel. And it is not alone. Across Latin America, a wave of new right-wing governments is rushing to embrace Israel, even as its warfare in Gaza and the West Bank continues.
A diplomatic shift that would have seemed impossible barely a year ago: Israel and Venezuela have restored full diplomatic relations, ending 17 years of severed ties.
For years since Israel’s 2009 war on Gaza, Venezuela has been one of Israel's fiercest critics in the Americas, and a close ally of Iran and the Palestinians.
Under Trump and a compliant new government, Venezuela has swung sharply towards both Washington and Israel. And it is not alone. Across Latin America, a wave of new right-wing governments is rushing to embrace Israel, even as its warfare in Gaza and the West Bank continues.
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Kushner says Israel can 'finish the job properly' in Gaza if Hamas does not disarm
“We will not allow Gaza to be rebuilt until the demilitarisation occurs.”
Speaking to Fox News after a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, US President Donald Trump's envoy and son-in-law, Jared Kushner, said that Israel will have the support of the US to “finish the job properly” in Gaza if Hamas does not agree to disarm.
Kushner also said that he had a "very cordial" meeting with Hamas and that getting the group to disarm and move forward with Trump's peace plan could materialise in about a month.
However, he added that Trump's "Board of Peace" will "not restrict Israel’s right to defend itself if there are any imminent threats".
“We will not allow Gaza to be rebuilt until the demilitarisation occurs.”
Speaking to Fox News after a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, US President Donald Trump's envoy and son-in-law, Jared Kushner, said that Israel will have the support of the US to “finish the job properly” in Gaza if Hamas does not agree to disarm.
Kushner also said that he had a "very cordial" meeting with Hamas and that getting the group to disarm and move forward with Trump's peace plan could materialise in about a month.
However, he added that Trump's "Board of Peace" will "not restrict Israel’s right to defend itself if there are any imminent threats".
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