Hezbollah says it attacked Israeli forces at Beaufort Castle Hezbollah says it has carried out several attacks in recent hours against Israeli forces and military equipment stationed at Beaufort Castle in southern Lebanon. The group said it targeted the position with rocket barrages, artillery fire and an attack drone. Israeli forces captured the site, which includes a 900-year-old fortress on a hilltop overlooking the Nabatieh area, on Saturday.
Centcom says 125 vessels redirected under Iran port blockade US Central Command says it has redirected 125 commercial vessels since the launch of its naval blockade on Iranian ports in mid-April. CENTCOM added that six ships were “disabled” after failing to comply with the blockade, which was introduced by President Donald Trump as part of efforts to restrict Iran’s oil exports and pressure Tehran into accepting US terms for a deal. The latest figures show an increase from previous CENTCOM updates and indicate that enforcement operations against shipping linked to Iranian ports remain ongoing.
US House Speaker says Trump focused on reopening Hormuz US House Speaker Mike Johnson says he spent three hours at the White House with President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio as efforts continue to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Trump is working on “that final piece” needed to restore commercial traffic through the waterway, Johnson told reporters at the Capitol. “I am, all of us, are calling on our allied nations and friends — the Arab states in the region, and NATO partners and everyone else,” the Republican lawmaker said.
Iran defends attacks on Kuwait and Bahrain as ‘self-defence’ Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has defended Iran’s attacks on Kuwait and Bahrain, describing them as “self-defence strikes”. As previously reported, Kuwaiti authorities said they intercepted 30 ballistic missiles and drones, while a strike on the country’s main airport killed one person and wounded dozens more. In a post on X, Araghchi said Iranian forces targeted sites that US forces “use to attack civilian shipping and violate the ceasefire”.
Israeli raids and settler attacks reported across occupied West Bank Israeli forces and settlers have continued attacks across the occupied West Bank, according to reports from the Palestinian news agency Wafa. Israeli troops carried out raids in the Ramallah al-Tahta area of Ramallah and in several locations across the neighbouring city of al-Bireh. Forces also stormed the village of Arura, northwest of Ramallah.
Latest developments in Iran’s attacks on Kuwait and Bahrain Tensions in the Gulf have escalated after Iran launched overnight missile and drone attacks on Kuwait and Bahrain. Kuwaiti authorities said at least one person was killed and 63 others wounded in strikes that targeted the country’s main airport. Officials said 13 ballistic missiles and 17 drones launched from Iran entered Kuwaiti airspace since dawn.
Rubio says Iran’s military capabilities have been reduced but threat remains Democratic Representative Dina Titus pressed US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Iran’s military capabilities, noting that despite claims by President Donald Trump and other officials that Iran’s military had been severely weakened, ships were still coming under attack in the Strait of Hormuz. “So is the war still on or is the war off? ” Titus asked.
Israeli strikes hit several towns in southern Lebanon Israeli air strikes have targeted the southern Lebanese town of Barish in the Tyre district, as well as the towns of Froun and Burj Qalawiya in the Bint Jbeil district, according to reports from Al Jazeera’s team on the ground. At least one person was wounded in the strike on Burj Qalawiya, Lebanon’s National News Agency reported.
Iran slams Kuwait airport in response to US attacks as ceasefire comes under pressure Submitted by MEE staff on Wed, 06/03/2026 - 16:32 Fighting flared up after the US attacked an empty oil tanker trying to make a port call in Iran This video grab, taken from images posted on social media, appears to show damage at Kuwait's international airport following an attack, on 3 June 2026 (UGC/Unknown/AFP) Off Kuwait has denied that its airspace was used to launch strikes on Iran after its airport was struck by a heavy barrage of missiles and drones by Iran on Tuesday night that killed at least one person and injured 63 people. Video footage from the airport showed extensive damage, with fires raging in Terminal One, the roof collapsed, and billowing clouds of smoke. After the attacks, Kuwaiti defence ministry spokesperson Brigadier General Saud al-Otayan condemned what he described as “criminal Iranian aggression”.
Oil rises as renewed fighting threatens US-Iran ceasefire Oil prices climbed on Wednesday after the latest escalation in fighting raised concerns about the future of the US-Iran ceasefire, while US stocks pulled back from record highs. The S&P 500 fell 0. 3 percent from its all-time high.
Eight Muslim countries denounce Israeli incursions at Al-Aqsa Submitted by MEE staff on Wed, 06/03/2026 - 16:22 Qatar, the UAE, Jordan, Turkey, Egypt, Indonesia, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia also call for recognition of Jordan's custodianship A Muslim man prays outside the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound during Friday noon prayers in the Old City of Jerusalem, 10 April 2026 (Ahmad Gharabli/AFP) Off The foreign ministers of Qatar , the UAE , Jordan , Turkey, Egypt, Indonesia, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have condemned Israeli settler incursions at Jerusalem's Al-Aqsa mosque and called for the acknowledgement of Jordan's jurisdiction over the holy site. In a statement posted by Qatar's foreign ministry on social media on Wednesday, the ministers said the incursions, which were conducted under the protection of Israeli forces, constitute “a clear violation of international law, relevant UN resolutions, and the historical and legal status of the holy sites in occupied East Jerusalem”. The ministers further rejected Israeli attempts to alter "the historical and legal status quo in Jerusalem and its Islamic and Christian holy sites," and urged the recognition of Jordan's historic custodianship the Al-Aqsa compound.
Iran confirms World Cup visas issued for national team Iran’s ambassador to Turkiye, Mohammad-Hassan Habibollahzadeh, says visas have been issued for the country’s national football team to participate in the World Cup, which begins next week. According to the state-run IRNA news agency, Habibollahzadeh said Mexico had granted visas to all players and staff travelling with the team. Last month, the Iranian Football Federation announced it was relocating the team’s training base from Arizona in the United States to the Mexican border city of Tijuana.
Iraq orders Kurdistan oil operations to resume Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi has ordered oil companies to resume operations in the Kurdistan region, according to a statement from his office. Several energy firms had halted oil and gas production at fields in Iraqi Kurdistan following repeated drone attacks on oilfields and energy infrastructure. The production shutdowns added to wider disruptions in Middle East energy supplies following Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz and the subsequent US blockade on Iranian ports.
British MP asks government to clarify stance on Jordanian custodianship of Al-Aqsa Submitted by Imran Mulla on Wed, 06/03/2026 - 15:31 Leicester MP Shockat Adam asked for UK government position on reports that US and Israel plan to strip Jordan of oversight role Muslim devotees with their children gather at Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem on 27 May 2026, to mark the start of Eid al-Adha (AFP) Off Shockat Adam, the Independent MP for Leicester South, has written to the British foreign secretary urging the government to "unequivocally" oppose attempts by the US and Israel to remove Jordan's custodianship over Al-Aqsa Mosque. The comments come after Middle East Eye reported last week that the US and Israel are conspiring to strip the Jordanian royal family of its historic custodianship of Al-Aqsa, which is enshrined in a long-standing status quo agreement. A US official has denied the report, but under the plan described to MEE by American, Jordanian and Palestinian officials, Israel would gain control over the appointment of imams and senior mosque officials.
Egyptian-born doctor and Gaza volunteer wins New Jersey Democratic primary Submitted by Yasmine El-Sabawi on Mon, 06/01/2026 - 16:31 Adam Hamawy is now all but guaranteed to become a US congressman after the November midterms Adam Hamawy, right, gives an interview to Agence France Presse in Washington, DC on 14 June 2024 after returning from a medical mission in Gaza (Drew Angerer/AFP) Off Adam Hamawy, an Egyptian -American surgeon who gained national attention for his harrowing 2024 medical mission to Gaza , is now all but assured a congressional seat in Washington next year after he handily won the Democratic primary in New Jersey’s 12th district on Tuesday. With more than 93 percent of the vote counted at nearly 10am local time on Wednesday, Hamawy secured more than 28 percent of ballots, far ahead of his nearest opponent. The 12th district, which encompasses the elite Princeton University, has been a solid blue district for at least 15 years, meaning voters will most likely be sending Hamawy to the US Congress when he runs against his Republican opponent in November’s midterms.
Rubio hopes Lebanon-Israel talks will produce action plan US Secretary of State Marco Rubio says he hopes ongoing talks between Lebanese and Israeli officials in Washington will result in a joint statement and an action plan. The latest round of negotiations, facilitated by the US and aimed at ending fighting between Israel and Hezbollah and advancing a longer-term agreement, began on Tuesday and is expected to conclude today. Rubio has previously described the talks as a “historic opportunity” and said they could help establish a framework for future progress.
Netanyahu says Iran weakened, but it's not over Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in an interview with CNBC that it was not over with Iran but that Tehran was weakened.
Israeli study finds starvation in Gaza was result of deliberate policy Submitted by Nadav Rapaport on Wed, 06/03/2026 - 13:31 Scholar Shmuel Lederman says policies point to a systematic 'architecture of starvation’ amid public and political denial Displaced Palestinian children receive food from a charity kitchen at the Nuseirat refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip on 13 April 2026 (Eyad Baba/AFP) Off A recent Israeli study has concluded that starvation in Gaza resulted from a premeditated policy, despite sustained public denial by the Israeli government and much of the media. Titled Data for Denial: The Smokescreen Behind the Starvation of Gaza , the study was published last month by the Forum for Regional Thinking at the Van Leer Jerusalem Institute. Its author, Shmuel Lederman, an Israeli scholar specialising in genocide studies, told Middle East Eye that he was motivated by what he described as widespread denial within Israel over starvation in Gaza during the two-year genocide that began in October 2023.
Starmer accuses Farage of inciting rage in wake of Southampton riot Submitted by Oscar Rickett on Wed, 06/03/2026 - 15:15 Prime minister tells Reform UK leader he is ignoring wishes of family of murdered 18-year-old Henry Nowak Reform UK leader Nigel Farage speaks in parliament on 3 June 2026 (Screenshot) Off British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has accused Reform UK leader Nigel Farage of ignoring the wishes of a murdered 18-year-old boy’s family by calling for “rage” in response to his death. Starmer’s comments, delivered in parliament on Wednesday, came after a riot on Tuesday night in Southampton, a city on England’s south coast, which saw far-right protesters and known neo-Nazis clash with police. The riot was sparked in part by inflammatory rhetoric in response to the case of Henry Nowak, 18, who was stabbed to death in Southampton in December last year by Vickrum Digwa, a 23-year-old British Sikh man.
Hezbollah claims rocket attack targeting troops in northern Israel Hezbollah has claimed an attack on Israeli troops in northern Israel on Wednesday. In a statement, Hezbollah said that "in response to the Israeli enemy army's violation of the ceasefire", its fighters targeted "a gathering of Israeli enemy army soldiers" in northern Israel with a rocket barrage.
