Yearly Archives: 2026

UAE oil giant says Hormuz still closed despite truce, 230 loaded oil vessels waiting to sail

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A view of the vessels passing through Strait of Hormuz following the two-week temporary ceasefire reached between the United States and Iran on the condition that the strait be reopened, seen in Oman on April 08, 2026. [Shady Alassar – Anadolu Agency]

The head of Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) said Thursday that the Strait of Hormuz remains effectively closed despite a ceasefire, with Iranian restrictions still blocking normal energy exports and around 230 loaded oil vessels waiting to sail, Anadolu reports.

In a LinkedIn post, ADNOC CEO Sultan Al Jaber said access to the waterway was being restricted and conditioned, adding that “conditional passage is not passage” and that the strait must be reopened “fully, unconditionally and without restriction.”

Al Jaber said around 230 vessels loaded with oil are ready to sail and that ADNOC has already loaded cargoes, adding that the company would expand production within the limits imposed by war-related damage to its infrastructure and the need to ensure staff safety.

READ: Pakistan’s premier assures ‘highest support’ to US, Iran talks

“Markets remain at a critical crossroads. The final cargoes that transited the Strait of Hormuz before the conflict are now arriving at their destinations. This is where the paper traded markets are meeting physical reality, and the 40-day gap in global energy flows is truly exposed,” he added.

His remarks came as Iran announced alternative entry and exit routes for ships transiting the strait, saying the measures were aimed at reducing the risk of collisions with possible sea mines in the main shipping zone. Iranian media and officials said vessels should use designated corridors for maritime safety.

Shipping firms, however, have remained cautious despite the US-Iran ceasefire announced earlier this week.

Before the conflict, the Strait of Hormuz handled about one-fifth of global oil and LNG shipments, making any prolonged disruption a major risk for energy markets, particularly in Asia, which Al Jaber said receives most cargoes moving through the corridor.

READ: Iran halts Hormuz transit and warns of strikes after ceasefire violations in Lebanon

This work by Middle East Monitor is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. 

Donald Trump calls for help from NATO allies in securing the Straight of Hormuz despite saying on 7 March 2026 that they don't need people to join wars after they've already won. He's challenged with the claim that he lies as much as the IDF.
Donald Trump calls for help from NATO allies in securing the Straight of Hormuz despite saying on 7 March 2026 that they don’t need people to join wars after they’ve already won. He’s challenged with the claim that he lies as much as the IDF.
Keir Starmer explains that UK is actively supporting Israel's genocidal expansion and repeats his previous quotation that he supports Zionism "without qualification". Keir Starmer said “I said it loud and clear – and meant it – that I support Zionism without qualification.” here: https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/keir-starmer-interview-i-will-work-to-eradicate-antisemitism-from-day-one/
Keir Starmer explains that UK is actively supporting Israel’s genocidal expansion and repeats his previous quotation that he supports Zionism “without qualification”. Keir Starmer said “I said it loud and clear – and meant it – that I support Zionism without qualification.” here: https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/keir-starmer-interview-i-will-work-to-eradicate-antisemitism-from-day-one/

Orcas discuss Genocide-supporting and complicit Zionists. Donald Trump, Keith Starmer, David Lammy, Rachel Reeves, Angela Rayner and Wes Streeting are acknowledged as evil genocide-complicit and supporting cnuts.
Orcas discuss Genocide-supporting and complicit Zionists. Donald Trump, Keith Starmer, David Lammy, Rachel Reeves, Angela Rayner and Wes Streeting are acknowledged as evil genocide-complicit and supporting cnuts.

Continue ReadingUAE oil giant says Hormuz still closed despite truce, 230 loaded oil vessels waiting to sail

Israel’s Security Cabinet ‘secretly’ approves 34 illegal settlements in occupied West Bank: Report

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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu chairs meeting as the Israeli Security Cabinet in West Jerusalem on January 17, 2025. [Photo by Koby Gideon GPO)/Handout/Anadolu via Getty Images]

Israel’s Security Cabinet “secretly” approved the establishment of 34 illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank during a recent session, Israeli media reported on Thursday, Anadolu reports.

Channel 24 did not specify the exact date of the decision but said it was taken during the US-Israeli military campaign against Iran that began Feb. 28.

“The Security Cabinet secretly approved the construction of 34 new settlements in the West Bank, a record number passed in a single move during the campaign against Iran,” the channel said.

The approved sites include locations within Palestinian neighborhoods in the northern West Bank and remote areas rarely reached by Israeli forces, the broadcaster said.

“This is the largest number of settlements ever approved in a single cabinet session,” the channel added.

According to the report, the total number of illegal settlements approved by the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu since it came to power in late 2022 rose to 103.

According to the channel, Israel’s Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir attended the meeting and did not explicitly object the decision. He, however, raised concerns about limited manpower and requested an assessment of implementing the decision across multiple areas simultaneously.

The cabinet also chose to keep the decision secret to avoid US pressure during the ongoing war against Iran, as President Donald Trump has publicly opposed Israeli annexation of the West Bank, the channel said.

There was no immediate comment from the Israeli government on the report.

The Palestinian Authority, for its part, denounced the Israeli move as a “dangerous escalation” and a “blatant violation” of international law.

READ: Israeli occupation forces Jerusalem brothers to demolish their homes in Silwan

In a statement carried by the state news agency Wafa, the authority said all forms of settlement activity in occupied Palestinian territory are illegal under international law, citing UN Security Council Resolution 2334, which affirms that settlements have no legal validity and must stop.

The authority warned that the move reflects “Israeli plans for annexation, expansion and displacement,” and held the Israeli government responsible for the consequences.

It urged the international community, particularly the United States, to intervene immediately to halt the “unilateral Israeli measures.”

Illegal settlement expansion in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, has accelerated since Netanyahu’s government took office in late 2022.

The international community and the United Nations consider the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, occupied Palestinian territory, and regard Israeli settlement activity there as “illegal” under international law.

About 750,000 Israeli occupiers live in 141 illegal settlements and 224 outposts across the West Bank, including 250,000 in 15 illegal settlements in East Jerusalem.

In recent years, Israeli forces and occupiers have intensified operations across the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, involving arrests, killings, property destruction and the displacement of Palestinians, alongside continued illegal settlement expansion.

Palestinian officials warn that such actions could pave the way for Israel to formally annex the West Bank, effectively ending prospects for a Palestinian state as envisioned in UN resolutions.

In a landmark opinion in July 2024, the International Court of Justice declared Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territory illegal and called for the evacuation of all settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

READ: Extremist Israeli minister storms Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa Mosque again amid ongoing closure

This work by Middle East Monitor is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. 

Donald Trump calls for help from NATO allies in securing the Straight of Hormuz despite saying on 7 March 2026 that they don't need people to join wars after they've already won. He's challenged with the claim that he lies as much as the IDF.
Donald Trump calls for help from NATO allies in securing the Straight of Hormuz despite saying on 7 March 2026 that they don’t need people to join wars after they’ve already won. He’s challenged with the claim that he lies as much as the IDF.
Keir Starmer explains that UK is actively supporting Israel's genocidal expansion and repeats his previous quotation that he supports Zionism "without qualification". Keir Starmer said “I said it loud and clear – and meant it – that I support Zionism without qualification.” here: https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/keir-starmer-interview-i-will-work-to-eradicate-antisemitism-from-day-one/
Keir Starmer explains that UK is actively supporting Israel’s genocidal expansion and repeats his previous quotation that he supports Zionism “without qualification”. Keir Starmer said “I said it loud and clear – and meant it – that I support Zionism without qualification.” here: https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/keir-starmer-interview-i-will-work-to-eradicate-antisemitism-from-day-one/

Orcas discuss Genocide-supporting and complicit Zionists. Donald Trump, Keith Starmer, David Lammy, Rachel Reeves, Angela Rayner and Wes Streeting are acknowledged as evil genocide-complicit and supporting cnuts.
Orcas discuss Genocide-supporting and complicit Zionists. Donald Trump, Keith Starmer, David Lammy, Rachel Reeves, Angela Rayner and Wes Streeting are acknowledged as evil genocide-complicit and supporting cnuts.

Continue ReadingIsrael’s Security Cabinet ‘secretly’ approves 34 illegal settlements in occupied West Bank: Report

‘Truly Insane’: Pentagon Threatened Pope After He Condemned Trump’s Military Attacks

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Pope Leo XIV leads his weekly general audience in St. Peter’s Squarein Vatican City on April 8, 2026. (Photo by Maria Grazia Picciarella/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

The US “has the military power to do whatever it wants in the world,” a top official told the Vatican’s US representative. “The Catholic Church had better take its side.”

Pope Leo, the first American to be named the head of the worldwide Catholic Church, has spoken out against President Donald Trump’s policies frequently this year as the US has invaded Venezuela and Iran and threatened Cuba’s 10 million people with an oil blockade that has crippled the island’s economy and healthcare system—and according to new reports, his criticism has followed a warning from a Pentagon official who demanded the Vatican take the “side” of the White House in foreign disputes.

The Free Press originally reported this week that after the pope’s “State of the World” address on January 9, US Undersecretary of Defense for Policy Elbridge Colby called Cardinal Christophe Pierre, the Vatican’s US diplomatic representative, to Washington.

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Colby told Pierre that the US “has the military power to do whatever it wants in the world.”

“The Catholic Church had better take its side,” he said, according to The Free Press.

Another Pentagon official alluded to the Avignon papacy, a period in the 14th century in which the French monarchy ordered an attack on Pope Boniface VIII and forced seven successive popes to relocate from Rome to Avignon in France.

According to Christopher Hale of the Substack blog Letters From Leo, who independently confirmed the meeting had taken place, Vatican officials took the remarks about the Avignon papacy as “a threat to use military force against the Holy See.”

“Bringing up the Avignon papacy as a threat is truly insane,” said progressive organizer Jonathan Cohn.

The pope is unlikely to visit the US during Trump’s presidency as a result of the meeting, Hale reported. Pope Leo rejected an invitation to the White House for the United States’ 250th anniversary celebration on July 4, and is reportedly planning to visit the island of Lampedusa in the Mediterranean that day, where thousands of North African immigrants have arrived as they attempt to reach Europe.

The pope, reported Hale, “is too deliberate a man to have chosen that date by accident.”

The Pentagon meeting took place days after Pope Leo angered the Trump administration, including Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, by lamenting the fact that “a diplomacy that promotes dialogue and seeks consensus among all parties is being replaced by a diplomacy based on force, by either individuals or groups of allies.”

He made the comments days after the US invaded Venezuela, killing dozens of people and abducting President Nicolás Maduro, and as the US continued its boat bombing campaign that began last year in Latin America.

Since then, the pope has made numerous statements in recent weeks as the US joined Israel in bombing Iran and Trump issued increasingly bellicose threats to attack the country’s population of 93 million people.

He said on Tuesday, hours before a two-week ceasefire was reached between the US, Iran, and Israel, that Trump’s threat to wipe out the “whole civilization” of Iran was “truly unacceptable.”

“There are certainly issues of international law here, but even more, it is a moral question concerning the good of the people as a whole, in its entirety,” said Pope Leo. “Let’s look for solutions in a peaceful way.”

He also appeared to reject a call from Hegseth last month when the defense secretary asked Americans to pray for US troops in Iran “in the name of Jesus Christ.”

“Brothers and sisters, this is our God: Jesus, King of Peace, who rejects war, whom no one can use to justify war,” said the Pope in his homily on Palm Sunday days later. “He does not listen to the prayers of those who wage war, but rejects them, saying: ‘Even though you make many prayers, I will not listen: your hands are full of blood.’”

The New Republic reported that prior to the January meeting Pierre was called to, there were no public records of meetings between the Vatican and Pentagon officials, “let alone an instance in which the world power suggested that it could force the Bishop of Rome into captivity.”

When asked about the meeting on Wednesday, Vice President JD Vance—a Catholic convert—at first claimed not to know who the Vatican’s US representative was, before saying the reported was “uncorroborated.”

The Defense Department also denied The Free Press’ account of the meeting, saying the characterization was “highly exaggerated and distorted.”

Writer Pedro Gonzalez noted that former Trump adviser Steve Bannon discussed strategies to “take down” the late Pope Frances with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, according to files on Epstein that were released by the Department of Justice.

“It is for this and other reasons that people take seriously the report about the Trump-Vance administration threatening Pope Leo to bend the knee or else,” said Gonzalez. “These people are insane. Their hunger for power is bottomless. Moral resistance will be met with intimidation and threats, whether it’s in America or in Rome.”

Original article by Julia Conley republished from Common Dreams under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0).

Climate science denier Donald Trump confirms that he knows nothing about democracy and that more liquid gold is being secured according to his policy of global privateering.
Climate science denier Donald Trump confirms that he knows nothing about democracy and that more liquid gold is being secured according to his policy of global privateering.
Keir Starmer explains that UK is actively supporting Israel's genocidal expansion and repeats his previous quotation that he supports Zionism "without qualification". Keir Starmer said “I said it loud and clear – and meant it – that I support Zionism without qualification.” here: https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/keir-starmer-interview-i-will-work-to-eradicate-antisemitism-from-day-one/
Keir Starmer explains that UK is actively supporting Israel’s genocidal expansion and repeats his previous quotation that he supports Zionism “without qualification”. Keir Starmer said “I said it loud and clear – and meant it – that I support Zionism without qualification.” here: https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/keir-starmer-interview-i-will-work-to-eradicate-antisemitism-from-day-one/
Orcas discuss Genocide-supporting and complicit Zionists. Donald Trump, Keith Starmer, David Lammy, Rachel Reeves, Angela Rayner and Wes Streeting are acknowledged as evil genocide-complicit and supporting cnuts.
Orcas discuss Genocide-supporting and complicit Zionists. Donald Trump, Keith Starmer, David Lammy, Rachel Reeves, Angela Rayner and Wes Streeting are acknowledged as evil genocide-complicit and supporting cnuts.
Continue Reading‘Truly Insane’: Pentagon Threatened Pope After He Condemned Trump’s Military Attacks

Israeli air strikes kill 254 in Lebanon on Wednesday

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Smoke rises over residential area following the Israeli attack on Beirut, Lebanon on April 8, 2026. [Houssam Shbaro – Anadolu Agency]

The death toll in Lebanon has risen to 254, with more than 800 people injured, following Israeli air strikes on several areas across the country, the Lebanese Civil Defence said on Wednesday evening.

Lebanon’s Health Ministry had earlier reported that dozens were killed and hundreds wounded in simultaneous strikes that hit multiple areas, including the capital, Beirut.

In a statement, the ministry said: “In a very serious escalation, Israeli enemy aircraft launched a wave of simultaneous raids on many Lebanese areas, resulting in dozens of martyrs and hundreds of injured.”

The ministry urged residents to reduce congestion in Beirut’s neighbourhoods to allow ambulance and rescue teams to move more quickly, warning that heavy traffic is obstructing access to targeted areas.

It also stressed the need to keep roads clear for emergency crews to ensure they can assist the wounded, amid what it described as an unprecedented intensity and scale of air strikes.

Meanwhile, the Israeli army said it had carried out what it described as its largest bombing campaign on Lebanon since Hezbollah entered the war with Iran on 2 March 2026.

READ: Arab League condemns Israeli bombing of Lebanon as “unprecedented barbarity”

This work by Middle East Monitor is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. 

Donald Trump calls for help from NATO allies in securing the Straight of Hormuz despite saying on 7 March 2026 that they don't need people to join wars after they've already won. He's challenged with the claim that he lies as much as the IDF.
Donald Trump calls for help from NATO allies in securing the Straight of Hormuz despite saying on 7 March 2026 that they don’t need people to join wars after they’ve already won. He’s challenged with the claim that he lies as much as the IDF.
Keir Starmer explains that UK is actively supporting Israel's genocidal expansion and repeats his previous quotation that he supports Zionism "without qualification". Keir Starmer said “I said it loud and clear – and meant it – that I support Zionism without qualification.” here: https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/keir-starmer-interview-i-will-work-to-eradicate-antisemitism-from-day-one/
Keir Starmer explains that UK is actively supporting Israel’s genocidal expansion and repeats his previous quotation that he supports Zionism “without qualification”. Keir Starmer said “I said it loud and clear – and meant it – that I support Zionism without qualification.” here: https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/keir-starmer-interview-i-will-work-to-eradicate-antisemitism-from-day-one/
Orcas discuss Genocide-supporting and complicit Zionists. Donald Trump, Keith Starmer, David Lammy, Rachel Reeves, Angela Rayner and Wes Streeting are acknowledged as evil genocide-complicit and supporting cnuts.
Orcas discuss Genocide-supporting and complicit Zionists. Donald Trump, Keith Starmer, David Lammy, Rachel Reeves, Angela Rayner and Wes Streeting are acknowledged as evil genocide-complicit and supporting cnuts.

Continue ReadingIsraeli air strikes kill 254 in Lebanon on Wednesday

UN: Israeli shell killed Indonesian peacekeepers in southern Lebanon

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Clashes and attacks along the Israeli border in southern Lebanon prevent locals from carrying out the long-awaited olive harvest, as residents of Aadaysit in Nabatieh manage to collect olives under the protection of United Nations Interim Force In Lebanon (UNIFIL), on October 20, 2025. [Houssam Shbaro – Anadolu Agency]

The UNIFIL announced that an investigation has concluded that three Indonesian peacekeepers were killed by a shell fired from an Israeli tank.

According to UNIFIL, analysis of the impact site and recovered shrapnel confirmed that the projectile was a 120mm shell fired from an Israeli Merkava tank, launched from the east toward the town of Taybeh.

The mission noted that it had previously provided the Israeli army with the coordinates of all its positions and facilities on 6th March and again on 22nd March, as part of efforts to reduce risks to its personnel.

In a related incident, UNIFIL reported that the Israeli army detained one of its peacekeepers after intercepting a logistics convoy, before releasing him less than an hour later following urgent contacts by UN command.

The mission condemned the detention as a “flagrant violation of international law,” stressing that any obstruction of peacekeeping operations breaches UN Security Council Resolution 1701, which guarantees freedom of movement for UN forces in southern Lebanon.

Separately, UNIFIL confirmed that another peacekeeper was killed on 29th March when a shell struck a UN position near Adshit al-Qusayr, with another seriously wounded. At the time, the source of the shell was unknown, prompting the investigation.

The findings come amid ongoing Israeli aggression on Lebanon and heightened risks facing UN peacekeeping forces operating in the area.

READ: Lebanon declares Thursday day of mourning after Israeli air strikes

This work by Middle East Monitor is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. 

Donald Trump calls for help from NATO allies in securing the Straight of Hormuz despite saying on 7 March 2026 that they don't need people to join wars after they've already won. He's challenged with the claim that he lies as much as the IDF.
Donald Trump calls for help from NATO allies in securing the Straight of Hormuz despite saying on 7 March 2026 that they don’t need people to join wars after they’ve already won. He’s challenged with the claim that he lies as much as the IDF.
Keir Starmer explains that UK is actively supporting Israel's genocidal expansion and repeats his previous quotation that he supports Zionism "without qualification". Keir Starmer said “I said it loud and clear – and meant it – that I support Zionism without qualification.” here: https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/keir-starmer-interview-i-will-work-to-eradicate-antisemitism-from-day-one/
Keir Starmer explains that UK is actively supporting Israel’s genocidal expansion and repeats his previous quotation that he supports Zionism “without qualification”. Keir Starmer said “I said it loud and clear – and meant it – that I support Zionism without qualification.” here: https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/keir-starmer-interview-i-will-work-to-eradicate-antisemitism-from-day-one/
Orcas discuss Genocide-supporting and complicit Zionists. Donald Trump, Keith Starmer, David Lammy, Rachel Reeves, Angela Rayner and Wes Streeting are acknowledged as evil genocide-complicit and supporting cnuts.
Orcas discuss Genocide-supporting and complicit Zionists. Donald Trump, Keith Starmer, David Lammy, Rachel Reeves, Angela Rayner and Wes Streeting are acknowledged as evil genocide-complicit and supporting cnuts.

Continue ReadingUN: Israeli shell killed Indonesian peacekeepers in southern Lebanon