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.

Satellite image showing Israel's earthen barrier cutting through central Gaza along the Yellow Line ceasefire boundary

Israel Builds 23-Kilometer Earthen Barrier Through Gaza, Dividing Territory

Israel has built a 23-kilometer earthen barrier through central Gaza along the October ceasefire line, Planet Labs satellite imagery confirms. With Hamas refusing to demilitarize and talks stalled, the berm near Maghazi

July 21, 2026

by Arab Desk

Rescue boats approach burning oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz as the US carried out its tenth night of strikes on Iran

US Strikes Iran for 10th Straight Night as Burning Tankers Block Hormuz

The United States carried out its tenth consecutive night of air strikes on Iranian military targets on Tuesday, as two oil tankers caught fire in the Strait of Hormuz and rescue teams evacuated crews. Iran's IRGC retaliated by striking US

July 21, 2026

by Arab Desk

Netanyahu cabinet meeting 2013, when Israel began systematic tracking of international NGOs over BDS support

Leaked Israeli Spreadsheet Reveals Systematic Surveillance of Over 150 Global NGOs Over BDS Support

An Israeli government spreadsheet from 2013, obtained by Al Jazeera, lists over 150 international charities including

Oil tanker Marlin Luanda burning in the Gulf of Aden after Houthi missile attack

Houthis Declare Naval Blockade on Saudi Arabia, Threatening Red Sea Shipping

Yemen's Houthi movement declared an immediate naval blockade on Saudi Arabia on Monday, citing retaliation for

US Navy guided-missile destroyer USS Roosevelt and an HSM-79 helicopter conduct a Strait of Hormuz transit

US Strikes Iranian Military Sites Over Hormuz; IRGC Retaliates and Accuses Washington of Breaking the Deal First

The US struck Iranian military sites June 26 after IRGC drones hit a cargo ship in the Strait of Hormuz. Iran counter-struck US bases, accused Washington of violating the Islamabad MOU, and

July 2, 2026

Conflicts, Military and War·News

Doha skyline at West Bay, Qatar, where indirect Iran-US technical negotiations are taking place mediated by Qatar and Pakistan, July 2026

Iran and US Holding Indirect Technical Talks in Doha as Qatar and Pakistan Mediate Post-War Deal

Iran and the United States are holding indirect technical-level negotiations in Doha on Wednesday, with Qatar and Pakistan serving as mediators, Reuters reported, citing a source familiar with the talks. The sessions

July 1, 2026

Conflicts, Military and War·News

US Coast Guard Fast Response Cutter Glen Harris transiting the Strait of Hormuz with Iranian coastline in the background

Cargo Ship Runs Aground in Strait of Hormuz After Ignoring Iran’s Designated Route

A foreign container vessel ran aground in the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday after straying outside the shipping corridor designated by Iran's Revolutionary Guard, Iranian state media reported. The incident comes as

July 1, 2026

Conflicts, Military and War·News

Iranian IRGC speedboat approaches US Navy vessels in the Persian Gulf

Iran Rules Out US Talks in Qatar as Trump Claims a Tuesday Meeting in Doha

Iran's foreign ministry says it has no plans to negotiate with the United States in Qatar in the coming days, contradicting President Trump's claim that a meeting is set for Tuesday in

June 29, 2026

Conflicts, Military and War·News

Iranian Revolutionary Guard fast boat in the Strait of Hormuz as US strikes test the Iran ceasefire

US Strikes Iran Near Hormuz, Testing the Truce Washington Signed

The truce was seventeen days old when American warplanes struck Iran's coast over a drone attack near the Strait of Hormuz. Iran's Revolutionary Guard says it has already hit back, leaving a

June 28, 2026

Conflicts, Military and War·News

Satellite view of the Strait of Hormuz between Iran and Oman

Iran IRGC Strikes Evergreen Ship on UN Hormuz Route, IMO Halts Sailor Evacuation

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps struck a Singapore-flagged Evergreen container ship following the UN's southern Hormuz evacuation route on Thursday, forcing the International Maritime Organization to pause its plan to extract 11,000

June 27, 2026

Conflicts, Military and War·News

Ships navigating the Strait of Hormuz evacuation corridor before the IMO suspended the programme

IMO Halts Hormuz Evacuation After Cargo Ship Hit on Route Iran Explicitly Rejected

The IMO suspended its Hormuz evacuation after the Ever Lovely was struck on the corridor Iran had rejected hours earlier. Eleven thousand civilian mariners are now stranded with no confirmed exit, as

June 26, 2026

Conflicts, Military and War·News

NASA MODIS satellite image of the Strait of Hormuz, the strategic waterway between Iran and Oman through which one-fifth of global oil passes

Iran’s Strike on Ever Lovely Halts Evacuation of 11,000 Sailors From the Persian Gulf

Iran's IRGC struck the Ever Lovely in the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday, pausing the IMO's evacuation of 11,000 sailors stranded in the Persian Gulf since February. The attack has forced a

June 26, 2026

Conflicts, Military and War·News

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio during his Gulf tour on the US-Iran deal

Rubio’s Gulf Tour Ends With Iran Deal Message That Diverges From Trump and Vance

Marco Rubio ended his Gulf tour Thursday with Iran deal assurances that diverged from Trump and Vance on the reconstruction fund, Iran's missiles, and proxy forces. Gulf allies, already absorbing a week

June 26, 2026

Conflicts, Military and War·Government and Politics·News

US and Iranian delegations at the Bürgenstock talks where the US-Iran memorandum was signed

US and Iran Sign Peace MoU at Bürgenstock as Strait of Hormuz Prepares to Reopen

JD Vance and Iran's Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf formally signed the US-Iran Memorandum of Understanding at Bürgenstock, Switzerland on Friday, opening a 60-day negotiation window and clearing the way for the Strait of

July 1, 2026

Conflicts, Military and War·News

Previous 1 … 19 20 21 22 23 … 732 Next

Arab Desk

Israel Builds 23-Kilometer Earthen Barrier Through Gaza, Dividing Territory

US Strikes Iran for 10th Straight Night as Burning Tankers Block Hormuz

Leaked Israeli Spreadsheet Reveals Systematic Surveillance of Over 150 Global NGOs Over BDS Support

Houthis Declare Naval Blockade on Saudi Arabia, Threatening Red Sea Shipping

US Strikes Iranian Military Sites Over Hormuz; IRGC Retaliates and Accuses Washington of Breaking the Deal First

Iran and US Holding Indirect Technical Talks in Doha as Qatar and Pakistan Mediate Post-War Deal

Cargo Ship Runs Aground in Strait of Hormuz After Ignoring Iran’s Designated Route

Iran Rules Out US Talks in Qatar as Trump Claims a Tuesday Meeting in Doha

US Strikes Iran Near Hormuz, Testing the Truce Washington Signed

Iran IRGC Strikes Evergreen Ship on UN Hormuz Route, IMO Halts Sailor Evacuation

IMO Halts Hormuz Evacuation After Cargo Ship Hit on Route Iran Explicitly Rejected

Iran’s Strike on Ever Lovely Halts Evacuation of 11,000 Sailors From the Persian Gulf

Rubio’s Gulf Tour Ends With Iran Deal Message That Diverges From Trump and Vance

US and Iran Sign Peace MoU at Bürgenstock as Strait of Hormuz Prepares to Reopen

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

Latest Posts

Disney Cuts Hundreds of Jobs at Pixar and ESPN in Third Layoff Round of 2026

Avengers: Doomsday Trailer Unveils Doctor Doom, Steve Rogers Return and X-Men in MCU

Israel Builds 23-Kilometer Earthen Barrier Through Gaza, Dividing Territory

Rich Paul Says LeBron James’s Suitors Have Done Enough as NBA Free Agency Nears Decision

Arab Desk

Follow

Latest Posts