Middle East

Behind the smiles and the sanctions: The hidden truth about Israeli-European relations

Amid headlines of EU-Israel tension, Prof. Sharon Pardo reveals that trade, arms, and cooperation quietly persist, even as EU statements grow harsher.

An illustrative image of a number of European Union member states' flags leading up to the EU flag at the European Parliament headquarters in Brussels, Belgium.
A riot police officer stands near residents during a ceremony marking the 11th anniversary of what participants describe as the liberation of Jericho, also known as Ariha, in Syria's northwestern Idlib province, on May 28, 2026.

Syria makes bid to revive hospitality industry with new Tourist Police Unit

Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi delivers a televised address after assuming office, in Baghdad, Iraq May 16, 2026.

Iraq PM hosts Iranian-backed militias to push disarmament, consolidate state control

A US Air Force F-22 Raptor fighter jet climbs after taking off from the former Roosevelt Roads naval base, after the U.S. struck Venezuela and captured its President Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores, in Ceiba, Puerto Rico, January 4, 2026.

Trump says US will not return to war against Iran unless American troops are killed - report


New US-Iran deal fails to address missiles, proxies as Iran agrees in principle to uranium disposal

Trump says Iran blockade stays until deal signed • Iran claims legal right to manage Hormuz strait • Spanish police filmed beating flotilla activists

PEOPLE RIDE motorcycles near a billboard with an image of the late Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in Tehran, Iran, May 19, 2026.

US-Iran peace agreement with several MidEast countries 'largely negotiated,' Trump says

US President Donald Trump announced that the deal was 'largely negotiated,' and that he conducted a call with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, which "likewise, went very well."

US PRESIDENT Donald Trump speaks to members of the media as he walks to board Air Force One at Morristown Airport after delivering remarks at SUNY Rockland Community College on May 22, 2026 in Morristown, New Jersey.

Can the Middle East handle the endless rollercoaster between Iran, US, and Israel - analysis

The Middle East has already gone through decades of conflict and crisis, but in this case, many countries seem to think that the US and Israel are driving uncertainty.

Iran and Iraq map. Ilustration.

Israel and the Middle East are one election away from peace - opinion

Under a different Israeli government, many things that appear impossible today could suddenly become politically possible.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife Sara cast their vote during the elections for the Likud Central Committee, at the International Convention Center in Jerusalem, November 25, 2025

Iraq’s 1,200-km. trade route could redraw the Middle East - analysis

Iraq has some reticence, in part because Iranian-backed militias in Iraq oppose the new government in Damascus. However, trade may prove more important than sectarian ideology.

Iraqi forces and Kurdish Peshmerga fighters gather during an intensive security deployment after Islamic State militants took it over the previous day in Luhaiban village in Kirkuk, Iraq December 6, 2021.

Why does the West ignore Iran hanging a child marriage victim? - opinion

The world should have been outraged by her execution, yet they were deathly silent, preferring to focus on other issues, as if it did not matter.

A demonstrator holds a placard during a protest against the Iranian government held by supporters of the Iranian royal family in exile, who marched through central London past the Iranian embassy to the Israeli embassy, in London, Britain, March 8, 2026

INTERPOL arrests 201 suspects in largest cybercrime operation to date

Operation Ramz, focused on neutralizing phishing and malware threats while tackling cyber scams that have imposed significant financial burdens in the region.

The Interpol logo

Iran's intensified closure of Strait of Hormuz piles misery on stranded sailors

Sailors interviewed by Reuters in recent weeks have described the hardships and anxieties of their experience, and a federation representing them warns of dire conditions.

Vessels are seen anchored in the Strait of Hormuz, off the port city of Khasab on Oman's northern Musandam Peninsula on May 17, 2026.

Shavuot’s lesson for Israel: Sovereignty without purpose cannot survive - opinion

The future of Israel will not be determined only by where its borders are drawn but by whether the nation remembers what made it a nation in the first place.

An AI-generated cartoon illustration of Moses presenting the Ten Commandments to the Israelites and linking it to sovereignty over Israel.

Will Trump strike Iran or choose diplomacy at the last minute? - opinion

Rising Iran tensions leave Trump weighing military action while allies watch closely.

US President Donald Trump gestures at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland, US, March 11, 2026.