Links to FIVE reports, analyses, interviews and commentaries: from or via Middle East Eye, Middle East Monitor, the Chris Hedges Report, Consortium News, and Anadolu Ajansi; others are accessible by clicking on its name as highlighted. (Scroll down for LEBANON 4-20-26, and up or down for IRAN and GAZA.) — MCM

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Inside Hezbollah’s battle for Bint Jbeil and Khiam, by a correspondent | Middle East Eye  BEIRUT — The survival of two Lebanese towns, for weeks bombarded by Israeli forces attempting to encircle them, exposes the limits of what Israeli firepower is able to achieve in south Lebanon, and the strategic power the terrain holds for its Hezbollah defenders. READ MORE . . .

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Israeli army blows up public school in southern Laebanon despite ceasefire. From Middle East Monitor. The Israeli army destroyed a public school building in the southern Lebanese town of Khiam, in a new violation of a temporary ceasefire, Lebanese media reported today, Anadolu reports. READ MORE . . .

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Israel’s war obsession and the urgency of Palestinian leverage, by Ramzy Baroud | Middle East Monitor  It is tempting to argue that Israel’s new military doctrine is predicated on perpetual war—but the reality is more complex. READ MORE . . .

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FROM APRIL 18  Lebanon’s defiance. Chris Hedges of the Chris Hedges Report talks with journalist Laith Marouf for a firsthand account from southern Lebanon, where entire villages have been flattened. Hebollah not only held the line, it inflicted significant losses, according to Marouf.  He says what is happening marks the end of Western hegemony. Click HERE for an article by Hedges, and video and a transcript of interview. (This comes via Consortium News.)

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FROM APRIL 20  Spain says Israel applying ‘Gaza strategy’ in Lebanon, by Alyssa Mcmurtry | Anadolu  OVIEDO, Spain  Spain’s foreign minister said Monday that Israel is applying the same military strategy in southern Lebanon as in Gaza, insisting that Israel cannot maintain normal relations with the European Union amid its ongoing human rights violations. READ MORE . . .

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Links to two reports from the Cradle and to a commentary via Middle East Eye; others are accessible by clicking on their names as highlighted. (Scroll down for GAZA 4-18-26.  Scroll up for IRAN and LEBANON.)

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FROM APRIL 20  Hamas dismisses U.S.-backed disarmament plan as ‘collective suicide. From the Cradle. Hamas has rejected a US-backed proposal to disarm, describing it as a “trap” that risks igniting internal war in Gaza, according to Palestinian officials who spoke with Middle East Eye. READ MORE . . .

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Human development in Gaza set back by nearly a century as recovery costs soar past $70b: UN. From the Cradle. Human development has been set back by over seven decades as a result of Israel’s genocide in the Gaza Strip, a UN report highlighted on 20 April, placing the cost of recovery and reconstruction at more than $70 billion over the next 10 years. READ MORE . . .

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Netanyahu, Trump: On Gaza and the Iran war, the parallels with World War Two are clear, by Joe Gill | Middle East Eye  It has long been considered offensive and antisemitic to draw comparisons between Nazi Germany and Israel, but on the specific question of Israel’s genocide in Gaza and its wars of expansion, including the war on Iran, the dam has broken. READ MORE . . .

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First, links to reports from the Cradle and Middle East Monitor; others are accessible by clicking on their names as highlighted. (Scroll down for LEBANON 4-19-26 and today’s IRAN so far.) — MCM

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Israel claims ownership of Lebanese gas field after establishing Gaza-style ‘Yellow Line’ near border. From the Cradle. Israel has declared a large swath of the southern Lebanese border area a “Forward Defense Zone,” similar to the ‘Yellow Line’ perimeter used by Tel Aviv to seize additional territory in the Gaza Strip. READ MORE . . .

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Israel flattening civilian buildings in southern Lebanon during truce, say commanders. From Middle East Monitor. Israel has continued systematic destruction of civilian buildings in southern villages since a 10-day pause in hostilities in Lebanon began last Thursday, Israeli army commanders told Haaretz on Sunday. READ MORE . . .

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TO BE CONTINUED

First, links to TWELVE reports from Anadolu Ajansi, Reuters, the Associated Press and National Public Radio; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials as highlighted. (Scroll down for IRAN 4-19-26.  Scroll up for today’s IRAN so far.) — MCM

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NEWER  Iran strikes U.S. vessels in retaliation for cargo ship’s seizure: report, by Ahmet Salih Alacaci and Gizem Nisa Demir | Anadolu  Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency reported that Iranian drones were deployed against U.S. vessels after American forces boarded the container ship Touska. The report did not specify whether the targets were military or commercial. READ MORE . . . 

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Ceasefire at risk after U.S. seizes Iranian ship, Iran shuns peace talks, by Parisa Hafezi and Hatem Maher | Reuters  A ceasefire between the United States and Iran appeared in jeopardy on Monday after the U.S. said it had seized an Iranian cargo ship that tried to run its blockade and Tehran vowed to retaliate, refusing for now to join new peace talks. READ MORE . . .

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Iran to attend 2nd round of talks with U.S. despite Strait of Hormuz hostilities: Pakistani sources. From Anadolu. Iran will take part in the second round of talks with the U.S. in Islamabad despite the latest hostilities in the Strait of Hormuz, two Pakistani sources said Monday. READ MORE . . .

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Doubts over talks between Iran and U.S. after violence flares in Strait of Hormuz, by Munir  Ahmed, Jon Gambrell and David Rising | AP  ISLAMABAD — Pakistan moved ahead Monday with preparations for a new round of talks between the United States and Iran days before a tenuous ceasefire is set to expire, even as renewed conflict around the Strait of Hormuz raised questions about whether the meeting would take place. READ MORE . . . Click HERE for or same AP report in Spanish, and HERE for others. Click HERE for second AP report, and HERE and HERE for links to seven Iran war-related reports yesterday and today from NPR’s “All Things Considered” and “Morning Edition.”

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TO BE CONTINUED

Links to reports from Agence France-Presse and Middle East Eye; others or at least headlines are accessible by clicking on their names or initials as highlighted. (Scroll down for LEBANON 4-18-26 and IRAN and MEDIA.) — MCM

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Israel says to use ‘full force’ in Lebanon if soldiers face threat. From AFP. SA NUR, Palestinian Territories — Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said today that the military had been instructed to use “full force” in Lebanon – even during the ongoing ceasefire – should Israeli troops face any threat. READ MORE . . . Click HERE for same AFP report in French, and HERE for headlines of others.

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Mediators push U.S.-Iran ceasefire extension as deal hopes fade, by David Hearst and Ragip Soylu | Middle East Eye  ANTALYA, Turkey — Mediators are seeking to extend the United States–Iran ceasefire, as hopes of reaching an agreement before Wednesday’s deadline faded today, sources said. In Lebanon, the agreement would include . . . READ MORE . . .

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Links to NINE-plus reports, analyses, interviews and commentaries (12): from the Associated Press, National Public Radio, Reuters, Middle East Eye, Middle East Monitor, the Cradle, and Consortium News; others or at least headlines are accessible by clicking on their names or initials as highlighted. (Scroll down for GAZA 4-18-26, and up or down for LEBANON and MEDIA.) — MCM

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Trump says U.S. negotiators will be in Pakistan on Monday for talks with Iran, by Michalle L. Price, Samy Magdy and Sam Metz | AP  WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump said that U.S. negotiators will head to Pakistan on Monday for talks with Iran, lifting hopes of extending a ceasefire set to expire this week even as Washington and Tehran remain locked in a standoff over the Strait of Hormuz. READ MORE . . . Click HERE for same report in Spanish.  Click HERE and HERE for reports from NPR and Reuters.

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Mediators push U.S.-Iran ceasefire extension as deal hopes fade, by David Hearst and Ragip Soylu | Middle East Eye  ANTALYA, Turkey — Mediators are seeking to extend the United States–Iran ceasefire, as hopes of reaching an agreement before Wednesday’s deadline faded today, sources said. READ MORE . . .

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What are Iran’s longterm goals for a peace deal with the U.S.? Elissa Nadworny of NPR speaks with Suzanne Maloney of the Brookings Institution about Iran’s long-term goals. Click HERE to listen and, later, read; and HERE for links to all four Iran war-related reports today on NPR’s “Weekend Edition Sunday.”

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Iran is seeking to end war ‘with dignity,’ says President Pezeshkian. From Middle East Monitor. Iran is seeking to end the war with the U.S. and Israel “with dignity,” the country’s President Masoud Pezeshkian said today, arguing that U.S. President Donald Trump has no right to deprive Tehran of its nuclear rights, Anadolu reports. READ MORE . . .

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‘Fundamental differences remain’ between Iran, U.S. as ceasefire expiration nears. From the Cradle. Iran and the U.S. have made progress in negotiations but are still a long way from a deal, Iran’s parliament speaker and chief negotiator stated today, raising concerns that . . . READ MORE . . .

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FROM APRIL 18  Watch: The World This Week: ‘An uncertain war.’ Joe Lauria of Consortium News, former CIA analyst Ray McGovern, and former U.S. Marine Corps intelligence officer Scott Ritter talk for over two hours on the perils of what remains of the ill-advised U.S.-Israeli war on Iran, prospects for ending it, the Gulf states’ vulnerabilities, Lebanon, NATO’s disintegration, the world economy, the Russia-Ukraine war in danger of widening, and U.S. economic and political repercussions from all of the above. Click HERE  for video and print introduction. 

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TO BE CONTINUED

Links to a remembrance from National Public Radio and to reports from Middle East Monitor and the Cradle and to commentary via Consortium News; others are accessible by clicking on their names as highlighted. (Scroll down for MEDIA 4-15-26.  Scroll up for LEBANON and IRAN.) — MCM

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FROM APRIL 18  Kevin Klose, former NPR president and broadcasting icon. Remembered by Scott Simon | NPR  He had covered the Cold War from the Soviet Union for the Washington Post, and used to say he had seen what can happen in societies where people can’t hear real news, debate is closed, and propaganda masquerades as truth. Click HERE to read more and listen.

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FROM APRIL 16  Telegraph takeover sparks fears over Israel loyalty test. From Middle East Monitor. Support for Israel is set to become a virtual purity test for Telegraph journalists after the influential British newspaper’s takeover by German media giant Axel Springer. READ MORE . . .  Click HERE for report from the Cradle. 

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Links to ELEVEN-plus reports, analyses, interviews and commentaries (15): from or via the Associated Press, the Cradle, National Public Radio, Anadolu Ajansi, Indian Punchline, Consortium News, and Tricontinental;  other published material is accessible by clicking on its name as highlighted. (Scroll down for IRAN 4-17-26 and GAZA and LEBANON.) — MCM

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Iran Revolutionary Guard closes Strait of Hormuz again and fires on ships trying to pass through, by  Sam Metz and Samy Magdy | AP  CAIRO — The standoff over the Strait of Hormuz quickly escalated again today as Iran reversed its reopening of the crucial waterway and fired on ships attempting to pass, in retaliation after the United States pressed ahead with its blockade choking off Iranian ports. READ MORE . . . Click HERE for same AP report in Spanish.  Click HERE and HERE for reports from NPR and the Cradle.

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Iranian official says U.S. ‘maximalist’ demands stall face-to-face talks, by Suzan Fraser | AP  ANTALYA, Turkey — Iran is not yet ready to hold a new round of face-to-face talks with U.S. officials, a senior Iranian official said today, citing Washington’s refusal to abandon “maximalist” demands on key issues. READ MORE . . .   Click HERE for report from the Cradle. 

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International maritime law expert explains legality of U.S. blockade of Iranian ports. Scott Simon of NPR speaks with James Kraska, a professor of international maritime law at the U.S. Naval War College in Newport, R.I., about the legality of the U.S. blockade of Iranian ports. Click HERE to listen and, later, read; and HERE and HERE for links to all six Iran war-related reports this morning on NPR‘s “Weekend Edition Saturday” and last night’s “All Things Considered.”

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Iran announces partial reopening of airspace. From Anadolu. ISTANBUL — Iran announced the partial reopening of its airspace, along with the reopening of several airports, as of 0330GMT today. READ MORE . . . Click HERE for same Anadolu report in French, and HERE for others.

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U.S.-Iran detente is inching closer, by M. K. Bhadrakumar | Indian Punchline  U.S. President Donald Trump’s initiative to calm down the Lebanon conflict has brought results as he announced a 10-day truce between Israel and Hezbollah that took effect on Friday. The ceasefire may be extended by mutual agreement if negotiations progress, the State Department reported with the concurrence of Beirut and Tel Aviv. READ MORE . . .

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FROM APRIL 17  India imports millions of barrels of Iranian oil paid for in yuan. From the Cradle. Indian refiners are currently paying for limited Iranian oil shipments in Chinese yuan under a temporary U.S. sanctions waiver that is set to expire within days, according to a Reuters report on Friday. The arrangement covers . . . READ MORE . . .

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FROM APRIL 15  Watch: CN Live! ‘War & deception’ w/ Alastair Crooke. Joe Lauria of Consortium News speaks with former British diplomat and intelligence officer Alastair Crooke about the wars in the Middle East, Iran’s readiness evolved over decades, Israel’s domestic culture and politics evolved over years, Chinese and U.S. economic trajectories as  causal factors in U.S. actions, unseen and little-understood supranational actors, likely Israeli Epstein-related blackmail, and how Western governments deceive their publics. Click HERE for interview.

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FROM APRIL 17  The petrodollar & and the war on Iran, by Vijay Prashad | Tricontinental: Institute for Social Research / Consortium News  For the past fifty years, the relative stability of the U.S. dollar — above all as embodied in U.S. Treasury securities — has rested in part on what is called the “petrodollar” system. READ MORE . . . Click HERE for same essay in Spanish.

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Links to a report from the Cradle and to commentary via Consortium News; others are accessible by clicking on their names as highlighted. (Scroll down for GAZA 4-17-26, and up or down for IRAN and LEBANON so far.) — MCM

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Israeli soldiers kill UNICEF truck drivers delivering water to Gaza families. From the Cradle. Israeli soldiers killed two Palestinian truck drivers hired by UNICEF and injured two others during routine water delivery operations at a filling point in northern Gaza on Friday. READ MORE . . .

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FROM APRIL 14  Apologies to Gaza & Lebanon, by Vijay Prashad | Peoples Dispatch / Consortium News  As the United States farcically walks away from the negotiations with Iran in Pakistan, it was always a matter of concern whether Israel would abide by any such agreement. Israel has a history with these ceasefires. READ MORE . . .

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For now, links to articles via Middle East Monitor and Consortium News; others are accessible by clicking on their names as highlighted. (Scroll down for LEBANON 4-17-26.  Scroll up for today’s IRAN and GAZA so far.) — MCM

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FROM APRIL 17  The collapse is real — Lebanon ceasefire marks a historic strategic defeat, by Ramzy Baroud | Middle East Monitor  A ceasefire in Lebanon was announced on Thursday by U.S. President Donald Trump, it was not the product of American diplomacy, nor Israeli strategic calculation. It was imposed — largely as a result of sustained Iranian pressure. READ MORE . . .

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FROM APRIL 14  Apologies to Gaza & Lebanon, by Vijay Prashad | Peoples Dispatch / Consortium News  As the United States farcically walks away from the negotiations with Iran in Pakistan, it was always a matter of concern whether Israel would abide by any such agreement. Israel has a history with these ceasefires. READ MORE . . .

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TO BE CONTINUED