(2026-05-17). Drone targets UAE nuclear power plant, straining Iran war ceasefire. scmp.com A drone strike targeted the United Arab Emirates' Barakah nuclear power plant on Sunday, setting an electrical generator ablaze on its perimeter and again straining the shaky ceasefire in the Iran war. | No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, which caused no radiological release nor injuries, authorities in the UAE's capital, Abu Dhabi, said.
(2026-05-17). War in Middle East: latest developments. al-monitor.com Here are the latest developments in the Middle East war: – No US concessions -Iranian media said Washington had failed to make any concrete concessions in its latest response to Iran's proposed agenda for negotiations to end the war. The Mehr news agency said: "The United States, offering no tangible concessions, wants to obtain concessions that it failed to obtain during the war, which will lead to an impasse in the negotiations." – Drone strike outside UAE nuclear plant -…
(2026-05-17). After UAE and Iran scares, Massive fire erupts at IDF base in Negev near Israel's nuclear heartland. hindustantimes.com Reports of escalating regional tensions across the Middle East have raised fresh concerns after alleged drone strikes, explosions, and fires near sensitive military and energy infrastructure. Incidents reportedly include a fire at an Israeli military base in the Negev Desert, alongside unverified claims linking the region to critical strategic facilities. Separately, Iranian authorities have described controlled explosions in parts of Isfahan, while earlier reports suggested a drone strike near the Barakah nuclear plant in the UAE. Officials across affected regions have issued statements downplaying damage, but s…
(2026-05-17). 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.
(2026-05-17). Iraq exported 10 million barrels of oil through Hormuz in April. newarab.com 
The closure of the Strait of Hormuz due to the US-Israeli war on Iran has curtailed oil exports from Saudi Arabia, the
(2026-05-17). 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.
(2026-05-17). Strait of Hormuz 'open' except for enemies, as new Iran insurance regulatory plan touted. asiapacificreport.nz 
Asia Pacific Report Iran says the Strait of Hormuz is "open to all except its adversaries", and any passage through the trajectory of this significant chokepoint should be coordinated with the Iranian military, reports AL Jazeera. Sources say the number of ships transiting through the strait has slightly increased, but is still very low compared…
(2026-05-17). 'Calm before the storm': Trump shares cryptic post amid reports of potential fresh strikes. ptcnews.tv PTC News Desk: US President Donald Trump on Sunday posted a cryptic message on his social media platform Truth Social asserting "It Was The Calm Before The Storm," alongside an AI-generated image that appeared to signal rising tensions around Iran and the Strait of Hormuz crisis. | The image, shared on Donald Trump's social media account, showed him wearing a "Make America Great Again" cap while standing aboard a US Navy vessel with a naval officer. The background featured rough seas, lightning, and Iranian ships.
(2026-05-17). Iran chief negotiator Ghalibaf appointed to oversee ties with China: media. geo.tv 
In this handout picture provided by the Islamic Consultative Assembly News Agency, Iran's Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, dressed in an IRGC uniform, chairs a session in Tehran, February 1, 2026. — AFPGhalibaf emerges as key figure in Iran's foreign diplomacy.Iran…
(2026-05-17). 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).
(2026-05-17). After the Iran War: Seven Dynamics That Will Define the New Middle East. moderndiplomacy.eu Every major war in the Middle East has left the region permanently altered in ways that nobody fully anticipated at the time. The 1948 Arab-Israeli war created a refugee crisis whose consequences are still being negotiated seventy-eight years later. The 1979 Islamic Revolution in Iran reorganized the entire regional security architecture around a new fault …
(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). Israeli officials say 50% chance of renewed war with Iran. newarab.com 
(2026-05-17). Explained: Multi-dimensional Implications of US/Israel War on Iran. ummid.com Far from reviving American supremacy, the Iran conflict exposed the limits of coercive power in an age where history is no longer shaped by a single empire, but by competing centres of influence struggling to define a new world order.
(2026-05-17). 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.
(2026-05-17). As Finland's economy hit by war on Iran, President Stubb pledges support to US military. wsws.org Finland's right-wing government is aligning with US war crimes and using the growing economic crisis to attack social services…
(2026-05-17). FIFA says held positive talks with Iran's FA ahead of World Cup. newarab.com 
(2026-05-17). Trump's War on Iran Is a Symptom of Unchecked US Military Power. progressivehub.net GEORGE YANCY | TRUTHOUT…
(2026-05-17). Iran have meeting with FIFA over World Cup preparations. al-monitor.com FIFA secretary general Mattias Grafstrom described as "excellent" and "constructive" the meeting held on Saturday in Istanbul with the Iranian federation to ensure Iran's participation in the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico.The Iranians are scheduled to be based and play all three of their group matches in the US in spite of the war currently being waged in the Middle East. "We've had an excellent meeting, a constructive meeting together with the Iran FA," said Grafstrom.
(2026-05-17). Fertilizer, Energy and Liebig's Law of the Minimum. resourceinsights.blogspot.com The | loss of fertilizer shipments coming from the Persian Gulf as a | result of the Iran war got me thinking about the chemist Justus | von Liebig, a prominent 19th century proponent of the mineral theory | of plant nutrition. Liebig is the popularizer of what is now known as | Liebig's Law of the Minimum. The law states that the least available | essential nutrient limits the growth of plants. This means once a grower | runs out of…
(2026-05-17). UK ramps up Gulf military role amid US-Iran tensions. newarab.com 
The The British government said Royal Air Force Typhoon fighter jets would be equipped with an advanced precision weapons system…
(2026-05-16). Trump's Iran Brinkmanship Hits a Wall as Conflict Stalemate Deepens. moderndiplomacy.eu During his first year, U. S. President Donald Trump's aggressive negotiating style led to some gains with other countries, but when it comes to Iran, this approach seems to be failing. Instead of softening his stance, Trump has shown increasing frustration over the ongoing crisis, which has lasted for 11 weeks, and his tough tactics …