Targeted assassinations of Iranian leaders will continue, IDF spokesman says IDF Spokesman Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin said that the Israeli military will continue to pursue Iranian leaders, following the killing of IRGC Navy chief Alireza Tangsiri in Bandar Abbas overnight, the Times of Israel is reporting.
UK judge orders home secretary to explain opposition to Hamas de-proscription appeal Submitted by Areeb Ullah on Thu, 03/26/2026 - 17:09 Shabana Mahmood has until 20 May to disclose reasons for opposing Hamas's bid to be removed from terror list A banner featuring Abu Obeida, the late spokesman for Hamas's armed wing, in Ain al-Hilweh camp for Palestinian refugees, near Sidon in southern Lebanon, on 19 November 2025 (AFP) Off A British judge has ordered the UK home secretary to “get on with” explaining her opposition to Hamas's appeal to be removed from the list of proscribed terrorist organisations. Hamas, currently proscribed in the UK, is appealing against this designation before the Proscribed Organisations Appeal Commission (POAC), an independent tribunal. Last April, Mousa Abu Marzouk, the head of Hamas’s foreign relations office, instructed British lawyers to appeal against the UK’s 2021 decision by former Home Secretary Priti Patel to designate the movement as a terrorist organisation.
Death toll in Lebanon increases to over 1,110 Israel’s attacks on Lebanon have killed more than 1,100 people and forcibly displaced over 136,000, Lebanon’s National News Agency (NNA) reported. NNA also said the disaster risk management unit reported that “the total number of displaced persons in shelters reached 136,262 and the total number of displaced families reached 34,973”. It added that “the number of martyrs rose to 1,116 and the number of wounded to 3,229”.
Met Police accused of reversing Palestine Action policy to fit previous arrests Submitted by Katherine Hearst on Thu, 03/26/2026 - 15:26 Campaigners say two protesters were arrested despite previous assurances, which they say is 'symptomatic' of the chaotic response to the group's proscription Police confront Ams at the Al-Quds Day rally in central London on 15 March 2026 (AFP) Off London’s Metropolitan Police has been accused of reversing its policy on Palestine Action protests to "retrospectively fit" arrests it has carried out in recent weeks. Following a High Court ruling in February that found the government's ban of the direct action group to be unlawful, the police said they would refrain from arresting its supporters and people protesting against the proscription under terrorism legislation, focusing instead on gathering evidence for future prosecutions. But in a policy u-turn, the Met issued a statement describing its previous comments as an “interim position”, saying that it has now “revised” this approach.
Wes Streeting accused of dog whistle politics over campaign letter Submitted by Imran Mulla on Thu, 03/26/2026 - 16:01 Labour minister calls independents 'divisive' and 'focused on foreign conflicts' UK Health Secretary Wes Streeting leaves following a cabinet meeting at 10 Downing Street in central London on 10 February 2026 (AFP) Off A letter signed by British Health Secretary Wes Streeting and sent to residents of his East London constituency has been condemned for accusing independent candidates of being "divisive" and "more focused on foreign conflicts than on fixing potholes". Middle East Eye has seen multiple copies of the letter, dated Wednesday 18 March, which is addressed from Streeting and is marked as being sent by Redbridge Labour , the party's local chapter. They were distributed among constituents in Streeting's seat Ilford North ahead of local elections in May, which will prove a crucial test for the UK's Labour government.
US plans 'final blow' against Iran as Trump demands Tehran make a deal The US Department of War is drafting plans for a “final blow” against Iran that includes ground troops and a massive bombing campaign, according to a report by Axios. The report on Thursday said the US is considering four options for this military offensive. The first is invading or blockading Kharg Island, from which Iran exports roughly 90 percent of its oil.
'They were trying to dehumanise me': Palestine Action hunger strikers allege mistreatment in prison Submitted by Katherine Hearst on Thu, 03/26/2026 - 08:47 The former inmates plan to sue over their alleged medical neglect while on hunger strike in prison From left to right: Maddy Norman, Teuta Hoxha, Heba Muraisi, Qesser Zuhrah and Kamran Ahmed (MEE/Areeb Ullah) Off Kamran Ahmed suffers from stabbing chest pains and shortness of breath. “Even right now, when I'm speaking, it feels like there's a string pulling on the right side of my chest,” the former prisoner told Middle East Eye. “I was in hospital two days ago because the chest pains were becoming unbearable.
Hezbollah rocket attack kills one person in Israel A man has been killed in Israel after a Hezbollah rocket was fired at Nahariya in the north of Israel, Al Jazeera is reporting. Another person has been seriously wounded in the attack. Iranian and Hezbollah strikes have triggered sirens in Tel Aviv, central Israel and West Jerusalem throughout the day, with impacts reported in Tel Aviv, Ganei Tikva, and Kafr Qasem.
US plans 'final blow' against Iran as Trump demands Tehran make a deal Submitted by MEE staff on Thu, 03/26/2026 - 15:03 US weighs taking Iranian islands or seizing oil tankers US President Donald Trump speaks during a meeting in the Cabinet Room of the White House in Washington, DC, on 26 March 2026 (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images/AFP) Off The US Department of War is drafting plans for a “final blow” against Iran that includes ground troops and a massive bombing campaign, according to a report by Axios. The report on Thursday said the US is considering four options for this military offensive. The first is invading or blockading Kharg Island, from which Iran exports roughly 90 percent of its oil.
French armed forces chief held video call with 35 countries on Hormuz strait France's armed forces chief, General Fabien Mandon, held a video conference call with 35 countries on ways to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, France's defence ministry said on Thursday. The ministry did not disclose which countries had joined the call. "This initiative, independent of the ongoing military operations in the region, is strictly defensive in nature.
West Bank Palestinians face Israel's interceptor debris with no protection Submitted by Fayha Shalash on Thu, 03/26/2026 - 14:50 Palestinian towns hit by deadly shrapnel have no sirens or shelters, while Iron Dome missiles protect nearby settlements A woman comforts an injured girl as they mourn the death of four Palestinian women killed by missile shrapnel in Beit Awa town near Hebron, on 19 March 2026 (AFP/Hazem Bader) Off For days, Hadeel al-Masalmeh has sat alone in her room, refusing to speak. The 23-year-old Palestinian is still reeling from last week’s deadly strike, when missile shrapnel tore through the beauty salon she co-owned with her cousin and friend, Sahira al-Masalmeh, near Hebron in the occupied West Bank. Sahira was killed instantly, along with three other women – two of them pregnant.
Cubans face darkest hour as US blockade strangles island Submitted by James Schneider on Thu, 03/26/2026 - 13:04 After Gaza, Venezuela and the war on Iran, Cuba is braced for what's next, as solidarity flotillas bringing emergency supplies Activists raise the Cuban flag outside the port of Havana on 24 March 2026 (Yuri Cortez/AFP) Off “The resilience…” The lights went out before the Irish rapper Mo Chara could finish his sentence. Kneecap was holding a press conference on Saturday in Havana’s Vedado neighbourhood as part of the Nuestra America Convoy, an international aid mission that had brought the Irish group to Cuba 's capital. Minutes earlier, they had played a three-song set to close the Festival de Primavera Pa’Cuba, while outside people ate, children bounced on trampolines and families played badminton.
Met Police officer called Al Jazeera journalist 'dog' and 'donkey' Submitted by Imran Mulla on Thu, 03/26/2026 - 13:53 David Soffer, part of a crowd that surrounded an Al Jazeera film crew in Golders Green, has been revealed to be a special constable Special Constable David Soffer filmed in a crowd that surrounded an Al Jazeera film crew in Golders Green (Screengrab/X/MEE) Off An off-duty Metropolitan Police officer called a Palestinian journalist for Al Jazeera a "dog" and "donkey" in an "intimidating" encounter this week, it has emerged. Special Constable David Soffer was filmed among a crowd that surrounded an Al Jazeera film crew in Golders Green in London on Monday. Al Jazeera was reporting on that morning's arson attack on ambulances owned by a Jewish charity, which is being investigated by police as an antisemitic hate crime.
Iran war is a test the Gulf cannot afford to fail Submitted by Nelson Wong on Thu, 03/26/2026 - 14:01 Conflict threatens to destroy the region's role in the emerging global economic architecture Smoke rises from a building after a drone attack in Kuwait City on 8 March 2026 (AFP) Off As the Middle East teeters on the edge of a broader conflagration, the daily headlines – focusing on missiles, drones and death tolls – capture the immediate horrors, but miss the deeper story. The current escalation involving Iran , Israel and the United States is not merely another tragic chapter in a decades-old regional rivalry. It is a stress test for the entire international system, and for the United Nations Charter itself.
Yemen's Houthis warn of 'military response' to US-Israeli attacks if required Yemen's Houthis have warned they will issue a "military response" if needed by Iran to counter the US-Israeli assault on the country. Abdul Malik al-Houthi, leader of the movement, said they would "repay loyalty with loyalty" in apparent reference to previous support given to them by Iran. "Any development in the battle that requires a military response, we will promptly undertake it...
UAE envoy to US says ‘ceasefire not enough’ and calls for escalation in Iran war Submitted by Elis Gjevori on Thu, 03/26/2026 - 14:00 UAE's posture may win points with Washington's hardliners but risks further antagonising Tehran, analyst warns UAE Ambassador to the US Yousef al-Otaiba speaking at a pro-Israel event in New York City on 3 March 2025 (Bryan Bedder/Getty Images for Anti-Defamation League/via AFP) Off The United Arab Emirates (UAE) ambassador to the US has said “a simple ceasefire is not enough” in the ongoing Israeli -US war on Iran , calling instead for a “conclusive outcome” against Tehran. Writing in the Wall Street Journal , Yousef al-Otaiba did not mention who initiated the war and seemed to pin blame on Iran, while framing the UAE as being "on the front line of this conflict". “We need a conclusive outcome that addresses Iran’s full range of threats: nuclear capabilities, missiles, drones, terror proxies and blockades of international sea lanes,” the Emirati diplomat wrote, signalling support for continued military action.
Iran awaiting response from US after responding to plan via intermediaries Iran responded through unnamed intermediaries to the US plan's 15-point proposal to end the war, state news agency Tasnim reported on Thursday. The exact contents of the US plan, conveyed to Iran via Pakistan according to Pakistani officials, are not officially known and Iran says it is now "awaiting the other side's response.
Israel extends Al-Aqsa Mosque closure until mid-April Submitted by Lubna Masarwa on Thu, 03/26/2026 - 12:27 Worshippers remain barred as Palestinians warn of escalating restrictions at holy site Jews pray outside of the Western Wall, with the al-Aqsa Mosque pictured in the background, in the Old City of Jerusalem on 12 March 2026 (AFP/Hazem Bader) Off Israeli authorities have extended the closure of the Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied East Jerusalem until at least 15 April, Middle East Eye has learned. Sources familiar with the mosque’s affairs said Israeli officials on Wednesday informed the Jerusalem Islamic Waqf – the Jordanian-appointed body that administers the site – of the extension. It remains unclear whether the mosque will reopen after 15 April or if the closure will be prolonged further.
US and Israel vote against UN resolution recognising slavery as a crime against humanity Submitted by Alex MacDonald on Thu, 03/26/2026 - 11:47 Resolution tabled by Ghana rejected by US while European states and Japan abstain UN Security Council members vote on a draft resolution on the situation in the Middle East at the United Nations headquarters on 11 March, in New York City (File/AFP) Off The US and Israel were among a handful of countries to vote against a UN resolution condemning slavery as a crime against humanity and calling for reparations. The resolution, brought by Ghana on behalf of African nations, was also greeted with abstentions by the UK, EU member states and Japan. The draft resolution was adopted by a vote of 123 in favour, with 52 abstentions and three - Argentina, Israel and the US - voting against.
Iranian press review: Reports of US backchannel to Ghalibaf cause backlash in Tehran Submitted by MEE correspondent on Thu, 03/26/2026 - 11:03 Meanwhile, cancer patients face difficulties getting treatment, opposition figures condemn attacks on infrastructure, Iranians ridicule Pahlavi for claiming credit for public traditions Iran’s Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf is pictured after meeting his Lebanese counterpart in Beirut on 12 October 2024 (AFP) Off Speculation of talks with Ghalibaf sparks criticism Reports suggesting that the US may be engaging in negotiations with Iranian Parliamentary Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and speculation that President Donald Trump could support his rise within Iran ’s power structure have triggered widespread backlash among Iranians. Ghalibaf, a former senior commander in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), has many times spoken openly about his role in the violent suppression of the 1999 student movement. He also served as mayor of Tehran for 12 years, a tenure marked by repeated allegations of corruption.
