Links to NINE-plus reports (11): from Reuters, the Cradle, the Associated Press, Middle East Monitor, Middle East Eye, and National Public Radio; others are accessible by clicking on their names. (Scroll down for GAZA, IRAN and MEDIA, and for LEBANON 5-31-26). — MCM

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NEWER  Trump says he spoke to Lebanon’s Hezbollah through intermediaries. From Reuters. WASHINGTON — U.S. President Donald Trump today said he spoke with Iran-aligned Lebanese militia group Hezbollah through intermediaries and secured a pledge that it would not attack Israel. READ MORE . . .

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Netanyahu orders military to resume attacks on Beirut. From the Cradle. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz announced today that the army has been ordered to resume airstrikes on the southern suburb of Beirut, one day ahead of US-hosted Lebanon–Israel talks that have so far failed to achieve de-escalation. READ MORE . . .

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Trump says Israel and Hezbollah have agreed to dial back fighting, by Bassem Mroue, Kareem Chehayeb and Natalie Melzer | AP  BEIRUT — U.S. President Donald Trump said Monday that Israel and Hezbollah have agreed to dial back fighting after he held talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and communicated with the Lebanon-militant group through mediators. READ MORE . . . Click HERE for same AP report in Spanish, and HERE for others.

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Hezbollah drone strike kills Israeli occupation soldier near historic Beaufort Castle. From the Cradle. Hezbollah resistance fighters killed an Israeli soldier and injured several others near the historic Beaufort Castle in south Lebanon today after Israeli troops occupied the castle and erected its flag above it a day earlier. READ MORE . . .

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Israel seeks Trump administration approval for wider air strike in Beirut. From Middle East Monitor. Israel has asked the United States to allow it to expand its military operations in Lebanon to include large-scale air strikes on Beirut, rather than limiting its actions to targeted assassinations, according to Israeli Channel 12. READ MORE . . .

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Iran stops exchange of messages with U.S. over Israel’s war in Lebanon. From the Cradle. Iran’s negotiating team is stopping exchanges of messages with the ​U.S. due to Israel’s ongoing bombardment and invasion of Lebanon, Iran’s Tasnim News Agency reported today. READ MORE . . .

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Lebanon parliament speaker says he guarantees Hezbollah’s commitment to ceasefire if Israel ends war. From Middle East Monitor. Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri said he could guarantee that Hezbollah would fully comply with a ceasefire if Israel halted its land, sea and air military operations and stopped demolishing homes and bulldozing land in Lebanon. READ MORE . . .

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Israel seizes strategic hilltop in Lebanon as U.S.-Iran talks remain in limbo. Reported by Greg Myre and A Martínez | NPR  Israel expands its invasion of Lebanon capturing a strategic hilltop as U.S. talks aimed at ending the war with Iran appear to be in limbo. Click HERE to listen and read, and HERE for all three Iran war-related reports today from NPR’s “Morning Edition.”

Iran says it will not ‘tolerate’ Israeli attacks on Lebanon. From Middle East Eye. The Iranian Armed Forces accused Israel of taking advantage of the U.S.-Iran ceasefire to commit what it described as “blatant aggression” against Lebanon. READ MORE . . .

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A link to a report from National Public Radio; others are accessible by clicking on its name or initials. (Scroll up or down for LEBANON, IRAN and MEDIA, and down for GAZA 5-31-26.) — MCM

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Funds for Trump’s Board of Peace aren’t in World Bank account. So where are they? Steve Inskeep of NPR speaks with Financial Times reporter Abigail Hauslohner about the funding of President Trump’s Board of Peace to oversee Gaza’s reconstruction. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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Links to TEN reports and analyses: from the Cradle, the Associated Press, Reuters, Middle East Eye, National Public Radio, and Middle East Monitor; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials. (Scroll up or down for LEBANON, GAZA and MEDIA, and down for IRAN 5-31-26.) — MCM

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Iran stops exchange of messages with U.S. over Israel’s war in Lebanon. From the Cradle. Iran’s negotiating team is stopping exchanges of messages with the ​U.S. due to Israel’s ongoing bombardment and invasion of Lebanon, Iran’s Tasnim News Agency reported today. READ MORE . . .

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U.S. bombs Iranian military sites and Tehran targets American troops in Kuwait, by Jon Gambrell | AP  DUBAI — The United States said today that it bombed radar and drone sites in Iran after Tehran shot down an American drone over the weekend. Iran then said it targeted American soldiers in Kuwait with missiles, which the U.S. says it shot down. The nominal ceasefire between Iran and the U.S. has . . . READ MORE . . . Click HERE for same AP report in Spanish; and HERE for others. Click HERE and HERE reports from Reuters and the Cradle. 

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Iran says it will not ‘tolerate’ Israeli attacks on Lebanon. From Middle East Eye. The Iranian Armed Forces accused Israel of taking advantage of the US-Iran ceasefire to commit what it described as “blatant aggression” against Lebanon. READ MORE . . .

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EU is ‘ready to contribute’ to possible U.S.-Iran deal. From Middle East Eye. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas on Monday said that it was prepared to contribute towards a possible ceasefire deal between the US and Iran through “maritime operations, and economic incentives.” READ MORE . . .

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State Department official on the potential for a deal to end the Iran war. Steve Inskeep of NPR asks State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott about the White House’s confidence in closing a peace deal with Iran. Click HERE to listen and, later, read; and HERE for links to other Iran war-related reports from NPR’s “Morning Edition.”

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BBC probe reveals Iranian strikes heavily damaged at least 20 U.S. military bases in West Asia. From the Cradle. A BBC Verify investigation of satellite imagery and video analysis published on 1 June reveals that Iranian military strikes successfully damaged at least 20 US military sites across West Asia since the start of the US-Israeli war of aggression on the Islamic Republic. READ MORE . . .

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The end of American forward presence in the Persian Gulf, by Jasim Al-Azzawi | Middle East Monitor  The analysts who have spent careers watching American power projection are now saying what was once unsayable: the era of U.S. forward military basing in the Middle East is effectively over. READ MORE . . .

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FROM MAY 31  Could Iran’s new air defence system be a game changer? by Jannus TH Siahaan | Middle East Monitor  The doctrine of absolute air dominance, long regarded as an unassailable pillar of Western military strategy, is facing an unexpected test over the skies of the Persian Gulf. READ MORE . . .

Links to reports from ScheerPost and National Public Radio; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials. (Scroll up for LEBANON, GAZA and IRAN, and down for MEDIA 5-29-26.) — MCM

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FROM MAY 29  Balancing act at the New York Times: Nicholas Kristof wrote about Israel’s sexual torture of prisoners, the next day Isabel Kershner penned more unverified rape allegations against Hamas, by Robin Andersen | ScheerPost  The New York Times attempted to ‘balance’ Nicholas Kristof’s documentation of the systematic rape of Palestinians by Israeli forces with yet another unverified rape ‘investigation’ claiming that Hamas had weaponized sexual violence on October 7. READ MORE . . .

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FROM MAY 30  Literary events around the world celebrate the poet Allen Ginsberg’s 100th birthday. Reported by Tom Vitale | NPR  Beat poet Allen Ginsberg’s 100th birthday is being marked by celebrations around the world — an appreciation of his importance to poetry and how his influence on the medium continues. Click HERE to listen and read.

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A link to commentary from Middle East Monitor; other published material is accessible by clicking on its name. (Scroll down for LEBANON, UKRAINE and IRAN, and for GAZA 5-30-26.) — MCM

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Israel seizes more of Gaza beyond the Yellow Line, by Binoy Kampmark | Middle East Monitor  While eyes remain peeled on Israel’s increasingly violent and expanding campaign in Lebanon, the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is proving ever more predatory with the Gaza Strip. READ MORE . . .

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Links to SEVEN reports: from Middle East Eye, Middle East Monitor, the Associated Press, and National Public Radio; headlines of others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials. (Scroll up or down GAZA, UKRAINE and IRAN, and down for LEBANON 5-30-26.) — MCM

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NEWER  Israel heavily bombs southern city of Sour in Lebanon. From Middle East Eye. Israeli strikes on the southern Lebanese city of Sour, also known as Tyre, over the past few hours have been some of the most intense bombardments of the area since March, according to Lebanese media. READ MORE . . . Click HERE and HERE for earlier MEE report and another from Middle East Monitor.

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Israeli forces make historic push inside Lebanon and complicate an Iran deal, by Melanie Lidman, Kareem Chehayeb and Cara Anna | AP  TEL AVIV — Israeli forces are making their deepest incursion inside Lebanon since they withdrew from the country over a quarter-century ago, despite a nominal U.S.-brokered ceasefire and the first direct Israel-Lebanon talks in decades. It’s a challenge in the emerging deal to extend the Iran war ceasefire as Tehran wants it to end fighting in Lebanon, too. READ MORE . . .

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Netanyahu describes Israeli seizure of Beaufort Castle as ‘shift in policy.’ From Middle East Eye. “Today,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a video statement, “we have returned to Beaufort in a different way. We have returned united, determined, and stronger than ever.” READ MORE . . .

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Israel is extending its borders through war. For some, it’s part of a greater plan. Reported by Daniel Estrin | NPR  On the fringes of Israel’s far right, some activists and political leaders dream of a Greater Israel, extending the country’s borders into neighboring countries. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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FROM MAY 30  Israeli army crosses Litani River, reaches outskirts of Nabatieh city. From Middle East Monitor. The Israeli army has advanced into villages located north of the Litani River and reached the outskirts of Nabatieh city in southern Lebanon, a senior Lebanese military source told Anadolu on Saturday. READ MORE . . .

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A link to a discussion from Consortium News; other published material is accessible by clicking on its name. (Scroll up or down for GAZA, LEBANON and IRAN, and down for UKRAINE 5-30-26.) — MCM

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FROM MAY 30  Watch: The World This Week  — ‘Luring Russia into war.’  Joe Lauria of Consortium News spoke again with former CIA analyst Ray McGovern and former U.S. Marine Corps intelligence officer and former UN weapons inspector Scott Ritter. Nearly two hours of Saturday night‘s 140-minute conversation concerns the Russian-Ukraine war, its history, comparative military capabilities, weapons systems, intelligence operations, NATO, and geopolitical, political and economic matters, and related events of the last few days in Poland, Romania and Lithuania. Click HERE for Lauria’s introductory article and a video of the discussion.

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Links to EIGHT reports: from the Cradle, National Public Radio, Reuters, the Associated Press, and NBC News; to a commentary from Middle East Eye; and to a discussion from Consortium News; other published material is accessible by clicking on their names or initials. (Scroll up for GAZA, LEBANON and UKRAINE, and down for IRAN 5-30-26.) — MCM

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FROM MAY 29  U.S. lawmakers seek to ‘fuse’ Israeli, U.S. militaries under 2027 defense authorization act. From the Cradle. Lawmakers in Washington are quietly moving to integrate the U.S. and Israeli militaries in unprecedented ways, according to a clause in the 2027 National Defense Authorization Act released this week. READ MORE . . .

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Trump seeking last-minute changes to draft deal reached with Iran: report. From the Cradle. U.S. President Donald Trump is now asking for “amendments” to the draft deal his envoys negotiated with Iran, informed senior officials and sources told Axios today, following a report the day before saying the president has “toughened” his terms. READ MORE . . .

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FROM MAY 30  Trump says a ceasefire extension deal with Iran is near, but core issues remain. Reported by Jane Arraf, Adrian Florido and Jim Kane | NPR  President Trump has not yet decided whether he’ll extend a ceasefire with Iran, and Israel continues to attack targets in Lebanon, in spite of a ceasefire there. Click HERE to listen and read.

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FROM MAY 30  Hegseth says U.S. ready to restart strikes on Iran if no deal. From Reuters. SINGAPORE — The U.S. is ready to restart attacks on Iran if a deal cannot be reached, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Saturday, as negotiators from Washington and Tehran worked to bridge major differences blocking an agreement. READ MORE . . .

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FROM MAY 30  U.S. says it struck a commercial ship trying to breach blockade and reach Iran, by Konstantin Toropin | AP  WASHINGTON — The U.S. military stopped a merchant vessel trying to break through its blockade of Iranian ports by firing a missile into its engine room, the U.S. Central Command said on Saturday. READ MORE . . . Click HERE for same AP report in Spanish; and HERE for others. Click HERE for report from Reuters.

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FROM MAY 30   UAE secretly bombed Iran dozens of times alongside Israel, U.S.: report. From the Cradle. The Wall Street Journal reported on Friday that the UAE carried out “dozens” of covert airstrikes against Iran, collaborating with Israel and the U.S. from the beginning of the war in late February and continuing even after the April ceasefire was declared. READ MORE . . .

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FROM MAY 29  Iran may have used Chinese missile to shoot down U.S. fighter jet, sources say, by Dan De Luce, Courtney Kube, Katherine Doyle and Gordon Lubold | NBC News  WASHINGTON — The F-15 fighter that was shot down over southwestern Iran last month and set off a dangerous rescue mission was probably struck by a Chinese-made shoulder-launched missile, according to three people with knowledge of the matter. READ MORE . . .

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FROM MAY 30  Israeli claims about an Iran ‘threat’ were always a lie. Now we have proof, by Jonathan Cook | Middle East Eye  Could it be that Israel’s 30-year narrative about Iran — one that persuaded U.S. President Donald Trump to wage a criminal and disastrous war of aggression — was always a fiction, an invention cooked up in Tel Aviv? We got a definitive answer last week, care of the New York Times. READ MORE . . .

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FROM MAY 30  Watch: The World This Week  — ‘Luring Russia into war.’  Joe Lauria of Consortium News spoke again with former CIA analyst Ray McGovern and former U.S. Marine Corps intelligence officer (and former UN weapons inspector) Scott Ritter. Although nearly two hours of Saturday night‘s 140-minute conversation concerns the Russian-Ukraine war from before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 to events of the last few days, about 23 minutes near the end deals with developments in the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran and talks related to ending it. Click HERE for Lauria’s article introducing the discussion and a video of it.

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ADVISORY  Watch: The World This Week  — ‘Luring Russia into war,’ at 8 tonight EDT. Joe Lauria of Consortium News talks again with former CIA analyst Ray McGovern and former U.S. Marine Corps intelligence officer Scott Ritter. From CN intro: “NATO’s Ukraine proxy war seeks to weaken Russia and topple Putin. To launch an economic, information and ground war, NATO needed Russia to invade. Now it needs Russia to attack a NATO nation to justify direct war. Click HERE for Lauria’s analytical article and tonight at 8 to livestream discussion; video to follow after live discussion is over.

A link to a report from the Associated Press; others are accessible by clicking on its name or initials. (Scroll down for LEBANON, IRAN and GAZA, and for UKRAINE 5-29-26.)

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Ukraine keeps up assault on Russian oil infrastructure as Kyiv braces for more strikes. From AP. Ukrainian drone strikes caused fires at more Russian oil facilities overnight into Saturday, local Russian officials said, in what appeared to be the latest attack on Moscow’s vital oil industry. READ MORE . . . Click HERE for same AP report in Spanish.

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Links to THREE reports: from Middle East Eye, the Associated Press, and National Public Radio; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials. (Scroll up or down for UKRAINE, IRAN and GAZA, and down for LEBANON 5-29-26.) — MCM

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Israel issues new expulsion orders as forces press deeper into Lebanon. From Middle East Eye. Israel‘s military on Saturday issued three expulsion orders for residents of 13 villages in southern Lebanon, a day after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said troops had pushed deeper into the country. READ MORE . . .

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FROM MAY 29  Israeli fighter jets strike southern Lebanese village after Israel warned residents to leave. From AP. The strike on Friday occurred a little over an hour after the military told residents of Ain Qana to leave, damaging several houses. Click HERE for brief video. 

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FROM MAY 29   Ceasefires in Iran, Lebanon and Gaza are interconnected — and fraying. Reported by Greg Myre of NPR  On paper, there are ceasefires in place between Israel and the U.S. in Iran, and also in Lebanon, Gaza. On the ground, fighting goes on. Click HERE to listen and read.

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