Middle East

'Worst criminal of humanity': Pakistani DM calls on US, Turkey to 'kidnap' Netanyahu

Asif’s comments came following the US capture of Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro, and he stated that he would support the capture of Netanyahu.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (L) and Pakistani Defense Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif over the Israeli and Pakistani flags.

Donald Trump reimagines Israel's border with Syria, from buffer zones to bunny slopes

‘AN INTERIM agreement that could one day make it possible to sip hot chocolate in a lodge at the base of a bunny hill on the Syrian half of Mount Hermon is something that may be within reach.’ Here, the first snow this winter hits Mount Hermon in Syria, as seen from the northern Golan Heights, near

Israeli official asked about Starlink in Iran as Musk weighed in, sources say

Iranians attend a protest in the city of Rasht, northern Iran, January 8, 2025

'Mercenaries for foreigners': Khamenei accuses protesters of acting on behalf of Trump

IRANIANS GATHER while blocking a street during a protest in Kermanshah, Iran on January 8, 2026.

Huckabee: Israel will 'coordinate with US,' but make its own decision on renewed Iran airstrikes

Israel will make its own decision regarding airstrikes on Iran, with coordination between leaders but independent choices based on each nation's interests, US Ambassador Mike Huckabee told KAN News.

JANUARY 9, 2026ByLARA SUKSTER MOSHEYOF

US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee looks on during an interview with Reuters in Jerusalem, September 10, 2025.

Kurdish councils in Syria's Aleppo reject evacuation call after ceasefire announcement

A ceasefire was declared in Aleppo by Syria's Defense Ministry after clashes with Kurdish forces, with Damascus claiming it will "escort departing militants" to northeastern Syria.

JANUARY 9, 2026ByJAMES GENN, REUTERS

Security forces affiliated with the Ministry of the Interior stand guard in the Ashrafieh neighbourhood, which they have taken control of, according to the Interior Ministry, following battles with the Syrian Democratic Forces, in Aleppo, Syria, January 9, 2026.

Israel Navy intercepts Egyptian vessel entering blockaded waters off Gaza's shoreline, IDF confirms

Egypt accepted responsibility for the incident, Channel 13 reported, citing an IDF source.

JANUARY 9, 2026ByLARA SUKSTER MOSHEYOF

Israel Navy soldiers operate off the coast of Ashdod, August 2024; illustrative.

Iran-linked hacker group claims to have hacked, surveiled senior Mossad agent

Handala, an Iran-linked hacker group previously responsible for hacking the devices of Israeli officials, threatened that it would release a "shock" of information regarding Mossad.

JANUARY 8, 2026ByANNA BARSKY

Laptop and source code on the screen composing flag of Iran.

UAE helped separatist leader Zubaidi flee Yemen ahead of peace talks, Saudi coalition says

The head of the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council left Yemen by boat for Somaliland, before boarding an aircraft to Mogadishu that was later tracked to an airport in Abu Dhabi.

JANUARY 8, 2026ByREUTERS

Supporters of the UAE-backed separatist Southern Transitional Council (STC) hold a poster of Aidarous al-Zubaidi, the STC's leader, who, according to the Saudi-backed coalition, fled to an unknown destination, in Aden, Yemen, December 21, 2025.

Israel: Syrian attacks on Kurdish minority in Aleppo 'serious and dangerous'

“The attacks by Syrian regime forces on the Kurdish minority in the city of Aleppo are serious and dangerous," Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar tweeted.

JANUARY 8, 2026ByJAMES GENN, TPS

A Kurdish internal security forces member stands guard with a weapon as Syrian Kurds attend a protest in solidarity with the people in the neighborhoods of Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh in Aleppo, in Hasakah, Syria, January 7, 2026

Violent Aleppo clashes risk spilling over into rest of Syria if not contained - analysis

Dozens of civilians were forced to temporarily leave their homes amid shelling and gunfire, amid partial outages of electricity and water, and disruptions to some basic services.

JANUARY 8, 2026ByRIZIK ALABI/THE MEDIA LINE

A member of the Syrian army walks with a weapon in the street as civilians flee following renewed clashes between the Syrian army and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), in Aleppo, Syria, January 7, 2026

UNRWA planning on opening Turkey office, seeks permanent presence in country

UNRWA Commissioner-General Phillipe Lazzarini announced that the agency has signed an agreement with the Turkish government to establish the office.

JANUARY 8, 2026ByJERUSALEM POST STAFF, REUTERS

Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), Philippe Lazzarini, attends a meeting of the Global Alliance for the implementation of the two-state solution, at Oslo City Hall in Oslo, Norway, January 15, 2025.

Iran ready for war with US but open to negotiations, FM Araghchi says in Beirut

Abbas Araghchi, speaking during a press conference in Beirut, added that the purpose of his visit to Lebanon was to discuss Israel's "challenges and threats" to regional security.

JANUARY 8, 2026ByJERUSALEM POST STAFF, REUTERS

Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi meets with his Egyptian counterpart and the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in Cairo on September 9, 2025.

Lebanon not doing enough to disarm Hezbollah despite army's 'operational control,' Israel says

The statement reaffirmed the army’s commitment to being the sole actor responsible for maintaining security in Lebanon, with an emphasis on the area south of the Litani River

JANUARY 8, 2026ByMIRIAM SELA-EITAM, SAM HALPERN

Lebanese army soldiers inspect the site of an Israeli airstrike in the southern Lebanese village of Tair Felsay near Litani river, early on November 13, 2025.