For now, links to reports from the Associated Press,  National Public Radio, and Reuters; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials. (Scroll down for IRAN 5-4-26.) — MCM

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FROM MAY 5  The U.S. fights to reopen the Strait of Hormuz as the UAE comes under attack in a test of Iran truce, by Adam Schreck, Ben Finley and Sam Metz | AP  DUBAI — The U.S. military said it fired on Iranian forces and sank six small boats targeting civilian ships as it moved to reopen the Strait of Hormuz on Monday. The United Arab Emirates, a key American ally, said it had come under attack from Iran for the first time since a fragile ceasefire took hold in early April. READ MORE . . . Click HERE for same AP report in Spanish; and HERE for others.  Click HERE and HERE for reports from NPR and Reuters.

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TO BE CONTINUED

First, a link to a report from the Cradle; others are accessible by clicking on its name. (Scroll down for SYRIA 4-24-26 and today’s ENERGY, GAZA, WEST BANK and IRAN so far.) — MCM

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Israelis with dual nationality behind ‘large-scale’ acquisition of Syrian agricultural lands. From the Cradle. Israel is expanding its control over territory in southern Syria, not merely through military means, but also through the purchase of agricultural lands by individuals of Jewish descent holding multiple nationalities, Al-Akhbar reported today. READ MORE . . .

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TO BE CONTINUED

For now, links to an analysis from the Cradle and a report from the Associated Press; other published material is accessible by clicking on its name. (Scroll down for ENERGY 5-3-26, and up or down for today’s SYRIA, GAZA, WEST BANK and IRAN so far.) — MCM

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FROM MAY 1  War, blockade, and the unraveling of global energy flows, by Suleyman Karan | The Cradle  Global energy markets are struggling to absorb the shock of war in West Asia. The disruption of nearly 20 million barrels per day (bpd) of crude oil and petroleum product exports, combined with the limited capacity to bypass the Strait of Hormuz, has placed both producers and import-dependent economies under strain. READ MORE . . .

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FROM MAY 2  Spirit Airlines says it’s going out of business after 34 years, by Aamer Madhani, Rio Yamat, Jeff Amy and Mike Catalini | AP  WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Spirit Airlines, an impish upstart that shook the industry with its irreverent ads and deep discount fares, announced Saturday that it has gone out of business. It said high oil prices, which have been rising because of the war with Iran, made it impossible to stay aloft. READ MORE . . .

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TO BE CONTINUED

First, links to THREE reports from Middle East Eye; others are accessible by clicking on its name. (Scroll down for GAZA 5-3-26, and up or down for today’s SYRIA, ENERGY, WEST BANK and IRAN so far.) — MCM

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U.S. and Israel reject joint Palestinian proposal for Gaza after meetings. From Middle East Eye. Israel and the United States have rejected a paper submitted jointly by Palestinian factions, including Hamas, that links their disarmament to Palestinian statehood and security guarantees, following the latest round of negotiations over the future of Gaza. READ MORE . . .

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TO BE CONTINUED

For now, links to FOUR reports: from Middle East Monitor, Middle East Eye, the Cradle, and National Public Radio; other published material is accessible by clicking on their names or initials. (Scroll down for WEST BANK 5-3-26, and up or down for today’s SYRIA, ENERGY, GAZA and IRAN so far.) — MCM

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Israel approves $270M budget for settlement roads in occupied West Bank: report. From Middle East Monitor. Israel’s government approved a budget of about $270 million to build roads connecting illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank, Haaretz newspaper reported today. READ MORE . . .

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FROM MAY 3  Entrepreneurs fight pile-up of garbage in the West Bank. Reported by Eleanor Beardsley | NPR  Israeli restrictions on movement in the West Bank are impeding garbage trucks from reaching landfills, leaving Palestinians living amid mounds of trash. Two Palestinian entrepreneurs are trying to change this. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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TO BE CONTINUED

First, links to NINE-plus reports, commentaries, analyses and interviews (10): from National Public Radio, the Associated Press, the Cradle, and Middle East Monitor, Indian Punchline, the Chris Hedges Report, and Consortium News; other published material is accessible by clicking on their names or initials. (Scroll down for IRAN 5-3-26.  Scroll up for today’s SYRIA, ENERGY, GAZA and WEST BANK so far.) — MCM

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Trump says he’s reviewing offer from Iran but keeps military action on the table. Reported by Mara Liasson and Leila Fadel | NPR  President Trump says he is reviewing a new offer from Iran, though virtually zero details have been made public. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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FROM MAY 3. Trump says the U.S. will ‘guide’ stranded ships from the Strait of Hormuz, starting on Monday, by Adam Schreck, Melanie Lidman and Cara Anna | AP  DUBAI — The United States will launch an effort on Monday to “guide” stranded ships from the Iran-gripped Strait of Hormuz, President Donald Trump said, giving few details about what could be a sweeping attempt to help hundreds of vessels and some 20,000 seafarers. Iran quickly denounced it as a ceasefire violation. READ MORE . . .  Click HERE for same AP report in Spanish; and HERE for others.

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FROM MAY 3  How does diplomacy work during a military deadlock? Reported by Henry Larson, Emily Feng and Tinbete Ermyas | NPR  Suzanne DiMaggio, senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, explains the nuances of diplomatic moves at a time of military stalemate. Click HERE to listen and, later, read; and HERE for links to both Iran war-related reports Sunday on NPR’s “All Things Considered.”

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FROM MAY 3  Gas prices went up more than 30 cents a gallon last week. How high could they go? by Chandelis Duster | NPR  The Strait of Hormuz remains closed amid the Iran war. The cost for regular gas in the United States as of Sunday is an average $4.446 — a week ago it was $4.099, according to AAA’s fuel site. READ MORE . . .

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FROM MAY 3  Ceasefire served U.S.’s purpose in Iran war, by M.K. Bhadrakumar | Indian Punchline  The timing and regional act of the UAE’s exit from OPEC and the wider OPEC+ framework lends itself to various interpretations — a move to buttress its strategic autonomy; a challenge to the authority of Saudi Arabia; a masterly display of business savviness, etc. But in reality . . . READ MORE . . .

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FROM APRIL 28  The revolutionary spirit of Iran w/ Behrooz Ghamari. Chris Hedges of the Chris Hedges Report talks with Professor Behrooz Ghamari-Tabrizi, a former political prisoner from Iran, who says Western decision-makers miscalculate when they bet on Iran’s cultural relationship with rebellion. Click HERE for video and transcript and and introduction by Hedges, via Consortium News. 

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TO BE CONTINUED

Links to FIVE reports and analyses: from or via Middle East Monitor and the Cradle; other published material is accessible by clicking on its name. (Scroll down for LEBANON 5-2-26 and GAZA, ENERGY and IRAN.) — MCM

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New Israeli attacks kill at least 7 in southern Lebanon. From Middle East Monitor  Fresh Israeli attacks today killed at least seven people in southern Lebanon despite an ongoing ceasefire, Lebanese media reported, Anadolu reports. READ MORE . . .

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Israel issues new displacement orders in south Lebanon amid deadly escalation. From the Cradle. The Israeli military escalated further against Lebanon today, issuing new forced displacement orders across south Lebanon while continuing violent and deadly attacks on the country. READ MORE . . .

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Israel approves multi-billion dollar Lockheed, Boeing fighter squadrons to ‘boost air superiority.’ From the Cradle. Israel has approved a plan to purchase two new squadrons of F-35 and F-15IA warplanes from ‌U.S. weapons makers Lockheed Martin and Boeing, in a deal worth tens of billions of dollars, the war ministry announced today. READ MORE . . .

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Iran sets one-month deadline for U.S. to end naval blockade, wars in Iran, Lebanon. From Middle East Monitor. Iran has set a one-month deadline for negotiations on a deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, end a U.S. naval blockade and permanently end the war in Iran and Lebanon, according to a report Saturday by Axios, Anadolu reports. READ MORE . . .

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Israel’s inevitable failure to disarm Hezbollah, by Jasim Al-Azzawi | Middle East Monitor  Since the 1982 Israeli invasion of Lebanon to expel the PLO, Hezbollah has been a thorn in Israel’s side. Born of that very invasion, the Party — as it is called — waged a relentless guerrilla war against Israeli troops occupying southern Lebanon, backed, financed, and trained by Iran. READ MORE . . .

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Links to a report from the Cradle and three analyses via Middle East Eye; other published material is accessible by clicking on its name. (Scroll down for GAZA 5-22-26, and up or down for LEBANON, ENERGY and IRAN.) — MCM

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Israel approves multi-billion dollar Lockheed, Boeing fighter squadrons to ‘boost air superiority.’ From the Cradle. Israel has approved a plan to purchase two new squadrons of F-35 and F-15IA warplanes from ‌U.S. weapons makers Lockheed Martin and Boeing, in a deal worth tens of billions of dollars, the war ministry announced today. READ MORE . . .

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Gaza cannot be rebuilt until Palestinians control their own political future, by Alaa Tartir | Middle East Eye  After Israel and its international backers have destroyed the Gaza Strip over the past 30 months, their primary focus has shifted to shaping the intricate features of the next phase —aiming to ensure ultimate dominance and control by imposing macrostructures and conditions. READ MORE . . .

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Israel is making Palestinians disappear in more ways than one, by Belen Fernandez | Middle East Eye  On April 23, the Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported that “dozens of children go missing each week” in the Gaza Strip “against the backdrop of the postwar chaos” — a curious euphemism, no doubt, for the ongoing U.S.-backed genocide in the Palestinian territory. READ MORE. . . .

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FROM MAY 2  Months into the U.S.-Israel ‘ceasefire’, Gaza remains a scene of chaos and terror, by Ghada Ageel | Middle East Eye  Al-Nafaq Street bisects the neighbourhoods of al-Tuffah (Apple) and al-Zeitoun (Olive) in the heart of Gaza City. On April 14 a bomb attack killed five — including three-year-old Yahya al-Malahi, who was leaving a relative’s home with his father, dressed in new clothes for a wedding they were about to attend. READ MORE . . .

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Links to SIX reports and analyses: from Agence France-Presse, the Cradle, ScheerPost, Geopolitical Economy Report, and Propublica; others are accessible by clicking on its name or initials. (Scroll down for ENERGY 5-1-26, and up or down for LEBANON, GAZA and IRAN.) — MCM

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OPEC+ hikes oil production quotas but stays mum on UAE pull-out. From AFP. Saudi Arabia, Russia and five other OPEC+ countries increased their oil production quota today in an expected move aimed at demonstrating continuity at the cartel after the shock withdrawal of the United Arab Emirates. READ MORE . . . Click HERE for a version of same AFP report in French, and HERE for headlines of others.  Click HERE to report from the Cradle.

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FROM MAY 2  Oil, empire, and the price of war, by Joshua Scheer  of ScheerPost and Ben Norton of Geopolitical Economy Report  This war isn’t just being fought with missiles — it’s being waged through oil markets, currencies, and corporate balance sheets. Meanwhile, a global energy system is being weaponized in real time. Click HERE for article by Scheer and video presentation by Norton.

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FROM MAY 1  Exxon, Chevron execs defy Trump’s ‘DRILL, BABY, DRILL’ policy: report. From the Cradle. U.S. oil majors ExxonMobil and Chevron have pushed back against White House pressure to raise production levels despite an ongoing energy crisis triggered by the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran, the Financial Times reported on Friday. READ MORE . . .

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FROM MAY 2  Event with links to oil industry teaches judges ‘healthy skepticism’ of climate science, by Abrahm Lustgarten | Propublica / ScheerPost  For many months, conservative lawmakers and political operatives have been targeting the scientists and lawyers behind the Climate Judiciary Project, a program meant to educate the courts about climate science. READ MORE . . .

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Links to ELEVEN reports, analyses and discussions: from Anadolu Ajansi, the Associated Press, Reuters, National Public Radio, Middle East Monitor, the Cradle, ScheerPost, Geopolitical Economy Report, and Consortium News; other published material is accessible by clicking on their names or initials. (Scroll down for IRAN 5-2-26.  Scroll up for LEBANON, GAZA and ENERGY.) — MCM

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Trump must choose ‘impossible’ war or ‘bad deal’ with Iran, says IRGC, by Serdar Dincel | Anadolu  ISTANBUL — In a post today on the U.S. social media company X, the intelligence department of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps said Tehran sent the U.S. military a deadline to end its blockade of Iranian ports. READ MORE . . . Click HERE for same Anadolu report in French, and HERE for others.

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NEWER  Cargo ship near Strait of Hormuz says it’s attacked as Iran makes new peace proposal, by Adam Schreck and Melanie Lidman | AP  DUBAI — A cargo ship near the Strait of Hormuz said it was attacked by multiple small craft, according to the British military’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center today, marking at least two dozen attacks in and around the strait since the Iran war began. READ MORE . . . Click HERE for same AP report in Spanish; and HERE for others. Click HERE for report from Reuters.

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Iran submits 14-point response to U.S. proposal to end war. From NPR. Iran has submitted a 14-point response to the U.S. proposal to end the conflict that began with U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran on February 28, according to the semi-official Tasnim news agency and the state-owned media organization Press TV. READ MORE . . .

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Iran sets one-month deadline for U.S. to end naval blockade, wars in Iran, Lebanon. From Middle East Monitor. Iran has set a one-month deadline for negotiations on a deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, end a U.S. naval blockade and permanently end the war in Iran and Lebanon, according to a report Saturday by Axios, Anadolu reports. READ MORE . . .  Click HERE for report from the Cradle.

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Israel approves multi-billion dollar Lockheed, Boeing fighter squadrons to ‘boost air superiority.’ From the Cradle. Israel has approved a plan to purchase two new squadrons of F-35 and F-15IA warplanes from ‌U.S. weapons makers Lockheed Martin and Boeing, in a deal worth tens of billions of dollars, the war ministry announced today. READ MORE . . .

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FROM MAY 2  Oil, empire, and the price of war, by Joshua Scheer of ScheerPost and Ben Norton of Geopolitical Economy Report  This war isn’t just being fought with missiles — it’s being waged through oil markets, currencies, and corporate balance sheets. Meanwhile, a global energy system is being weaponized in real time. Click HERE for article by Scheer and video presentation by Norton.

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FROM MAY 2  Trump’s trap, Trump’s sanity, by Patrick Lawrence | Special to CN  The Trumpster’s mental instability — indeed, his relationship with reality — is much remarked upon these days. Threatening to destroy one of humanity’s oldest civilizations, blowing his cool so badly his adjutants recently locked him out of the Situation Room so they could coherently discuss . . . the situation . . . READ MORE . . .

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Watch: The World This Week: ‘Economic war or bombs?’ Joe Lauria of Consortium News, former CIA analyst Ray McGovern, and former U.S. Marine Corps intelligence officer Scott Ritter talk about a range of topics related to the Iran war, among them Israeli pressure to restart military acts, the economic war, Russia’s role as a mediator, President Trump’s mental condition, and King Charles III’s speech before  Congress. Click HERE for video. 

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