JD Vance says US seeks to ‘reset’ relations with Iran US Vice President JD Vance said Washington sees an opportunity to reshape relations with Iran after decades of hostility. “We have an opportunity here, I think, to reset the relationship that has existed between Iran and the United States for 47 years,” Vance told reporters. “That’s what the president has asked us to do, and that’s what we’re going to keep on working at.
Hezbollah says it launched fresh attacks on Israeli forces in south Lebanon Hezbollah said it carried out a new series of attacks targeting Israeli forces over the past few hours in southern Lebanon. The group said its fighters struck Israeli troops in Khallat Raj, near the town of Deir Siryan, using “artillery shells, rocket salvos, and attack drones”. In a separate attack, Hezbollah said it targeted Israeli forces in the town of Beit Leef with artillery fire.
US lobbied Saudi Arabia to release funds for Gaza 'Board of Peace' amid cash crunch Submitted by Sean Mathews on Tue, 05/19/2026 - 21:26 Israeli attacks and concerns about Palestinian representation have complicated Gulf funding for the board Youssef Rayyan mourns over the body of his son Ibrahim, killed in an Israeli strike, inside the morgue of Al-Aqsa hospital in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza Strip, on 17 May 2026 (Eyad Baba/AFP) Off A senior US official visited Saudi Arabia in April to shore up the kingdom’s $1bn pledge for President Donald Trump’s “Board of Peace” in Gaza , amid concerns that funding is not materialising, one Arab official and a US official familiar with the matter told Middle East Eye. Aryeh Lightstone, one of the key US officials overseeing the US’s post-war planning for Gaza, visited the kingdom, where he met with Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan to discuss the financial pledge Saudi Arabia made to the Board of Peace in February. The board includes a committee of Palestinian technocrats approved by Israel to manage daily affairs in Gaza.
Muslim-American groups blame mainstreaming of hate speech for mosque shooting Submitted by Yasmine El-Sabawi on Tue, 05/19/2026 - 17:15 Three people were killed by teenage gunmen at the Islamic Center of San Diego, California, on Monday Parents and children leave the Islamic Center of San Diego, California, after a shooting, on 18 May 2026 (Mike Blake/Reuters) Off Muslim-American groups have blamed what they describe as the mainstreaming of anti-Muslim hate speech for a shooting that killed three people outside a California mosque on Monday, pointing the finger at lawmakers and other right-wing influential figures. "We are deeply disturbed, but not at all surprised," the Council on American Islamic Relations (Cair) said in a statement. "Hate against American Muslims is completely out of control.
After an 80-day shutdown, the Tehran Stock Exchange reopened on Tuesday under heavy state controls, with 42 major firms still suspended and reported curbs on large-scale selling amid uncertainty over war damage and corporate losses.
Lebanese army chief discusses post-UNIFIL phase with UN official Lebanese army commander Rudolf Heikel met UN Undersecretary-General for Safety and Security Gilles Michaud at army headquarters in Yarzeh to discuss “the latest developments in Lebanon and the region, as well as the post-UNIFIL phase”, according to a military statement. The Lebanese army said the talks focused on the security situation and future cooperation. During the meeting, Michaud “commended the efforts of the Lebanese Armed Forces” and praised the army’s role in maintaining stability in the country.
The competing narratives surrounding the latest US-Iran standoff have become so stark that even basic questions—who is deterring whom, who wants talks and who fears escalation—now produce entirely different answers depending on which capital is speaking.
Rubio discusses Strait of Hormuz with UN chief US Secretary of State Marco Rubio held talks with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on the situation in the Strait of Hormuz, according to the US State Department. The discussion focused on US efforts to prevent Iran from placing mines and imposing tolls in the waterway, including a proposed UN Security Council resolution on the issue. “The Secretary emphasized the overwhelming support of a broad base of UN members for these efforts,” US State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott said in a statement.
Thousands of Palestinian patients remain stranded in Gaza awaiting treatment abroad The Palestinian health ministry in Gaza said only 29 patients requiring treatment abroad were able to leave through the Rafah crossing with Egypt on Friday. The ministry added that just 20 patients had been transferred to hospitals in Jordan the previous day. “The small number of departing patients does not meet the urgent need for travel for those on the lists who are suffering from difficult health and humanitarian conditions, especially given the worsening health crisis in the Gaza Strip,” the ministry said in a statement on Telegram.
Somaliland recognises Jerusalem as capital of Israel, will open embassy Submitted by Sean Mathews on Tue, 05/19/2026 - 19:15 Somaliland and Israel are opening embassies, in a sign of Israel's deepening ties with the breakaway region in the Horn of Africa Special forces prepare for the 35th Independence Day celebrations near the presidential palace in Hargeisa's Shap neighbourhood in Somaliland, on 18 May 12026 (Kang-Chun Cheng/AFP) Off Somaliland is opening an embassy in Jerusalem, and Israel will reciprocate by opening one in the breakaway region of Somalia, in the latest sign that the two are deepening their ties. “I am pleased to announce that the Republic of Somaliland’s embassy will be located in Jerusalem - the embassy will be opened soon,” Mohamed Hagi, Somaliland’s ambassador to Israel, said on Tuesday. “Israel will also establish its embassy in Hargeisa, reflecting growing friendship, mutual respect, and strategic cooperation between our two peoples,” he added, referring to the capital of the internationally unrecognised territory.
Oil prices fall after Trump pauses planned Iran attack Oil prices dropped by more than one percent after US President Donald Trump said he had paused a planned attack on Iran to allow negotiations aimed at ending the US-Israeli war on Iran. Brent crude futures fell to just above $110 a barrel following the remarks, while US oil futures dropped to $103 a barrel. Markets are closely watching talks between Washington and Tehran amid concerns over the continued closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
The Israel lobby is breaking spending records to oust Rep. Thomas Massie The most expensive primary election in US history is underway in Kentucky, as President Donald Trump and the Israel lobby try to unseat Representative Thomas Massie, a hardline conservative who broke with the president over Israel, Iran, and Epstein.
Rubio to attend Nato meeting amid concerns over US troop plans in Europe US Secretary of State Marco Rubio will travel this week to a Nato foreign ministers meeting in Sweden as concerns grow over reported US plans to reduce troop levels in Europe and US President Donald Trump’s stance towards the alliance. The State Department said Rubio would attend the Nato meeting in Helsingborg on Friday before travelling to India, where he is expected to visit Kolkata, Agra, Jaipur, and New Delhi. According to the department, Rubio will call “for increased defense investment and greater burden sharing in the alliance”.
President claims planned Tehran attack postponed to allow talks to continue – but no indication peace plan is imminent As he seeks an exit from the Iran war, Donald Trump is increasingly outsourcing his policymaking to US allies in the Middle East, while the White House appears unable to find a simple way to end the fighting and reopen global shipping lanes held by Tehran. In Trump’s telling, the “dealmaker-in-chief” has maintained a consistent policy toward Iran aimed at preventing Tehran from obtaining a nuclear weapon, leveling threats and incentives to reach a new deal that would also open the Strait of Hormuz. Continue reading...
BBC Verify has found Israel has been building a series of earth barriers inside Gaza since the October ceasefire.
No political or public pressure will change the decision, the Croatian president's office has stressed Croatian President Zoran Milanovic has refused to approve Israel's new ambassador to Zagreb, citing disagreements with the Israeli government's actions.
EU pledges support for farmers hit by fertiliser price surge The European Union has promised “exceptional support” for farmers affected by rising fertiliser costs linked to the US-Israeli war on Iran. Nearly half of the globally traded urea, the world’s most commonly used fertiliser, passes through the Strait of Hormuz from Gulf states, leaving agricultural markets vulnerable to disruption in the waterway. Recent interruptions to gas supplies and shipping routes have already forced fertiliser plants in the Gulf and elsewhere to reduce or halt production.
Renewed threat comes after US president said he was ‘an hour away’ from ordering a strike before pulling back Middle East crisis – live updates Donald Trump has again threatened Iran, saying the US may launch new attacks if Tehran continues to refuse the significant concessions he wants before a deal can be struck to end the Middle East war. The US president said he had called off a fresh wave of strikes , which would have broken the ceasefire in place since early last month. “I was an hour away from making the decision to go today,” Trump told reporters at the White House on Tuesday.
Four bodies recovered after Israeli strike in southern Lebanon Lebanon’s National News Agency reported that four bodies have been recovered following an Israeli strike on Deir Qanoun al-Nahr in the Tyre district of southern Lebanon. More than 10 people, including women and children, were also reportedly wounded in the attack. Rescue teams are continuing search operations as efforts to remove rubble remain underway.
Responding to the killing of Pedro João Chaúque, a member of the opposition National Alliance for a Free and Autonomous Mozambique (Anamola) party, in Mozambique’s south-western Gaza province on 16 May, Amnesty International’s Regional Director for East and Southern Africa, Tigere Chagutah, said: “The killing of Pedro João Chaúque by unknown armed men is extremely […] The post Mozambique: Authorities must promptly investigate killing of opposition figure and bring perpetrators to justice appeared first on Amnesty International .
