(2026-06-01). US and Iran trade blows, Israel expands south Lebanon occupation. newarab.com 
For those just joining us, here are the key updates | The US and Iran conducted tit-for-tat strikes over the weekend into Monday. The US military says it attacked Iranian military sites in Goruk and Qeshm island. Meanwhile, Kuwait reports "hostile" missile and drone attacks, as Iran's IRGC says it launched a retaliatory strike on a base it claims was used for an attack on its Sirik Island
| As Israel expands its invasion and occupation of south Lebanon, the US reportedly put forward a proposal for a new ceasefire in Lebanon, with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio holding separate talks with Lebanese Preside…
(2026-06-01). US proposes new plan to ease Israel-Lebanon tensions amid fighting. geo.tv 
Smoke rises from the site of an Israeli strike in the southern Lebanese city of Tyre on May 31, 2026. — AFP Hezbollah asked to halt attacks.Israel urged to avoid Beirut escalation.Washington talks scheduled for June.US Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke with both Lebanese…
(2026-06-01). They're not even hiding it anymore The Grayzone live. wibailoutpeople.org Cerie Bulivant, a passenger on the Gaza Sumud Flotilla, joins The Grayzone to share his testimony of experiencing heinous abuses and torture by Israeli soldiers after the aid boats were intercepted. Max Blumenthal is then joined by Wyatt Reed from Beirut, who will discuss his coverage of the war in southern Lebanon between invading Israeli …
(2026-06-01). Could Israel's Lebanon Offensive Destroy Any Chance of an Iran-US Agreement? thinktank.pk As global attention remains fixed on Gaza and the fragile relationship between Washington and Tehran, Israel's expanding military operations inside Lebanon have opened another major fault line in the Middle East. Israeli forces recently seized the historic Beaufort Castle in southern Lebanon, marking their deepest military advance into Lebanese territory in more than two decades. …
(2026-06-01). Lebanon War Intensifies: U.S.-Israeli Strike Injures 13 Hospital Workers in Tyre. wibailoutpeople.org
(2026-06-01). Hormuz Crisis hits Asia and Africa Hard, Spurs EV Buying. juancole.com Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) — The release of massive strategic petroleum reserves in the US, China and Europe, along with austerity measures around the world, have kept the Hormuz crisis from pushing petroleum prices sky-high. They are, however, up 50% or so since the Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump launched their war of aggression on Iran. The ongoing closure of the Strait of Hormuz by Iran and the counter-closure by the US of Iran's exports has taken over a billion barrels of petroleum off the market this spring. If the Strait is not opened soon, neither austerity…
(2026-06-01). The Iran War has cost Americans $50 billion at the Pump. juancole.com A settlement would be welcome news. But even if a deal happens tomorrow, here's the reality: Americans will be paying high fuel prices for months to come. The economic damage from this conflict is already done. | Since the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran in late…
(2026-06-01). What did Iran mean by 'new phase of war'? Mojtaba's top negotiator reveals battle plan to counter US. hindustantimes.com Iran's Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf has declared that a "new phase" in the confrontation with the United States and Israel has begun, as diplomatic talks remain stalled. Speaking during a parliamentary session, Ghalibaf emphasized that Iran will not approve any agreement unless it secures what he described as the "rights of the Iranian nation." He warned against trusting enemy promises and framed the current situation as a broader struggle spanning military, diplomatic, economic, and social fronts. The statement comes amid rising regional tensions and renewed debate inside Iran over how to respond…
(2026-06-01). Israel airstrike kills at least two Palestinians at Gaza port. aljazeera.com At least two Palestinians were killed and around a dozen wounded when an Israeli air strike hit a crowded cafe.
(2026-06-01). Sunday 6/14: U.S. Policy Towards Israel/Palestine: How to Change It. indybay.org Unitarian Universalist of San Francisco | 1187 Franklin St. | San Francisco…
(2026-05-31). Israel troops capture Beaufort Castle in southern Lebanon push against Hezbollah. al-monitor.com JERUSALEM, May 31 (Reuters) – Israeli troops have seized the 900-year-old Beaufort Castle and its strategic ridge in southern Lebanon, the military said on Sunday, a major advance against Iran-backed Hezbollah despite a ceasefire announced more than six weeks ago. It comes after Saturday, one of the heaviest days of Hezbollah fire toward northern Israel since the April ceasefire, prompting school closures and restrictions.
(2026-05-31). Israel PM says capturing Beaufort in Lebanon offensive. al-monitor.com Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to push deeper into Lebanon after his military took over the medieval castle of Beaufort on Sunday, calling it a "dramatic shift" in the campaign against Hezbollah.The Iran-backed militant group, meanwhile, said it targeted Israeli army positions and infrastructure in Shlomi and Nahariya in northern Israel, while air raid sirens blared in the Acre area.
(2026-05-31). Truce in tatters as Israeli troops push deeper into Lebanon. tribune.com.pk 
Israeli troops seized the historic Beaufort Castle in southern Lebanon and established control over its strategic ridge, marking a significant escalation in military operations against the country despite an internationally brokered ceasefire that has struggled to hold for more than six weeks. | Israel's Defence Minister Israel Katz said troops would remain deployed at Beaufort as part of a broader "security zone" in southern Lebanon, underscoring what officials described as a long-term military posture rather than a temporary advance. | The Israeli military confirmed that its operations focused on securing th…
(2026-05-31). Israel plants flag on medieval castle, pushes Lebanon ground operation. geo.tv 
An Israeli flag and a flag of the Golani Brigade are raised on Beaufort Castle, as seen from Marjayoun, southern Lebanon, May 31, 2026. — Reuters Israeli forces expand their ground operations in Lebanon. Israeli defence minister says troops captured historic…
(2026-05-31). Lebanon and Israel hold military talks at Pentagon despite Israeli offensive: What to know. al-monitor.com A renewed Israeli offensive in southern Lebanon aims to extract concessions from Beirut in US-brokered diplomatic talks, but Lebanese military officials say there is no path forward until Israel halts its attacks and returns to the April ceasefire.
(2026-05-31). Israel seizes Lebanon's historic and strategic Beaufort Castle. newarab.com 
Israel on Sunday captured The castle, known in Arabic as Qalaat al-Shaqif, occupies a strategic vantage point overlooking most of southern Lebanon as well as northern Israel. In addition to being a medieval heritage site, it has contemporary strategic significance. | The Israeli m…
(2026-05-31). Lebanon PM denounces Israeli campaign as fresh strikes hit south. al-monitor.com Lebanon's prime minister accused Israel on Saturday of pursuing a "scorched-earth policy" in his country's south, urging a halt to the fighting as Israel carried out fresh airstrikes and issued evacuation warnings for more than a dozen locations.A day after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said his forces had advanced deeper into Lebanon, his counterpart Nawaf Salam warned the country was facing a "dangerous" escalation, and called for "a swift and real ceasefire".
(2026-05-31). Friday 5/29: Demonstration against genocide at the israeli consulate. indybay.org 456 Montgomery St | San Francisco…
(2026-05-31). 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.
(2026-05-31). Israeli Claims About An Iran 'Threat' Were Always A Lie. Now We Have Proof. scheerpost.com Jonathan Cook Substack [First published by Middle East Eye] Could it be that Israel's 30-year narrative about Iran — one that persuaded US President Donald Trump to wage a criminal and disastrous war of aggression — was always a fiction, an invention cooked up in Tel Aviv? Far from Tehran posing an existential danger to Israel, …
(2026-05-31). How did Netanyahu infatuate the "understanding" memo to end Iran war? thealtworld.com What is the function of his "brilliant" protégé, Kushner? And why hasn't a single Arab country condemned Trump's threats to weaken the Sultanate of Oman? And where's the Gulf Cooperation Council? | Yes, there was a draft memorandum of understanding to end the American-Israeli aggression against Iran, and it has great chances of success if implemented, because it provides a two-month truce to save America and what remains of its reputation, and to host the World Cup, for which it has allocated tens of billions for its organization, and to reduce the losses of this war, which have reached 95 billion dollars so far…
(2026-05-31). Ben-Gvir's French Ban and Washington's Failure of Discipline. moderndiplomacy.eu From Criticism to Consequence France's decision to bar Itamar Ben-Gvir from its territory should not be treated as a diplomatic earthquake. It will not stop the war in Gaza, remake Israel's coalition, or create a united European sanctions policy overnight. Its meaning is smaller but more revealing. Paris has moved, however cautiously, from criticism to …
(2026-05-31). Israeli siege driving Gaza hospital towards shutdown. newarab.com 
(2026-05-31). Israeli drone strikes injure several Palestinians in Gaza. newarab.com 
Several Palestinians were injured on Sunday evening when an Israeli drone struck a house in the Field and medical sources told The New Arab that the strike targeted the home of the Abu Zaher family in Block 9 of Al-Bureij camp. | Medical teams transported four injured people to The sources said that the wounded…
(2026-05-31). Cry, my beloved New Zealand. Another Kiwi abandoned to the IDF. asiapacificreport.nz 
COMMENTARY: By Eugene Doyle There was only one moment when I was interviewing him last week that Mousa Taher broke down and cried. It was a surprising, pivotal moment in the interview. He had just made it back to Aotearoa New Zealand from Israeli detention. Of course, we covered the ordeal — the beatings, the…
(2026-05-31). Israeli forces kill Palestinian man trying to climb over barrier. newarab.com 
Israeli forces shot dead a Palestinian man Sunday as he attempted to enter Jerusalem by climbing over a barrier separating the city from the The Palestinian health ministry in Ramallah identified the man as Imad Haroun Ashtiyeh, 26, saying he was killed by Israeli gunfire near the town of Al-Ram, north of Jerusalem. | Ashtiyeh, a construction worker from the village of Salem near Nablus, had attempted to climb the barrier at Al-Ram along with a few other men to m…
(2026-05-31). US Congress moves to deepen military ties with Israel: Why it matters. aljazeera.com Analysts say the plan would weave Israeli military interests more deeply into the fabric of US national security policy.
(2026-05-31). New bill proposes unprecedented US-Israeli military cooperation. newarab.com 
A provision buried within a major The proposal, known as the "United States-Israel Defence Technology Cooperation Initiative", appears as Section 224 of the House Armed Services Committee's draft version of the fiscal year 2027 National…