Middle East Geopolitical Reporting for 2026-05-23
We've collected the top geopolitical conflict articles from the Middle East and brought them all here. If you're tired of only having access to MSM versions of the story, you've found the right place. We’ll include all of the outlets we know of. For this post, we looked at 8 news sites and located 58 current articles out of 357 reviewed.
Today's featured articles are:
Presstv, Middle East Monitor, AL-MONITOR: The Pulse of The Middle East, JPost.com - The Jerusalem Post - All News from the Middle East, Israel, and the Jewish World, Haaretz latest headlines, IRNA English, Al Jazeera – Breaking News, World News and Video from Al Jazeera.
Russia slams UN duplicity on Iran, says US, Israel responsible for UAE attack
Russia says US-Israeli military strikes against Iranian nuclear facilities, including repeated attacks on the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant, have brought the entire Middle East to the brink of a nuclear and radiological catastrophe.
Presstv
May 23, 2026 - presstv.ir
US carried most of Israel’s missile defense burden during Iran war: Report
The US carried most of Israel’s missile defense burden during the war with Iran, The Washington Post reported Thursday.
Presstv
May 23, 2026 - presstv.ir
Israeli soldiers: Looting, destruction ‘primary mission’ in south Lebanon
Israeli soldiers in southern Lebanon engaged in systemic looting and village destruction with commanders turning a blind eye, describing an "unofficial mission" to collect spoils, according to Haaretz testimonies.
Presstv
May 23, 2026 - presstv.ir
Ex-Pentagon chief says he rejected Netanyahu’s Iran war scheme in 2009
Former Pentagon chief says he rejected an assessment by Netanyahu suggesting that Iran’s ruling establishment would rapidly collapse if subjected to military aggression.
Presstv
May 23, 2026 - presstv.ir
May 17: Iran vows legal action over US-Israeli aggression, says US walking into 'strategic trap'
Iranian officials vowed political and legal measures in response to the US-Israeli war of aggression, warning that Washington is walking into a strategic trap.
Presstv
May 23, 2026 - presstv.ir
Iran faces off with E3 over snapback sanctions as Russia and China back Tehran
Europe’s bid to reimpose UN sanctions on Tehran has ignited a fierce backlash, with Iran denouncing the move as “illegal” and vowing firm retaliation.
Presstv
May 23, 2026 - presstv.ir
Silenced in France: The unjust detention of a pro-Palestine Iranian activist
Mahdieh Esfandiari, an Iranian academic who lived in France for eight years, has been unjustly detained for condemning Israel’s actions in Gaza on social media.
Presstv
May 23, 2026 - presstv.ir
IRGC is part of Iran’s national army: Pundit
Iranian academician states that Europe is not genuinely committed to labeling the IRGC as a “terrorist organization” and is facing significant pressure from the Israeli regime.
Presstv
May 23, 2026 - presstv.ir
Washington seeking regime change in Venezuela: Analyst
Podcaster and Journalist Esha Krishnaswamy believes the U-S military buildup in the Caribbean region is aimed at regime change in Venezuela.
Presstv
May 23, 2026 - presstv.ir
Barakah false flag: How Israeli drones targeted UAE nuclear plant to frame Iran, unleash catastrophe
Israeli false-flag drone attack on the UAE's Barakah nuclear plant aimed to frame Iran and trigger regional war, as Tehran had no motive to poison its own shores and only Israel benefited from such adventurism.
Presstv
May 23, 2026 - presstv.ir
‘Board of Peace’ plan accused of turning Gaza disarmament into Israeli land grab
A proposed roadmap for Gaza has been condemned as an attempt to give Israel through diplomacy what it failed to achieve through more than two years of genocide: the disarmament of Hamas and other Palestinian factions, without guaranteeing a full Israeli withdrawal from the besieged enclave. The plan, circulated Nickolay Mladenov, the Board of Peace’s high representative for Gaza, comes despite Isr...
Middle East Monitor
May 22, 2026 - middleeastmonitor.com
US missile stocks depleted in defence of Israel, says report
A large portion of US defensive and offensive capabilities were depleted during the war with Iran, particularly in the defence of Israel, according to The Washington Post. “The US military has depleted much of its inventory of advanced missile-defence interceptors after expending far more high-end munitions defending Israel amid hostilities with Iran than Israeli forces used themselves,” Defence D...
Middle East Monitor
May 22, 2026 - middleeastmonitor.com
Report: Khamenei orders enriched uranium to remain in Iran as Putin proposes transfer to Russia
Iran’s Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei has reportedly ordered that Iran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium remain inside the country, according to a report by Reuters citing two Iranian sources. The sources said the directive prohibits exporting Iran’s stockpile of weapons-grade enriched uranium, reflecting what they described as a broader consensus within the Iranian leadership. Meanwhile, R...
Middle East Monitor
May 22, 2026 - middleeastmonitor.com
Swiss widen sanctions against Russia, Belarus in line with EU measures
ZURICH, May 22 (Reuters) - Switzerland expanded its sanctions lists against Russia and Belarus on Friday, adopting parts of the European Union's latest package of measures over Moscow's war in Ukraine, the government said on Friday.The Federal Department of Economic Affairs said the new listings would take effect at 11 p.m. local time on May 22.A further 115 individuals and entities will be subjec...
AL-MONITOR: The Pulse of The Middle East
May 22, 2026 - al-monitor.com
70,000 Palestinians attend Friday prayers at Al-Aqsa amid Israeli restrictions
More than 70,000 Palestinians performed Friday prayers at Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied Jerusalem despite Israeli restrictions imposed since October 2023, according to Islamic authorities. The Islamic Waqf Department in Jerusalem said more than 70,000 Muslim worshippers were able to access the mosque compound for prayers. Dozens of Israeli police officers were deployed across the Old City, including ...
Middle East Monitor
May 22, 2026 - middleeastmonitor.com
The world cannot contain Iran forever outside the global order
For months the world has remained fixated on a single number: 450 kilograms. That figure — referring to Iran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium — has become the center of international negotiations, military threats, and diplomatic deadlock between Tehran, Washington, and Israel. American officials continue to insist that Iran must surrender or remove the material. Iran continues to refuse. Th...
Middle East Monitor
May 22, 2026 - middleeastmonitor.com
Israeli army admits to killing 3 Palestinians in Gaza despite ceasefire
The Israeli army acknowledged on Friday that it had killed three Palestinians in the northern and southern Gaza Strip in the latest violations of a ceasefire which is supposed to have been in effect since last fall, Anadolu reports. A military statement claimed that army forces spotted two Palestinians crossing the “Yellow Line” boundary in the northern and southern parts of the strip before killi...
Middle East Monitor
May 22, 2026 - middleeastmonitor.com
Over 18,000 firms registered in Damascus, 1.5M refugees returned since sanctions lifted: US Embassy
The US on Friday said more than 18,000 companies have registered in Damascus and 1.5 million refugees have returned to Syria since Washington lifted sanctions on the country a year ago, Anadolu reports. In a statement on the US social media company X, the US Embassy in Syria said the US had decided “to give Syria a chance at greatness by lifting sanctions and opening the door to investment.” “The ...
Middle East Monitor
May 22, 2026 - middleeastmonitor.com
Israel: From neutralizing the frontline states to neutralizing the Axis of Resistance
Israel’s occupation of Arab states does not necessarily have to take a physical form, as happened in the past with the rest of Palestine, the Syrian Golan, Egypt’s Sinai, and Lebanon’s Shebaa Farms and Kfar Shouba Hills. It may also take other forms, as later envisioned in Israeli strategy. Following that period of occupation, Israel managed to penetrate several Arab states through normalization p...
Middle East Monitor
May 22, 2026 - middleeastmonitor.com
Hamas accuses Mladenov of adopting Israeli narrative over Gaza
Hamas spokesperson Hazem Qassem said that a call by Nikolay Mladenov, head of the so-called Board of Peace in Gaza, for the UN Security Council to pressure Hamas “by all means” to fulfil its commitments reflects continued adoption of the Israeli narrative and an attempt to justify escalating Israeli attacks on Gaza residents and tightening the blockade on the territory. In a press statement on Thu...
Middle East Monitor
May 22, 2026 - middleeastmonitor.com
Despite blackout, satellite images reveal damage to Israeli military bases during Iran war
An analysis by satellite imagery company Soar has revealed the extent of damage caused to Israeli military bases during March by Iranian strikes and attacks by Hezbollah. According to the Hebrew newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth, an analysis of satellite images published by Soar showed damage to several Israeli military bases across the country following the latest round of fighting, before a ceasefire c...
Middle East Monitor
May 22, 2026 - middleeastmonitor.com
Pakistan army chief heads to Tehran to discuss US-Iran talks
Pakistan’s army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir departed for Tehran on Friday to discuss the Iran-US talks, Anadolu reports. During the visit, Munir will meet key senior Iranian figures, the sources added. It would be the second such trip to Tehran by Munir amid Pakistani mediation efforts to end the war which began on Feb. 28 when Israel and the US launched military strikes on Tehran. Iran’s state...
Middle East Monitor
May 22, 2026 - middleeastmonitor.com
Saudi Arabia deploys drones, AI to enhance security during 2026 Hajj pilgrimage
Saudi authorities are deploying drones, artificial intelligence, and advanced surveillance technologies during the 2026 Hajj season to monitor crowds, detect violations, and prevent unauthorized entry into the holy sites, the Saudi newspaper Okaz said on Friday. The report said the technologies form part of an integrated security and organizational system aimed at ensuring the safety of millions o...
Middle East Monitor
May 22, 2026 - middleeastmonitor.com
UNRWA warns of surge in disease and skin infections across Gaza
The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees warned on Thursday of a severe deterioration in public health conditions in the Gaza Strip, announcing that more than 125,000 cases of skin infections linked to rodents and parasites had been recorded during the first five months of 2026. According to UNRWA, the destruction caused by the war has led to a major increase in rodents an...
Middle East Monitor
May 22, 2026 - middleeastmonitor.com
Houthis warn against Somaliland-Israel normalisation, threaten continued fighting
Mahdi al-Mashat, head of the Houthi-affiliated Supreme Political Council in Sanaa, criticised moves by Somaliland towards normalising relations with Israel, calling it a “serious mistake” that threatens Yemen and regional stability. He also warned against any new “American or Zionist aggression” against Yemen and the wider region. Al-Mashat said his forces were ready to continue fighting until the...
Middle East Monitor
May 22, 2026 - middleeastmonitor.com
Trump skips son's wedding as Iran talks continue
US President Donald Trump confirmed Friday he would miss his son's wedding, insisting he had to stay in Washington because of "circumstances pertaining to government."Trump had said a day earlier that the Iran war made it "bad timing" for him to attend Donald Trump Jr's wedding to Bettina Anderson in the Bahamas this weekend.
AL-MONITOR: The Pulse of The Middle East
May 22, 2026 - al-monitor.com
French Gaza activists arrive home after Israel expulsion
Several French pro-Palestinian activists on Friday described what they said was a violent and humiliating ordeal after they were detained by Israeli forces on a Gaza-bound flotilla.Eight French nationals arrived at Charles de Gaulle airport near Paris from Turkey on Friday afternoon, to supporters shouting "Long live the struggle of the Palestinian people".Two of the 36 French people who were on b...
AL-MONITOR: The Pulse of The Middle East
May 22, 2026 - al-monitor.com
UK defence show RIAT cancelled because of Iran war
May 22 (Reuters) - The Royal International Air Tattoo, one of the world's largest defence shows, has been cancelled due to military operations linked to the Iran war, it said on Friday.RIAT had been scheduled for July 17-19 at RAF Fairford, an active Royal Air Force base in southwest England."This has not been an easy decision. It follows extensive discussions with the Royal Air Force and the Unit...
AL-MONITOR: The Pulse of The Middle East
May 22, 2026 - al-monitor.com
Over 2,400 sexual assault complaints filed in IDF in 2025, military reports
Data revealed that more than 700 complaints filed ended in nothing more than a disciplinary hearing, while 42 indictments were filed against offenders, and 21 others faced disciplinary trials.
JPost.com - The Jerusalem Post - All News from the Middle East, Israel, and the Jewish World
May 22, 2026 - jpost.com
Japan’s Taiwan fears expose a deeper crisis in American deterrence - opinion
Regional actors believe that in the event of a direct confrontation with China, the US would act with extreme caution and seek to avoid a large-scale war whenever possible.
JPost.com - The Jerusalem Post - All News from the Middle East, Israel, and the Jewish World
May 22, 2026 - jpost.com
Gaza Board of Peace envoy: Israel to enact Trump's plan after Hamas disarms
The High Representative for the Trump-led Gaza Board of Peace Nickolay Mladenov presented the UN Security Council with a proposal to Hamas, outlining phased disarmament and integration of Hamas-linked police into a technocratic committee in Gaza
Haaretz latest headlines
May 22, 2026 - haaretz.com
In unlikely team-up, Hunter Biden and Candace Owens trade conspiracies on Israel and the 'Epstein Class'
Former U.S. president Biden's disgraced son found common ground with far-right provocateur and past challenger Candace Owens on conspiracy theories about Israel pushing the U.S. into the Iran war and Trump turning 'Gaza into a golf course, with the maître d' being Jared Kushner'
Haaretz latest headlines
May 22, 2026 - haaretz.com
Report: U.S. fired more interceptors than Israel in latest war with Iran
A Washington Post report revealed that the U.S. military fired over 200 high-altitude THAAD interceptors in defense of Israel, roughly half of the Pentagon's total stockpile
Haaretz latest headlines
May 22, 2026 - haaretz.com
Iran’s official calls US-Israeli attack on Pasteur Institute ‘flagrant war crime’
Tehran, IRNA – Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei has condemned the US-Israeli attack on the Pasteur Institute of Iran, warning that the destruction of the century-old public health institution poses an immediate threat to both national and regional health security, and calling it a “flagrant war crime”.
IRNA English
May 22, 2026 - en.irna.ir
Situation worsening in West Bank, warn Italy, UK, France, Germany
Italy, Britain, France and Germany warned Friday that the situation in the occupied West Bank has “deteriorated significantly” in recent months amid rising settler violence and Israeli policies they said are undermining stability and prospects for peace, Anadolu reports. In a joint statement, the four European countries said Israeli settlement activity — including a proposed development in the so-...
Middle East Monitor
May 22, 2026 - middleeastmonitor.com
Indonesia’s foreign minister didn’t defend the flotilla detainees. He defended Israel’s language
For years, Indonesia has wrapped itself in the moral vocabulary of anti-colonialism and Palestinian solidarity. Its leaders lecture the world about justice, occupation and humanitarian principles. They speak as if Indonesia occupies a unique ethical position among nations — a Muslim-majority democracy supposedly unafraid to confront power on behalf of the oppressed. Then nine Indonesians were deta...
Middle East Monitor
May 22, 2026 - middleeastmonitor.com
‘Impossible for us to leave’: Palestinian family faces escalating Israeli occupier harassment in West Bank
The home of a Palestinian resident in the Al-Mu’arajat Bedouin community in the occupied West Bank has turned into a “daily siege point” amid repeated Israeli occupier presence around the property aimed at forcing the family to leave their land, Anadolu reports. Eid Abu Fazzah al-Kaabneh told Anadolu that Israeli occupiers regularly gather for hours near the family’s home, bringing flocks of sheep...
Middle East Monitor
May 22, 2026 - middleeastmonitor.com
‘First apartheid, then transfer’: Israeli columnist warns of West Bank expulsion plan
Israel is clearing Palestinians from the illegally occupied West Bank village by village, using state-backed settler violence to drive communities from their land and prepare the ground for mass expulsion, a veteran Israeli columnist has warned. Writing in Israeli outlet Yedioth Ahronoth, Nahum Barnea said the violence of the so-called “hilltop youth” is not random lawlessness, but part of a state...
Middle East Monitor
May 22, 2026 - middleeastmonitor.com
‘Slight progress’ made on Iran, Strait of Hormuz situation: US Secretary of State
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Friday there had been “some slight progress” regarding the situation involving Iran and the Strait of Hormuz, Anadolu reports. “There’s been some slight progress, I don’t want to exaggerate it, but there’s been a little bit of movement, and that’s good,” Rubio told reporters ahead of a NATO foreign ministers meeting alongside NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte...
Middle East Monitor
May 22, 2026 - middleeastmonitor.com
Palestine ex-FM accuses Fatah leadership of weakening the movement’s national role
Former Palestinian foreign minister Nasser al-Qudwa sharply criticised the leadership of Fatah, accusing it of stripping the movement of its national content and turning its eighth conference into a controlled gathering designed to serve the current leadership. In an interview with Al Jazeera Mubasher, al-Qudwa said the conference lacked a clear legal and organisational basis, both in determining ...
Middle East Monitor
May 22, 2026 - middleeastmonitor.com
Israeli strike causes heavy damage to hospital in southern Lebanon
A hospital in southern Lebanon has sustained significant damage from an Israeli airstrike in the town of Tebnine, as Tel Aviv continued its daily attacks despite an ongoing ceasefire, Anadolu agency reported. Two people were killed and a third was injured when a fighter jet struck near Tebnine Hospital on Wednesday, the state news agency NNA said. According to an Anadolu reporter, the attack has c...
Middle East Monitor
May 22, 2026 - middleeastmonitor.com
WHO warns of collapse of health and humanitarian systems in Palestinian territories
The World Health Organization warned on Thursday of the worsening collapse of the health and humanitarian sectors in the Palestinian territories, describing conditions in Gaza Strip, the West Bank and occupied East Jerusalem as a “severe tragedy.” In a statement issued by the WHO Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean, Regional Director Hanan Balkhy said that since October 2023 more than 72...
Middle East Monitor
May 22, 2026 - middleeastmonitor.com
Druze leader Hikmat al-Hijri reiterates calls for Syrian division and thanks Israel
Hikmat al-Hijri, one of the Druze spiritual leaders in Syria’s southern Sweida province, has renewed his calls for the partition of Syrian territory and separation from Damascus, in remarks that also included clear attempts to seek Israel’s sympathy and seek its strength. In a recorded speech on Thursday, he said: “Our choice of freedom and self-determination is not subject to bargaining or condi...
Middle East Monitor
May 22, 2026 - middleeastmonitor.com
Jordan condemns Israeli seizure of properties near Al-Aqsa Mosque
The Palestine Committee in the Jordanian parliament has condemned Israeli measures to seize Palestinian properties and Islamic endowments in the Bab al-Silsila area adjacent to Al-Aqsa Mosque. In a statement, committee chairman MP Suleiman Abdul Aziz Al-Saud said the committee completely rejected all Israeli measures, describing them as a clear violation of international law and the historical and...
Middle East Monitor
May 22, 2026 - middleeastmonitor.com
Freed Gaza flotilla activists allege Israeli abuse including rape
By Anna Uras, Rami Ayyub and Layli ForoudiROME/JERUSALEM/PARIS, May 22 (Reuters) - Activists released from Israeli custody after being detained on a flotilla trying to bring aid to Gaza were subjected to abuse, organisers said on Friday, with several hospitalised with injuries and at least 15 reporting sexual assaults, including rape.Israel's prison service denied the allegations, and Reuters was ...
AL-MONITOR: The Pulse of The Middle East
May 22, 2026 - al-monitor.com
Archives interrupted: Vintage pics show Gaza 'we no longer know'
When Kegham Djeghalian photographed daily life in Gaza last century, the Palestinian territory was synonymous with Hollywood-inspired brides, fancy dress parties and excursions to smoke a hookah at the beach.They are images from a time far removed from the rubble and tent cities of the now war-ravaged Gaza Strip."It's a Gaza we no longer know. A joyful Gaza, one full of hope, connected to the worl...
AL-MONITOR: The Pulse of The Middle East
May 22, 2026 - al-monitor.com
France readies UN resolution on Hormuz as vote on US text stalls
By John IrishPARIS, May 21 (Reuters) - France has drafted a U.N. Security Council resolution on setting up an international mission to restore movement in the Strait of Hormuz and could submit it if conditions are right, the foreign ministry said on Friday, as Washington struggles to bring to a vote a text Russia and China may say is biased against Tehran.Control of the narrow waterway, a vital ar...
AL-MONITOR: The Pulse of The Middle East
May 22, 2026 - al-monitor.com
‘I always hear them before I see them’: Drones strike fear in Colombia
Armed groups have taken the conflict to the skies by making greater use of cheap, widely available drone technology.
Al Jazeera – Breaking News, World News and Video from Al Jazeera
May 22, 2026 - aljazeera.com
Israel’s October 7 tribunal: Show trial of Palestinians or justice?
Observers describe a climate in which the chances of justice in the military tribunals are slim.
Al Jazeera – Breaking News, World News and Video from Al Jazeera
May 22, 2026 - aljazeera.com
Politicians must prioritize 'hasbara' as Israel's global image crisis deepens - opinion
Rising global antisemitism and falling US support push Israel’s image crisis into the election spotlight.
JPost.com - The Jerusalem Post - All News from the Middle East, Israel, and the Jewish World
May 22, 2026 - jpost.com
Israel must fight back against antisemitic bullying disguised as journalism - opinion
Biased reporting on Israel is shaping a dangerous alternative reality with worldwide consequences for Jews.
JPost.com - The Jerusalem Post - All News from the Middle East, Israel, and the Jewish World
May 22, 2026 - jpost.com
Rubio cites some progress on Iran talks but says 'we're not there yet,' after NATO meeting
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the United States was in constant communication with the Pakistanis, who are facilitating the talks with Iran.
JPost.com - The Jerusalem Post - All News from the Middle East, Israel, and the Jewish World
May 22, 2026 - jpost.com
Netherlands proposes ban on import, sale of goods from Israeli West Bank settlements
The Cabinet-proposed sanctions would prohibit Dutch nationals and legal entities, both inside and outside the Netherlands, from importing, buying, or selling goods produced in settlements.
JPost.com - The Jerusalem Post - All News from the Middle East, Israel, and the Jewish World
May 22, 2026 - jpost.com
Iran’s Baha’i, Christian facilities targeted by discriminatory policies, CSW tells ‘Post’
Human rights groups have warned that regime authorities detained dozens of Baha’is in arbitrary arrests, many without charge, and denied them communication with their families or legal counsel.
JPost.com - The Jerusalem Post - All News from the Middle East, Israel, and the Jewish World
May 22, 2026 - jpost.com
Court won't revisit Mahmoud Khalil ruling, opening door to pro-Palestinian activist's rearrest
Khalil was among the most prominent of a number of foreign students detained last year by immigration authorities after engaging in pro-Palestinian activism on their college campuses.
JPost.com - The Jerusalem Post - All News from the Middle East, Israel, and the Jewish World
May 22, 2026 - jpost.com
Amb. to US Yechiel Leiter condemns MK May Golan's 'disgusting' remarks on Reform Judaism
This comes after Golan accused Reform Rabbi and MK Gilad Kariv of "officiating dog weddings in your delusional synagogues."
JPost.com - The Jerusalem Post - All News from the Middle East, Israel, and the Jewish World
May 22, 2026 - jpost.com
Israel, Gaza absent from long-awaited DNC report on 2024 presidential election
The document has done little to quell concerns from pro-Palestinian activists who believe party orthodoxy played a major role in Kamala Harris' 2024 loss and could potentiall sway elections in 2026 and 2028
Haaretz latest headlines
May 21, 2026 - haaretz.com
Poland intends to bar Ben-Gvir from entering country over video showing treatment of Gaza flotilla activists
After Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir publicly taunted detained pro-Palestinian activists, including Polish citizens, from the Global Sumud Flotilla, Poland's Internal Affairs Ministry said it began a legal procedure for an entry ban