(2026-05-17). The Surprising History of Warm Iranian-Jewish Relations. juancole.com Berkshire (Special to Informed Comment; Feature) — After the massive US and Israeli attacks on Iran on 28 February 2026, the second attack in the middle of negotiations within a year, with his characteristic modesty, Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said: "The war on Iran fulfils my 40-year dream". Netanyahu has not only been dreaming of involving the United States in a war against Iran, but he has also been actively working and plotting to bring this about. US Senator Chris Van Hollen put it this way: 'Netanyahu waited 40 years to find an American president "stupid enough and reckless enough" to s…
(2026-05-17). FIFA says held positive talks with Iran's FA ahead of World Cup. newarab.com 
(2026-05-16). Trump's War on Iran Is a Symptom of Unchecked US Military Power. truthout.org Perhaps some things should never be spoken — for, when they are, they leave us aghast, in a state of horror. Think here of the ghostly figure in Edvard Munch's "The Scream." During the height of the war on Iran, Donald Trump threatened: "A whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again." Those are words that elicit something frightening, terrifying. Let's be frank. The words… |
(2026-05-16). Alexander Zevin: Trump's Gulf War. newleftreview.org Asymmetries of the US-Israeli assault on Iran, as an uneasy balance holds between Tehran's tourniquet on the Strait of Hormuz—and the world economy—and the enormous firepower of the aggressors, at the end of the first round.
(2026-05-16). Pezeshkian's Diplomacy: Iran Balances Resistance, Regional Outreach and Global Pressure. ummid.com Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has sharpened Tehran's diplomatic messaging amid escalating tensions in the Strait of Hormuz and mounting pressure from the United States.
(2026-05-16). Araghchi: BRICS look at Iran with Different Eyes after "American Failure" juancole.com Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) — The BRICS (a broad geopolitical group including Brazil, China, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Iran, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa and United Arab Emirates) held a summit for foreign ministers in New Delhi on May 14-15 that was overshadowed by the relatively fruitless Trump meeting with China's President Xi Jinping in Beijing. Iran, which attended as an observer, was naturally a big subject of conversation. | The Hormuz blockade is affecting different BRICS countries differently. India, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia and Indonesia are suffering with high energy and gasol…
(2026-05-16). Why China didn't hand Trump a breakthrough on Iran. al-monitor.com Trump's landmark three-day visit to China — the first for a US president since 2017 — included plenty of fanfare, flattery and awkward selfies but failed to produce deals or breakthroughs on Iran.
(2026-05-16). A Successful Visit To Beijing. popularresistance.org In the following article, Carlos Martinez assesses Donald Trump's 13-15 May state visit to China, arguing that the positive mood music between Trump and Xi Jinping reflects a (slowly) growing understanding in US policy circles that a hawkish anti-China strategy simply is not working. The semiconductor war has accelerated Chinese self-sufficiency rather than slowed it; Trump's 145 percent tariffs collapsed within days of Beijing tightening rare-earth export controls; and the US-Israeli criminal war on Iran has strengthened, rather than weakened, the multipolar trajectory. | The deeper meaning of this summit is tha…
(2026-05-16). American Analysts' EXCLUSIVE Analysis: How Will the Xi-Trump Meeting Affect the Russia-Ukraine and Iran Wars? unitedworldint.com 
Interview with John Varoli and Andrey Korybko By Tehran Tapdigov A meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and U.S. President Donald Trump was held in Beijing. Executives from several major American companies, including Tesla and Apple, also participated in the dialogue held at the Great Hall of the People. According to reports, the talks lasted …
(2026-05-16). US says Iran-backed militia commander planned Jewish site attacks. al-monitor.com US authorities on Friday detailed charges against a commander of an Iran-backed Iraqi militia who was allegedly involved in plotting terrorism against Jewish people in Europe, Canada and the United States. Mohammad Baqer Saad Dawood Al-Saadi, 32, is said to have directed and urged others to attack US and Israeli interests, and to kill Americans and Jews, in retaliation for the war against Iran.He was identified as a senior figure in Kataeb Hezbollah, a US-designated foreign terrorist organization linked to Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
(2026-05-16). Iranian filmmaker Farhadi condemns Middle East war, protest massacres. al-monitor.com Oscar-winning Iranian director Asghar Farhadi condemned Friday both the killing of civilians in US and Israeli attacks on his country and the "massacring" of protesters by the Islamic republic. Farhadi, who travelled from Tehran last week, trod a fine line when asked for his thoughts about events in his war-hit homeland at the Cannes Film Festival, where his latest film, the French-language "Parallel Tales", received its premiere.
(2026-05-16). UAE says it needs no protection from outside, vows to defend sovereignty. tribune.com.pk 
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) said Friday that it does not seek protection from any party and is capable of deterring aggression, while reaffirming its right to defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity. | The remarks were made by Minister of State Khalifa Shaheen Al Marar during a meeting of BRICS bloc foreign ministers in New Delhi, according to state news agency WAM. | Al Marar rejected Iranian accusations and criticism directed at the UAE and dismissed attempts to justify attacks targeting the country and others in the region, saying such actions violate the UN Charter, international law, and princ…
(2026-05-16). Iraqi militia leader in US custody after arrest: What to know. al-monitor.com Authorities said the individual is linked to a mysterious pro-Iran group that has been claiming attacks on Jewish communities in Europe.
(2026-05-16). Canciller iraní advierte que guerra impulsada por EEUU eleva costos económicos al pueblo estadounidense. cubadebate.cu El ministro de Asuntos Exteriores de Irán, Abbas Araghchi, afirmó este sábado que la guerra impulsada por EE.UU. contra su país impone crecientes costos económicos al pueblo estadounidense, en un contexto de escalada militar y medidas de bloqueo en la región del Golfo Pérsico. Asimismo, advirtió que la situación podría agravarse cuando comiencen a aumentar la deuda pública estadounidense.
(2026-05-16). From hoarding to unemployment: economy buckles under US pressure. al-monitor.com Iran's fast-rising inflation is driving aggressive state market controls, exposing deeper structural strains from war, sanctions and declining consumer confidence.
(2026-05-16). Slashing Climate, Weather and Ocean Research to Pay for 32 Hours of Iran War. juancole.com ( The recently proposed budget from the Trump administration includes a $1.6 billion cut to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The reduction would eliminate NOAA climate, weather and ocean res…
(2026-05-16). Iran's foreign minister warns US of rising economic costs from 'war of choice'. tribune.com.pk 
The US will face growing economic consequences from its "war of choice" on Iran, the Iranian foreign minister warned on Saturday. | On X, Araghchi said Americans would be forced to bear the rising costs of a conflict with Tehran. "Put aside gas price hike and stock market bubble. Real pain begins when US debt and mortgage rates start to jump," he said. | He also pointed to growing economic pressures inside the US, saying auto loan delinquencies had already reached a more than 30-year high. | "This was all avoidable," Araghchi added. | Americans are told that they must absorb rocketing costs of war of choice on…
(2026-05-16). Al Jazeera's exclusive report from the Strait of Hormuz. aljazeera.com Heavy ship traffic and rising regional tensions over one of the world's most critical energy routes.