(2026-05-13). Vance says US making progress in Iran talks. al-monitor.com (corrects title of JD Vance to Vice President)WASHINGTON, May 13 (Reuters) – U.S. Vice President JD Vance said on Wednesday he believes progress is being made in negotiations with Iran to end hostilities, after President Donald Trump rejected Tehran's latest proposal as unacceptable.
(2026-05-13). Factbox-How has the Iran war affected Middle East states? al-monitor.com LONDON, May 13 – The war that began on February 28 with a massive Israeli-U.S. bombing campaign against Iran has rocked the entire Middle East, wreaking damage to infrastructure and economies and overturning settled assumptions about regional security.On a second major front, Israel launched a ground invasion and bombing campaign of Lebanon in March in pursuit of Hezbollah fighters after the armed group fired across the border in solidarity with Iran.This is how some countries have been impacted: IRAN…
(2026-05-13). The West's bubble of illusion about Israel and about itself is finally being burst. asiapacificreport.nz 
The genocide in Gaza and ethnic cleansing in Lebanon exhausted the West's moral legitimacy. Now Iran is slowly exhausting the West's military primacy, writes Jonathan Cook. ANALYSIS: By Jonathan Cook For decades, two irreconciliable narratives about Israel and its motivations have existed in parallel. On the one side, an official Western narrative portrays a plucky,…
(2026-05-13). Headlines for May 13, 2026. democracynow.org Pentagon Comptroller Says Cost of Iran War Has Risen to $29 Billion, U.S. Inflation Rate Rose to 3.8% in April, WSJ Receives Subpoenas for Records of Journalists Reporting on Internal Discussions of Iran War, Peace Activists Disrupt Politico Defense Summit, Confronting Iranian Opposition Leader Reza Pahlavi, Israeli Attacks Kill 8 in Lebanon in Latest Breaches of U.S.-Brokered Ceasefire, Senators Grill FBI Director Kash Patel over Reports of Excessive Drinking, U.S. Negotiates with Denmark to Open New Military Bases in Greenland, CNN: CIA Officers in Mexico Are Directly Involved in "Targeted Assassinations&…
(2026-05-13). Israel strikes Lebanon as 380 reported killed since April 17 ceasefire. scmp.com Israel hammered south Lebanon with strikes on Tuesday ahead of talks between the two countries in Washington, as Beirut reported 380 people killed in Israeli attacks since an April 17 ceasefire took effect. | Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem vowed to turn the battlefield into "hell" for Israeli forces, and insisted his Iran-backed group's weapons would not be up for discussion at the talks on Thursday and Friday, after the US had called for its disarmament.
(2026-05-13). Iran looms large over Trump's China visit, but breakthrough unlikely. al-monitor.com Analysts say China is cautiously looking to de-escalate the US-Iran war while limiting its direct involvement.
(2026-05-13). Trump's Iran U-turn won't solve Israel's insecurity Trap. juancole.com ( It's possible that this latest instance, the pausing of military action over the Strait of Hormuz, stems from a realisation among some of his advisers that this is a war the US cannot win. More likely, though, it i…
(2026-05-13). 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.
(2026-05-13). South Korea moves towards joining war against Iran. wsws.org An attack involving two "unidentified airborne objects" on a South Korean-operated ship in the Strait of Hormuz last week is being seized upon by Seoul as a possible pretext to join the US-led war against Iran.
(2026-05-13). Trump says he does not need China's help to end Iran war. tribune.com.pk 
US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday he does not think he will need China's help to end the war with Iran, even as hopes for a lasting peace deal dwindled and Tehran tightened its grip over the Strait of Hormuz. | Ahead of a high-stakes summit in Beijing, Trump said he did not think he would need to enlist Chinese President Xi Jinping to resolve the conflict, which has continued to block maritime traffic that normally provides one-fifth of the world's oil supply. | "I don't think we need any help with Iran. We'll win it one way or the other, peacefully or otherwise," he told reporters. | More than one mon…
(2026-05-13). Picking up on the vibes in Beijing before major Trump-Xi visit. responsiblestatecraft.org President Trump's impending meeting with President Xi in Beijing will naturally be largely devoted to discussing the Iran War. That war and this meeting are also a good opportunity to discuss U.S. establishment attitudes to China, and one pernicious illusion in particular. Much Western analysis of the background to the summit has emphasized that Trump's disastrous decision to attack Iran has put Xi in a much
(2026-05-13). Agent Orange to visit China, hat in hand! indybay.org POTUS 47 Donald Trump will be arriving in Beijing to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday, May 14. The Western "Corporate-bin-Laden" media is full of NeoLiberal/Imperialist spin on how Donald (aka "TACO") Trump will try to pressure China into a moderating voice in getting Tehran to accept the American "peace" plan for ending the illegal Zionist-US War on Iran. The reality is, for Mr. WHO(White House Occupier), that'll happen when Pigs Fly!
(2026-05-13). Oil prices slip on teetering Iran ceasefire as Trump heads to China. tribune.com.pk 
Oil prices fell on Wednesday, snapping a three-day rally as investors awaited developments around the fragile Middle East ceasefire and braced for a high-stakes summit in China between United States President Donald Trump and President Xi Jinping. | Brent crude futures dropped $1.22, or 1.1%, to $106.55 a barrel at 0410 GMT while US West Texas Intermediate futures fell $1.16, or 1.1%, to $101.02. | Both benchmarks have largely hovered around or above the $100 per barrel mark since the US and Israel began attacks on Iran at the end of February, and Tehran effectiv…
(2026-05-13). Analysis-Trump wants help on Iran. Beijing may have other ideas. al-monitor.com By Andrea Shalal, Michael Martina and Trevor HunnicuttWASHINGTON/BEIJING, May 13 (Reuters) – When U.S. President Donald Trump meets Chinese President Xi Jinping this week he is expected to ask for help resolving his costly and unpopular war with Iran.He is unlikely to get the support he wants.Analysts said that while Xi might agree to nudge Iran's leaders back to the negotiating table, China's leader will be reluctant to cut economic support for Beijing's most important partner in the Middle East or to stop supplying it with the dual-use goods its military needs.
(2026-05-13). Trump vows to push Xi to 'open up' China at superpower summit. tribune.com.pk 
United States President Donald Trump said he would ask Xi Jinping to "open up" China to American firms as he headed to Beijing on Wednesday for a high-stakes summit that will also bring up the Iran war. | In a sign of Trump's focus on business, Nvidia chief Jensen Huang boarded Air Force One during a stopover in Alaska, with Tesla's Elon Musk also travelling on the presidential plane to China. | "I will be asking President Xi, a Leader of extraordinary distinction, to 'open up' China so that these brilliant people can work their magic, and help bring the People's Republic to an even higher level!" Trump wrote…
(2026-05-13). Trump threatens Iran will be "decimated" if it does not accept US dictated deal. wsws.org Speaking to reporters before departing for China on Tuesday, President Trump said the US would only accept a "good deal" to end the war against Iran or the country "would be decimated," adding, "one way or another, we win."
(2026-05-13). Iran war to cast a shadow on BRICS FM meeting in Delhi. newarab.com 
The The grouping, which originally included Brazil, Russia, India, Iran had urged India to use the BRICS platform to build a consensus condemning U.S. and Israeli actions. | The main differences have emerged b…
(2026-05-13). Exclusive-Saudi warplanes struck militias in Iraq during war, sources say. al-monitor.com By Timour Azhari, Ahmed Rasheed and Humeyra PamukRIYADH/BAGHDAD/WASHINGTON, May 13 (Reuters) – Saudi fighter jets bombed targets linked to powerful Tehran-backed Shi'ite militias in Iraq during the Iran war, while retaliatory strikes were also launched from Kuwait into Iraq, multiple sources familiar with the matter said.The strikes are part of a broader pattern of military responses around the Gulf that remained largely hidden during a conflict that has drawn in the wider Middle East since joint Israeli-U.S. strikes on Iran on February 28.
(2026-05-13). Mossad chief 'visited UAE twice' during US-Israel war on Iran. newarab.com 
The head of Israel's Barnea travelled secretly to the UAE on at least two separate occasions in March and April, the report said, highlighting a growing partnership between Abu Dhabi and Tel Aviv. | Israel's public broadcaster Kan separately reported on We…
(2026-05-13). Iran frees prominent rights lawyer Sotoudeh on bail – reports. al-monitor.com DUBAI, May 13 (Reuters) – Iran has released on bail prominent human rights lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh, who was arrested in early April in a crackdown during the conflict with the United States and Israel, Iranian news agencies and her daughter said on Wednesday.Nournews, affiliated with Iran's top security body, said Sotoudeh was freed on bail, without referring to any charges she might still face. Mehraveh Khandan, Sotoudeh's daughter, confirmed her mother's release in a post on social media.
(2026-05-13). Iran hangs man on Israel spy charges, sixth since war started. newarab.com 
The Iranian judiciary's Mizan Online website described Ehsan Afreshteh, 32, as "a spy trained by Mossad in Nepal who sold sensitive information to Israel". | But the Norway-based Hengaw and Iran Human Rights (IHR) NGOs said in separate statements that Afreshteh had denied he shared top secret…
(2026-05-13). UAE is using oil to reshape its position inside the Gulf hierarchy. ummid.com With its exit from OPEC and OPEC+, the UAE is challenging the authority of Riyadh, strengthening its own strategic autonomy, and moving closer to a regional make-up where the US and Israel remain central actors in the pressure campaign against Iran.
(2026-05-13). Great Satan at the Strait: Iran, International law, and the collapse of the "rules-based order" mronline.org 
This investigation excavates how Associated Press reporting frames U.S.-Israeli coercion as diplomacy while presenting Iranian sovereignty as instability and defiance. It reconstructs the omitted legal, geopolitical, and economic terrain surrounding the war, exposing the contradiction between the UN Charter system and the operational reality of imperial power. It reframes the conflict as part of a …
(2026-05-13). Why Tehran Sees the UAE as the Weak Link in the Gulf Alliance. thinktank.pk The Middle East's geopolitical fault lines are shifting rapidly as tensions between Iran, the United States, Israel, and Gulf countries intensify. Among the Gulf states, the United Arab Emirates has increasingly emerged as a central focus of Iranian rhetoric, military signaling, and strategic messaging. While the UAE has long attempted to balance economic pragmatism with …
(2026-05-13). War On Iran: — Saudis blame Israel — Neocon Grandee concedes defeat. mronline.org 
Trump still hasn't recognized that, after he has lost the war, the sanctions game is also over. It is certainly not in Chinese, or anyone other's interest to help the U.S. to regain the hegemonic position it has now lost in the Gulf.
(2026-05-13). Israeli ally UAE quits OPEC, OPEC. ummid.com The United Arab Emirates (UAE), one of the Israeli allies in the Middle East, has announced to quit OPEC and OPEC+ amidst the crisis the world is facing because of the US-Israel led Zionist war on Iran.
(2026-05-13). Netanyahu visited UAE, secretly met MBZ during Iran war: Israel's PM office. al-monitor.com JERUSALEM, May 13 (Reuters) – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited the United Arab Emirates and met with the Emirati president during the war with Iran, a statement from the Prime Minister's Office said on Wednesday. According to the statement, the meeting resulted in an "historic breakthrough" in relations between Israel and the UAE.The statement appeared to be the first confirmation of a meeting between Netanyahu and the Emirati president.
(2026-05-13). Why Gulf data centers became deliberate targets in Iran War. responsiblestatecraft.org Iranian Shahed drones
(2026-05-13). The Electric Car won the Iran War: The Twilight of Oil. juancole.com Here is my column this month for the essential (
(2026-05-13). Iran says naval officers 'accidentally' entered Kuwaiti waters. newarab.com 
(2026-05-13). Iran releases prize-winning rights lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh. newarab.com 
Iranian authorities on Wednesday released on bail the prize-winning rights lawyer Sotoudeh was arrested at her home on April 1 as part of what activists say is a crackdown on civil society during "Mum was temporarily released on bail a few hours ago," her daughter Mehraveh Khandan wrote on Instagram. | Sotoudeh, who has won…
(2026-05-13). Hegseth threatens US senator for revealing info he already shared himself. thecanary.co 
Calamitous US 'secretary of war' Pete Hegseth has launched a Pentagon investigation into a US senator for supposedly disclosing classified information. However, the information had already been made public by Hegseth himself under oath. Hegseth said he ordered the investigation into Senator Mark Kelly after Kelly discussed massive US munitions expenditure against Iran during a TV […] | By
(2026-05-13). Shifting Security Approaches and Türkiye's Rising Strategic Role. unitedworldint.com/feed/ How is Türkiye's growing defense industry strength and multi-dimensional strategy shifting the balance of power? By Adem Kƒ±lƒ±àß, Political Scientist The conflict between the U.S. and Iran—which remains far from resolution and is rapidly generating global repercussions—has sparked profound debates not only about the balance of power in the Middle East but also about NATO's …
(2026-05-13). Lebanon files unprecedented UN complaint against Iran. newarab.com 
According to the complaint, Lebanon accused Iran of violating international norms and dragging the country into destructive wars against the will of its constitutional institutions, allowing Beirut to seek international accountability for Tehran's repeated breaches of its obligations. | Lebanon…
(2026-05-13). IRGC holds anti-helicopter drills in Tehran: What to know. al-monitor.com Iran said it downed two US helicopters last month as American forces use the aircraft for strikes in the Gulf.
(2026-05-13). UAE-owned tanker leaks some fuel off Oman following Iran strike. newarab.com 
A unit of state-owned Tehran's effective closure of the
(2026-05-13). US Senate blocks latest bid to rein in Trump Iran war powers, support grows. al-monitor.com By Patricia ZengerleWASHINGTON, May 13 (Reuters) – U.S. Senate Republicans on Wednesday blocked the latest Democratic-led effort to end the Iran war until it is authorized by Congress, but the measure edged closer to passage as a third Republican voted to advance the bill.The Senate voted 50-49 not to advance the war powers resolution, nearly along party lines. Three Republicans joined every Democrat but one in backing the measure sponsored by Senator Jeff Merkley of Oregon.
(2026-05-13). Vietnam asks US to allow 'extremely important' oil tanker to slip past Hormuz blockade. scmp.com Vietnam's state oil company urged the US to let a supertanker pass through an American naval blockade outside the Persian Gulf, saying the shipment is critical to the Asian country's economy. | The very large crude carrier Agios Fanourios I, managed by Athens-based Eastern Mediterranean Maritime, performed a mid-ocean U-turn on Monday at around the point where the US blockade begins. It had only just cleared the Strait of Hormuz, holding 1.99 million barrels of Iraq's Basrah Medium crude, when it…
(2026-05-13). South Korea reviews phased support for Strait of Hormuz security efforts. geo.tv 
South Korean Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-Back, speaks during the joint press conference with U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, following the 57th Security Consultative Meeting at the Defense Ministry in Seoul, South Korea, Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2025. — ReutersSEOUL: South Korea is…
(2026-05-13). Strait of Hormuz now a 500-km operational 'crescent': IRGC Navy. coastaldigest.com
(2026-05-13). Tremors near Tehran renew concerns over major quake risk. newarab.com 