West Bank, 6-18-26

For now, links to a report from Middle East Eye and to an analysis from Middle East Monitor; others are accessible by clicking on their names. (Scroll down for today’s LEBANON, IRAN, UKRAINE, and MEDIA so far, and for WEST BANK 6-17-26.) — MCM

   

Former senior Israeli officials issue ‘final warning’ over West Bank settler terror, by Ayse Betul | Middle East Eye  A broad coalition of former high-ranking Israeli officials, including former prime ministers and defence chiefs, have issued what they termed a “wake-up call” and “final warning”, demanding that the Israeli government act against Jewish settler “terrorism” in the occupied West Bank. READ MORE . . .

   

FROM JUNE 17  Why the West Bank may be Netanyahu’s next front, by Ramzy Baroud | Middle East Monitor  If Netanyahu can no longer sustain the wars that have prolonged his political life for nearly three years, he may escalate where resistance is weakest: the occupied West Bank. READ MORE . . .

   

TO BE CONTINUED

Lebanon, 6-18-25

For now, links to THREE reports: from Middle East Eye and Reuters, and to an interview from National Public Radio; other published material is accessible by clicking on its name or initials. (Scroll up or down for today’s IRAN, UKRAINE and MEDIA so far, and down for LEBANON 6-17-26.) — MCM

   

Israeli forces kill three people in southern Lebanon. From Middle East Eye. Israeli attacks on south Lebanon killed three people today, Lebanese state media reported, hours after the U.S. and Iran signed an agreement to end the war. READ MORE . . .

   

First tankers cross strait under Iran deal; Israeli strikes raise doubt in Lebanon, by Maya Gebeily, Rami Ayyub and Zohra Bensemra | Reuters  BEIRUT / JERUSALEM / QLAILIEH, Lebanon — Three Saudi-flagged supertankers carrying 6 million barrels of crude sailed through the Strait of Hormuz today, hours after U.S. President Donald Trump signed a deal with Iran to end the war that has disrupted global energy supplies. READ MORE . . .

   

Israel issues new Lebanon occupation map, in talks with U.S. over deployment, by Pesha Magid and Rami Ayyub | Reuters  JERUSALEM — Israel’s military published a map today showing an expanded zone of control for its troops in southern Lebanon, as Israeli officials said Israel was holding talks with the U.S. over ‌continuing its deployment. READ MORE . . .

   

Will Israel’s Lebanon offensive derail the agreement between the U.S. and Iran? Steve Inskeep of NPR speaks with Tracy Chamoun, Lebanon’s former ambassador to Jordan, about how Israel’s offensive against Hezbollah in Lebanon affects a U.S. agreement with Iran? Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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TO BE CONTNUED

Iran, 6-18-26

For now, links to NINE reports, analyses, commentaries and interviews: from Reuters, Middle East Eye, the Associated Press, National Public Radio, Middle East Monitor, and the Chris Hedges Report — the last via ScheerPost and, most recently, Consortium News; other published material is accessible by clicking on their names or initials. (Scroll up or down this date’s WEST BANK, LEBANON, UKRAINE and MEDIA so far, and down for IRAN 6-17-26.) — MCM

   

First tankers cross strait under Iran deal; Israeli strikes raise doubt in Lebanon, by Maya Gebeily, Rami Ayyub and Zohra Bensemra | Reuters  BEIRUT / JERUSALEM / QLAILIEH, Lebanon — Three Saudi-flagged supertankers carrying 6 million barrels of crude sailed through the Strait of Hormuz today, hours after U.S. President Donald Trump signed a deal with Iran to end the war that has disrupted global energy supplies. READ MORE . . .

   

Hormuz vessels must still coordinate with IRGC navy, Iranian state TV says. From Middle East Eye. The transit of vessels through the Strait of Hormuz still needs to be done in coordination with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps navy, Iranian state television said today. Vessels began moving through the strait following the signing of a deal to bring the U.S. war on Iran to a close.

   

U.S. and Iran sign initial deal to end war, ease sanctions and open strait as nuclear talks continue, by Michelle L. Price, Matthew Lee, Jon Gambrell, Samy Magdy and Mike Catalini | AP  WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump signed an agreement with Iran on Wednesday that calls for Tehran to dilute its stockpile of highly enriched uranium and waives U.S.-backed sanctions on the country, immediately allowing Iran to sell its oil freely in a major concession from Washington, according to details released by both countries. READ MORE . . . Click HERE for same AP report in Spanish, and HERE for others.  Click HERE and HERE for two reports from NPR.

   

FROM JUNE 17  Transcript of the deal between the U.S. and Iran. From AP. Senior U.S. officials on Wednesday read the memorandum of understanding with Iran to journalists after days of secrecy over what is in the document. READ MORE . . .

   

U.S.-Iran deal leaves Israel isolated and Netanyahu exposed, by Meron Rapoport | Middle East Eye  TEL AVIV — Israelis are viewing the emerging U.S.-Iran deal as more than just a diplomatic breakthrough between Washington and Tehran. READ MORE . . .

   

The U.S.-Iran deal: What has changed and what does this mean for the region? by Ahmed Asmar | Middle East Monitor  War is a perilous political act aimed at shifting the balance of power. What balance did the United States seek to impose when it launched its war against Iran, and what did it achieve? And what does this . . . READ MORE . . .

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FROM APRIL 3 and FEB. 17  Is Iran the ‘leading state sponsor of terrorism’? Journalist Chris Hedges  of the Chris Hedges Report speaks with former CIA officer, author and whistleblower John Kiriakou. The short answer to the headline is no. After Kiriakou defines terrorism, the two discuss topics related to intelligence agencies of various countries. Click HERE for interview, a transcript and an introduction from ScheerPost.

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* Among the news organizations with frequent updates on the Iran war, related wars in the Middle East, and negotiations to pause or end any of them are Al Jazeera, the Associated Press, CNN, Middle East Eye, and Middle East Monitor. They are found HEREHERE, HERE, and HERE. AP and El País reports in Spanish are HERE and HERE. *
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TO BE CONTINUED

Ukraine, 6-18-26

For now, links to reports from the Associated Press and the Moscow Times; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials. (Scroll up or down for today’s WEST BANK, LEBANON, IRAN and MEDIA so far, and down for UKRAINE 6-17-26.) — MCM

   

Clouds of black smoke rise over Moscow after Ukrainian drones hit an oil refinery, by Barry Hatton | AP  Ukraine hit a major Moscow oil refinery for a second time in a week and disrupted commercial flights at the city’s airports in one of its biggest drone attacks since Russia’s all-out invasion of its neighbor more than four years ago, Russian officials said today. READ MORE . . . Click HERE for same AP report in Spanish. Click HERE for report from the Moscow Times.

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TO BE CONTINUED

Media, 6-18-26

Links to a commentary from Middle East Monitor and a report from Press Freedom Global Alliance; other published material is accessible by clicking on their names. (Scroll up for today’s WEST BANK, LEBANON, IRAN and UKRAINE so far, and down for MEDIA 6-14-26.) — MCM

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FROM JUNE 17  When peace becomes a media battlefield, by Ervin Hoskins | Middle East Monitor  When a war begins to give way to diplomacy, the battle rarely ends at the negotiating table. It continues in headlines, guest segments and the emotional frame through which audiences are told to interpret a possible end to violence. READ MORE . . .

   

FROM FEB. 19  Citing threats, Iran International moves broadcasts to U.S. From Press Freedom Global Alliance. A Farsi-language satellite news channel based in London and long critical of Iran’s theocratic government said on Feb. 14 it had moved its broadcasts to Washington “to protect the safety of its journalists” after being targeted by Tehran. READ MORE . . .

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Gaza, 6-17-26

First, a link to a report from the Cradle; others are accessible by clicking on its name. (Scroll down for today’s WEST BANK, LEBANON, IRAN and UKRAINE so far, and for GAZA 6-15-26.) — MCM

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Trump leverages illegally frozen Palestinian funds to force normalization, halt legal cases against Israel. From the Cradle. U.S. President Donald Trump is seeking to leverage severe Palestinian financial hardship to coerce a “normalization” agreement that would require the Palestinian Authority to drop all international legal challenges against Israel, the Times of Israel reported today. READ MORE . . .

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TO BE CONTINUED

West Bank, 6-17-26

First, a link to a report from the Cradle; others are accessible by clicking on its name. (Scroll up or down for today’s GAZA, LEBANON, IRAN and UKRAINE so far, and down for WEST BANK 6-16-26.) — MCM

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Trump leverages illegally frozen Palestinian funds to force normalization, halt legal cases against Israel. From the Cradle. U.S. President Donald Trump is seeking to leverage severe Palestinian financial hardship to coerce a “normalization” agreement that would require the Palestinian Authority to drop all international legal challenges against Israel, the Times of Israel reported today. READ MORE . . .

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TO BE CONTINUED

Lebanon, 6-17-26

First, links to reports from The Cradle and Reuters, and to a commentary from The Cradle; others or at least headlines are accessible by clicking on their names. (Scroll up or down for today’s GAZA, WEST BANK, IRAN and UKRAINE so far, and down for LEBANON 6-16-26.) — MCM

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Iranian army warns Israel of ‘severe response’ over dozens of violations in Lebanon. From the Cradle. The Iranian army has warned that it will strike Israel in response to continued attacks and violations in south Lebanon, as Hebrew media indicates Tel Aviv is preparing for a collapse of the understanding between Tehran and Washington. READ MORE . . .

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Israel launches fresh airstrikes in Lebanon; Trump says he could still restart war, by  | Reuters  EVIAN-LES-BAINS, France / NABATIEH, Lebanon — U.S. ​President Donald Trump said today his new ceasefire agreement with Iran was not final and he could resume the war if he is unsatisfied, even as Israel launched ‌fresh airstrikes in Lebanon where fighting threatens the wider truce. READ MORE . . .
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Lebanon is now part of Iran’s deterrence doctrine, by Peiman Salehi | The Cradle  “We are consolidating an Iranian equation in the region, one in which Iran will no longer exercise restraint in the face of any aggression or disorder,” Ebrahim Rezaei, spokesman for Iran’s parliamentary National Security Commission, said in a statement. “It will cost the Americans some pain and expense, but they will get used to it.” READ MORE . . . 

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TO BE CONTINUED

Iran, 6-17-26

For now, links to THREE reports: from the Associated Press, Reuters, and the Cradle, and to commentaries from the Cradle and Middle East Eye; others or at least headlines are accessible by clicking on their names or initials. (Scroll up or down for today’s GAZA, WEST  BANK, LEBANON and UKRAINE so far, and down for IRAN 6-16-26.) — MCM

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Iran deal includes $384.6 billion fund, more than half of which already committed, source says. From Reuters. DUBAI – A US$300 billion (S$384.6 billion) private fund designed to trigger investment into Iran is outlined in the US-Iran framework agreement and more than half that sum has already been committed, according to a source with direct knowledge of the deal. READ MORE . . .

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Iranian army warns Israel of ‘severe response’ over dozens of violations in Lebanon. From the Cradle. The Iranian army has warned that it will strike Israel in response to continued attacks and violations in south Lebanon, as Hebrew media indicates Tel Aviv is preparing for a collapse of the understanding between Tehran and Washington. READ MORE . . .

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Lebanon is now part of Iran’s deterrence doctrine, by Peiman Salehi | The Cradle  “We are consolidating an Iranian equation in the region, one in which Iran will no longer exercise restraint in the face of any aggression or disorder,” Ebrahim Rezaei, spokesman for Iran’s parliamentary National Security Commission, said in a statement. “It will cost the Americans some pain and expense, but they will get used to it.” READ MORE . . . 

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Trump’s U-turn on Iran war has ended Israel’s Middle East dream, by David Hearst | Middle East Eye  Of all the military failures the U.S. has suffered in the past 25 years in the Middle East, the Iran war is probably the most consequential. READ MORE . . .

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TO BE CONTINUED

Ukraine, 6-17-26

First, links to three reports from the Associated Press, and to an interview from National Public Radio; others are accessible by clicking on its name or initials. (Scroll up for today’s WEST BANK, GAZA, LEBANON and IRAN so far, and down for UKRAINE 6-14-26.) — MCM

   

Zelenskyy says G7 leaders pledge more vital help for Ukraine against Russia, by Hanna Arhirova | AP  KYIV — Ukraine has won key pledges of further support for its fight against Russia from world leaders attending the Group of Seven summit in France, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said today. READ MORE . . . Click HERE for same AP report in Spanish, and HERE for others.

   

Historian on whether deal to end Ukraine war can be made at G7 summit. A Martínez of NPR speaks with Sergey Radchenko of Johns Hopkins University about the Ukraine war and whether progress toward a diplomatic solution can be made at the G7 summit in France. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

   

FROM JUNE 16  Trump signals swift return of sanctions on Russian oil as G7 refocuses on Ukraine, by Darlene Superville, Sylvie Corbet and Aamer Madhani | AP  EVIAN-LES-BAINS, France — The United States could soon reimpose sanctions on Russian oil shipments after President Donald Trump and fellow leaders at the Group of Seven summit of major industrialized democracies moved Tuesday to put the war in Ukraine back on top of their agenda, more than four years after Russia launched its full-scale invasion. READ MORE . . . Click HERE for same AP report in Spanish; and HERE for others.

   

FROM JUNE 15  A Russian barrage in Ukraine kills 11 and damages a landmark cathedral, by Hanna Arhirova and Illia Novikov | AP  KYIV — A cathedral in one of the oldest and most sacred landmarks in Eastern Orthodox Christianity was set ablaze early Monday as Russia bombarded Ukraine’s biggest cities, killing 11 people, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said. READ MORE . . . Click HERE for same AP report in Spanish; and HERE for others.

   

TO BE CONTINUED