Arab Desk

The Arab Desk leads The Eastern Herald's reporting on the Middle East and North Africa. The desk has covered the Gaza-Israel war since October 2023, the Iran-Israel war of 2025-2026, the fall of the Assad government in Syria, Hezbollah's political and military shifts in Lebanon, the war in Yemen, and the diplomatic realignment of the Gulf states under the Abraham Accords and the Saudi-Iranian rapprochement.

Iran Supreme Leader Khamenei and Mohsen Rezaei at a security meeting in Tehran

Iran Names Mohsen Rezaei as Supreme National Security Council Chief

Iran has appointed Mohsen Rezaei, the former IRGC commander-in-chief, as secretary of the Supreme National Security Council — a move analysts read as a shift toward offensive deterrence or political cover for

August 10, 2026

by Arab Desk

Saudi Aramco Jazan refinery in southwestern Saudi Arabia targeted by Houthi drone strike

Houthis Strike Saudi Aramco’s Jazan Refinery With Drone as Red Sea Blockade Shifts to Saudi Soil

Yemen's Houthis struck Saudi Aramco's Jazan refinery with a drone on Sunday, igniting a fire that was extinguished with no casualties reported — but signalling that the group's Red Sea blockade against Saudi Arabia has now moved onto the Kingdom's

August 10, 2026

by Arab Desk

Northern tip of Oman at the Strait of Hormuz photographed from the International Space Station

Iran and Oman Establish Hormuz Monitoring Mechanisms With Fees; Parliament Weighs US-Israel Vessel Ban

Iran and Oman have agreed on a transit corridor for the Strait of Hormuz and are

Destruction in Gaza as pro-Palestinian protests spread across Europe against the Gaza genocide

Israel Warns Citizens in Greece as Gaza Genocide Protests Target Tourist Sites

Israel's Foreign Ministry has warned its citizens in Greece to conceal Jewish symbols ahead of pro-Palestinian

Trump Says Iran's Denuclearization Is Moving Along Well as Talks Focus on Shipping Fees

Trump Says Iran’s Denuclearization Is ‘Moving Along Well.’ The Talks Covered Shipping Fees.

President Trump said 'the denuclearization of Iran is moving along well' after July 1 talks in Doha. The technical discussions focused on the Strait of Hormuz and $6 billion in frozen Iranian

July 7, 2026

Conflicts, Military and War·News

A woman walks past an anti-Israeli mural in Tehran, Iran, June 2026, during the ongoing Iran-Israel conflict

Iran Strikes Two Vessels in Strait of Hormuz as Doha Ceasefire Talks Collapse

Iran struck two commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday as a tanker caught fire off Oman, ending a lull since the ceasefire. The attacks followed US-Iran talks in Doha

July 7, 2026

Conflicts, Military and War·News

Millions of mourners fill Tehran's Azadi Avenue during the state funeral procession for Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on July 6, 2026

Millions March Through Tehran as Khamenei’s Coffin Passes and Mourners Hang Trump Effigy

Millions packed Tehran on Monday for Khamenei's funeral procession, where mourners hung a Trump effigy and carried '#Kill Trump' placards, as the flag-draped coffins of the slain supreme leader and four family

July 7, 2026

Conflicts, Military and War·Government and Politics·News

Hamas spokesman Ismail al-Thawabta at podium announcing Emergency Committee dissolution in Gaza City

Hamas Dissolves Its Gaza Governing Body After 20 Years, Making Way for Civilian Committee

Hamas on July 6 dissolved its Emergency Committee after twenty years governing Gaza, with acting chairman al-Farra resigning as the NCAG assumes civilian rule. Israel called it 'a deception with no practical

July 6, 2026

Conflicts, Military and War·News

Qatar maritime navigation resumed for all vessels after six-day suspension July 2026

Qatar Resumes Maritime Navigation for All Vessels After Six-Day Safety Suspension

Qatar's transport ministry restored maritime navigation for all vessels Sunday, ending a six-day suspension imposed after a Qatari citizen was killed by shrapnel from a military operation near a vessel in Qatari

July 5, 2026

News

IDF soldiers from the 98th Division operating in southern Lebanon security zone

IDF Kills Armed Individual in Southern Lebanon Security Zone as Ceasefire Talks Continue in Washington

Israeli troops shot and killed an armed individual inside the security zone in southern Lebanon on Saturday, the IDF announced, as Lebanese-Israeli talks in Washington concluded with a framework agreement intended to

July 5, 2026

Conflicts, Military and War·News

Israeli Ambassador Yechiel Leiter speaks at the Lebanon ceasefire framework discussions at the US State Department in Washington

IDF Kills Armed Individual in Southern Lebanon Security Zone as Ceasefire Talks Continue in Washington

July 5, 2026

Conflicts, Military and War·News

Iran Busts Four Armed Militant Cells in Sistan and Baluchestan, Killing Two

Iran's IRGC and police dismantled four armed militant cells across five cities in Sistan and Baluchestan on Saturday, killing two, in an operation the Intelligence Ministry attributed to groups trained abroad and

July 5, 2026

Conflicts, Military and War·News

Palestinian civilians amid the Gaza ceasefire standoff as US-Iran nuclear diplomacy advances

Gaza Is Being Left Behind as Washington and Tehran Reshape the Middle East

As American and Iranian diplomats finalize a regional settlement, the Palestinian people who set the Middle Eastern crisis in motion find themselves diplomatically sidelined, absent from the very peace deal their war

July 4, 2026

Conflicts, Military and War·News

French President Emmanuel Macron and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer at the joint UK-France summit, where both nations agreed to deploy naval forces to the Strait of Hormuz

Britain and France Send Mine-Clearing Ships to Hormuz as UK and France Back Oman on Maritime Safety

Britain and France co-signed a joint statement with Oman on July 3 pledging to ensure the safety of its territorial waters, as France dispatched two minehunters and two frigates to the Strait

July 4, 2026

Conflicts, Military and War·Government and Politics·News

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Arab Desk

Iran Names Mohsen Rezaei as Supreme National Security Council Chief

Houthis Strike Saudi Aramco’s Jazan Refinery With Drone as Red Sea Blockade Shifts to Saudi Soil

Iran and Oman Establish Hormuz Monitoring Mechanisms With Fees; Parliament Weighs US-Israel Vessel Ban

Israel Warns Citizens in Greece as Gaza Genocide Protests Target Tourist Sites

Trump Says Iran’s Denuclearization Is ‘Moving Along Well.’ The Talks Covered Shipping Fees.

Iran Strikes Two Vessels in Strait of Hormuz as Doha Ceasefire Talks Collapse

Millions March Through Tehran as Khamenei’s Coffin Passes and Mourners Hang Trump Effigy

Hamas Dissolves Its Gaza Governing Body After 20 Years, Making Way for Civilian Committee

Qatar Resumes Maritime Navigation for All Vessels After Six-Day Safety Suspension

IDF Kills Armed Individual in Southern Lebanon Security Zone as Ceasefire Talks Continue in Washington

IDF Kills Armed Individual in Southern Lebanon Security Zone as Ceasefire Talks Continue in Washington

Iran Busts Four Armed Militant Cells in Sistan and Baluchestan, Killing Two

Gaza Is Being Left Behind as Washington and Tehran Reshape the Middle East

Britain and France Send Mine-Clearing Ships to Hormuz as UK and France Back Oman on Maritime Safety

Radical Islam is being appreciated by Indian authorities too

Bangladesh; India’s Biggest Ally or China’s Dragon Nest?

Ahmadis in Bangladesh face fresh threat of persecution

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Iran Names Mohsen Rezaei as Supreme National Security Council Chief

Houthis Strike Saudi Aramco’s Jazan Refinery With Drone as Red Sea Blockade Shifts to Saudi Soil

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GEPL Season 3 ends in style: Defending champs Chennai Falcons beat Sara Tendulkar’s Mumbai Grizzlies to retain the crown

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