Global Outlook

  The fragile ceasefire between Israel and Iran, brokered by U.S. President Donald Trump, appears to be holding — but not without drama. After days of intense conflict, both nations agreed to halt hostilities, though accusations of violations erupted almost immediately. Israel claimed Iran fired missiles post-truce, while Tehran denied the allegations, blaming Israel for pre-dawn strikes that killed a top nuclear scientist. Trump, visibly frustrated, lashed out at both sides, declaring they’d been fighting so long they didn’t know what they were doing. Yet, within hours, he triumphantly announced the ceasefire was saved, crediting his intervention for preventing further escalation. Behind the scenes, a classified U.S. intelligence report contradicted Trump’s bold claims. While the president insisted Iran’s nuclear program was completely obliterated, the Defense Intelligence Agency assessed the damage as far less catastrophic, setting back Tehran’s ambitions by only a few months. Th...

  Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has made a jaw-dropping declaration — Israel doesn’t need America’s help to obliterate Iran’s nuclear facilities. But is this confidence justified, or is it a dangerous bluff? Netanyahu’s recent interview with an Israeli TV station sent shockwaves through geopolitical circles when he asserted that Israel possesses the military capability to destroy  all  of Iran’s nuclear sites — including the heavily fortified Fordow facility — without U.S. assistance. Buried 80 meters underground beneath a mountain, Fordow has long been considered nearly impenetrable, yet Netanyahu insists Israel can neutralize it. This claim comes as the U.S. weighs whether to deploy its massive “bunker buster” bombs, raising questions about Israel’s true operational limits. The Fordow enrichment plant is Iran’s most secure nuclear site, designed to withstand aerial assaults. While the U.S. has bombs capable of penetrating deep underground, Israel reportedly ...

  The Middle East is on the brink of all-out war as Israel issues a chilling warning to Iran: “Tehran will burn” if missile attacks against Israeli civilians continue.  The threat comes after Iran launched five waves of retaliatory strikes, targeting central and northern Israel, killing at least three people and wounding dozens more. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz directly addressed Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, accusing him of holding Iran’s citizens hostage by escalating the conflict. With both nations now locked in a deadly exchange of airstrikes, the region braces for what could be the most devastating confrontation in decades. The Iranian attacks caused widespread destruction, leveling buildings in Ramat Gan and Rishon Lezion while setting a 32-story Tel Aviv skyscraper ablaze. Israel’s Iron Dome intercepted most missiles, but the psychological and physical damage has already shaken the nation. Meanwhile, Israel retaliated with precision strikes on Iranian air defens...

  Don ald Trump’s decision to greenlight Israel’s attack on Iran may go down as one of the most catastrophic foreign policy blunders in modern history  — one that could accelerate Tehran’s rush toward a nuclear weapon rather than stop it. The recent Israeli airstrikes on Iran, targeting nuclear facilities and top military leaders, were not just a military operation — they were a calculated move by Benjamin Netanyahu to sabotage ongoing U.S.-Iran negotiations. Trump, who had positioned himself as a dealmaker, allowed the attack despite months of diplomatic efforts, effectively torching any remaining trust Tehran had in Washington. The U.S. provided Israel with real-time intelligence and weapons, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio even boasting about supplying critical intelligence. But instead of forcing Iran to capitulate, this aggression has only hardened Tehran’s resolve. History shows that when Iran is attacked, it doubles down on its defenses. The Iran-Iraq War, where Sad...

  France is aware of the strikes by Israel on the Islamic Republic of Iran and its nuclear programme last night. France expresses its deep concern in light of the ongoing escalation. It urges the parties to refrain from any action that could destabilize the wider region. France is monitoring the situation on the ground. Our top concern is the safety of our personnel and nationals in the region. France calls on the parties to use all diplomatic means to de-escalate the situation. France stands ready to contribute to this goal, in close coordination with all its partners. France underlines that it has often reiterated its concerns about the acceleration of the Iranian nuclear programme, which is a serious threat to the security of the national territory and is a violation of Iran’s international obligations. It did so again this week, voting for a resolution during the meeting of the Board of Governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) following the publication of a re...

  Donald Trump has warned Tehran that it must not develop a nuclear weapon ahead of a possible Israeli attack on Iran. The US President said that non-essential personnel had been ordered to depart its embassy in Baghdad as the region had become a “dangerous place”, with a growing risk that Tehran could retaliate against an Israeli strike. The US State Department said it had ordered the departure of all non-essential personnel from its embassy in Baghdad. The move comes at a moment of heightened volatility in the region as Mr Trump’s efforts to reach a nuclear deal with Tehran have stalled. Asked if anything could be done to de-escalate tensions in the region, particularly with Iran, the president said: “They can’t have a nuclear weapon. Very simple – they can’t have a nuclear weapon.” Israel launched airstrikes against Iran in October last year in retaliation for the barrage of ballistic missiles the Islamic...

  At least 17 Palestinians have been killed and dozens more wounded after Israeli forces opened fire on a crowd of displaced Palestinians waiting for food near a distribution site operated by the Israel-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation in central Gaza, local health authorities said. Doctors said casualties were sent to the Al-Awda Hospital in central Gaza and Al-Quds Hospital in the north. The Israeli military has killed at least 36 people since dawn on Tuesday, according to medical officials. Massacres of Palestinians near GHF sites have become almost a daily occurrence since the organisation started operating at the end of May, with hundreds of people being killed and wounded by Israeli troops. GHF has consistently denied reports of violence at its facilities, though the Israeli military has admitted firing on civilians on several occasions. Meanwhile, a UN report has accused the Israeli military of the crime of extermination by targeting schools and religious sites in what it...

  The United States has once again wielded its veto power at the UN Security Council, blocking a resolution demanding an immediate and unconditional ceasefire in Gaza. The move has drawn fierce backlash from the international community, with 14 out of 15 council members voting in favor of the measure. The resolution, proposed by ten nations, also called for the release of all hostages and unrestricted humanitarian aid access—a critical demand as Gaza faces famine-like conditions. But the US argued that the draft failed to condemn Hamas or demand its disarmament, calling it counterproductive to ongoing diplomatic efforts. Acting US Ambassador Dorothy Shea defended the veto, stating that the resolution would only embolden Hamas without addressing the group’s role in perpetuating the conflict. Israel has repeatedly insisted that any ceasefire must be conditional on Hamas surrendering and relinquishing control of Gaza. Israeli Ambassador Danny Danon went further, accusing Security Coun...

  The streets of Rafah have become a dystopian nightmare. On a recent day, at least 27 Palestinians were killed and over 180 wounded by Israeli gunfire near a U.S.-backed aid distribution site, marking the third such massacre in as many days. Witnesses described scenes of chaos: families scrambling for flour bags stained with blood, children collapsing from gunshot wounds, and the deafening roar of tank shells and drones overhead. The Israeli military claims it only fired “warning shots” at “suspects” who strayed from designated routes — but survivors say the shooting was indiscriminate and unrelenting. The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), the Israel-and-U.S.-backed group running the aid sites, insists its operations were “safe and without incident.” Yet the killings occurred just half a kilometer from their facility, in what the GHF later called a “closed military zone.” This contradiction highlights a grim reality: Israel’s new aid system funnels starving civilians into milita...