Evening recap Good evening Middle East Eye readers, If you're just joining us, here's an update on the day's key developments: Saudi Arabia opposed Egypt joining the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement signed with Turkey and Pakistan last week, despite Ankara's push for Cairo to be included in the pact, Middle East Eye exclusively reported. Pakistan's Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said that the US and Iran are close to "some sort of an arrangement". Yemen's coastguard has said that at least six people were killed in alleged strikes by the Houthi rebel group on a cargo vessel near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait on Tuesday.
Israel and Venezuela restore diplomatic relations after years of severed ties Submitted by MEE staff on Tue, 08/11/2026 - 19:54 The rapprochement comes after the US has for months boasted of running Venezuela, following the capture of Maduro Venezuela's interim President Delcy Rodriguez speaks during a press conference at the Generalisimo Francisco de Miranda Air Base in Caracas, on 2 July 2026 (Lucas Agauyo/AFP) Off Israel and Venezuela announced the restoration of official diplomatic relations after 17 years of severed ties in mutual statements published on Tuesday. The rapprochement comes under acting Venezuelan President Delcy Rodriguez, who has realigned Venezuela towards the US since she took office in January, after the US abduction and imprisonment of then-President Nicolas Maduro. US President Donald Trump has boasted of running Venezuela following the capture of Maduro.
US rights groups sue Trump administration over ICC sanctions Submitted by MEE staff on Tue, 08/11/2026 - 20:40 The president's targeting of the court has created legal risk for US-based human rights advocates A man takes a photograph of the exterior of the International Criminal Court in The Hague, the Netherlands on 28 March 2026 (John Thys/AFP) Off Four US-based rights groups sued the Trump administration on Tuesday for its sanctions on the International Criminal Court (ICC). In a statement, the American Friends Service Committee, the Center for Constitutional Rights, Human Rights Watch, and the Open Society Institute called the sanctions "blatantly illegal". They said they are being forced "to curtail a wide range of human rights and legal work in violation of...
Tucker Carlson says Israel pushed him to report false allegations against Hunter Biden Submitted by MEE staff on Tue, 08/11/2026 - 20:30 Former US president's son says a 'Netanyahu operation centre' was involved in disseminating alleged drug and sex leaks US President Joe Biden (L) and son Hunter step out of a bookstore while shopping in Nantucket, Massachusetts, on 29 November 2024 (Mandel Ngan/AFP) Off Conservative US commentator Tucker Carlson said Israeli "agents" close to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pushed him to falsely report that Hunter Biden’s leaked laptop material showed him abusing minors. "The claim that there was material involving the abuse of minors on the computer came from the Israelis," Carlson said in an interview aired on Monday with Hunter, former US President Joe Biden's son. "I'm just telling you that they came to me with it, and that's how I know it.
US claims respos for attack on neutral civilian ship The US has claimed an attack on a Panama-flagged cargo vessel that attempted to travel through the Gulf of Oman in violation of the unilateral US blockade of Iranian ports. "A U. S.
Houthis say they attacked Saudi ship in Bab el-Mandeb Yemen’s Houthis have said that they have attacked a Saudi ship carrying military equipment in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, the Houthi-run Saba news agency is reporting. This is a developing story. We'll bring you more information as soon as we have it.
Exclusive: Saudi Arabia opposed Egypt's inclusion in Mecca agreement, sources say Saudi Arabia opposed Egypt joining the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement signed with Turkey and Pakistan last week, despite Ankara's push for Cairo to be included in the pact, three Saudi sources familiar with the discussions told Middle East Eye. One of the sources, a former senior adviser to the Saudi monarchy, said Riyadh did not want Egypt to join the agreement "at least for now". All three sources, however, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the issue, said the Saudi position was driven by a growing frustration with President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi's government and a belief in Riyadh that Egypt no longer offered the strategic or military value it once did.
Israel and Venezuela renew diplomatic relations Israel and Venezuela have announced the restoration of their diplomatic relations after 17 years of severed ties. In a stateme nt posted on X, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said the two countries had "agreed to establish a coordination mechanism that will enable the provision of consular services to citizens of both countries". Venezuela originally severed its consular relations with Israel in 2009 under the leftist president Hugo Chavez.
Saudi Arabia opposed Egypt's inclusion in Mecca agreement, sources say Submitted by MEE correspondent on Tue, 08/11/2026 - 18:00 The kingdom didn't want Egypt to join the new defence pact with Turkey and Pakistan despite Ankara's push for Cairo to be included, sources say Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (L), Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (C), and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif pose after signing a joint defence agreement in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, on 7 August 2026 (Turkish presidential press office/Handout via Reuters) Off Saudi Arabia opposed Egypt joining the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement signed with Turkey and Pakistan last week, despite Ankara's push for Cairo to be included in the pact, three Saudi sources familiar with the discussions told Middle East Eye. One of the sources, a former senior adviser to the Saudi monarchy, said Riyadh did not want Egypt to join the agreement "at least for now". All three sources, however, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the issue, said the Saudi position was driven by a growing frustration with President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi's government and a belief in Riyadh that Egypt no longer offered the strategic or military value it once did.
UK Foreign Secretary Miliband calls for Israeli withdrawal from Gaza in first call with Saar The UK Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband has called on Israel to withdraw from Gaza and curb its settlements in the occupied West Bank in his first meeting with his Israeli counterpart, Gideon Saar. In a statement posted on X, Miliband said that he told Israel it "must crack down on settler violence and must immediately end blockages on aid into Gaza". "I reiterated that Hamas must decommission its weapons, the IDF [Israeli military] should withdraw, and that we must see progress on the 20-point plan," the statement added, referring to the ongoing peace negotiations between Israel and Hamas.
Death toll of Houthi attack on cargo ship rises to six: Yemeni coastguard Yemen's coastguard has said that at least six people were killed in alleged strikes by the Houthi rebel group on a cargo vessel near the Bab al-Mandeb Strait on Tuesday. The coastguard, which is controlled by Yemen's internationally-recognised government, also accused the Houthis of attacking a rescue mission evacuating the ship following the attack. "The attack struck the site of the rescue operation and resulted in deaths and injuries among the forces participating in the response operation," the coastguard said in a statement.
Qatar criticises Israeli 'foot-dragging' over Gaza deal Majed al-Ansari, the official spokesperson for Qatar's foreign ministry, has accused Israel of "foot-dragging" in its implementation of the US-brokered Gaza peace plan. Speaking at a weekly press briefing, Ansari credited Hamas with achieving a "breakthrough in the agreement" by announcing on Monday that it would respect its side of the deal, according to a press release posted by Qatar's foreign ministry on X. The US insisted on Monday that the ceasefire in Gaza, negotiated by the US-backed Board of Peace, remains operative despite it being rejected by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a rare public split with Trump on Sunday.
Exclusive: ICC issued two secret arrest warrants for Taliban members for gender persecution Submitted by Sondos Asem on Tue, 08/11/2026 - 16:01 International Criminal Court issued warrants last year after secret applications prepared under Karim Khan Afghan women along with a girl walk along a street in Loy Viala village in Afghanistan's Kandahar on 21 June 2026 (Sanaullah Seiam/AFP) Off Judges at the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued two secret arrest warrants last year for senior members of the Taliban for the crime against humanity of persecution on gender and political grounds, Middle East Eye can reveal. According to sealed documents and sources briefed on the matter, the warrants were issued confidentially by a panel of three judges in September 2025. This was two months after the same panel publicly issued arrest warrants for the Taliban's supreme leader Hibatullah Akhundzada and Abdul Hakim Haqqani, Afghanistan’s chief justice, for the same crime.
Inside the growing rift between Iran’s dealmakers and ultraconservatives Iran ’s political landscape appears to have entered a new phase as two competing camps emerge: those advocating a deal with the United States and those determined to block any agreement. Principlists have intensified their pressure on reformist President Masoud Pezeshkian and conservative Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Ghalibaf, both of whom are seeking to reach an agreement with Washington and bring an end to almost six months of hostilities. Principlists fear that any deal could marginalise them politically and weaken their influence over Iran’s future direction.
Palestinian medics in Israel face incitement over unproven patient abuse claims Submitted by MEE staff on Tue, 08/11/2026 - 15:34 Arab rights group condemns ministers for amplifying allegations against medical staff at Haifa hospital Hospital staff move a baby in an incubator to an underground facility for safety in Tel Aviv on 8 June after sirens sounded following Iranian attacks (AFP/Ilia Yefimovich) Off A body representing Palestinian citizens of Israel has condemned what it called an “obsessive campaign of incitement” by Israeli ministers against Arab medical staff in recent days. The High Follow-Up Committee for Arab Citizens of Israel was referring to comments by Defence Minister Israel Katz and National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, who called for an investigation into allegations that Arab medical workers mistreated wounded Israeli soldiers. The claims were made by relatives of a soldier wounded in Lebanon and treated at Rambam Health Care Campus in Haifa.
Saudi defence pact with Turkey and Pakistan sparks UAE backlash Submitted by Reem Aouir on Tue, 08/11/2026 - 13:26 Abdulkhaleq Abdulla's scepticism over Mecca joint defence agreement has drawn days of sharp Saudi pushback on X Turkey's President Tayyip Erdogan shakes hands with Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif as Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman looks on after they signed a joint defence agreement in Mecca last week (Turkish Presidential Press Office/Reuters) Off A new defence agreement between Saudi Arabia , Turkey and Pakistan has reopened tensions between Riyadh and Abu Dhabi, with prominent Emirati and Saudi voices publicly clashing over the kingdom's decision to pursue a new regional security partnership beyond the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). The "Mecca Joint Defence Agreement", signed on 7 August, commits the three nations to treating an armed attack against one as an attack against all. The agreement has sparked fierce criticism from some prominent Emirati commentators who have questioned whether Riyadh is moving towards a regional security framework beyond the GCC.
Inside the growing rift between Iran’s dealmakers and ultraconservatives Submitted by MEE correspondent on Tue, 08/11/2026 - 10:52 Leaked recordings underscore tensions over US negotiations and competing visions for the future Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian at a press conference in Tehran, 8 August 2026 (Iranian Presidential Office/AFP) Off Iran ’s political landscape appears to have entered a new phase as two competing camps emerge: those advocating a deal with the United States and those determined to block any agreement. Principlists have intensified their pressure on reformist President Masoud Pezeshkian and conservative Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Ghalibaf, both of whom are seeking to reach an agreement with Washington and bring an end to almost six months of hostilities. Principlists fear that any deal could marginalise them politically and weaken their influence over Iran’s future direction.
Turkey suspects Israel fabricated Trump Air Force One assassination plot to derail US-Iran deal Submitted by Ragip Soylu on Tue, 08/11/2026 - 11:39 Israeli intelligence had warned that Iranian operatives could target Trump’s plane with shoulder-fired missiles during the Nato summit in Ankara amid tense negotiations with Tehran US President Donald Trump disembarks from Air Force One upon his arrival at Etimesgut Air Base near Ankara, on 7 July 2026, to attend the 36th Nato Heads of State and Government Summit (Osmancan Gurdogan/AFP) Off Turkish officials suspect that an Israeli intelligence report that said Iran planned to assasinate US President Donald Trump during the Ankara Nato summit last month was a ruse to undermine negotiations with Tehran, Middle East Eye has learnt. It was around 2pm on 8 July when journalists heard that Turkish security forces were unusually deploying additional units to Ankara Airport, where Trump’s Air Force One was parked. Ankara was under lockdown for the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (Nato) summit on 7-8 July.
Syria and Saudi Arabia condemn Colombia's recognition of Israeli sovereignty over Golan Heights The Syrian foreign ministry said on Tuesday that it "categorically rejects and condemns" Colombia's recognition of Israeli sovereignty over Golan Heights and said that the area "is an inseparable part of [Syrian] territory". Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia said that Colombia's position “contradicts international law and relevant international legitimacy resolutions”. The Saudi foreign ministry said the Gulf kingdom's firm position is that the Golan “is occupied Syrian Arab land”, and that any measures aimed at changing its status “do not create a right or confer legitimacy”.
Rocket attack hits Iranian Kurdish opposition camp, security sources say A rocket attack hit a training camp for the Iranian Kurdish opposition northeast of the Iraqi city of Erbil on Tuesday, reported Reuters citing security sources. The sources blamed Iran for the assault, adding that no casualties were reported.
