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Gambia-flagged tanker vessel Bili is pictured anchored in the Strait of Hormuz off Bandar Abbas in southern Iran, May 2, 2026. (photo credit: Amirhossein KHORGOOEI / ISNA / AFP via Getty Images) NATO is not drawing up any plans for a potential mission in the  Strait of Hormuz  and would need a political decision to do so, its top commander said on Tuesday, amid suggestions by some members that the alliance could play a role there. Any decision to launch a mission would require the approval of all  NATO 's 32 members, and several have already signaled opposition, although no formal proposal has been presented so far, according to diplomats. Go to the full article > >

US VICE President JD Vance speaks during a press briefing at the White House in Washington, DC, US, May 19, 2026. (photo credit: REUTERS/KEVIN LAMARQUE) US Vice President  JD Vance  said on Tuesday that the United States and Iran have made a lot of progress in their talks, and neither side wants to see a resumption of the military campaign. "We think that we've made a lot of progress. We think the Iranians want to make a deal," Vance told reporters at a White House briefing. Vance said he had just spoken to Trump, who stressed that the core issue for the US is that Iran can never have a  nuclear  weapon. If that happens, Vance said, countries around the Gulf would want their own weapons, and other countries across the world would as well. Go to the full article > >

Gunmen stand guard at the funeral of Marwan Issa, a senior Hamas deputy military commander who was  killed in an Israeli airstrike during the conflict between Israel and Hamas, amid a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, in the central Gaza Strip, February 7, 2025. (photo credit: REUTERS/Ramadan Abed) Hamas leadership is planning to intensify efforts to kidnap Israeli soldiers, and has framed kidnappings as the only effective means of securing the release of Palestinian prisoners, according to an internal message published Monday by Israeli Public Broadcaster KAN News.  The letter, circulated internally among Hamas operatives in Gaza, came after a new law was passed by the Knesset that would impose the  death penalty on convicted terrorists . In the document, Hamas described the proposed legislation as a “fascist law,” and urged members of the organization’s military wing to escalate and carry out “active operations.” Go to the full article > >

Palestinian members of al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of the Hamas movement. (photo credit: ABED RAHIM KHATIB/FLASH90) A captured  Hamas  military document found by IDF troops in the Gaza Strip in early 2025 shows how the terrorist organization used the ceasefire to train new fighters for a possible renewed war with Israel. The document, which was revealed on Tuesday, outlines a compressed seven-day training course for 121 new recruits in Hamas’s Shejaia Battalion, including weapons training, battlefield first aid, counter-drone instruction, and lessons drawn from the October 7 massacre. The training program was designed around a tight schedule, apparently due to Hamas concerns that the ceasefire could collapse. Recruits were instructed in the use of Israeli weapons, including M16 rifles and Tavor assault rifles, as well as attacks on tanks and armored personnel carriers from short and long range. Go to the full article > >

US President Donald Trump delivers remarks about health care costs and affordability from an auditorium on the White House campus in Washington, DC, US, May 18, 2026. (photo credit: REUTERS/JONATHAN ERNST) US President Trump said that he was about "an hour away" from making the decision to attack Iran today before several Middle Eastern governments called to ask him to wait several days for negotiations, while talking to reporters on Tuesday. He added that Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the UAE, and Kuwait, "a little bit," were working with the US "like a team." This is a developing story.  Go to the full article > >

Smoke rises above Riyadh, amid the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, March 5, 2026. (photo credit: REUTERS/STRINGER/FILE PHOTO) Iraq is concerned about US pressure regarding Iranian-backed militias in  Iraq . As such, Baghdad and even the militias are trying to put out messaging that distances the militias from recent incidents. One incident is the US detention of a Kataib Hezbollah member, who was taken from Turkey to the US to face charges. In addition, Saudi Arabia has said three drones flew from Iraq in an attack on the Kingdom. Iraq is worried that these continued attacks will lead to pressure on the new government to dismantle the militias. Shafaq News in Iraq has provided new details on Baghdad’s moves in recent days Iraq condemned recent drone attacks on Saudi Arabia, vowed cooperation in the investigation, and moved to distance Iranian-backed militias amid growing US pressure. Go to the full article > >

People raise V-signs and take photos from a boat decorated with Palestinian flags as another vessel displaying solidarity signs sails past near the port in Marmaris, Turkey, on May 14, 2026. (photo credit: Murat Kocabas / Middle East Images / AFP via Getty Images) A  Turkish flotilla  of 53 vessels, organized by the IHH, the same group behind the Mavi Marmara flotilla, is reportedly en route to Israel. An Israeli official related that Netanyahu held a preliminary security consultation on the matter on Sunday. The flotilla is an element of the Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF), which departed Turkey for Gaza on Thursday on its second blockade run, the first of which occured in April and ended with 20 of its vessels intercepted by the Israeli Navy. The IHH's flotilla is expected to reach Israel’s shores within 48 hours. Prime Minister  Benjamin Netanyahu  is scheduled to hold an operational meeting on the matter with senior defense officials. Go to the full article...

Smoke rises above Riyadh, amid the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, March 5, 2026. (photo credit: REUTERS/STRINGER/FILE PHOTO) Saudi Arabia says that it has intercepted three drones that “‌entered ⁠its territory from Iraqi ⁠airspace,” according to Saudi Arabia’s Arab News. The attack follows a drone attack in the area of Abu Dhabi’s  Barakah nuclear plant  on Sunday. The two attacks could be connected, although it is too early to tell. Arab News noted that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s “defense ministry spokesman Major General Turki Al-Maliki ⁠said that ‌it would ‌take the necessary ‌operational ‌measures to respond to ‌any attempt to violate its ⁠sovereignty ⁠and security.” The attack follows a drone attack in the area of Abu Dhabi’s Barakah nuclear plant on Sunday. The two attacks could be connected, although it is too early to tell. Go to the full article > >

IDF troops active in Southern Lebanon, published on April 28, 2026. (photo credit: IDF SPOKESPERSON'S UNIT) Israel’s military  manpower crisis  is expected to deepen unless legislation extending mandatory service advances separately from the haredi (ultra-Orthodox) draft bill, as the IDF faces a widening gap between wartime operational needs and the number of soldiers available to meet them. Defense officials raised a red flag on Sunday that by the end of the year, units could face a severe manpower shortage, with an emphasis on a lack of thousands of regular-service combat soldiers. The issue has become more urgent as the  haredi conscription bill  returned to the Knesset agenda on Sunday, ahead of its final readings and amid a coalition crisis over a possible vote to dissolve the Knesset. While the haredi draft bill has become one of the central political fights threatening Netanyahu’s coalition, defense officials have also pushed for a separate extension of m...

US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hold a press conference after meeting at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Florida, US, December 29, 2025. (photo credit: REUTERS/JONATHAN ERNST) Prime Minister  Benjamin Netanyahu  and US President Donald Trump spoke on Sunday about the president's visit to China.  The pair also discussed developments with Iran.  "For Iran, the Clock is ticking, and they better get moving, FAST, or there won’t be anything left of them. TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE," Trump wrote on Truth Social after the call.  Go to the full article > >

Terrorists from Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad stand on a street during Eid al-Fitr in Gaza City, March 20, 2026. (photo credit: REUTERS/DAWOUD ABU ALKAS) PA reinforcing notorious 'pay-for-slay' policy • Iran allegedly behind Canada attacks on US consulate, synagogue • IDF tests Jordan Valley readiness in Dead Sea surprise attack drill

The West Bank security barrier near Abu Dis, pictured in February 2020; illustrative. (photo credit: OLIVIER FITOUSSI/FLASH90) Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas admitted that tax funds being withheld by Israel would be used to fund Palestinian terrorists during a speech at the Eighth General Conference of Fatah. The comments confirm that the  PA has not ended its pay-for-slay policy , even though it has restructured payments so they no longer reflect the prisoner’s sentence and now distributes the funds under the guise of social welfare. “The continued holding of Palestinian Authority funds by Israel is an unprecedented event that violates the agreements between the Palestinian Authority and Israel, as well as international law,” Abbas claimed in his Fatah conference address. “...The continued withholding of the Palestinian people’s funds, which have so far exceeded $5 billion…and all this needs to be paid to public employees, to prisoners (terrorists)…” Palestinia...

Hamas terrorists look on as they escort members of the Red Cross towards an area within the so-called "yellow line" to which Israeli troops withdrew under the ceasefire in Gaza City November 12, 2025. (photo credit: REUTERS/DAWOUD ABU ALKAS) Hamas  failed to elect a new political leader, the terror group announced on Saturday night, promising another round of elections would soon take place. The current race will likely position either Hamas leader abroad, Khaled Mashal, or senior Hamas politician Khalil al-Hayya as Hamas’s new leader. The failed process comes as Hamas attempts to reassemble some level of order after much of its senior leadership was assassinated during the most recent war with Israel. Since  former Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar  was killed in October 2024, there has been no permanent head of the organization’s political wing. Hamas’s leadership race remains unresolved, with Khaled Mashal and Khalil al-Hayya seen as likely contenders for the political ch...

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas attends a meeting with Russian President at the Kremlin in Moscow on January 22, 2026. (photo credit: Ramil Sitdikov / POOL / AFP via Getty Images) Palestinian Authority President  Mahmoud Abbas  cast his vote on Saturday in the Fatah movement’s elections, which will determine the composition of the “Central Committee and Revolutionary Council.” The vote was held at the Ahmad Shuqairi Hall in the presidential headquarters in Ramallah. Palestinian Authority official media claimed that Abbas “emphasized the importance of ensuring the success of the democratic process in a way that reflects the unity of the movement and its commitment to renewing its leadership institutions.”  Fifty-nine candidates competed for 18 seats on the Central Committee, while 456 members competed for 80 seats on the Revolutionary Council, which serves as the movement's parliament. Fifty-nine candidates competed for 18 seats on the Central Committee,...

Palestinian members of al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of the Hamas movement. (photo credit: ABED RAHIM KHATIB/FLASH90) Hamas  is looking to exploit the Hajj, the annual Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca, in order to collect financial donations under a humanitarian or religious guise, Israeli public broadcaster KAN News reported on Thursday, citing  Palestinian  sources familiar with the details. This year, Hajj begins on the evening of May 24 until Friday, May 29. Hajj is the perfect time of year for Hamas to attempt such an operation, as the season is defined by large-scale movement that is difficult to monitor, allowing for the transfer of funds or gold assets with minimal suspicion.  Egypt, the sources explained, the smuggled finances will be laundered or “redirected” using various methods before being transferred to Gaza. Go to the full article > >

China’s President Xi Jinping (R) and US President Donald Trump pose for a photo at the Temple of Heaven in Beijing on May 14, 2026. (Photo by Brendan SMIALOWSKI / POOL / AFP via Getty Images) During a bilateral meeting in Beijing on Thursday, President Donald Trump announced that Chinese President Xi Jinping is committed to withholding military equipment to Iran and expressed a desire to help keep the Strait of Hormuz open. The announcement came after Trump’s summit in Beijing where the two leaders discussed issues such as the Iranian conflict, trade, technology, and Taiwan. “He said he’s not going to give military equipment. That’s a big statement. He said that today. He said that strongly, but at the same time he said you know they buy a lot of their oil there and they’d like to keep doing that. He’d like to see Hormuz strait opened,” said Trump in an interview with  Fox News’  Sean Hannity. China has consistently denied supplying Iran with weapons, despite a repor...

Fallen soldier Capt. Maoz Israel Recanati, 24 (photo credit: IDF SPOKESPERSON'S UNIT) Capt. Maoz Israel Recanati, 24, from Itamar, was killed during combat in southern Lebanon, the IDF announced on Saturday. Recanati was a Platoon Commander in the Golani Brigade’s 12th Battalion and was posthumously promoted from lieutenant to captain. Go to the full article > >

M ap of Strait of Hormuz published by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' (IRGC) Navy of the area controlled by the Iranian Armed Forces, May 4, 2026. (photo credit: Screenshot/X/@IranIntl_En) Iran has prepared a mechanism to manage traffic through the Strait of Hormuz along a designated route that will be unveiled soon, the head of the Iranian parliament's national security committee Ebrahim Azizi said on Saturday. Azizi added that only commercial vessels and parties cooperating with Iran would benefit from the arrangement. He said fees would be collected for specialized services provided under the mechanism. Go to the full article > >

Prisoners Nasser Bakerzadeh, a Kurdish Sunni, and Yaghoub Karimpour, an Azerbaijani Turkic Yarsan citizen. (photo credit: Courtesy) The Islamic regime tortured and mistreated prisoners ahead of their execution on Saturday, according to letters and recorded phone calls shared with  The Jerusalem Post  by the Kurdistan Human Rights Network (KHRN) on Wednesday. Yaghoub Karimpour, 43, and Nasser Bakerzadeh, 26, were hanged on Saturday, and Mehrab Abdollahzadeh, 28, was executed on Sunday in Orumiyeh Central Prison. All three men were able to speak with the KHRN before their executions. None of the men’s loved ones were informed of the execution, despite Iranian law guaranteeing families a final visit, the organization noted, and the men had not known about their execution when KHRN Rebin Rahmani spoke with them the Saturday before they were killed. Go to the full article > >

National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir waves the Israeli flag as he tours the Temple Mount in Jerusalem's Old City, May 14, 2026 (photo credit: YONATAN SINDEL/FLASH90) National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir ascended the Temple Mount in Jerusalem's Old City on Thursday ahead of the planned Jerusalem Day flag march. Ben-Gvir declared the Temple Mount to be "in our hands" amid rising tensions ahead of the flag march, stressing he had "restored sovereignty on the Temple Mount thanks to determination and deterrence." Go to the full article > >

The F-35 "Adir" fighter jet. (photo credit: LOCKHEED MARTIN) Israel's Defense Ministry signed a contract with  Elbit Systems  subsidiary Cyclone to develop an extended-range capability for the  F-35 "Adir" fighter jet , the ministry announced on Thursday. The deal, valued at over $34 million, or more than NIS 100 million, was signed through the Defense Procurement Directorate and will cover the development and integration of external fuel tanks for the Lockheed Martin-manufactured aircraft. New capability would reduce reliance on aerial refueling and improve operational flexibility in long-range missions. But it remains unclear if it would affect aircraft's stealth capabilities Go to the full article > >

YOUNG PALESTINIAN workers break up concrete while working on rubble in Khan Yunis, in the southern Gaza Strip. (photo credit:  Ramadan Abed/Reuters ) Palestinian contractors from Gaza, who were scheduled to reach the Israeli-controlled side of the strip in order to work on rebuilding Rafah, were blocked by  Hamas  last week, KAN reported on Tuesday. The passage was facilitated by the  IDF  and the US-led Civil-Military Coordination Center as part of initial efforts to build a new Palestinian city in Rafah, often referred to as "Emirates City" in diplomatic circles. The contractors were threatened at gunpoint by Hamas militants, who refused to permit them passage to the site. The contractors, who came from various parts of the Strip, were forcibly turned away. Go to the full article > >

A  protester holds a picture of Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem during a demonstration in Riad Al Solh Square in Beirut, Lebanon, on April 11, 2026. (photo credit:  Manon Roca/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images ) Hezbollah  has created a systematic action plan to occupy Beirut in order to push out pragmatic elements,  Walla  learned on Tuesday. At the same time, the defense establishment is recognizing increasing pressure on  Hezbollah Secretary General Naim Qassem , who claimed that Israel is preparing for a move to take over large areas in Lebanon. According to sources in the security establishment, Hezbollah is convinced that Israel is plotting a move to divide Lebanon, during which the Lebanese state would lose large areas of territory. Go to the full article > >

Mockups of domestically-made Iranian missiles are displayed at an exhibition outside the Defence Museum in Tehran on March 31, 2026. (photo credit: AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES) The  United States  believes Iran has regained access to a majority of its missile sites, according to a  New York Times  report on Tuesday. The  NYT  cited senior US officials, who warned that Iran's active missile sites include 30 along the  Strait of Hormuz , posing a threat to US naval ships in the area. According to The New York Times, Iran can also use the missile stockpiles in non-operational sites by transferring them via mobile launchers. Go to the full article > >

Iranian Kurdish fighters from the Kurdistan Freedom Party, known as PAK take part in a training session at a base on the outskirts of Erbil, Iraq February 12, 2026. (photo credit: REUTERS/STRINGER) The viral videos alleging to show a commander of The Kurdistan Freedom Party (PAK) selling stolen Starlink devices – satellite internet terminals – is “propaganda,”  PAK ’s communications team told The Jerusalem Post when questioned on Monday. The videos, where the commander of PAK issues violent threats and admits to selling Starlink devices, are “propaganda made up by the fans of [exiled crown prince] Reza Pahlavi.” “ Starlink  is easy to get. It’s not logical for PAK to use a person such as Ebrahim Oveysi, who isn’t even related to PAK and is not a member of PAK, to sell it out,” the organization asserted. Go to the full article > >