Blasts near Damascus hotel housing Macron during historic Syria visit wounds 18 Two bombs exploded near a hotel in Damascus where French President Emmanuel Macron spent the night, wounding 18 people and overshadowing the first visit to Syria by an EU head of state since Bashar al-Assad was toppled. Macron's motorcade left the hotel shortly before the blasts. The French president pressed ahead with his visit, meeting Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa at the presidential palace.
US prosecutors seek leniency for Turkish-Iranian sanctions case witness US prosecutors are seeking leniency at next week's sentencing of Turkish-Iranian businessman Reza Zarrab, who admitted to helping Iranians and their government evade sanctions. Prosecutors said in a sentencing memorandum to a New York federal judge on Monday that Zarrab provided substantial assistance to the US. They said the international gold trader revealed paying millions of dollars in bribes to government and banking officials in Türkiye and provided key testimony at a 2017 corruption trial that strained relations between the US and Türkiye.
‘Let Palestinians live’: Egypt coach wins global praise after emotional speech Submitted by MEE staff on Tue, 07/07/2026 - 16:19 Hossam Hassan said his support for Palestinians came from being 'human' before any identity or religion Head coach Hossam Hassan of Egypt speaks during a press conference one day ahead of the Fifa World Cup 2026 round of sixteen between Argentina and Egypt at Atlanta Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia, on 6 July 2026 (Alejandro Pagni/Getty Images/AFP) Off Egypt head coach Hossam Hassan sparked widespread praise on social media after delivering an emotional speech supporting Palestinians during a Fifa World Cup press conference on Monday, ahead of Egypt’s match against Argentina. Speaking in Arabic, Hassan said: “If there is one person in the world who does not feel for the Palestinian people, then he is not a human being,” adding that this applied regardless of whether the person was “Arab, European, American or anything else”. He criticised global indifference to the suffering of Palestinians, saying that while people often mobilise when an animal is harmed, “every day human beings are killed in their thousands, children and women”.
Three vessels, including a Qatari LNG carrier, struck within hours close to Oman Qatar has warned Iran it will bear full legal responsibility after three tankers, including a Qatari LNG vessel, were struck within hours in the strait of Hormuz. All three vessels were struck close to Oman which had suggested a new shipping corridor close to its coastline – a proposal opposed by Iran, which wants to charge ships using the waterway. Continue reading...
Lawsuit accuses Trump administration of sharing Iranian asylum seeker data A lawsuit filed on Tuesday alleges that the Trump administration's immigration agencies shared confidential information about Iranian asylum seekers with the Iranian government, violating immigration regulations and endangering countless Iranians. The lawsuit depicts a coordinated campaign between the US and Iranian governments to identify Iranians in Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody and pressure them to return to Iran. The filing describes the alleged cooperation as a marked departure from decades of diplomatic hostility between the two governments and the ongoing war.
Israeli strikes kill at least three Palestinians in Gaza Israeli strikes killed at least three Palestinians in the Gaza Strip on Tuesday, health officials in the enclave said. Medics said an Israeli air strike killed a man and wounded two children in the Mawasi area of Khan Younis, in southern Gaza. Later on Tuesday, another Israeli air strike hit near a tent encampment housing displaced families in western Gaza City, killing one person and wounding five others.
The US president has arrived in Ankara with some strong words for the blocs European members US President Donald Trump has arrived in Ankara for NATO's annual summit, kicking the meeting off with a show of friendship for Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and threats of US military withdrawal for the bloc's European members.
The US president arrived in Ankara with some strong words for the blocs European members US President Donald Trump has arrived in Ankara for NATO's annual summit, kicking the meeting off with a show of friendship for Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and threats of US military withdrawal for the bloc's European members.
Three tankers struck within hours in Hormuz, Qatar slams Iran Three tankers, including a Qatari LNG vessel, were struck within hours in the Strait of Hormuz, prompting peace mediator Doha to denounce an "unacceptable" Iranian attack. An "unknown projectile" hit a tanker overnight, causing a fire, before two more were hit, at least one by a drone, the British maritime security agency UKMTO said. Earlier in the day, citing anonymous sources, Iran's IRIB said an oil tanker attempting to pass through the Omani route in the Strait of Hormuz was attacked "after ignoring repeated warnings".
Trump praises Türkiye as 'great ally' of US Trump has continued his praise of Türkiye, calling it a "great ally" of the US. The US president said Türkiye knows Iran "very well", adding that Ankara has been "very instrumental" in helping deal with the situation in the region. "They could have gotten into the fight.
UK train operator bans Palestine badges after pressure from pro-Israel legal group Submitted by Areeb Ullah on Tue, 07/07/2026 - 12:45 LNER said it acted after UK Lawyers for Israel submitted a complaint that a Palestine badge made a passenger uncomfortable A passenger passes a London North Eastern Railway (LNER) train at London King's Cross railway station, 25 June 2018 (AFP) Off A train company in the UK has banned its staff from wearing badges supporting Palestine while on duty after a pro- Israel legal group raised complaints over an employee wearing a "Palestine Solidarity" badge. Last month, UK Lawyers for Israel (UKLFI) sent a legal letter to London North Eastern Railway (LNER) after a passenger complained that a member of staff wearing a pro-Palestine badge made them feel "uncomfortable and unwelcome" during a train journey. According to UKLFI, the incident took place on 14 June aboard an LNER service travelling from Edinburgh to London.
(260707) -- TEHRAN, July 7, 2026 (Xinhua) -- People attend the funeral procession of Iran's late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in Tehran, Iran, July 6, 2026. Huge crowds from across Iran on Monday filled the streets of Tehran for the funeral procession of the country's late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who was killed in a U. S.
Iran is staging a massive, weeklong funeral procession across the country to mourn longtime Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed at the outset of the war with the United States and Israel.
Beirut [Lebanon], July 7 (ANI): Lebanese President Joseph Aoun is preparing to travel to the White House before the end of July to meet US President Donald Trump in a visit aimed at advancing the framework agreement with Israel signed on June 26, according to a report by Al Jazeera. The visit follows a 17-minute phone call on July 5 between the two leaders that Aoun described as 'good'.
Erdogan: Turkey working to bring US and Iran to common ground The Turkish president said his country is taking steps to reinforce global peace, Al Jazeera reported. “All our friends are working together to achieve this end,” he said. Asked about the situation in Gaza, he said, “We will work towards restoring peace in the region.
Will Donald Trump become America's last Zionist president? Submitted by David Hearst on Tue, 07/07/2026 - 12:53 Trump was the president who gave Israel all it needed, and more. But with a wave of Aipac-backed candidates defeated in Democratic primaries, support for Israel is now toxic US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu embrace as they walk into Trump's Mar-a-Lago club, Florida, on 29 December 2025 (Reuters) On Hell hath no fury like an Israel scorned.
Turkey and UK to sign new defence partnership deal Submitted by Ragip Soylu on Tue, 07/07/2026 - 15:25 The sensitive agreement is being compared to the 2021 defence pact between France and Greece, although sources declined to say whether it includes a mutual defence clause The UK had previously been in talks with Ankara to supply with Eurofighter jets, like the one seen here in Qatar in October, 2022 (AFP) Off Turkey and the UK are expected to sign a security and defence partnership deal on Wednesday, the latest development in the growing partnership between the two countries. The deal will commit both countries to closer cooperation on defence, multiple sources familiar with the matter told Middle East Eye. According to the sources, the document mandates both countries to support each on every matter on defence, including cooperation on their respective defence industries, counterterrorism, hybrid threats, and cybersecurity.
