Hormuz traffic slows as uncertainty over waterway persists
Claims by US President Donald Trump that the strait was open contradict Iran's assertions that it remained shut to shipping.
Middle East
US sanctions Iran-backed hackers, CENTCOM reportedly weighs cutting mobilization to region
US weighs scaling back Middle East military presence after months of Iranian attacks - report
Iran's attack on Kurdistan may signal new phase in Tehran's regional drone warfare - analysis
Iraq approves three month mechanism to export crude via local, international firms
Iraq is seeking to diversify its oil export channels and maintain flexibility in marketing its crude amid the Iran war and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
US working to establish Israel-Turkey-Syria deconfliction mechanism after Israeli strikes
Turkey condemned Israel's strikes on the Abu al-Dahur airbase in northwestern Syria but did not comment further, including about a potential deconfliction mechanism.
Iranian envoy visits four nationals detained for three months in Kuwaiti prison
This occurred a few days after an Iranian military official accused Kuwait of withholding information about their fate.
UAE gives all-clear after air defenses detect Iranian missile, Tehran denies attack
This comes amid tensions with Iran as the Memorandum of Understanding expired, with US President Donald Trump laying claim to the Strait of Hormuz with a declaration marking it as "US territory."
Syria's foreign minister confirms nuclear material found by IAEA at Deir Ezzor site
Syria is not known to hold operational stockpiles of nuclear material for a weapons program, but Israel bombed a suspected Syrian nuclear reactor in 2007 in the country's eastern province.
Lebanon's Aoun seeks extension of UNIFIL mandate, despite failure to prevent Hezbollah activity
Despite Aoun’s support for the UN peacekeeping forces, UNIFIL has long been criticized for failing to take action against Hezbollah’s military buildup in southern Lebanon.
Israeli settler extremist confronts Palestinian-American at his besieged West Bank home
"Here's an American citizen being attacked in the West Bank by an American tax-funded army, American weapons used to attack Palestinian Americans in the West Bank," one resident told Reuters.
Trump declares Strait of Hormuz as 'new US territory,' day after MoU deadline expires
When asked whether he was working to extend the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), Trump declined to answer and shook his head no.
Tehran readies to crush renewed unrest, risking war to maintain control in Strait of Hormuz
A senior Iranian official told Reuters on Monday that Iran would shift to a “fully offensive” posture after Washington ruled out extending a temporary ceasefire agreement.
Iran's drone strike on Kurds may be warning over Trump administration's backchannel, analyst says
Two drones targeted the office of Masrour Barzani, the Kurdistan Regional Government's prime minister, and the home of the region's intelligence chief in northern Iraq on Monday.
