NATO leaders are meeting in the Turkish capital, Ankara, for the alliances annual summit on July 7-8 in the shadow of the Iran war and American complaints that not all European allies are pulling their weight when it comes to defense spending.
NATO leaders are meeting in the Turkish capital, Ankara, for the alliances annual summit on July 7-8 in the shadow of the Iran war and American complaints that not all European allies are pulling their weight when it comes to defense spending.
Will the Iran-US MoU reshape economic relations in the Gulf? Submitted by Zahra Ladha on Tue, 07/07/2026 - 09:52 The memorandum envisages sanctions relief and a reconstruction fund, but investors remain wary of security risks A ship is seen through a fishing net in the port of Fujairah, UAE, near the Strait of Hormuz, 2 July 2019 (Karim Sahib/AFP) Off The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed by the United States and Iran on 17 June could reshape the economic landscape of the Gulf by opening the door to renewed trade and investment with Iran. Central to the agreement is a commitment to ease longstanding sanctions and integrate Tehran more deeply into regional economic networks.
Ali Khamenei’s funeral has been marred by confusion from Tehran to Najaf, after organizers abruptly shortened the procession route in the Iranian capital and conflicting accounts emerged over who would lead prayers when ceremonies move to Iraq.
Qatari LNG tanker and Saudi crude oil ship damaged in Hormuz The Qatari liquefied natural gas tanker Al Rekayyat reported that it had been struck overnight and its engine room set on fire. Maritime security sources said a Saudi crude oil tanker had also been damaged. "Mayday mayday mayday.
Rima Hassan denounces 'political and judicial harassment' over Israel criticism Submitted by Pauline Ertel on Thu, 07/02/2026 - 12:36 Ahead of her trial for 'terrorism apology', Rima Hassan tells MEE of the sweeping surveillance measures and pressure she says are used to silence her solidarity with Palestine MEP Rima Hassan during a press conference with her lawyer following a hearing at the regional headquarters of the judiciary police in Paris, France, on 3 April 2026 (Blanca Cruz/AFP) Off Since her election in 2024, Rima Hassan has become the "enemy within" in the eyes of the French political establishment, facing a barrage of judicial, media and political pressure as an outspoken advocate of the Palestinian cause. The French-Palestinian member of the European Parliament will be tried on Tuesday for "apology for terrorism", a French legal infraction which criminalises forms of expression said to support acts of terrorism or paint them in a positive light. Speaking to Middle East Eye on the eve of her trial, the MEP says this is all part of a concerted campaign against her for speaking up for Palestine.
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – The upcoming funeral of martyred Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei in Iraq will demonstrate the deep spiritual ties between the Iranian and Iraqi nations and further strengthen their unity, the IRGC Quds Force commander said.
Fewer than half of Americans believe the bloc would come to the defense of the US if attacked, according to an internal poll seen by the outlet Support for NATO in the US has slipped following President Donald Trump's repeated criticism of the military bloc, according to an internal survey seen by Politico.
Defiance of ‘maximum pressure’ from the US legitimises government and adds to sense of freer negotiating hand As the multi-purpose, multinational funeral of Iran’s former supreme leader Ali Khamenei moved to the Jamkaran mosque in the holy city of Qom, and then to Najaf in Iraq, Iran’s leadership was weighing the mandate it had been given by the millions who have taken to the streets of Tehran over the past three days. Some hailed the moment as a referendum from the streets showing support for the clerical establishment, and called for the strategy of confrontation with the west to be intensified. Others said it was more about a wider national pride that was conditional on demands for change and an end to the war being met.
Belgium considers becoming latest EU country to recognise Palestinian statehood Submitted by Fleur Hargreaves on Tue, 07/07/2026 - 10:24 Agreement by Hamas to relinquish control of Gaza could meet Belgium's key condition for recognising a Palestinian state Swedish activist Greta Thunberg holds a placard reading 'Don't forget Palestine' during a demonstration demanding EU leaders ban goods from illegal Israeli settlements, in Brussels on 17 June (AFP/Nicolas Tucat) Off The Belgian Foreign Minister Maxime Prevot said on Monday that he has instructed his cabinet to prepare for the recognition of the state of Palestine . Speaking to VRT , he said “I don’t know if we will be ready by Friday”, referring to the scheduled ministerial council meeting, “but it will be on the table soon. ” The move comes after Hamas announced that it would dissolve its administration of Gaza after nearly two decades of running the Strip, which was one of Prevot’s prerequisites for recognising Palestine.
Poll: 30 percent of American Jews believe Israel committed genocide in Gaza About one-third of Americans, including a similar share of American Jews, believe Israel has committed genocide against Palestinians in Gaza, according to an AP-NORC poll reported by the Times of Israel. The survey found that about one-third of US adults, including roughly half of Democrats, believe Israel committed genocide during its war on Gaza. About 20 percent of Americans said Israel had not committed genocide, while roughly half said they did not know enough to answer, the TOI reported.
As reports of the blasts came in, state television said the Syrian president had welcomed Macron at the presidential palace.
'We were scared to die': The West Bank workers hiding in bins to reach Israel Submitted by Jared Hillel on Mon, 07/06/2026 - 18:29 Cut off by Israel from the employment they once held legally, Palestinian labourers are risking arrest and gunfire to feed their families Israeli soldiers keep watch as Palestinians gather at the Qalandia checkpoint in the occupied West Bank city of Ramallah on 20 February 2026, to enter Jerusalem (Jaafar Ashtiyeh/AFP) Off In April, around 70 Palestinian men climbed into the back of a rubbish truck, hoping to cross into Israel undetected and search for work. Quickly discovered at a West Bank checkpoint, the men were left to languish under trash bags for over two hours in sweltering heat, before being pulled out and detained by Israeli soldiers. Majd, a 37-year-old from Beit Furik, just south of Nablus, was one of the labourers crammed inside.
Syria says 18 wounded in Damascus blasts during Macron visit The blasts occurred in central Damascus near the hotel where France's president spent the night, with the Elysee Palace saying his visit is ongoing. The blasts came moments before Syrian state television announced Emmanuel Macron's arrival to the presidential palace to meet his counterpart Ahmed al-Sharaa. The Syrian interior ministry said that "18 people, including four police officers, were injured" as a result of the two explosions caused by "two improvised devices, the first of which was placed inside a car parked on the side of the road, while the second was placed inside a garbage container".
NATO foreign ministers to meet Gulf Arab counterparts to discuss Hormuz tensions NATO foreign ministers will meet Gulf Arab counterparts on Tuesday to address the stalemate over reopening the Strait of Hormuz, including a Franco-British proposal for a multinational maritime mission that Iran has so far dismissed. The meeting on the sidelines of a NATO summit in Ankara will bring together ministers from Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates following weeks of tensions in the strategically important waterway despite an interim US-Iran peace deal. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations agency (UKMTO) said early on Tuesday that a tanker was struck east of Oman's Limah.
The ceremony for Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, held at a site considered sacred by many Shiites, was the latest step in a weeklong funeral organized by Iran’s government.
LONDON, U. K. : Britain tightened its rules on political donations from abroad on July 6 to stop foreign money from influencing elections.
A reported overhaul could strip powers from Kaja Kallas diplomatic service The European Commission is considering creating a new foreign affairs department in a move that would strip powers from the EU's diplomatic service headed by Kaja Kallas, according to Politico.
Commercial vessels were hit by missiles near the Strait of Hormuz early Tuesday as stalled negotiations between Iran and the United States over security in the strategic waterway came under renewed strain, with Tehran and Washington offering different accounts of the attacks.
NEW YORK CITY, New York: Seven members of the OPEC+ alliance have agreed to modestly increase oil production in August, extending a series of monthly output hikes as crude prices continue to fall from highs reached during the recent conflict involving Iran.
