Iranian lawmakers issue a statement declaring end of US MoU A majority of 180 members of Iran’s 290-strong parliament have issued a statement on Tuesday to end the interim memorandum of understanding between the US and Iran in favour of “pursuing revenge”. The statement also called for the passing of new legislation to manage the Strait of Hormuz on Iran’s terms and upgrading its defence doctrine. This comes after Trump announced the agreement over, launching a fresh wave of military strikes against Iran and establishing their own blockade over the Strait.
Here's what Burnham must do if he really wants to reset Labour's Palestine policy Submitted by Ben Jamal on Mon, 07/13/2026 - 16:09 Vague statements are not enough. To win back lost voters, the incoming leader must halt arms sales to Israel and end the crackdown on anti-genocide protesters Labour MP Andy Burnham, presumed to become the party's next leader, delivers a speech in Manchester, northern England, on 29 June 2026 (Toby Shepheard/AFP) On Having maintained a near-total silence on Labour’s policy in relation to Palestine since he began his open campaign for the leadership, Andy Burnham has now broken his omerta with an “apology” for the party’s past failures. One must presume his advisers made clear that a shift on Palestine was crucial to win back the voters whose desertion was key to precipitating British Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s ignoble removal from office.
War, racism and Trump: Has corruption overshadowed the 2026 World Cup? Submitted by Elis Gjevori on Tue, 07/14/2026 - 11:01 From travel bans to red card reversals, the World Cup has played out under a cloud of US power and political interference Donald Trump dances after the results of the draw for the 2026 FIFA Football World Cup taking place in the US, Canada and Mexico, at the Kennedy Center, in Washington, DC, on 5 December 2025 (David Ramos/Getty Images via AFP) Off It was supposed to be the biggest World Cup in history: 48 teams, three host nations and a record $9bn in Fifa revenue to more than fill the coffers. Instead, the 2026 World Cup may be remembered for dodgy calls on the pitch and two men off the pitch: Donald Trump, determined to use the tournament to bolster his image, and Gianni Infantino, the Fifa president who seemed only too willing to bend the game to the whims of a capricious US president.
Iran says UK's designation of IRGC as security threat is 'unjustified' Iran on Tuesday said that the decision by the United Kingdom to designate the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a security threat was “unjustified” and “irresponsible”. The country's foreign ministry, in a statement, said that the IRGC was an official part of Iran’s armed forces and accused London of violating international law by targeting a state institution. On Monday, Britain banned support for the IRGC under new powers aimed at preventing foreign states from using proxies for activities such as surveillance and sabotage.
Israel to hold elections on October 27, Knesset says Israel’s parliament will dissolve on July 17 and national elections will be held on October 27 as scheduled, according to Knesset Legal Adviser Sagit Afik. Times of Israel reported that the vote would mark Israel’s first election held on schedule since 1988 and make Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government the first Israeli administration to complete a full term since 1973. The current coalition was formed in December 2022 following the collapse of the Naftali Bennett-Yair Lapid government.
Nato survived the Ankara summit - but it still lacks a second fist Submitted by Omar Ashour on Mon, 07/13/2026 - 20:24 The alliance's future depends on turning European spending into combat power, while Washington remains politically unpredictable US President Donald Trump and Nato Secretary General Mark Rutte attend the Nato summit in Ankara, Turkey, on 8 July 2026 (Saul Loeb/AFP) Off In November 2019, French President Emmanuel Macron declared : “What we are currently experiencing is the brain death of Nato . ” Seven years later, the largest and most successful defensive alliance in modern history is still standing. The harder question is whether it can fight with two equally capable fists: an American one and a European-Canadian one.
Bill on Hormuz Strait security introduced in Iranian parliament, lawmaker says The head of the Iranian Parliament’s National Security Committee indicated that a bill aiming to ensure the security of the Strait of Hormuz was formally introduced in parliament. "Last night, coinciding with the downing of U. S.
Trumps says he wants Gulf states to reimburse US for 'protection' US President Donald Trump said he wanted Gulf countries to reimburse Washington for helping "protect the Strait of Hormuz". "I want to be reimbursed because we’re protecting a very rich portion of the world. We’re spending money, so… we are going to be reimbursed for protection," Trump told reporters in the Oval Office, mentioning Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain and Kuwait as countries the US has protected.
Business executives making 'contingency plans' for UAE-Saudi Arabia feud Submitted by MEE staff on Mon, 07/13/2026 - 21:04 Some law firms are selecting work that avoids antagonising the two rivals, while investors are navigating a new environment This picture, taken on 31 March 2026, shows the King Abdullah Financial District in the Saudi capital, Riyadh (Fayez Nureldine/AFP) Off Business executives are making contingency plans in case a growing feud between Saudi Arabia and the UAE escalates in the oil-rich Gulf region, amid signs that the two neighbours are embroiled in an economic war of attrition. Bloomberg reported on Monday that some global investment banks are worried they will have to decide between Abu Dhabi and Riyadh. Some businesses have begun making contingency plans for separate logistics.
Rubio says US will dismantle ICC 'brick by brick' Submitted by MEE staff on Mon, 07/13/2026 - 18:59 Secretary of State issues broadside against the court that issued an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in 2024 US Secretary of State Marco Rubio attends a trilateral meeting with Japanese Foreign Minister Motegi Toshimitsu and South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun (not pictured) on the sidelines of the Nato Summit in Ankara, on 7 July 2026 (Yves Herman/Pool/AFP) Off US Secretary of State Marco Rubio says the Trump administration is working to “dismantle the [International Criminal Court] brick by brick”, throwing down a public gauntlet to the court that issued an arrest warrant in 2024 for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. “The ICC’s interfering with American military and law enforcement operations isn’t just only a grave overreach of its purported authorities. It would mean the death of the US as a sovereign and independent nation,” Rubio wrote in an opinion article published by The Wall Street Journal on Monday.
EU ministers largely back Israeli settlement trade ban, Kallas says EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas says foreign ministers largely favoured the idea of banning trade with Israeli settlements during a meeting today. The officials met in Brussels to discuss a response to increasing violence by Israeli settlers against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank. "Everybody agrees that the situation in the West Bank is really intolerable," Kallas said at the start of the meeting.
Iranian foreign minister says Tehran will remain 'guardian' of Hormuz Iran's foreign minister says the country has "always been the guardian of the Strait and will remain so forever". The comments came after Trump announced that the US would levy a charge on vessels transiting through the Strait of Hormuz. "POTUS is absolutely right.
Andy Burnham has rightly spoken out on Labour's Gaza shame. Now comes the hard part Submitted by David Hearst on Mon, 07/13/2026 - 13:20 The future prime minister should reconstruct a Labour Party with a strong moral core. This begins with Palestine and not repeating Starmer's fatal mistakes Andy Burnham, British prime minister in waiting, delivers a speech at the People's History Museum in Manchester, Britain, on 29 June, 2026 (Reuters) On It is easy, if not to say tempting, to be cynical about Andy Burnham .
Syrian Druze chief suggests Sweida integration into Israel Submitted by Alex MacDonald on Mon, 07/13/2026 - 13:48 Hikmat al-Hijri says his province's 'autonomy' could be preserved as part of its southern neighbour Sheikh Hikmat al-Hijri reading a speech to the Druze community in Syria (Wikicommons) Off A spiritual leader of Syria 's Druze community has suggested that the country's Sweida province be integrated into Israel. Speaking at an event to mark the first anniversary of violent sectarian unrest in the southern province, Hikmat al-Hijri said his home's autonomy could be preserved under the protection or even "integration with another state". "We are determined to preserve our autonomy in Sweida so that we can live an independent life and present people with a model for this region," he said.
Iran says it will not comply with deal if US does not uphold MoU commitments Iran’s foreign ministry spokesperson said on Monday that the country would no longer abide by the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed with the US in June if Washington continued to violate its commitments to end the war. "Each time that the other party has failed to meet its obligations, we did not uphold ours... we will continue to act in this manner," Esmaeil Baghaei told a press conference in Tehran.
EU countries discuss trade ban on Israeli settlement goods EU foreign ministers on Monday discussed imposing an import ban on products from Israeli settlements, after pressure from a number of member states. "Everybody agrees that the situation in the West Bank is really intolerable," EU Foreign Policy Chief Kaja Kallas said at the start of a meeting in Brussels, according to AFP. "What is happening in the West Bank is actually making it more and more impossible that the two-state solution ever can come into effect," Kallas added.
Starmer’s parting gift of billions for the military is a chain around Burnham's neck Submitted by Tom Blackburn on Thu, 07/09/2026 - 14:29 After a sustained media campaign by military hawks, this proposed increase in defence expenditure is being shielded from effective scrutiny US President Donald Trump stands next to British Prime Minister Keir Starmer as NATO leaders gather for a family photo at a NATO leaders' summit in Ankara, Turkey on 8 July, 2026 (Reuters) On British Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s Defence Investment Plan ( DIP ), although presented as an urgent response to unprecedented security threats facing Britain , says more about the imperatives of domestic politics than about national security needs. These big military spending announcements have always, to a large extent, been calculated to suit domestic political prerogatives rather than actual defence, but the DIP is explicitly the product of political manoeuvring. The plan, unveiled with much fanfare on 30 June after intense lobbying and weeks of concerted propaganda conducted through the media, proposes throwing another £15bn ($20bn) into the gaping maw of the Ministry of Defence (MoD); this is below the £28bn (approximately $37bn) it had sought, but however much the MoD receives at the expense of other government departments, it never seems to be enough.
Germany moves to criminalise denial of Israel’s existence while refusing to recognise Palestine Germany’s upper house of parliament has backed a law that could imprison people for denying Israel’s right to exist, even as Berlin refuses to recognise a Palestinian state and intensifies its crackdown on pro-Palestine activism. The Bundesrat approved the proposal, submitted by the state of Hesse, on Friday. The Bundestag, the lower house of parliament, is expected to consider it after its summer recess.
Pakistan urges restraint and de-escalation between US and Iran Pakistan has urged all parties to avoid further escalation and honour the memorandum of understanding reached last month. In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs called on “all sides” to “exercise restraint, take immediate steps towards de-escalation and uphold respective commitments” under the agreement. “On its part, Pakistan remains committed to providing all support towards achieving lasting peace and stability in the region through dialogue and diplomacy,” the ministry said.
US Senator Lindsey Graham dies after 'brief illness' Republican Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, one of the most significant voices on US foreign policy and a longtime ally of President Donald Trump, has died at the age of 71 following a brief illness, his office announced on Sunday. A statement from Graham's office said he died on Saturday evening and that his family had requested privacy. First elected to the Senate in 2002, Graham regularly courted intense international criticism for his pro-war rhetoric and interventionist foreign policy.
