Trump and Netanyahu explored all Iran options including attack, Israeli official says US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu explored all paths to curb Iran's nuclear project in their meeting, including diplomacy, economic pressure and force, a senior Israeli official said on Wednesday. Netanyahu did not tell Trump that Israel's preference was for an attack on Iran, the official said in a briefing with reporters on Tuesday. "In the end, it's his decision," the official said of Trump.
Israeli strikes kill two Palestinians in Gaza Israeli drone strikes killed two Palestinians in Gaza City and Khan Younis on Wednesday evening, Wafa news agency reported, citing medical sources. An Israeli combat drone struck people near the junction of Ahmed Abdel Aziz Street and Abdel Qader al-Husseini Street in Gaza City's Rimal neighbourhood, killing one civilian and wounding several others, medical sources at Al-Shifa Hospital said. In western Khan Younis, an Israeli combat drone targeted a group of civilians in the al-Mawasi area, killing one civilian and injuring several others, medical sources at Nasser Hospital said.
'We have special forces': Netanyahu unbothered by global threats of arrest Submitted by MEE staff on Wed, 07/29/2026 - 16:53 The defiant Israeli prime minister spoke to Fox News during his Washington visit for Lindsey Graham's funeral Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, left, speaks to Fox News pundit Sean Hannity in Washington, DC, on 28 July 2026 (Screengrab) Off Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told Fox News on Tuesday that he was not too bothered by the International Criminal Court's (ICC) arrest warrant for him, because Israeli special forces would protect him should any country try to take him into custody. "It scares me in this sense. For you, you travel internationally, God forbid you had a medical emergency, and you need to land, and you're about to land in a country that recognises the ICC.
Photo of Israeli soldiers posing next to blindfolded Palestinian fuels anger online A viral photo of two Israeli soldiers posing next to a blindfolded Palestinian has sparked widespread anger online. The image was shared on Tuesday among a series of photos on the personal Instagram account of Nikol Stelmashvski, an Israeli who appears to have recently completed her military service. It shows two female soldiers smiling while posing next to an unidentified young Palestinian who is sitting on the ground with his head down.
Situation ‘under control’ after explosion at Damietta port in Egypt Mee reported earlier that a drone hit a US-owned gas storage tanker in Egypt. Al Jazeera is reporting that the vessels involved have been safely relocated outside the port area. “Local authorities responded promptly” after an explosion was reported at the Mediterranean port in Egypt, said port services firm Inchcape.
Photo of Israeli soldiers posing next to blindfolded Palestinian fuels anger online Submitted by Dalia Anis on Wed, 07/29/2026 - 13:05 The Israeli army 'revel in depravity and no one is holding Israel to account', said one social media user Viral photo shows two female Israeli soldiers posing next to a blindfolded young Palestinian (Screengrab/Instagram/@nikol. stel) Off A viral photo of two Israeli soldiers posing next to a blindfolded Palestinian has sparked widespread anger online. The image was shared on Tuesday among a series of photos on the personal Instagram account of Nikol Stelmashvski, an Israeli who appears to have recently completed her military service .
Drone hits gas storage tanker in Egypt, maritime security firm says A drone has hit a US-owned gas storage tanker at Egypt’s Mediterranean port of Damietta, Al Jazeera reported, citing maritime security firm Ambrey. Two gas tankers caught fire at Damietta, said port services firm Inchcape.
Four Iranian military advisers killed in Iraq in US-Saudi strikes, report says Four Iranian Revolutionary Guards military advisers were killed in overnight US-Saudi strikes on Iraq, Iran's Hamshahri newspaper reported on Wednesday. Iranian authorities did not confirm the losses.
Iraq vows to defend sovereignty, prevent threats to neighbours Iraq vowed on Wednesday to defend its sovereignty and to prevent its territory from being used against neighbouring countries following deadly US-Saudi strikes on the country.
Iraqi prime minister postpones trip to Saudi Arabia after attacks An Iraqi government source told Al-Jazeera that a planned trip by Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi to Saudi Arabia on Thursday has been postponed. Zaidi was expected in the kingdom for an official visit to sign memoranda of understanding on a range of security and business issues.
Netanyahu and Lindsey Graham conspired to use sex claims against Khan to delay warrants Submitted by Imran Mulla on Wed, 07/29/2026 - 11:12 2024 recordings raise new questions about intimidation campaign targeting Khan, who was removed as ICC chief prosecutor last week Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrives at the White House on 28 July to meet Donald Trump about the ongoing war in Iran (Andrew Harnik/AFP) Off US Senator Lindsey Graham and Benjamin Netanyahu conspired to use sexual misconduct allegations against the International Criminal Court's (ICC) chief prosecutor to try and delay the court's arrest warrant for the Israeli prime minister, it has emerged. The revelation raises further questions about an intensifying intimidation campaign, documented by Middle East Eye last year, which targeted Karim Khan and the ICC over his office's efforts to bring Gaza war crimes prosecutions against Israeli ministers. It comes following Graham's death earlier this month - and after Khan was removed from his role as ICC chief prosecutor last Friday in a vote by the court's member states.
Trump says US-Saudi strikes in Iraq were 'coordinated' with Baghdad US-Saudi strikes against Iran-backed armed groups in Iraq were "coordinated" with the Iraqi government, Donald Trump told Fox News. The US president "said that these strikes were coordinated with the Iraqi government," a journalist from the network stated, citing an interview with Trump.
US prosecutor who helped ICC's Karim Khan seek Israeli arrest warrants breaks her silence Submitted by Sondos Asem on Wed, 07/29/2026 - 10:05 Brenda Hollis, who supervised the team that built war crimes cases against Israeli and Hamas leaders, defends Khan's handling of the Palestine file Brenda Hollis (left) appears during the announcement by Karim Khan that he was seeking arrest warrants for Israeli and Hamas leaders, in May 2024 (ICC) Off Brenda Hollis, the US prosecutor who supervised the International Criminal Court (ICC) team that built the war crimes cases against Israeli and Hamas leaders, has defended Karim Khan's handling of the Palestine investigation, rejecting the Israeli claim that the arrest warrant applications were rushed to distract from misconduct allegations. Following Khan’s removal by the court’s Assembly of States Parties (ASP) last Friday, Hollis said that "regardless how you assess the removal of Karim, it should not be allowed to be conflated with the requests for arrest warrants for Hamas and Israeli leaders". "Let it be clear to all that he dealt with the situation in Palestine in accordance with his mandate," she wrote in a post on LinkedIn.
Iraqi group threatens US and Saudi interests after deadly attacks Iraq’s Harakat Hezbollah al-Nujaba has warned that US and Saudi interests will face consequences after the two countries jointly attacked armed groups across Iraq. The Iran-aligned group issued the threat on Wednesday, raising fears of further regional escalation and retaliatory attacks against Washington and Riyadh. The Popular Mobilisation Forces, an Iraqi state-sanctioned umbrella organisation comprising mostly Shia armed groups, said the overnight attacks killed at least 20 of its fighters and wounded 32 others.
‘The war caused this’: Miscarriages soar in Gaza amid Israeli bombing and siege Submitted by Nada Nabil on Wed, 07/29/2026 - 11:02 Doctors say miscarriage rates have more than tripled since October 2023 as pregnant women continue to face hunger, displacement and distress The mother of an infant who died due to malnourishment mourns as she holds his body at Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip on 20 July 2025 (AFP) Off A month after learning she was pregnant, Sahar al-Majdalawi began suffering agonising abdominal pain that left her screaming in distress. It was her first pregnancy after seven years of trying to conceive, and the 34-year-old displaced Palestinian feared for her unborn baby. With roads in Gaza destroyed and transport brought to a standstill by Israeli bombing, she was forced to walk for hours to the nearest hospital.
US missile strikes uninhabited area in northwestern Iran: Report A US missile has struck an uninhabited location near Iran’s northwestern border city of Piranshahr, Iranian media reported. “An American enemy missile hit an uninhabited area in the province causing no casualties,” the Fars news agency cited a local official as saying. Authorities reported no deaths or injuries.
Iraqi cleric Muqtada al-Sadr condemns attacks by pro-Iranian factions on Saudi Arabia Submitted by MEE staff on Wed, 07/29/2026 - 11:05 Influential Shia leader denounces firing of projectiles by 'rogue' militias and says Iraq should remain neutral Muqtada al-Sadr commands a large political bloc in Iraq with its own military wing (AFP) Off Influential Iraqi cleric Muqtada al-Sadr has urged Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and allied armed groups to stop launching attacks from Iraq. Sadr warned the groups against pulling the country into another conflict and called on Baghdad to assert state control. “Rogue militias must not give our brothers in the Gulf states a pretext to target our sacred land,” he wrote on X.
Houthis weigh fees on commercial ships crossing Bab al-Mandeb Yemen’s Houthis are considering charging commercial vessels to pass through Bab al-Mandeb, regional officials familiar with the discussions told the Reuters news agency. The proposal emerged a week after the group announced a maritime blockade of Saudi Arabia on 20 July, extending the regional war beyond the Gulf and placing another crucial energy and trade route under pressure. The narrow Bab al-Mandeb Strait connects the Gulf of Aden with the southern Red Sea, providing access to the Suez Canal and Mediterranean.
Al-Sadr tells Iran-backed groups to keep Iraq out of war Influential Iraqi cleric Muqtada al-Sadr has urged Iran’s Revolutionary Guard and allied armed groups to stop launching attacks from Iraq. Al-Sadr warned the groups against pulling the country into another conflict and called on Baghdad to assert state control. “Rogue militias must not give our brothers in the Gulf states a pretext to target our sacred land,” he wrote on X.
Lebanese businessman Antoun Sehnaoui hosts Netanyahu in Washington Submitted by MEE staff on Wed, 07/29/2026 - 09:59 Sehnaoui was pictured sharing table with Israeli prime minister at a Lindsey Graham memorial dinner Antoun Sehnaoui (with back to camera) hosts a dinner, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his family in attendance (Barak Ravid/X) Off Lebanase businessman and banker Antoun Sehnaoui hosted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at a memorial dinner for Senator Lindsey Graham in Washington. Sehnaoui, who faces corruption allegations in Lebanon, and former US envoy Morgan Ortagus hosted the dinner on Monday at the Four Seasons hotel. According to Israeli journalist Barak Ravid, attendees also included Graham's family and Republican and Democratic senators.
