Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei

Netanyahu orders expansion of Israeli occupation in southern Lebanon

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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gives a speech in Jerusalem on October 16, 2025. [Alex KOLOMOISKY / POOL / AFP via Getty Images]

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday he has ordered the military to expand the occupation in southern Lebanon, vowing to continue attacks until Israel achieves its objectives, Anadolu reports.

Israel is “determined to fundamentally change the situation in the north,” Netanyahu said in a video statement released on the US social media platform X.

He said military operations in Lebanon would continue, adding that Israeli forces would act with force until their goals are met.

The Israeli army has pounded Lebanon with airstrikes and launched a ground offensive in southern Lebanon since a cross-border attack by Hezbollah on March 2.

The region has been on alert since the US and Israel launched an air offensive on Iran on Feb. 28, so far killing over 1,340 people, including then-Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

Iran has retaliated with drone and missile strikes targeting Israel, along with Jordan, Iraq, and Gulf countries hosting US military assets, causing casualties and damage to infrastructure while disrupting global markets and aviation.

READ: Israel says its forces cross from Syria’s Golan Heights into southern Lebanon for ‘targeted operation’

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.
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/

Continue ReadingNetanyahu orders expansion of Israeli occupation in southern Lebanon

US, Israel target Iran’s largest steel companies in new wave of strikes

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Residents continue their daily lives despite the attacks following the military operations launched by the United States and Israel, killing hundreds of civilians, as well as high-ranking officials, in Tehran, Iran on March 25, 2026. [Fatemeh Bahrami – Anadolu Agency]

The US and Israel targeted Iran’s Khuzestan and Mobarakeh steel companies, among the country’s most strategic and largest steel companies, in a new wave of strikes amid an ongoing escalation, Anadolu reports.

Emergency units arrived at the scene, Iran’s semi-official Fars News Agency reported on Friday, stating that more details will be revealed regarding the development.

One person was killed and 15 others were injured during the attack in Isfahan, Iran’s IRIB News Agency reported, citing Mehdi Jamalinejad, the provincial governor.

Regional escalation has continued since the US and Israel launched a joint offensive on Iran on Feb. 28, killing more than 1,340 people, including then-Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

Tehran has retaliated with waves of drone and missile strikes targeting Israel, Jordan, Iraq, and Gulf countries hosting US military assets, inflicting casualties and infrastructure damage while disrupting global markets and aviation.

US military assets worth billions damaged or lost in Iran war: Report

Keir Starmer explains that UK is participating defensively in Trump and Israel's criminal war for Israel's genocidal expansion in Iran and states 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 participating defensively in Trump and Israel’s criminal war for Israel’s genocidal expansion in Iran and states 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/
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.
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.
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.

Continue ReadingUS, Israel target Iran’s largest steel companies in new wave of strikes

Yemen’s Houthis say to intervene militarily if needed amid Iran-US war

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People listen to Houthi leader Abdul-Malik al-Houthi as he speaks via video conference, in Sana’a, Yemen on March 17, 2023 [Mohammed Hamoud – Anadolu Agency]

The leader of Yemen’s Houthi group said Thursday that his movement “is not neutral” in the ongoing war between Iran, the US and Israel, warning that his group will intervene militarily if regional developments dictate it, Anadolu reports.

“We are not neutral, but our position stems from belonging to Islam and the Islamic nation,” Abdul-Malik al-Houthi said in a televised speech cited by the group’s Al-Masirah television.

“Any field developments will be met with military stance if needed, as in previous rounds.”

He said the US-Israeli strikes on Iran have harmed the economic interests of the world’s countries and regional security and stability, calling the assault “unjustified.”

READ: Yemen’s Houthis warns of action as regional tensions escalate

“Developments in the region over the past years show that the US and Israel are working to implement a Zionist plot that targets all countries of the region with a view to changing the Middle East and creating the Greater Israel,” he said.

Backed by Iran, the Houthis control most of Yemeni provinces, including the capital Sanaa, since 2014.

The group carried out missile and drone attacks against Israel and ships passing in the Red Sea in retaliation for Israel’s deadly offensive on the Gaza Strip, which has killed more than 72,000 people since October 2023.

The US and Israel have maintained airstrikes on Iran since Feb. 28, killing so far over 1,340 people, including then-Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

Iran has retaliated with drone and missile strikes targeting Israel, along with Jordan, Iraq, and Gulf countries hosting US military assets, causing casualties and damage to infrastructure while disrupting global markets and aviation.

READ: Trump prefers peace but ready to ‘unleash hell’ in Iran: White House

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.
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.
Keir Starmer explains that UK is participating defensively in Trump and Israel's criminal war for Israel's genocidal expansion in Iran and states 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 participating defensively in Trump and Israel’s criminal war for Israel’s genocidal expansion in Iran and states 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 how Trump was re-elected and him being an obviously insane, xenophobic Fascist.
Orcas discuss how Trump was re-elected and him being an obviously insane, xenophobic Fascist.
Continue ReadingYemen’s Houthis say to intervene militarily if needed amid Iran-US war

UN chief warns Iran war ‘out of control,’ world staring down barrel of wider conflict

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United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres holds a press briefing outlining his priorities for 2026 at the United Nations headquarters in New York, United States, on January 29, 2026. Selçuk Acar – Anadolu Agency]

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned on Wednesday that the Iran war has spun beyond all boundaries, declaring the conflict “out of control,” cautioning that the world faces the prospect of a far broader confrontation, Anadolu reports.

“More than three weeks on, this war is out of control,” Guterres told reporters at a news conference at UN headquarters in New York, adding that “the conflict has broken past the limits even leaders thought imaginable.”

“The world is staring down the barrel of a wider war, a rising tide of human suffering, and a deeper global economic shock,” he said, stressing that it “has gone too far.”

Calling for an end to the military escalation, Guterres said. “It is time to stop climbing the escalation ladder and start climbing the diplomatic ladder, and return to full respect of international law.”

Pointing to the key parties involved in the war, he said, “My message to the United States and Israel is that it is high time to end the war as human suffering deepens, civilian casualties mount, and the global economic impact is increasingly devastating.”

Guterres urged Iran to end attacks on the Gulf countries, arguing that they “are not parties to the conflict.”

Highlighting the economic ripple effects of the war, Guterres said, “The prolonged closure of the Strait (of Hormuz) is choking the movement of oil, gas, and fertilizer at a critical moment in the global planting season.”

Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical artery for global goods and energy trade, had been largely disrupted by escalating tensions in the Gulf following US and Israeli attacks on Iran and Tehran’s retaliation.

READ: Hebrew media: Iran sets five conditions to end war with US and Israel

The strait, which connects Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Kuwait, Qatar, Iraq, and Iran to global markets, handles roughly 25% of global oil trade, about 20% of liquefied natural gas trade, and nearly 30% of fertilizer trade.

The UN chief turned his attention to Lebanon and said, “Israel must stop its military operations and strikes in Lebanon, which are hitting civilians the hardest,” adding, “The Gaza model must not be replicated in Lebanon.”

In efforts to de-escalate tensions, Guterres further announced the appointment of Jean Arnault of France as his “personal envoy to lead the UN efforts on the conflict and its consequences.”

Arnault was the UN chief’s personal envoy on Afghanistan and regional issues in 2021.

When asked for details about Arnault’s role, Guterres said he “will be doing everything possible to support all the efforts for mediation, all the efforts for peace, to be in contact with all the parties” in the Middle East.

Guterres emphasized the need for diplomacy and full respect for international law, expressing hope that the parties involved in the Iran war will reach “an understanding to end this horrible conflict.”

“Because the consequences of the conflict, that is totally out of control at the present moment, are absolutely devastating,” he added.

The region has been shaken since the US and Israel launched a joint offensive on Iran on Feb. 28, so far killing more than 1,300 people, including then-Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

Iran has retaliated with drone and missile strikes targeting Israel, along with Jordan, Iraq, and Gulf countries hosting US military assets, causing casualties and damage to infrastructure while disrupting global markets and aviation.

READ: Iraqi factions announce carrying out 23 military operations targeting US bases

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

Orcas discuss rotting brain. Front Orca says "Wish someone would lock him up".
Orcas discuss rotting brain. Front Orca says “Wish someone would lock him up”.
Donald Trump warns against following the https://onaquietday.org blog, says that it's easy atm, she only needs to report war crimes supporting Israel's genocidal expansion.
Donald Trump warns against following the https://onaquietday.org blog, says that it’s easy atm, she only needs to report war crimes supporting Israel’s genocidal expansion.
Keir Starmer explains that UK is participating defensively in Trump and Israel's criminal war for Israel's genocidal expansion in Iran and states 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 participating defensively in Trump and Israel’s criminal war for Israel’s genocidal expansion in Iran and states 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/

Continue ReadingUN chief warns Iran war ‘out of control,’ world staring down barrel of wider conflict

Trump prefers peace but ready to ‘unleash hell’ in Iran: White House

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White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt speaks at the White House Press Briefing room in Washington DC., United States, on March 10, 2026. [Celal Güneş – Anadolu Agency]

US President Donald Trump favors a peaceful resolution with Iran but is prepared to escalate sharply if Tehran fails to accept the “reality of the current moment,” the White House said Wednesday, Anadolu reports.

Washington postponed planned strikes on Iranian power plants and energy infrastructure after “productive conversations” in the last three days, spokesperson Karoline Leavitt told reporters.

She said if Iran fails to accept that it has “been defeated militarily,” Trump will ensure the country is “hit harder than they have ever been hit before.” She added that the president “does not bluff and he is prepared to unleash hell.”

Leavitt also warned Tehran against “miscalculation,” claiming its last miscalculation had cost Iran its senior leadership, navy, air force and air defense system. Any further violence, she said, would be the result of Iran refusing to accept defeat and come to a deal.

She said the administration does not consider congressional authorization “necessary” for strikes against Iran, and acknowledged no specific timeline exists for the first oil tanker to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, though officials are working to realize it “as quickly as” possible.

Leavitt said the US has destroyed more than 140 Iranian naval vessels, including nearly 50 mine layers, in “the largest elimination of a Navy on the face of the planet in a three-week period since World War II.”

She added that during the weekend, the US dropped several 5,000-pound bombs on an underground facility used to store anti-ship cruise missiles and mobile missile launchers positioned along the Strait of Hormuz coastline.

Trump, Leavitt added, wants to see a Iranian leadership that is “much more favorable” to Washington, willing to cooperate with the US and no longer chanting “Death to America!”

READ: Strait of Hormuz situation ‘will not return to the past,’ Iran says amid escalating Mideast tensions

Talks continue despite Iran’s reported rejection

Asked about Iranian state television reports that Tehran rejected a US 15-point plan to end the war, Leavitt said talks have not broken down. “They have not. Talks continue. They are productive, as the president said on Monday, and they continue to be,” she said.

On the reported plan, Leavitt urged caution, saying she had seen a plan “floated in the media” but that the White House had never confirmed it. “There are elements of truth to it, but some of the stories I read were not entirely factual,” she added.

The US has reportedly sent Iran a 15-point plan, outlining steps on Tehran’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs, as well as maritime security in the Strait of Hormuz. Iran rejected the proposal, saying any ceasefire would occur on its terms and timeline, and outlined five conditions for ending the war, including a complete halt to “aggression and assassinations.”

On possible face-to-face talks, including reports of a potential meeting in Pakistan, Leavitt said nothing should be considered official until formally announced by the White House, cautioning against getting “ahead of our skis” on any talks planned for the weekend.

She also dismissed claims by former counterterrorism director Joe Kent, who alleged the US had shifted its red line from preventing a nuclear weapon to preventing nuclear enrichment to justify the war. She said Kent “resigned in disgrace,” calling his assertions “ridiculous and laughable,” and saying his accusations carry “zero credibility.”

The US and Israel have struck Iran since Feb. 28, killing more than 1,300 people, including then-Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, prompting Iranian retaliatory strikes across the region and a severe disruption to global oil flows.

READ: Hebrew media: Iran sets five conditions to end war with US and Israel

Orcas discuss rotting brain. Front Orca says "Wish someone would lock him up".
Orcas discuss rotting brain. Front Orca says “Wish someone would lock him up”.
Donald Trump warns against following the https://onaquietday.org blog, says that it's easy atm, she only needs to report war crimes supporting Israel's genocidal expansion.
Donald Trump warns against following the https://onaquietday.org blog, says that it’s easy atm, she only needs to report war crimes supporting Israel’s genocidal expansion.
Keir Starmer explains that UK is participating defensively in Trump and Israel's criminal war for Israel's genocidal expansion in Iran and states 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 participating defensively in Trump and Israel’s criminal war for Israel’s genocidal expansion in Iran and states 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/

Continue ReadingTrump prefers peace but ready to ‘unleash hell’ in Iran: White House