Desk

Middle East & North Africa

Israel, Gaza, Lebanon, Iran, Syria, Iraq, the Gulf, Yemen, Egypt and Libya.

Cyprus

Iran: Greece and Cyprus named among possible targets by hardline daily Kayhan, as army and Basij officials issue new threats

Iran’s hardline daily Kayhan has named military facilities in Cyprus, Greece and other European countries as possible targets if US…

5:10 pm3 min read

Middle East & North Africa

Yemen: UN says all roads into Taiz are closed, nearly 250,000 have lost essential healthcare and 12 hospitals are at risk

OCHA says no commercial supplies are reaching Ta’iz, where 12 hospitals could close, nearly 250,000 people have lost essential healthcare…

1:25 pm2 min read

Middle East & North Africa

Qeshm: US officials say the blasts were “defensive” American strikes on a missile launcher, on the eve of the midterms

The explosions heard late on November 2 on Iran’s Qeshm island were US strikes, American officials told major US outlets,…

9:15 am3 min read

Drones

Explosions on Iran’s Qeshm island, as the IRGC says it captured two US drones and Trump plays down new strikes after the election

Iran’s IRNA reported several explosions on Qeshm island in the Strait of Hormuz late on November 2, cause unclear. The…

8:30 am2 min read

Middle East & North Africa

Pezeshkian: Mojtaba Khamenei has given the government some powers to negotiate with the US; Vance: “We have made some progress”

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei has authorised the government to negotiate with the US. Vice President…

8:15 am3 min read

Middle East & North Africa

Israel: Central Elections Committee says the result stands even if foreign interference is confirmed, as Likud talks of “stolen” elections

The head of Israel’s Central Elections Committee, Justice Noam Sohlberg, said the October 27 result will stand even if claims…

2 Nov3 min read

Middle East & North Africa

Yemen: the Houthis come within 50 miles of Aden, their deepest advance since 2015, and the EU condemns the escalation

Four military sources told Reuters on November 2 that the Houthis have reached 80 kilometres from Aden, the government’s temporary…

2 Nov3 min read

Middle East & North Africa

Trump on Iran: “At some point we’ll have to hit them hard”, citing Pickaxe Mountain and “one or two sites” he says can be neutralised in 10 minutes

At a rally in Dubuque, Iowa, Trump said the US will have to “hammer” Iran at some point. A day…

2 Nov3 min read

Africa

MINURSO ends: UN begins liquidating its Western Sahara mission as Guterres urges maximum restraint

The UN peacekeeping mission in Western Sahara has ended after its mandate expired on 31 October, and Secretary-General Guterres warned…

2 Nov3 min read

Middle East & North Africa

Lebanon: more than 300,000 people still displaced as Israeli activity in the south blocks returns, UN says

OCHA says more than 300,000 people displaced since March remain uprooted in Lebanon, while close to 970,000 have returned to…

2 Nov2 min read

Middle East & North Africa

UN rights chief demands independent probe into death of staff member held by the Houthis in Yemen

Volker Türk and Antonio Guterres call for an impartial investigation into the death of Mohammad el Shami, detained by the…

2 Nov3 min read

Middle East & North Africa

Yemen: Saudi-led coalition carries out a precision operation against Houthi war resources

The Saudi-led Coalition to Support Legitimacy in Yemen carried out a targeted military operation against the Houthis on the morning…

1 Nov2 min read