UK signs deals with Thales for arms used to target drones in the Middle East The UK said it signed new contracts worth £36 million ($48. 46m) with defence company Thales TCFP. PA for supplies of hundreds of Lightweight Multirole missiles.
Iran allowed 15 ships to pass through Strait of Hormuz: IRGC A total of 15 ships - including four oil tankers - have passed the Strait of Hormuz in the last 24 hours, according to the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC). The IRGC navy said the ships transited after receiving permission and coordinating with it. In a statement carried by Fars News, the IRGC said cooperation with “hostile forces” would be seen as an “immenent security threat” to be “dealt with accordingly”.
Syria's government begins to return Alawi lands, while maintaining its hold over others Submitted by Natacha Danon on Mon, 06/01/2026 - 09:09 Displaced Alawi farmers tell MEE that their homes and land have been occupied by Sunni neighbours and administered by a powerful state company called Iktifaa Pistachio trees in full bloom in the northern Hama countryside (Natacha Danon/MEE) Off Ahmed Ali says he was fired from his job as a Syrian civil servant in 2019 for refusing to do his mandatory military service. “I refused to join the army and kill people,” Ali, who is using a pseudonym, told Middle East Eye. After his dismissal, he decided to dedicate himself to his pistachio farm – 150 dunums (15 hectares) of trees in the northern Hama countryside that has been in the family for more than 50 years.
Israel orders strikes on Beirut suburbs ahead of UNSC meeting Israel on Monday said it would resume strikes on Beirut's southern suburbs ahead of a United Nations Security Council (UNSC) meeting to discuss the attack on Lebanon. Iran, negotiating an end to its wider war with the United States, said a ceasefire in Lebanon remains a key condition for any deal. Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz said they had ordered strikes on the Lebanese capital's southern suburbs, a densely populated area where Hezbollah holds sway.
Iran negotiator: US failing to uphold terms of ceasefire deal Iran's parliament speaker and chief negotiator has accused the US of breaching its ceasefire with the country. Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf cited its continuing blockade of Iranian ports and failure to prevent Israel from attacking Lebanon. “The naval blockade and escalation of war crimes in Lebanon by the genocidal Zionist regime are clear evidence of US noncompliance with the ceasefire,” Ghalibaf wrote in a post on X.
Morning update Good morning Middle East Eye readers, Fresh US strikes on southern Iran have stressed the already fragile balance between diplomacy and military escalation in the region. While Washington says it targeted Iranian radar and drone facilities in self-defence, negotiations with Tehran remain active, with both sides continuing to exchange proposals. Meanwhile, the US is advancing a roadmap aimed at reducing hostilities in Lebanon, where Israel continues to bomb civilian areas despite growing international pressure for de-escalation.
IRGC says it struck airbase used in US attack on southern Iran The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said it targeted an airbase allegedly used in a US attack on a communications tower on Sirik Island in Iran’s southern Hormozgan province, according to a report by Fars News Agency. “Following the aggression of the US army on a communication tower on Sirik Island in Hormozgan Province an hour ago, the IRGC Aerospace Force fighters targeted the airbase where the aggression originated and the predicted targets were destroyed,” the IRGC said. The announcement came after reports that air defence systems had been activated in Kuwait and warning sirens sounded across the country.
US says it struck Iranian military sites in Goruk and Qeshm Island United States Central Command (Centcom) said it carried out “self-defence strikes” on Iranian military targets in the city of Goruk and on Qeshm Island over the weekend. In a post on X, Centcom said the operation was a response to what it described as “aggressive Iranian actions”, including the downing of an MQ-1 drone in international waters. The command said US forces destroyed “Iranian air defenses, a ground control station, and two one-way attack drones that posed clear threats to ships transiting regional waters.
Israeli strike on souther Lebanon kills eight, including three women Israeli forces killed at least eight people, including three women, in air strike on southern Lebanon, according to the country's Health Ministry. In a statement, the ministry said the attack on the town of Deir Zahrani in the Nabatieh district left 19 others wounded, including five children and six women. “The massacre committed by the Israeli enemy in a raid on the town of Deir Zahrani, Nabatieh district, at dawn on Sunday… resulted in eight martyrs, including three women, and 19 wounded, including five children and six women,” the ministry said.
Germany warns over Israel's advance into southern Lebanon German Foreign Minister Johannes Wadephul has voiced concern over Israel's expanding ground offensive in southern Lebanon, warning that further escalation could deepen an already volatile crisis. "The Israeli army's advance further into southern Lebanon is cause for serious concern," the statement said, adding: "Any further escalation will exacerbate the already tense situation and trigger new waves of displacement within Lebanon.
Israel weighs major escalation in Lebanon, including Beirut strikes Israel is considering a significant expansion of its military campaign in Lebanon, including the possibility of targeting Beirut, according to a report by Israel's Channel 13. The broadcaster said Israeli military and political leaders are discussing a major increase in the pace and scope of attacks as the offensive continues to intensify across Lebanon. Citing a security source, Channel 13 reported that discussions over the next phase of the operation remain ongoing, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expected to make the final decision on the scale and timing of any escalation.
Israeli strike on Gaza cafe kills two, wounds 12 An Israeli air strike killed at least two Palestinians and wounded 12 others at a crowded cafe in Gaza on Sunday, where people had gathered to mark a public holiday, the Palestinian ministry of health said.
Qatar condemns Israel's expanding attacks on Lebanon Qatar has condemned Israel's continuing attacks on Lebanon and the expansion of Israeli ground operations in the country's south. In a statement, Qatar's Foreign Ministry called on the international community to take action and pressure Israel to halt its military campaign. “The State of Qatar condemns the continued Israeli attacks on Lebanon and the expansion of the ground incursion into its south,” the ministry said.
Israel coordinated Lebanon escalation with US: Report Israel coordinated the expansion of its military operations in Lebanon with the US administration, according to a report by Israel's Channel 15, underscoring Washington's involvement as Israel deepens its offensive across Lebanese territory. Citing informed sources, the broadcaster said Israeli officials consulted closely with their US counterparts before widening military operations, which have inflicted growing civilian casualties and extensive destruction across southern Lebanon. The report said Israel's ambassador in Washington played a central role in coordinating the escalation, with Israeli officials reportedly concluding that limited military action would not achieve their objectives.
Israeli strike on Gaza fishing port kills Palestinian An Israeli strike on Gaza City's fishing port has killed at least one Palestinian and wounded several others, reported the Palestinian news agency Wafa. The attack targeted a group of Palestinians at the fishermen's harbour west of Gaza City on Sunday evening. Casualties were taken to al-Shifa Hospital, where medical staff confirmed one fatality and multiple injuries.
Macron: Nothing justifies Israel's escalation in Lebanon French President Emmanuel Macron has condemned the growing escalation in southern Lebanon, saying the intensifying conflict cannot be justified and calling for a lasting end to the fighting. In a message posted on X after speaking with regional leaders, Macron said that “nothing justifies the major escalation under way in south Lebanon” and stressed the need to bring the violence “to an end for good”. His remarks come as Israel expands its military operations deeper into Lebanese territory, with attacks continuing to kill civilians, damage infrastructure and displace communities across the country's south.
UN Security Council to hold emergency meeting on Lebanon The UN Security Council will convene an emergency session on Monday to discuss Israel's expanding occupation in Lebanon, following its capture of the historic Beaufort Castle, according to diplomatic sources cited by AFP. France requested the meeting as concerns grow over the widening scope of Israel's military operations and their impact on civilians across southern Lebanon. Diplomatic sources said the session will take place immediately after another emergency Security Council meeting scheduled to address the crash of a Russian drone into a residential building in Romania.
Drone strike injures four in northern Israel as Hezbollah attacks intensify At least four people were injured after a drone exploded in the Beit Hillel area of northern Israel, according to reports in the Israeli media. Israel's Channel 12 reported that the incident was still unfolding, with emergency services responding to the scene.
Israel kills Palestinian worker as he climbed West Bank separation wall Submitted by Fayha Shalash on Sun, 05/31/2026 - 15:52 Israeli forces have killed five workers attempting to reach the other side of the barrier since January Palestinians walk alongside Israel's controversial separation barrier in the Dahiat al-Barid neighbourhood of occupied East Jerusalem on 24 February 2026 (AFP) Off The Israeli army on Sunday shot dead a Palestinian worker as he climbed the separation wall in the occupied West Bank in an attempt to enter Jerusalem in search of work. The Palestinian health ministry said Imad Haroun Ishtayeh, 27, was killed after being shot in the thigh, severing a main artery, near the town of al-Ram, north of Jerusalem. Ishtayeh was from the village of Salem near Nablus in the northern West Bank.
Iran restores access to most missile bases hit by Israeli-US strikes: Report Iran has reopened access to most of the underground missile facilities targeted during this year's Israeli-US attacks, according to a CNN analysis of satellite imagery. The report said Iran has cleared 50 of the 69 tunnel entrances at 18 underground missile sites that were hit during the war. Satellite images reviewed by CNN showed Iranian crews using bulldozers, dump trucks and other construction equipment to rapidly remove debris and reopen access routes.
