The Pentagon wants to replenish depleted arsenals amid concerns over a potential confrontation with China The Pentagon has announced plans to acquire more than 10,000 low-cost cruise missiles alongside up to 12,000 inexpensive hypersonic weapons as part of a major push to rebuild USstockpilesafter several high-intensity conflicts.
A vessel said to be a “floating armoury” in the Gulf of Oman has been seized by Iranian military personnel, according to reports.
Foreign minister says ships must cooperate with Iranian navy, as vessel reportedly seized outside UAE port The Iranian foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, has said ships entering the strait of Hormuz must cooperate with the Iranian navy, as reports emerged of a ship being seized outside a United Arab Emirate port and taken towards Iranian waters. The UK Maritime Trading Organisation said the docked ship was seized by “unauthorised personnel” while it was anchored off the coast of the United Arab Emirates port of Fujairah near the southern entry to the strait of Hormuz. Continue reading...
Netanyahu's boast of secret visit to UAE sparks awkward denial from Abu Dhabi Submitted by Oscar Rickett on Thu, 05/14/2026 - 12:50 Israeli prime minister's office says he met secretly with UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed. The revelation shows deepening relations amid war with Iran Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during a press conference amid the war on Iran, in Jerusalem, 19 March 2026 (Reuters) Off Israel and the United Arab Emirates released conflicting statements on Wednesday night about a “secret” meeting that took place weeks into the war on Iran between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan. The disagreement has put the alliance between the two countries under the spotlight, as the Iranian foreign minister also accused the UAE on Thursday of being "directly involved" in the war on Iran.
Iraq sought financial assistance from IMF as result of Iran war, says report Iraqi officials have approached the International Monetary Fund about securing financial assistance as a result of the Iran war, a source close to the IMF told Reuters. Initial conversations took place last month during the spring meetings of the IMF and World Bank in Washington, and discussions are ongoing about how much funding Iraq would need and how any loan would be structured, the source said. Iraq has been hard hit by the war, with most of its oil exports - which represent nearly all government income - cut off by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, which previously carried about one-fifth of the world's crude oil.
Iranian strikes and a blockade have paralyzed Qatar’s gas engine, creating a technical bottleneck likely to stall exports for years.
A feasibility study is underway to examine whether Gaza’s war debris could be recycled to reclaim coastal land and build artificial islands, as part of reconstruction.
More than 1,600 conflict-related detainees in Yemen will be released under a UN-brokered agreement reached after months of negotiations in Jordan, marking the largest prisoner release deal since the country’s civil war began and offering a rare sign of progress in stalled peace efforts.
Beijing has used the conflict to reach out to the Gulf and Indo-Pacific nations while gaining a better understanding of the US military, the newspaper says The US-Israeli war against Iran has handed China a strategic opening to chip away at US influence on every major front, the Washington Post reported on Wednesday, citing a classified intelligence analysis.
Beijing has used the conflict to reach out to the Gulf and Indo-Pacific nations while gaining a better understanding of the US military, the newspaper says The US-Israeli war against Iran has handed China a strategic opening to chip away at US influence on every major front, the Washington Post repo
Israeli attack injures three people in Lebanon’s Kfer Melki An Israeli attack on the southern Lebanese town of Kfer Melki has injured at least three people, according to the National News Agency. Separate attacks targeted two other villages, Sinai in Nabatieh and al-Qusaibah, where a car caught fire, the report said.
Israel closes Al-Aqsa for Muslims amid mass settler raids and ‘Flag March’ Submitted by Lubna Masarwa on Thu, 05/14/2026 - 11:50 The lockdown in Jerusalem’s Old City comes amid fears of further raids on Friday, which coincides with Nakba Day Israeli settlers dance and wave flags in the Old City in occupied East Jerusalem during the "Jerusalem Day" parade on 14 May 2026 (Ilia Yefimovich/AFP) Off Israeli forces violently blocked Palestinian Muslims from accessing Al-Aqsa Mosque on Thursday, as they facilitated large-scale raids by ultranationalists ahead of the “Flag March” through Jerusalem’s Old City. The Old City, in occupied East Jerusalem, was placed under near-total lockdown to accommodate the marches and incursions, with Palestinian-owned shops forced to shut and residents ordered indoors. “Security barriers and restrictions are tighter than ever before,” an employee of the Jerusalem Islamic Waqf, which administers Al-Aqsa Mosque, told Middle East Eye on condition of anonymity.
Saudi Arabia and Kuwait reportedly struck militia targets after attacks linked to the Iran conflict Saudi Arabia and Kuwait conducted covert strikes on targets in Iraq linked to Iranian-backed paramilitary groups during the Middle East war, Reuters reported on Wednesday.
Iran says UAE 'directly involved' in war Iran's foreign minister accused the United Arab Emirates of direct involvement in military operations against his country during a Brics meeting in New Delhi on Thursday, the Iranian semi-official Mehr news agency reported. "I didn't name the UAE in my statement for the sake of unity. But the truth is that the UAE was directly involved in the aggression against my country.
Lebanon to press Israel to ceasefire at Washington talks, Lebanese official says Lebanon will demand a ceasefire with Israel at face-to-face talks in Washington on Thursday, a senior Lebanese official said. The talks between Lebanese and Israeli envoys will mark the sides' third meeting since hostilities reignited between Hezbollah and Israel on 2 March. Beirut is attending despite strong objections from Hezbollah.
New Delhi [India], May 14 (ANI): India on Thursday condemned a recent attack on an Indian-flagged commercial vessel off the coast of Oman, calling the incident 'unacceptable' and reiterating the importance of safeguarding freedom of navigation and civilian maritime activity amid the conflict in West Asia.
Israeli attacks Lebanon’s Seddiqine, Tuffahta Israeli air strikes have attacked Seddiqine and Tuffahta in southern Lebanon, the National News Agency reported. The military earlier attacked the towns of Kafra, Majdal Selem and Souaneh, the report said.
Israel’s Smotrich leads settler raid into Joseph’s Tomb in the occupied West Bank Submitted by Nadav Rapaport on Thu, 05/14/2026 - 08:46 Far-right minister vows to make Israeli presence at the site permanent, despite it being located in the heart of a Palestinian city Israel's Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich is surrounded by settlers at the end of the resettlement ceremony of Sa-Nur, south of Jenin, in the occupied West Bank on 19 April 2026 (Marco Longari/AFP) Off Hundreds of Israeli settlers, led by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, stormed Joseph’s Tomb in the occupied West Bank city of Nablus on Wednesday. Under heavy military guard, Smotrich and the settlers entered the site in the early hours after Israeli troops raided parts of the city and sealed checkpoints to secure the visit. The far-right minister vowed to make the Israeli presence at the site permanent, despite it being located in the heart of a Palestinian city administered by the Palestinian Authority (PA).
Hezbollah drone falls near Israel-Lebanon border, Israeli military says Israel’s military says an explosive drone fired by Hezbollah has landed in Israeli territory near the Lebanese border, injuring several Israelis. It says those injured have been evacuated and hospitalised.
Israel army says striking Hezbollah in southern Lebanon Israel's military said it launched strikes across southern Lebanon on Thursday, hours before US-brokered talks between the two countries were set to begin in Washington.
