Israel War

• Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claimed its naval forces attacked a US-operated drone boat in the Strait of Hormuz. • Lawmaker Fathollah Tavassoli stated on Sunday that Tehran will not be forced into negotiations through sanctions or threats from the US and Europe. • This stance indicates that Iran intends to resist economic or political pressure used to impose excessive demands on the country.

• EU foreign ministers met in Ireland but failed to reach an agreement on imposing trade sanctions on Israel or increasing military support for Ukraine. • Four nations, including Poland and Sweden, renewed calls to use frozen Russian sovereign assets to fund Ukraine's military efforts. • Continued deadlock over asset seizure and sanctions limits the EU's ability to provide immediate financial aid to Ukraine and exert economic pressure on Israel.

Air bases used by US in the UAE and Kuwait hit as the Israeli defence chief says Iran’s regime fears collapse due to economic pressuresIran has continued to demonstrate an ability to target bases in the Gulf used by the US despite six months of war and a new sanctions regime described by the Trump administration as an “economic D-day”.As Iran’s military targeted US bases in the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait, despite threats of further strikes by the US president, Israel’s defence chief warned that economic pressures from the sanctions could lead Tehran to escalate to more “extreme measures”. Continue reading...

Foreign secretary tells MPs he will try to stop illegal settlements carving up the West BankEd Miliband has promised to “reset” Britain’s policy on Israel, saying he will try to stop British companies helping build settlements in the West Bank.Speaking to the Commons for the first time as foreign secretary, Miliband said he would set out measures to prevent UK involvement in projects such as the illegal E1 plan, which critics say would split the West Bank in half. Continue reading...

• The US launched a strike on Iran’s Larak Island, marking the first direct exchange of fire between the two nations in over a month. • Iran retaliated by targeting US military personnel at an airbase in the United Arab Emirates, while Donald Trump claimed that Iran’s Kharg Island energy hub was being destroyed. • Marking six months since the start of the war, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei urged Muslim nations to unite against the US and Israel, labeling them enemies of all Islamic nations.

• Iran's president has acknowledged a severe economic downturn, reporting that exports and imports have slumped by nearly 35 percent. • The economic decline is attributed to the combined impact of international sanctions and a US naval blockade. • This admission highlights the significant financial toll of ongoing conflicts and tensions involving the US and Israel.

• Ongoing conflicts across the Middle East since October 7 have fundamentally altered the regional landscape, though not in the directions envisioned by the U.S. and Israel. • The strategic goals of the U.S. and Israel to weaken Iran's influence or stabilize the region have faced significant setbacks amidst sweeping regional instability. • This shift matters because it suggests that military pressure and targeted strikes have failed to deter Iranian-backed proxies or secure a lasting peace.