Browsing: Middle East

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan made back-to-back visits to Saudi Arabia and Egypt over two days this week, seeking to expand Turkish influence in the Middle East and North Africa. Erdoğan met with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi in Cairo on Wednesday, where the two countries signed cooperation agreements and voiced shared positions on several regional issues, including Gaza, Somaliland, and tensions between the United States and Iran. Following the meeting, el-Sisi presented several memoranda of understanding and agreements that had been signed across a broad range of issues, including defense, tourism, investment, trade, health, and agriculture. Continue reading this…

There is a strong likelihood that the Houthis will resume their attacks on Israel and on US ships if the US strikes Iran, Israeli public broadcaster KAN News reported on Wednesday. According to KAN, Israeli security forces are operating under the assumption that Yemen’s Houthi terrorists will be prepared to strike back against Israel if the US attacks Iran first. KAN also reported that a source within a Yemenite faction combating the Houthis had passed information to Washington about the potential for a resurgence in attacks on US ships in the Red and Arabian Seas. Continue reading this article on jpost.com

The IDF struck several Hezbollah tunnels used as weapons storage facilities across Lebanon, the military announced on Thursday. According to an IDF statement regarding the operation, “following the strikes, secondary explosions were identified, indicating the presence of weapons in the area.” Hezbollah terrorist activity, “constituting a violation of the ceasefire understandings between Israel and Lebanon,” had been observed at the sites prior to the strikes. Continue reading this article on jpost.com

A senior Iranian official vowed that the regime would launch massive attacks against Israel if the U.S. decides to strike Iran, after U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday renewed his threats, as well as his calls for the regime to return to the negotiating table. Writing on 𝕏 both in Persian and in Hebrew, Ali Shamkhani, the secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council and one of the Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s closest aides, said, “A limited [US] strike is an illusion. Any military action by America, of any kind and at any level, will be considered the start of…

Intense diplomatic talks are underway ahead of the expected opening of the Rafah crossing in the coming days, as a U.S.-backed plan to transfer governance of Gaza to a technocratic council under the Board of Peace enters a decisive phase, officials involved in the process said. Despite assessments in Israel that the crossing could reopen as early as Sunday, no final date has been agreed upon, according to officials familiar with the discussions. The opening of the crossing is expected to mark the first entry of the technocratic governing body into Gaza, a move intended to replace Hamas’ control of…

Following a failed projectile launched toward the Israel from the Gaza City, the Israeli military eliminated terrorists affiliated with Hamas and other terrorist groups in the Palestinian enclave. On Friday, the IDF named the terrorists eliminated as Kamal Abd al-Rahman Muhammad Awad, who served as Hamas’s head of the anti-tank missile operation; Ahmad Thabet, a key figure in Hamas’s weapons manufacturing operation. In addition, the IDF said it targeted Ahmad Abd al-Fattah Saeed Maghdalawi, a terrorist with the Nukhba brigades, who infiltrated Israel and took part in the deadly October 7 massacre, including the butchery at site of the Nova music festival.…

Following weekend situation assessments led by IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir, the IDF emphasized that it is closely monitoring developments in Iran while maintaining high operational readiness. The army’s message was clear: while the protests are an internal Iranian matter, Israel is prepared to defend itself and respond with strength if necessary to protect its citizens. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu voiced solidarity with the Iranian people, expressing hope for a future of freedom and better relations between the nations. Israel’s defense posture blends vigilance with restraint—keeping forces ready, refining air-defense and intelligence coordination, and ensuring rapid response capabilities…

The Israel Defense Forces announced on Tuesday that its troops had been attacked by a group of Hamas terrorists in the area of Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip, in a violation of the ceasefire agreement. Two Israeli soldiers were wounded in the ensuing firefight, but the IDF wasn’t sure whether the terrorists had managed to escape or not. On Wednesday morning, the military said that after conducting searches in the area of the firefight, six Hamas gunmen were found to have been killed during the engagement, and that multiple weapons were found on the fighters. The incident occurred on…

The IDF announced on Thursday that it had launched a wave of airstrikes in several areas in Lebanon. According to the military, the strikes are in response to Hezbollah’s repeated violations of the ceasefire understandings. Local media outlets reported that the strikes targeted the village of Sahmar in the western Bekaa valley, publishing footage of explosions in the village. Shortly before the strikes, IDF Arabic Language Spokesman Avichay Adraee issued a warning to residents of Sahmar, stating that the IDF “will attack in the near term infrastructure belonging to the terrorist Hezbollah and that to deal with its prohibited attempts…

The Lebanese army announced Thursday that it had completed the first phase of its plan to disarm Hezbollah, covering the area in the country’s south between the Israeli border and the Litani River. The announcement marked a potential milestone more than a year after a ceasefire ended a year-long war between the terror group and Israel. For decades, Hezbollah had been the most powerful force in Lebanon’s south. But Israel, which maintains a troop presence in a number of key locations in southern Lebanon to defend the border, was skeptical about the Lebanese claim. Continue reading this article on timesofisrael.com