Trump works on a post-war Middle East plan to contain Iran and expand the Abraham Accords. The initiative, writes Axios, is still in its early stages. The European Union "has officially joined" the United States' economic pressure campaign on Iran, the so-called 'Operation Economic Outcast', "and we appreciate their firm and timely position". This is what US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent writes in a post on
US Vice President JD Vance said he does not define the ongoing US military operations against Iran as a "war": "There are no firefights going on." Tehran for its part said it had targeted US bases in the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait.
The head of the Pentagon, Pete Hegseth, extends the deployment of US troops in the Middle East until 2027. The war, therefore, could continue until next year. Keeping 50,000 troops in the region allows US President Donald Trump the flexibility he needs as he weighs his next moves.
Strait of Hormuz, from transit to mine clearance: what the Iran-Oman agreement provides.
What does the new Israel-Lebanon agreement that Hezbollah rejects provide?
Iran, how mines work in the Strait of Hormuz and why it is difficult to remove them.
War in Iran, how much have the US and Israel spent so far?
War in Iran and inflation, who risks being most affected by the increase in prices.
Pasdaran, who are the Guardians of the Iranian Revolution.
War in Iran, the history of crises and conflicts in the Gulf from 1979 to today.
Brigadier General Mohammad Akrami Nia, a spokesman for the Iranian military, signaled a change in the country's military doctrine, in statements reported to Iranian state broadcaster IRIB, saying: "Wherever we perceive a threat, we will conduct pre-emptive operations." “Our military doctrine has moved towards preventive defense and deterrence operations,” Nia said.
The deaths in Israeli attacks in southern and eastern Lebanon rise to three. The latest toll from Israeli air strikes in southern and eastern Lebanon rises to at least three dead and 23 injured. This was reported by the Lebanese Ministry of Health. The ministry reported attacks in five locations in the southern regions of Tire and Nabatieh and in the Bekaa Valley in the east of the country.
The IDF launches raids in Lebanon after an attempted drone attack by Hezbollah. The Israeli army announced that it had begun a series of attacks in Lebanon after its soldiers shot down a Hezbollah drone in the buffer zone occupied by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) in southern Lebanon. “Earlier today, terrorists from the terrorist organization Hezbollah launched a drone against Israeli Defense Forces soldiers operating in the Security Zone in southern Lebanon,” reads the statement, which adds that the soldiers shot down the drone and were not injured in the incident. Lebanese TV channel Al Mayadeen reported that Israeli planes bombed the village of Ain el-Tineh in the Bekaa Valley region of eastern Lebanon and the village of Kfour, near the city of Nabatieh in the south of the country.
US sanctions on Iran, consequences on the economy and the role of China. The United States chose to rely on economic pressure to end the war against Iran. President Donald Trump and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, according to the New York Times, have therefore decided to resort to a new strategy to get out of "a military adventure gone wrong". According to the analysis of the American newspaper, the occupant of the White House went from bombings - which did not force Iran to give up its stocks of enriched uranium - to sanctions, to try to achieve his objectives.
Bessent: oil prices will drop to 40-50 dollars a barrel. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent predicts an oversupply of crude oil on the global market, which could push the price down to $40 a barrel. "I think after all this there will be an oversupply in the oil market. We could get oil prices between $40 and $50," Bessent told Steve Bannon's 'War Room' podcast. He also said the United States was stepping up sanctions against banks that continue to trade with Iran, as part of new measures imposed by the Trump administration.
How concrete is the hypothesis of an Iranian attack on Europe? The news reported by the Financial Times and received from sources within the regime, according to which the Iranians are considering the possibility of attacking US bases in Europe and submarine cable networks on which much of the world's data traffic depends, opens up unprecedented scenarios.
Trump: "A military conflict in Iran, for us they are crumbs." "Many don't call it a war" with Iran, "I call it a military conflict, for us they are crumbs. We carry out intermittent attacks." Donald Trump said this in response to those who asked him how he defined the confrontation with Iran after Vice President JD Vance explained that it is not a war.
Israel occupies UNRWA headquarters in East Jerusalem: Ben Gvir celebrates. The operation involved all Israeli forces. The IDF occupied the building, removed the staff and raised an Israeli flag in the courtyard. UNRWA condemned the operation, calling it a violation of international law.
Hamas: Arabs oppose Gaza displacement proposal. Hamas has urged Arab and Muslim countries to oppose the plan for the emigration of Palestinians from Gaza relaunched in words in recent days by Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir. "The increasingly aggressive statements by Israeli government ministers regarding the continued adoption of plans to displace the Palestinian people from the Gaza Strip represent an extremely dangerous development," said Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem, urging "Arab and Muslim countries to act decisively and in a united manner against these plans."
Media: "Civilian victims in Houthi attack on restaurant on the Red Sea". An attack launched by the Houthis against a restaurant in the port of Al-Makha, on the Red Sea, caused several civilian victims. The official state news agency Saba reported it, without specifying the number of victims. Neither the Houthis nor the government have released a statement on the alleged attack.
Former US diplomat: "Possible 'spectacular' attack from Tehran". Former US ambassador to Tunisia Joey Hood has warned that Iran could prepare a "spectacular attack" within the next six weeks. Hood told al Jazeera that Iran "has a history of trying to humiliate US presidents, especially around elections, from Jimmy Carter until recently. Elections, both in the US and in Israel, are taking place at the same time. It is an irresistible temptation for Iran to try to raise crude oil prices in the US. Especially knowing that American voters are very sensitive to the price of gasoline, just as Arab voters are very sensitive to the price of bread."
EU: are we part of the Economic Outcast operation? Continue work with USA. The European Union "will continue to work closely with the USA and other international partners" in order to "maintain pressure on Iran and promote regional détente and stability". European Commission spokesperson Christian Wigand declared this during the daily press briefing, responding to a question regarding comments by US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent according to which the EU has officially joined Operation Economic Outcast, "economic pariah", through which Washington intends to carry out an economic offensive against Tehran with the help of international partners.
This morning the Pope received in audience Cardinal Dominique Joseph Mathieu, Archbishop of Tehran-Isfahan of the Latins, in Iran. The Vatican makes this known.
IDF, 5 Palestinians captured in the West Bank: "they were planning an attack". An IDF commando has captured five Palestinians in the city of Qabatiya, in the West Bank. According to the Israeli army they were planning a terrorist attack. Tsahal said soldiers from the Duvdevan commando unit raided Qabatiya at dawn, based on information provided by the Shin Bet about a cell made up of five Palestinians, described as terrorists, who "had planned to carry out an attack against Israeli civilians and security forces". According to the IDF, the commandos captured the five suspects "in less than 10 minutes" after they entered the places where they were suspected of being. They were then taken for questioning by the Shin Bet. The IDF also says that the commandos searched the suspects' homes, finding an assault rifle, ammunition and military equipment that had been hidden.
EU: Israeli claims about displacement from Gaza are unacceptable. The EU position is that "there should be no forced displacement from Gaza, which is an integral part of the future Palestinian state", the use of this language is "unacceptable", efforts should be directed "to reduce tension and not increase it". A spokesperson for the European Commission said this regarding the declarations of the Israeli authorities on the exodus encouraged over the next 7 years of Palestinian residents in the Gaza Strip.
Oman has quietly rejected Iran's proposal on tariffs in Hormuz. Oman has silently rejected Iran's request to have commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz pay tariffs together: the New York Post reports, explaining that this way Muscat avoids a clash with President Trump, who has threatened to bomb the US ally. A senior regional official said Muscat had refused to agree to the imposition of tariffs, even on a voluntary basis, for environmental and security services, contrary to what Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said last week.
IDF: "Hamas commander who led the 7/10 attack on Sufa base killed". A Hamas commander who led the invasion of Israel's Sufa checkpoint on the border with the Gaza Strip on October 7, 2023, and held several people hostage was killed in an airstrike this week. This was announced by the Israel Defense Forces. Wednesday's attack in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip killed Mohammad Mahmoud Marshad al-Qadi, a company commander of the Nukhba Force, Hamas' elite unit, the military said. During the October 7 offensive, al-Qadi led the attack on the Sufa army checkpoint, the IDF said, adding that he held hostages in the Rafah area during the war.
Poll finds Trump's approval down to 32% on war in Iran. Donald Trump's approval rating drops to 32%: two out of three Americans reject the presidential management of the conflict in Iran. This was revealed by a survey by the University of Massachusetts, according to which four out of five citizens attribute the increase in food and petrol prices to the war. The most critical data for the president concerns the stability of his own electorate: one in six of his voters say they would not vote for him again.
War in Iran? For half of Americans it will only bring instability. At a time of great uncertainty about the conflict in the Middle East, concerns about the consequences are growing. Half of Americans think that the US intervention will make the area even more unstable and 58% expect a worsening of petrol prices, but what makes the president's position particularly critical is the intolerance that is growing among his followers and more generally a negative change in the perception of how the Republicans are managing the war and terrorism issue.
