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.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at cabinet meeting where he rejected Trump's 15-point Gaza plan

Netanyahu Rejects Trump’s 15-Point Gaza Plan, Vows No Withdrawal Until Hamas Disarms

Hamas accepted the terms. Netanyahu rejected them. The 15-point plan that Donald Trump called 'historic' collapsed after the Israeli prime minister formally refused it at a cabinet meeting — as more than

August 10, 2026

by Arab Desk

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 Pezeshkian's diplomacy.

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

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

A Palestinian child stands on rubble of a destroyed building near the Shati refugee camp in northern Gaza City, July 1, 2026

Over 1,000 Palestinians Killed Since Gaza Ceasefire Began, Hamas Says, as Israel’s Violations Pass 3,500

Eight months after a ceasefire was supposed to end the killing in Gaza, Hamas documents 3,503 Israeli violations and 1,059 deaths since October 2025. The figures add a cumulative ledger to a

July 3, 2026

Conflicts, Military and War·News

Palestinian child stands amid rubble destroyed building near al-Shati refugee camp western Gaza City July 1 2026

Over 1,000 Palestinians Killed Since Gaza Ceasefire Began, Hamas Says, as Israel’s Violations Pass 3,500

Eight months after a ceasefire was supposed to end the killing in Gaza, Hamas documents 3,503 Israeli violations and 1,059 deaths since October 2025. The figures add a cumulative ledger to a

July 3, 2026

Conflicts, Military and War·News

Woman walks past Tehran billboard of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei ahead of state funeral, June 30, 2026

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 3, 2026

Conflicts, Military and War·Government and Politics·News

Ships navigating the Strait of Hormuz near Musandam, Oman

Iran Strikes Cargo Ship in Strait of Hormuz, Forcing UN to Halt Evacuation of 11,000 Stranded Sailors

Iran's IRGC struck the Singapore-flagged cargo ship Ever Lovely with a drone in the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday, hours after warning ships against the IMO-approved Omani route. The UN has paused

July 3, 2026

Conflicts, Military and War·News

Tehran street scene during Iran-US nuclear talks pause in Doha July 2026

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 3, 2026

Conflicts, Military and War·Government and Politics·News

US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner at Doha Iran technical talks 2026

US and Iran Hold Technical Talks in Doha to Secure Peace Deal and Reopen Hormuz

US and Iranian diplomats met in Doha on Tuesday for technical talks to lock down the June 17 Islamabad peace framework and restore commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, as a

July 3, 2026

Conflicts, Military and War·News

Mourning billboard in Tehran depicting Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei ahead of state funeral

The Khamenei Funeral Is Pausing Iran’s Nuclear Talks. The 60-Day Clock Is Not.

Qatar confirmed Wednesday that US-Iran nuclear talks will pause for the Khamenei state funeral and resume after July 9. Five days of mourning eat directly into the 60-day MoU window — with

July 3, 2026

Conflicts, Military and War·News

Destruction in Khan Younis Gaza on the 1000th day of the genocide

Gaza Genocide at 1,000 Days: 73,000 Dead, a Ceasefire That Didn’t Hold

On July 3, 2026, Gaza's war reached its 1,000th day. The toll: 73,000 dead, 21,000 children killed, 2,700 families erased from civil registries, and a ceasefire signed in October 2025 that Israel's

July 3, 2026

Conflicts, Military and War·News

Cargo ships navigate the Strait of Hormuz near Bandar Abbas, Iran as IRGC tolls take effect

Iran Is Charging $2 Million to Cross Hormuz. China and Russia Go Free.

Iran's IRGC has been running an operational $2 million per-crossing toll in the Strait of Hormuz since mid-March, with China, Russia, India, Iraq, and Pakistan transiting free. The five-nation exemption list tracks

July 3, 2026

Conflicts, Military and War·Government and Politics·News

Commercial vessels navigate the Strait of Hormuz off Bandar Abbas amid Iran-US nuclear negotiations

Israel Was Plotting to Assassinate Iran’s Nuclear Negotiators Mid-Talks – believes the US

US officials believed Israel was plotting to assassinate Iran's nuclear negotiators Araghchi and Ghalibaf while the MoU was being finalized. Israeli jets entered Iranian airspace as Ghalibaf flew home from Islamabad. Washington

July 3, 2026

Conflicts, Military and War·Government and Politics·News

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Arab Desk

Netanyahu Rejects Trump’s 15-Point Gaza Plan, Vows No Withdrawal Until Hamas Disarms

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

Over 1,000 Palestinians Killed Since Gaza Ceasefire Began, Hamas Says, as Israel’s Violations Pass 3,500

Over 1,000 Palestinians Killed Since Gaza Ceasefire Began, Hamas Says, as Israel’s Violations Pass 3,500

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

Iran Strikes Cargo Ship in Strait of Hormuz, Forcing UN to Halt Evacuation of 11,000 Stranded Sailors

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

US and Iran Hold Technical Talks in Doha to Secure Peace Deal and Reopen Hormuz

The Khamenei Funeral Is Pausing Iran’s Nuclear Talks. The 60-Day Clock Is Not.

Gaza Genocide at 1,000 Days: 73,000 Dead, a Ceasefire That Didn’t Hold

Iran Is Charging $2 Million to Cross Hormuz. China and Russia Go Free.

Israel Was Plotting to Assassinate Iran’s Nuclear Negotiators Mid-Talks – believes the US

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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