Middle East Geopolitical Reporting for 2026-05-25
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 366 reviewed.
Today's featured articles are:
Presstv, Middle East Monitor, Al Jazeera – Breaking News, World News and Video from Al Jazeera, JPost.com - The Jerusalem Post - All News from the Middle East, Israel, and the Jewish World, AL-MONITOR: The Pulse of The Middle East, Haaretz latest headlines, IRNA English.
Israeli strikes kill family of three, five police officers in central Gaza
Israel continues its strike on Gaza, killing civilians and police officers alike, despite a ceasefire with Hamas.
Presstv
May 25, 2026 - presstv.ir
Hamas: Israeli strike on police site intended to create ‘security vacuum’ in Gaza
Hamas condemns Israel’s strike on police stations as an attempt to create a security vacuum in Gaza.
Presstv
May 25, 2026 - presstv.ir
UN official lauds Russia’s ‘remarkable’ relationship with Muslims as opposed to US, Europe
A senior UN official commends Moscow over its “remarkable” relationship with Islam and the Muslim communities in the Christian-dominated country.
Presstv
May 25, 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 25, 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 25, 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 25, 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 25, 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 25, 2026 - presstv.ir
The logic of victory: Iran’s principled terms for end to imposed war define a new strategic reality
Iran’s conditions for an end to the US-Israeli-imposed war are the logical demands of a player with the strategic upper hand: the aggressor must pay reparations, withdraw, lift sanctions, and accept Tehran’s permanent sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz.
Presstv
May 25, 2026 - presstv.ir
Palestinians in Gaza barred from Hajj amid Israeli restrictions
This year’s Hajj season arrives with renewed heartbreak for the residents of Gaza.
Presstv
May 25, 2026 - presstv.ir
Iran shoots down Israeli spy drone in country’s south: Report
Iranian air defenses have shot down an Israeli surveillance drone over the country’s southern Hormozgan province, Iran’s semi-official news agency Mehr reported on Sunday. The wreckage of a destroyed Orbiter drone was found in coordination with Iranian naval forces, the outlet added. Israel has yet to comment on the report. The development came after US President Donald Trump on Saturday said an a...
Middle East Monitor
May 24, 2026 - middleeastmonitor.com
Zelenskyy speaks to Al Jazeera at site of major Russian attacks in Kyiv
Russia has launched one of its largest attacks on Kyiv since the war began, firing hundreds of drones and missiles.
Al Jazeera – Breaking News, World News and Video from Al Jazeera
May 24, 2026 - aljazeera.com
Hezbollah chief downplays calls to disarm terror group, praises success of FPV drone attacks
Qassem also rejected Israel-Lebanon talks, criticized the Beirut gov't and US sanctions, defended al-Qard al-Hassan, voiced support for Iran and Gaza, and denounced Bahrain's IRGC clampdown.
JPost.com - The Jerusalem Post - All News from the Middle East, Israel, and the Jewish World
May 24, 2026 - jpost.com
Escape or escalate: Trump’s tactical crossroads in the Iran conflict
The war that Donald Trump declared won last month looks rather different from the inside of the Pentagon. The resulting stalemate has drained American military stockpiles, emboldened Iranian commanders, and left the US with far worse options than before the conflict began. The administration’s triumphalist framing has struck a jarring note among those who have spent careers studying the Iranian mi...
Middle East Monitor
May 24, 2026 - middleeastmonitor.com
Hezbollah says it launched 12 attacks targeting Israeli Iron Dome launchers, drone defense systems
Lebanese group Hezbollah said Sunday that it carried out 12 attacks in the last 24 hours against Israeli forces in southern Lebanon and northern Israel, Anadolu reports. The attacks included strikes targeting military vehicles, drone jamming systems and launchers belonging to Israel’s Iron Dome air defense system. The group said in a statement that the attacks came in response to Israeli ceasefire...
Middle East Monitor
May 24, 2026 - middleeastmonitor.com
Legal challenge launched against the IHRA definition of antisemitism in British court
A British rights group, Right to Protest, has issued a press statement announcing that Dr Ranjeet Brar, a vascular surgeon, is bringing a judicial review to challenge the misuse of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) working definition of antisemitism by public bodies – notable among them is King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust. On 6th April 2026, Dr Ranjeet Brar, was s...
Middle East Monitor
May 24, 2026 - middleeastmonitor.com
Three months of classes held online in Iran because of the war
Every afternoon since Iran's war with the United States and Israel erupted, Sarah has sat with her seven-year-old son for online classes. And despite the current ceasefire, schools remain closed.The new routine has upended their lives.The 38-year-old mother was relieved when lessons moved online after the war began on February 28, with US-Israeli strikes hitting military as well as civilian infras...
AL-MONITOR: The Pulse of The Middle East
May 24, 2026 - al-monitor.com
Israeli fire kills parents and their infant in Gaza, medics say
By Nidal al-Mughrabi and Mahmoud IssaCAIRO/GAZA, May 24 (Reuters) - An Israeli airstrike on an apartment in a refugee camp in central Gaza on Sunday left three people dead, including a six-month-old child, health officials said.Medics named the three who died in the Nuseirat refugee camp as Mohammad Abu Mallouh, the infant's father, Alaa Zaqlan, the mother, and their child, Osama.Later on Sunday, ...
AL-MONITOR: The Pulse of The Middle East
May 24, 2026 - al-monitor.com
Israel's destruction of Gaza mapped using digital archive of wartime footage
The Genocide Live map uses publicly available geolocated videos, photographs and social media posts, serving researchers, journalists and Palestinians wondering what remains of their homes
Haaretz latest headlines
May 24, 2026 - haaretz.com
5 Palestinians killed, 5 injured by Israeli fire in Gaza
Five Palestinians, including three members of the same family, were killed and five others injured in fresh Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip on Sunday amid daily violations of an ongoing ceasefire, medical sources said. One of the Palestinians was killed by Israeli gunfire in the center of Jabalia refugee camp in northern Gaza and his body was transferred to Al-Shifa Hospital in western Gaza City...
Middle East Monitor
May 24, 2026 - middleeastmonitor.com
EU Commission chief welcomes progress toward US-Iran deal
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Sunday welcomed progress toward a possible agreement between the US and Iran, stressing the need for a deal that would reduce tensions and prevent further escalation in the region, Anadolu reports. “I welcome the progress towards an agreement between the US and Iran. We need a deal that truly de-escalates the conflict, reopens the Strait of Hor...
Middle East Monitor
May 24, 2026 - middleeastmonitor.com
Iran says potential memorandum with US includes end of war on all fronts: Tasnim
A potential memorandum of understanding (MoU) between Iran and the US includes an end of the war on all fronts, Tasnim news agency reported on Sunday. This includes Israel’s attacks in Lebanon, and that Washington would also commit to waiving sanctions on Iran’s oil during negotiations. If the agreement is reached, the Strait of Hormuz will not fully return to its pre-war status; instead, the numb...
Middle East Monitor
May 24, 2026 - middleeastmonitor.com
Acceptable till it wasn’t: Itamar Ben-Gvir and the Global Sumud Flotilla
It has been a sorry though predictable exercise. When he lived up (or down) to expectations of atrocious conduct befitting the proud bigot that he is, Israel’s Minister for National Security had to be seen as aberrant, the man who strayed, if only slightly. The conduct in question involved Itamar Ben-Gvir’s posting of footage on social media mocking the fate of activists of the Global Sumud Flot...
Middle East Monitor
May 24, 2026 - middleeastmonitor.com
7 Palestinians injured in Israeli army, occupier attacks in occupied West Bank
Seven Palestinians were injured Saturday in attacks carried out by Israeli forces and occupiers in the Hebron and Bethlehem governorates of the southern occupied West Bank, Anadolu reports. The Palestinian Red Crescent Society said its crews transported a young man to hospital after he was shot with live ammunition in the abdomen and hand during an Israeli military raid on the town of Beit Ummar i...
Middle East Monitor
May 24, 2026 - middleeastmonitor.com
Trump says agreement with Iran ‘has been largely negotiated, subject to finalization’
US President Donald Trump said Saturday that an agreement with Iran to end the war between the two nations “has been largely negotiated, subject to finalization”, Anadolu reports. “An Agreement has been largely negotiated, subject to finalization between the United States of America, the Islamic Republic of Iran, and the various other countries,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform. Trump sai...
Middle East Monitor
May 24, 2026 - middleeastmonitor.com
Arab-Islamic states condemn Israeli minister Ben-Gvir over Gaza flotilla detention
May 24 (Reuters) - The foreign ministers of the Group of Eight Arab-Islamic states on Sunday strongly condemned the actions of far-right Israeli police minister Itamar Ben-Gvir towards participants in the Gaza-bound flotilla while they were in Israeli detention.Governments have expressed outrage after Ben-Gvir posted a video in which he taunted activists who were pinned to the ground. Some of the ...
AL-MONITOR: The Pulse of The Middle East
May 24, 2026 - al-monitor.com
Possible Iran-US deal: What we know
The United States and Iran appear closer than ever to a deal that would end a war that has engulfed the Middle East and disrupted the global oil market.However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday he had agreed with US President Donald Trump that any final deal must fully end Iran's "nuclear threat".Iran's Tasnim news agency said its information was that key clauses of a possible...
AL-MONITOR: The Pulse of The Middle East
May 24, 2026 - al-monitor.com
New US-Iran deal 'bad deal,' fails to address missiles, terror proxies, Israeli sources tell 'Post'
“Nothing is final yet, but this is an agreement that could affect whether and how we are able to operate,” an Israeli official told The Jerusalem Post.
JPost.com - The Jerusalem Post - All News from the Middle East, Israel, and the Jewish World
May 24, 2026 - jpost.com
Israeli defense officials concerned emerging Iran deal ignores Israel's interests
IDF sources said Israeli defense officials felt the U.S. was giving little weight to Israel's positions on Iran and Lebanon. One senior officer voiced frustration that despite Israel's full participation in the war against Iran, the White House was no longer sufficiently considering Israeli interests
Haaretz latest headlines
May 24, 2026 - haaretz.com
Give Trump's Gaza plan a chance
Resuming the war would undoubtedly benefit Netanyahu politically. The prime minister doesn't want to go into this year's election with Hamas still in Gaza. He will want to be in a position to tell voters: We are nearly done with Hamas
Haaretz latest headlines
May 24, 2026 - haaretz.com
Trump's Iran quagmire puts US at complete stalemate: Official
Tehran, IRNA – Mohsen Rezaei, a veteran Iranian politician and a former military commander, says the recent regional developments, in the wake of an unprovoked war of aggression on Iran have put the United States in a complete deadlock.
IRNA English
May 24, 2026 - en.irna.ir
FACTBOX – Iranian, US versions of potential agreement proposals
Both the US and Iran have recently signaled progress on efforts to reach a deal to end their conflict, though their accounts of its terms differ on some issues across respective media narratives, Anadolu reports. US President Donald Trump on Saturday said an agreement with Iran to end the war was “largely negotiated” and awaited finalization. On Sunday morning, Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news age...
Middle East Monitor
May 24, 2026 - middleeastmonitor.com
Israeli strikes kill 14, wound several in southern Lebanon in latest ceasefire violation
At least 14 people were killed and several others wounded in Israeli airstrikes in southern Lebanon on Sunday amid continued violations of an ongoing ceasefire, Anadolu reports. The Lebanese Health Ministry said 11 people were killed and nine others injured in an Israeli strike on the town of Seir al-Gharbiyeh in Nabatieh province in southern Lebanon. A fighter jet struck the town of Bazouriyeh in...
Middle East Monitor
May 24, 2026 - middleeastmonitor.com
US official says Washington, Tehran reach preliminary deal to reopen Strait of Hormuz: Reports
The US and Iran have agreed in principle to a deal that would reopen the Strait of Hormuz, in exchange for Tehran’s commitment to dispose of its highly enriched uranium, a US official said, according to a report by The New York Times on Sunday. The official said that the agreement has not yet been signed and remains subject to final approval by US President Donald Trump and Iran’s Supreme Leader M...
Middle East Monitor
May 24, 2026 - middleeastmonitor.com
Iran ready to reassure world it is not pursuing nuclear weapons, president says
Iran is ready to reassure the international community that it is not pursuing nuclear weapons or instability in the region, President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Sunday, Anadolu reports. “Prior to the martyrdom of Ayatollah (Ali) Khamenei, Iran’s late Leader, we declared — and we reiterate now — that we are ready to assure the world we do not seek nuclear weapons,” Pezeshkian said in remarks carried...
Middle East Monitor
May 24, 2026 - middleeastmonitor.com
Trump says Iran talks ‘constructive’ but blockade will remain until final deal is reached
US President Donald Trump said Sunday that negotiations with Iran are “orderly and constructive” and vowed the blockade will remain in place until a final agreement is reached, Anadolu reports. “The Blockade will remain in full force and effect until an agreement is reached, certified, and signed. Both sides must take their time and get it right. There can be no mistakes!,” Trump said in a post on...
Middle East Monitor
May 24, 2026 - middleeastmonitor.com
Israeli premier expresses concern over US handling of Iran nuclear file in call with Trump: Report
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed concern over the US administration’s handling of Iran’s nuclear file during a phone call with President Donald Trump, according to Israeli media on Sunday, Anadolu reports. Netanyahu also voiced worries over a possible linkage of a ceasefire in Lebanon and a potential US-Iran agreement, Israel’s public broadcaster KAN reported, citing an informed...
Middle East Monitor
May 24, 2026 - middleeastmonitor.com
US, Iran near 60-day ceasefire deal to reopen Strait of Hormuz
The US and Iran are close to signing a 60-day ceasefire extension that would reopen the Strait of Hormuz, allowing Iran to resume oil sales and creating a window for negotiations on Tehran’s nuclear program, according to a US official familiar with the draft agreement, the Axios news website reported. The proposed deal, which has not been finalized, could be announced as soon as Sunday. Officials ...
Middle East Monitor
May 24, 2026 - middleeastmonitor.com
Iran agrees on plan to end fighting, reopening Hormuz: Report
Iran has agreed to a draft plan to end fighting and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, The New York Times reported Saturday, citing three senior Iranian officials. The proposed plan would halt fighting across all fronts, including in Lebanon, while focusing primarily on reopening the Strait of Hormuz, according to the report. The proposal includes lifting the US naval blockade on Iran and allowing unres...
Middle East Monitor
May 24, 2026 - middleeastmonitor.com
Deadly Israeli strikes pound south, east Lebanon
Israeli strikes pounded south and east Lebanon Sunday despite a ceasefire as Hezbollah's chief expressed hope for an agreement between Iran and the United States to end the Middle East war that includes Lebanon.Lebanon's health ministry raised the overall toll in the war since March 2 to 3,123 killed.It said two people including a paramedic from the Hezbollah-affiliated Islamic Health Committee we...
AL-MONITOR: The Pulse of The Middle East
May 24, 2026 - al-monitor.com
Trump says US will not 'rush into a deal' with Iran, as criticism mounts
President Donald Trump said Sunday that he had told US negotiators "not to rush into a deal" with Iran amid anticipation -- and mounting criticism -- of an agreement to end the war in the Middle East."The negotiations are proceeding in an orderly and constructive manner, and I have informed my representatives not to rush into a deal in that time is on our side," Trump wrote on his Truth Social acc...
AL-MONITOR: The Pulse of The Middle East
May 24, 2026 - al-monitor.com
Netanyahu told Trump Israel will remain free to act against threats, Israeli source says
By Emily RoseJERUSALEM, May 24 (Reuters) - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told U.S. President Donald Trump Israel would remain free to act against threats in Lebanon during a phone call about an emerging agreement between Washington and Iran on Saturday, an Israeli source said.Trump said Washington and Iran had "largely negotiated" a memorandum of understanding on a peace deal that woul...
AL-MONITOR: The Pulse of The Middle East
May 24, 2026 - al-monitor.com
For third year in a row, Israel blocks Hajj pilgrimage for Gaza Muslims
As millions of Muslims gather in Mecca, Palestinians in Gaza face a third year of heartbreak as Israel has shut border.
Al Jazeera – Breaking News, World News and Video from Al Jazeera
May 24, 2026 - aljazeera.com
Iran agrees in principle to deal that would dispose of enriched uranium, US officials say
The US official told reporters that there was a "broad commitment" on the principles of the documents, and that the Trump team feels positive about where negotiations stand.
JPost.com - The Jerusalem Post - All News from the Middle East, Israel, and the Jewish World
May 24, 2026 - jpost.com
Republican politicians warn Iran ceasefire deal could strengthen Tehran, would be 'disaster'
Republican lawmakers take to X, warning that a reported 60-day Iran ceasefire deal could strengthen Tehran and undermine US gains from the conflict.
JPost.com - The Jerusalem Post - All News from the Middle East, Israel, and the Jewish World
May 24, 2026 - jpost.com
Gulf states couldn't bear cost of another war, pressure Trump to avoid attacking Iran - analysis
The Gulf countries, meanwhile, understood that they would bear much of the immediate cost of restarting the war against the Islamic regime.
JPost.com - The Jerusalem Post - All News from the Middle East, Israel, and the Jewish World
May 24, 2026 - jpost.com
Iran did not win the war, it won something more dangerous - opinion
The war didn’t collapse Iran. It cemented its control over Hormuz, rewired its alliances, and strengthened the very institutions the US targeted.
JPost.com - The Jerusalem Post - All News from the Middle East, Israel, and the Jewish World
May 24, 2026 - jpost.com
'Blood on their hands': Top Modern Orthodox rabbi says haredim must serve in IDF
Twenty-six students gone. 39 relatives gone. Rabbi Kenneth Brander on what Israel's religious Zionist community owes its soldiers, and what it owes everyone else.
JPost.com - The Jerusalem Post - All News from the Middle East, Israel, and the Jewish World
May 24, 2026 - jpost.com
West Bank, Gaza antiquities bill raises international law concerns, legal adviser warns Knesset
The comments came as lawmakers prepared to advance the legislation on West Bank and Gaza antiquities toward final votes in the committee.
JPost.com - The Jerusalem Post - All News from the Middle East, Israel, and the Jewish World
May 24, 2026 - jpost.com
Iranian agents use Telegram to recruit British citizens for anti-Israel protest activity - report
A suspected Iranian agent offered money to organize anti-Israel protests in London and publish antisemitic posters, The Times reported.
JPost.com - The Jerusalem Post - All News from the Middle East, Israel, and the Jewish World
May 24, 2026 - jpost.com
ActBlue cuts off Texas politician Galindo after call to imprison Zionists
ActBlue did not immediately respond to a Thursday Jerusalem Post query about the deactivation of its fundraiser, but as of Sunday the donation page for Galindo was still not accepting donations.
JPost.com - The Jerusalem Post - All News from the Middle East, Israel, and the Jewish World
May 24, 2026 - jpost.com
Israeli strikes kill four in Lebanon as Hezbollah fire on northern Israel continues
Lebanon's rescue services said one of their facilities in the city of Nabatieh was destroyed in one of the strikes. The Israeli military said it identified a drone launched toward northern Israel, but later lost contact with it
Haaretz latest headlines
May 24, 2026 - haaretz.com
Will Trump forgive Netanyahu over Iran? The emerging deal suggests not
As Washington weighs a Pakistan-brokered cease-fire and renewed nuclear talks, Israeli officials fear Trump is sidelining Netanyahu after a war that lasted longer – and cost more politically and economically – than the White House expected
Haaretz latest headlines
May 24, 2026 - haaretz.com
IDF soldier killed by explosive drone in northern Israel, two wounded
IDF Sgt. Noam Hamburger was killed by an explosive drone near the Lebanese border, the army said. Two soldiers were wounded; another drone fell later with no casualties. The IDF said 22 soldiers have been killed since the current escalation with Hezbollah began
Haaretz latest headlines
May 23, 2026 - haaretz.com
Drones strike north Israel as Lebanon says 12 killed by IDF strikes in 24 hours
At least four explosive drones from Lebanon struck northern Israel, including Rosh Hanikra where no sirens were activated before impact. Israel struck Hezbollah sites in Lebanon's Bekaa and Tyre, while Lebanese reports airstrikes caused civilian and medic casualties in the south
Haaretz latest headlines
May 23, 2026 - haaretz.com
Spanish police filmed beating Gaza flotilla activists as Jerusalem jabs back at Madrid
Israel demanded answers from Madrid over the treatment of the activists, days after Spain summoned Israel’s representative over Ben-Gvir’s controversial video taunting detained flotilla members.
JPost.com - The Jerusalem Post - All News from the Middle East, Israel, and the Jewish World
May 23, 2026 - jpost.com
Israel believes Iran is misleading U.S., nuclear agreement unlikely, sources say
Israeli officials are concerned that if an interim cease-fire agreement is reached, the U.S. will struggle to finalize the dilution of handing over Iran's stockpile of highly enriched uranium, and it will be difficult to resume fighting under an incomplete deal
Haaretz latest headlines
May 23, 2026 - haaretz.com
23 Israelis retrieved from West Bank's Nablus, six from Jericho
Palestinian security forces detained the group at a Nablus police station before coordinating their transfer to the IDF, while Israeli police warned that unauthorized entry into Area A 'poses a real danger to human life' after a separate incident in Jericho