Vance says US reviewing conditions for Türkiye's F-35 purchase US Vice President JD Vance says he is working with the Pentagon to determine whether Türkiye has met the legal requirements needed to receive F-35 fighter jets. "There are certain things that we have to certify have happened that have happened in order to comply with American law," Vance said. "We're running the traps and confirming that it's happened.
UN nuclear chief says inspections in Iran will go ahead despite Tehran's caution The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) says the UN's nuclear inspectors will visit Iran's enrichment sites, despite Tehran indicating that any such inspections will only take place after a final agreement is reached. "This is going to happen," IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said on Wednesday. Inspections of Iran's nuclear facilities are a key part of the interim agreement between the United States and Iran aimed at ending the US-Israeli war on Iran.
Berlin [Germany], June 25 (ANI): Against the backdrop of the current threats and challenges to the security environment, leaders of France, Germany, Italy, Poland and the United Kingdom met on Wednesday (local time) in Berlin. The Secretary General of NATO joined the meeting from Washington, a statement by the UK Prime Minister's Office said.
Israeli army says it struck two people in southern Lebanon The Israeli military says it attacked two people who entered the area it occupies in southern Lebanon. In a brief statement posted on X, the army claimed the two were travelling in a vehicle and posed a threat to its forces, but did not provide evidence to support the allegation.
From cafes to fan zones: World Cup fever sweeps NYC and New Jersey Submitted by Azad Essa on Wed, 06/24/2026 - 13:53 Middle East Eye travels across New York City and New Jersey to capture fans enjoying the World Cup On Steinway Avenue in Queens, home to a large Arab diaspora, supermarkets, hookah ca
World Cup 2026: From cafes to fan zones, football fever sweeps New York and New Jersey Submitted by Azad Essa on Wed, 06/24/2026 - 13:53 Middle East Eye travels across New York City and New Jersey to capture fans enjoying the World Cup On Steinway Avenue in Queens, home to a large Arab diaspora, sup
US says 20 million barrels of crude passed through Hormuz in past day About 20 million barrels of crude oil have exited the Strait of Hormuz over the past 24 hours, US Energy Secretary Chris Wright has said. Speaking at the Reuters Global Energy Forum in New York, Wright said Iranian mines in the strategic waterway were responsible for slowing the return to normal shipping levels.
Aipac rebuffed as Mamdani-backed candidates sweep NYC Democratic primaries Submitted by MEE staff on Wed, 06/24/2026 - 18:52 Victories by candidates aligned with the New York mayor have sparked celebration online Democratic congressional candidate Brad Lander takes the stage with New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani after winning the 10th District Democratic primary in Brooklyn (Spencer Platt/Getty Images/AFP) Off New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s growing political machine passed its first major electoral test on Tuesday, as all three of his endorsed congressional candidates won closely watched Democratic primaries. Former city comptroller Brad Lander defeated incumbent Representative Dan Goldman, while state assembly member and former union organiser Claire Valdez defeated Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso in the race to replace retiring Representative Nydia Velazquez. In the night’s most dramatic upset, public defence investigator and first-time candidate Darializa Avila Chevalier defeated five-term Representative Adriano Espaillat, the chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus.
IRGC personnel sheltering in a civilian lodging complex in Shiraz were the likely target of a strike that also killed nine civilians at a neighboring emergency center, an Iran International investigation found.
New Delhi [India], June 25 (ANI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday held a telephonic conversation with Prime Minister of Armenia, Nikol Pashinyan. PM Modi congratulated Pashinyan on his party's victory in the recently held Parliamentary elections in Armenia. In a post on X, he said, 'Earlier today, I was delighted to receive a phone call from Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.
US and Iranian technical teams to meet again in Switzerland US Secretary of State Marco Rubio says technical teams from the United States and Iran are expected to meet again in Switzerland on 29 and 30 June. According to Rubio, the discussions will focus on Iran's nuclear enrichment programme. He said the current negotiations are not addressing Iran's ballistic missile programme or delivery systems.
UN report no air strikes in Lebanon for 16 hours despite Israeli military activity UN peacekeepers in southern Lebanon recorded no missile launches or air strikes between midnight and 4pm local time (13:00 GMT) on Wednesday, according to the deputy spokesperson for the UN secretary general. Farhan Haq said the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) had, however, observed two missile trajectories overnight that were launched from south of the Blue Line and landed north of the Litani River. Despite the relative calm, Haq said UNIFIL continued to document Israeli military activity, including repeated airspace violations, mostly by drones.
The president has sought to recast the Iranian government as he pursues a peace deal. But there are signs that a softening on Iran in the Republican Party goes well beyond him.
Green energy, modern war and American hegemony
Iran rejects Rubio's claims on regional instability Iran has rejected comments by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio blaming Tehran-backed armed groups for instability in the Middle East, arguing instead that US policy and Israeli military actions are driving conflict across the region. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei responded in a post on X alongside a clip of Rubio criticising Iraq-based armed groups, as well as Hezbollah and Hamas. "No one will be fooled," Baghaei wrote.
The NSA has reportedly lost access to Anthropics advanced Mythos model amid a dispute between the tech company and Washington The US National Security Agency (NSA) has lost access to Anthropic's advanced Mythos 5 AI model while using it to find software weaknesses, the New York Times has reported. The development comes amid Washington's months-long dispute with the Silicon Valley firm.
Rubio says Gulf talks were 'frank' as US seeks regional backing US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has declined to reveal what concerns Gulf leaders raised during meetings on his regional tour, saying only that the discussions were candid and constructive. Speaking to reporters, Rubio said Washington had "very frank" conversations with its longstanding allies as it sought their views on the US-Iran agreement and wider regional issues. "That's what we're here to do, get their input," Rubio said.
Cannes [France], June 24 (ANI): Actor Priyanka Chopra Jonas believes the entertainment industry has become more accessible than ever before, saying that creative ideas now matter more than traditional gatekeepers in determining success, according to Variety.
Abu Dhabi [UAE], June 24 (ANI): The United States has provided further insights into the high-level deliberations between US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and senior Emirati leaders in Abu Dhabi.
UN: RSF used rape and sexual slavery as weapons of war in Sudan since 2023 Submitted by Sondos Asem on Wed, 06/24/2026 - 17:04 OHCHR report finds RSF responsible for about 87 percent of verified incidents of gang rape and sexual slavery that may amount to crimes against humanity A Sudanese woman carries water at the Abu al-Naga displacement camp in Gedaref State, 420km east of the capital Khartoum on 6 February 2026 (AFP) Off The Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitary group is responsible for the majority of sexual crimes committed by warring parties in Sudan over the past three years, the United Nations human rights office said on Tuesday. In a new trend analysis report on conflict-related sexual violence in Sudan since the outbreak of war between the RSF and the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) in April 2023, the UN found that rape, gang rape and sexual slavery have been used systematically as weapons of war, and warned that impunity risks entrenching cycles of violence for years to come. Around 87 percent of verified incidents were attributed to men in RSF uniforms, its affiliates and allied Arab militias.
