TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Spokesperson for Iran’s Foreign Ministry Esmaeil Baqaei praised the Iranian nation’s epic battle against American and Zionist aggressors, saying the values of freedom and dignity enabled the country to withstand foreign military aggression.
Morning update Good morning Middle East Eye readers, The conflict widened overnight after US forces struck targets on Iran’s Qeshm Island, prompting Iranian retaliatory attacks against US-linked military sites in the Gulf. Despite the escalation, Washington and Tehran both signalled that diplomatic contacts remain ongoing, while US-backed talks between Lebanon and Israel continue to advance. Here are the latest developments: US Central Command says it carried out “self-defence” strikes on Iran’s Qeshm Island, targeting radar and communications infrastructure.
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi held talks with his Egyptian and Saudi counterparts about the latest diplomatic efforts aimed at reducing tensions in West Asia.
CBS: Same F-15E crew member survived two aircraft losses during Iran war CBS News reported that a US pilot whose F-15E Strike Eagle was shot down in Iranian airspace in early April had previously survived another aircraft loss only weeks earlier, in what sources described as a friendly-fire incident involving Kuwaiti forces. According to CBS, the pilot was part of the crew of one of three US F-15E fighter jets mistakenly shot down over Kuwait during the opening days of the war with Iran. The report said Kuwaiti air defences and a Kuwaiti fighter jet were involved in the incident.
Netanyahu won't stop until all Arab political parties are gone Submitted by Abed Abou Shhadeh on Tue, 06/02/2026 - 20:21 As parliamentary elections loom, the Israeli leader is ramping up efforts to delegitimise Palestinian candidates Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during a press conference on 19 March, 2026 (Reuters) On More than two decades ago, Benjamin Netanyahu, then Israel ’s finance minister, told the Herzliya security conference that the primary demographic threat facing the country did not arise from the Palestinians living in the occupied West Bank and Gaza, but rather from “the Israeli Arabs” in 1948 territories. Today, after the dissolution of the Knesset and with fresh elections looming, this alleged threat continues to shape Netanyahu’s actions as prime minister. With negotiations underway among Arab parties to run on a joint ticket, he is reportedly moving to ban one of its prospective members - the United Arab List party and its chair, Mansour Abbas - from contesting the elections.
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps announced in the early hours of Wednesday that it has carried out retaliatory missile and drone attacks against the headquarters of the US Fifth Fleet and other American military targets in response to repeated acts of aggression by the US.
Kuwait says airport passenger terminal hit by Iranian drones and missiles The Kuwait Civil Aviation Authority said a passenger terminal at Kuwait International Airport was targeted by Iranian drones and missiles, prompting the activation of the airport’s emergency plan. The authority said flights were suspended and incoming aircraft diverted to alternative airports until further notice. It added that the attack caused injuries and serious damage to several airport facilities.
KUWAIT, 3rd June, 2026 (WAM) -- Kuwait's Public Authority for Civil Aviation (PACA) on Wednesday activated its emergency plan at Kuwait International Airport after Terminal One was struck by Iranian missiles and drones, causing casualties and damage to several facilities, Spokesman Abdullah Al-Rajhi said.
Surgeon who worked in Gaza wins New Jersey Democratic race Adam Hamawy, a surgeon who volunteered at the European Hospital in Khan Younis in southern Gaza during 2024, has won the Democratic nomination for New Jersey’s 12th Congressional District. Hamawy drew attention during the war in Gaza after reportedly refusing to leave behind colleagues and patients when Israeli forces ordered evacuations around the hospital. In a joint statement, the Institute for Middle East Understanding (IMEU) Policy Project and Justice Democrats said voters were attracted to Hamawy because he had witnessed conditions in Gaza firsthand while treating Palestinian patients during the conflict.
New Delhi [India], June 3 (ANI): Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convenor Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday questioned the Centre over the alleged offloading of some of India's gold reserve to protect the country's foreign-currency assets after the rupee continued to depreciate against US dollars. As of filing of this article the Rupee was valued at 95. 691 to the US dollar a gain of 0.
Paramedic among seven killed in latest Israeli attacks on Lebanon Paramedic Ali Salman Nader, a member of the Al-Risala Ambulance Association, was killed in an Israeli drone strike on the Al-Ain neighbourhood of Arab Salim, according to reports from southern Lebanon, Al Jazeera reported. The Civil Defence also said that six people were killed in two Israeli drone attacks on the Al-Hawsh area in the Tyre district. The Lebanese Ministry of Health said five people were killed and 48 wounded, including a doctor and health workers at Tebnine Hospital, following nearly 24 hours of Israeli attacks in the Bint Jbeil area.
EU weighs sanctions on Israeli ministers over flotilla abuses A draft of conclusions prepared ahead of the European Union summit in June condemns what it describes as the ill-treatment of activists detained after Israel intercepted the Global Sumud aid flotilla in international waters, according to Italy’s ANSA news agency. The draft states that the European Council “condemns the ill-treatment inflicted on detainees following the interception of the Global Sumud flotilla in international waters”. The document also calls on the EU Council to continue work on “restrictive measures against extremist ministers who incite and promote such human rights violations”.
US lawmaker dismisses Trump-Netanyahu tensions as ‘all talk’ US Republican Representative Thomas Massie criticised Washington’s continued financial support for Israel and downplayed reports of a heated exchange between US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. In a social media post, Massie wrote, “It’s all talk. Just withhold foreign aid to Israel for a month and they’ll stop bombing their neighbors – instant peace, the Strait of Hormuz can be opened, and gas drops $2 a gallon.
Testimonies from political prisoners and journalists arrested in crackdowns since the war have started to emerge as regime’s internet blackout lifts Iranian writer Hamid Asefi wasn’t home on the afternoon of 5 March when armed intelligence agents stormed his Tehran apartment, breaking down the door with a sledgehammer and axe. After going unit to unit looking for him, they finally encountered him as he returned to the building. One of the agents “drew his handgun, shouted at me to stop, and before I had time to respond, struck me forcefully on the back of the neck and spine with the butt of his weapon, dragging me into the apartment,” Asefi told the Guardian in a written interview.
If given the chance, the country could remake itself on its own terms.
New Delhi [India], June 3 (ANI): Indian equity benchmark indices opened lower on Wednesday, extending losses from the previous session amid continued foreign institutional investor (FII) outflows and lingering geopolitical concerns in West Asia. The BSE Sensex fell 142. 11 points, or 0.
US military says it intercepted Iranian threats to Bahrain and Kuwait US Central Command (Centcom) said US and Bahraini forces intercepted missiles fired towards Bahrain, while two Iranian ballistic missiles launched towards Kuwait either fell short or broke apart before reaching their targets. The command also said attempted Iranian attacks on regional shipping were unsuccessful. Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump rejected reports that negotiations with Tehran had been suspended, saying in a post on Truth Social that talks have continued throughout the crisis.
Brent nears $100 as Middle East conflict rattles markets Oil prices rose more than 1 percent in early trading on Wednesday as markets reacted to escalating tensions between the United States and Iran, including US strikes on Qeshm Island and reported Iranian missile and drone launches towards Kuwait and Bahrain. Brent crude futures gained $1. 05, or 1.
Fawaz Gerges: ‘This is a war on the Lebanese people’ Lebanese-American academic and author Fawaz Gerges explains why he is against the mainstream media narrative that the current conflict in Lebanon is between the Israeli army and the resistance group Hezbollah. Lebanese-American academic and author Fawaz Gerges explains why he is against the mainstream media narrative that the current conflict in Lebanon is between the Israeli army and the resistance group Hezbollah pic. twitter.
Eight Muslim nations denounce Israeli settler raids on Al-Aqsa The foreign ministers of Turkey, Pakistan, Indonesia, Qatar, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and the United Arab Emirates issued a joint statement condemning “in the strongest terms the continued raids on Al-Aqsa Mosque by extremist Israeli settlers”. The ministers said the incursions were taking place under the protection of Israeli forces and also condemned the raising of Israeli flags inside the mosque compound. The statement said the actions constituted “a clear violation of international law, relevant UN resolutions, and the historical and legal status of the holy sites in occupied East Jerusalem”.
