Gaza, 6-16-25

For now, links to reports from the Associated Press and National Public Radio; others are accessible by clicking on their initials below. (GAZA 6-15-25 is HERE, or scroll down.  UKRAINE and IRAN entries for this date are HERE and HERE, or scroll down.) — MCM

   

UN rights chief urges governments to ‘wake up’ to ‘horrifying’ suffering in Gaza, by Jamey Keaten | AP  GENEVA — The UN human rights chief said Israel’s warfare in Gaza is inflicting “horrifying, unconscionable suffering” on Palestinians and urged government leaders on Monday to “wake up” and exert pressure to bring an end to the conflict. READ MORE . . .

   

Israel’s conflict with Iran takes focus even as Gaza war grinds on. Reported by Aya Batrawy and Anas Baba | NPR  Israel’s conflict with Iran is pushing its war in Gaza to the periphery. But Palestinians there are still being killed and are under a near-total blockade. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

   

TO BE CONTINUED

Iran, 6-16-25

For now, links to 13 reports: from the Cradle, Anadolu Agency, Middle East Monitor, the Associated Press, Reuters, Middle East Eye, and National Public Radio, and to three articles of commentary from Indian Punchline; others or at least headlines are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (IRAN 6-15-25 is HERE, or scroll down.  UKRAINE and GAZA entry for this date, so far, are HERE and HERE, or scroll up.) — MCM

   

Tehran dismantles Mossad sabotage network behind suicide drone attacks. From the Cradle. Iranian security forces have announced the thwarting of Mossad-operated drone production plots aimed at undermining the country’s air defenses and military capabilities as part of Israel’s war against the country. READ MORE . . .   Click HERE for report from Anadolu Agency.

   

Iran president urges Iraq to block Israel from using airspace to attack Iran. From Middle East Monitor. Iranian News Agency said President Masoud Pezeshkian spoke on the phone with Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani on Sunday and “emphasised that the Iraqi government must exercise greater vigilance and protection of its borders and airspace so that Iraqi territory is not misused against the Islamic Republic of Iran,” according to an Anadolu Agency report. READ MORE . . .

   

Iran missile attacks on Israel kills 5, while Israel claims it now has air superiority over Tehran, by Ami Bantov | AP  TEL AVIV — Iran fired a new wave of missile attacks on Israel early today, killing at least five people, while Israel claimed in the fourth day of the conflict that it had now achieved “aerial superiority” over Tehran and could . . . Click HERE for AP report including maps, and HEREHERE and HERE for reports from ReutersAnadolu Agency.,  and Middle East Eye.

   

Iran’s ballistic missiles cause extensive destruction across Israel. From the Cradle. The latest barrage of ballistic missiles fired by Iran at Israel early today caused widespread destruction in Tel Aviv, Haifa, and elsewhere, video footage and images from after the strikes revealed. READ MORE . . .

   

Iranian president says Tehran does not seek nuclear weapons. From Reuters. DUBAI — Iran does not intend to develop nuclear weapons but will pursue its right to nuclear energy and research, President Masoud Pezeshkian said today, reiterating Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s religious edict against weapons of mass destruction.

   

The latest on the escalating conflict between Iran and Israel. Reported by Hadeel Al-Shalchi and A Martínez | NPR  Missile strikes between Iran and Israel continued over the weekend in a rapidly intensifying conflict. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

   

FROM JUNE 15  Iran will not stop strikes until U.S.-backed Israeli war ends: FM. From the Cradle. “We are defending ourselves; our defense is entirely legitimate,” Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Sunday. “This defense is our response to aggression. If the aggression stops, naturally our responses will also stop.” READ MORE . . .

   

FROM JUNE 15  Israel and Iran trade airstrikes for another night. Hadeel Al-Shalchi of NPR reports from Tel Aviv as Israel and Iran trade airstrikes for another night. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

   

FROM JUNE 15  What’s the U.S. role in the fighting between Israel and Iran? Reported by Greg Myre and Scott Detrow | NPR  President Trump says Israel and Iran should make a deal to end their exchange of airstrikes. But there’s no sign of a diplomatic solution on the horizon, and Trump is also warning Iran not to strike at any U.S. targets. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

   

Netanyahu’s war on Iran has no future, by M.K. Bhadrakumar | Indian Punchline  Iran’s stamina is of a long distance runner, as the Iran-Iraq war showed, whereas, Israel’s forte is as sprinter on a 100 metre track. Israel, a small country with a population of 8 million people will get hollowed out in a protracted war. READ MORE . . .  Click HERE and HERE for IP commentary from June 14 and 13.

   

MAY BE CONTINUED

Gaza, 6-15-25

For today, links to two reports from the Cradle; others are accessible by clicking on its name below. (GAZA 6-12-25 is HERE, or scroll down.  IRAN and UKRAINE entries for this date are HERE and HERE, or scroll down.) — MCM

   

FROM JUNE 13  Israel declares over 70 percent of Gaza ‘no-go zone.’ From the Cradle. The Israeli army’s Arabic spokesperson, Avichay Adraee, issued an evacuation order to all residents in Gaza Friday declaring vast areas of the strip as “dangerous combat zones” that the citizens should stay away from. READ MORE . . .

   

FROM JUNE 13  Libyan forces block Sumud aid convoy seeking to break Israeli siege of Gaza. From the Cradle. A land convoy organized to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza has been halted on the outskirts of Sirte, Libya, by forces loyal to General Khalifa Haftar, the Joint Action Coordination for Palestine said on Friday. READ MORE . . .

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Iran, 6-15-25

For today, links to nine reports: from Reuters, Tass, Anadolu Agency, the Associated Press, Middle East Eye, the Cradle, and Agence France-Presse; to interviews from NPR, WBUR’s Here & Now, and the Tucker Carlson Show; and to commentary from AP and Middle East Eye; others or at least headlines are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (IRAN 6-14-25 is HERE, or scroll down. GAZA and UKRAINE entries for this date are HERE and HERE, or scroll up or down.) — MCM

   

NEWER  Trump sees peace between Iran and Israel soon, eyes Putin role. From Reuters. WASHINGTON — Despite evidence that the conflict between Israel and Iran is escalating, U.S. President Donald Trump expressed optimism today that peace would come soon and cited the possibility that Russia’s Vladimir Putin could help. READ MORE . . .  Click HERE for report from Tass.

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Iran says ready to end attacks if Israel stops assault, by Syed Zafar Mehdi | Anadolu Agency  TEHRAN — Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said today Iran is ready to halt its attacks on Israel if Tel Aviv ends its assault on Tehran. Speaking to foreign ambassadors in Tehran, he said the war was “imposed” on Iran, which was left with no choice but to respond. READ MORE . . .

   

Israel orders Iranians near weapon facilities to evacuate ahead of attacks, by Betul Yilmaz | Anadolu Agency  ISTANBUL — Israel issued an evacuation order for Iranians living near weapons factories today ahead of a new wave of airstrikes — following its coordinated airstrikes on Friday on multiple sites across Iran, including military and nuclear facilities, which prompted Tehran to launch retaliatory strikes . . . READ MORE . . .

   

Israel and Iran bombard each other as Trump says conflict can easily end, by Maayan Lubell and Parisa Hafezi | Reuters  JERUSALEM / DUBAI — Israel and Iran launched fresh attacks on each other overnight into today, killing scores, as U.S. President Donald Trump said the conflict could be ended easily while warning Tehran not to strike any U.S. targets. READ MORE . . .  Click HERE and HERE for reports from AP and Middle East Eye.

   

Iraqi resistance group vows to target U.S. bases if Washington joins Israeli war on Iran. From the Cradle. The Kataib Hezbollah resistance faction in Iraq has threatened to intervene against U.S. military bases if Washington directly enters Tel Aviv’s ongoing war against Iran. READ MORE . . .

   

FROM JUNE 14  Putin, Trump discuss Middle East, Ukraine in call – Kremlin. From AFP. President Vladimir Putin discussed the conflict between Israel and Iran, as well as efforts towards a Ukraine settlement in a phone call with U.S. counterpart Donald Trump, the Kremlin said Saturday. READ MORE . . .

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FROM JUNE 14  Understanding the escalating tensions between Israel and Iran. Scott Detrow of NPR speaks with Charles Freilich, Israel’s former deputy national security advisor, about the ongoing strikes taking place between Israel and Iran. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

   

FROM JUNE 13  What Israel’s escalation in Iran means for the region. Scott Tong of WBUR’s Here & Now speaks with the program’s security analyst Jim Walsh, a senior research associate at MIT’s security studies program, about what the rapid escalation between Israel and Iran could lead to and what’s at stake for the region. Click HERE to listen and, perhaps later, read.

   

Russia’s strong ties with both Israel and Iran could help it emerge as a power broker. From AP. Israel’s military strikes this weekend on Iranian nuclear and military facilities, killed top generals and scientists, and Tehran’s response with drones and missiles — put Moscow in an awkward position, requiring fine diplomatic skills to preserve ties with both parties. But it also could open opportunities . . . READ MORE . . .

   

Israel’s attack on Iran marks moment of truth for Netanyahu, by Josef Federman | AP  JERUSALEM — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is on the mission of his lifetime. For years . . . READ MORE . . .

   

By allowing Israel to bomb Iran, Trump is pushing Tehran to go nuclear, by David Hearst | Middle East Eye  This is the way you behave if you are in charge of a drug cartel, not a global power. READ MORE . . .

   

FROM JUNE 11  Jeffrey Sachs on how to save the United States from getting sucked into utterly catastrophic wars with Iran and Russia. Tucker Carlson of the Tucker Carlson Show talks on June 9 with the economist and public policy analyst who teaches at Columbia University — or wherever there is a microphone — about some current geopolitical events and their contexts. Click HERE for video and table of contents.

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Ukraine, 6-15-25

For today, links to reports from the Kyiv Independent, Kyiv Post, and Agence France-Presse, and to an interview from the Tucker Carlson Show; others are accessible by clicking on its name below. (UKRAINE 6-12-25 is HERE, or scroll down.  GAZA and IRAN entries for this date are HERE and HERE, or scroll up.) — MCM

   

Russia reports Ukrainian drone attack on drone factory in Tatarstan, by Dominic Culverwell | The Kyiv Independent  Ukraine allegedly launched drones at Russia’s Tatarstan region, killing one and injuring 13, regional governor Rustam Minnikhanov said today. The drones were reportedly shot down, but . . . READ MORE . . .  Click HERE for report from Kyiv Post.

   

FROM JUNE 14  Putin, Trump discuss Middle East, Ukraine in call – Kremlin. From AFP. President Vladimir Putin discussed the conflict between Israel and Iran, as well as efforts towards a Ukraine settlement in a phone call with U.S. counterpart Donald Trump, the Kremlin said Saturday. READ MORE . . .

   

FROM JUNE 11  Jeffrey Sachs on how to save the United States from getting sucked into utterly catastrophic wars with Iran and Russia. Tucker Carlson of the Tucker Carlson Show talks on June 9 with the economist and public policy analyst who teaches at Columbia University — or wherever there is a microphone — about some current geopolitical events and their contexts. Click HERE for video and table of contents.

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Iran, 6-14-25

For today, links to 13 reports: from the Cradle, the Associated Press, Middle East Eye, the i Paper, Agence France-Presse, Reuters, Anadolu Agency, and National Public Radio, and to commentary via Middle East Eye; others or at least headline are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (IRAN 6-13-25 is HERE, or scroll down.) — MCM

   

‘Any country helping defend Israel will have its regional assets targeted’: Tehran. From the Cradle. Iranian state media today published warnings from Iranian authorities directed at the U.S., UK, and France, saying that their regional military bases and naval vessels will be targeted if they intervene to stop Iranian strikes on Israel. READ MORE . . .

   

U.S.-Iran talks over Tehran’s nuclear program won’t take place after Israel strikes, mediator says, by Jon Gambrell, Melanie Lidman and Julia Frankel | AP  DUBAI — The latest U.S.-Iran talks on Tehran’s rapidly advancing nuclear program will not take place Sunday, mediator Oman said today, as Israel and Iran traded blows a day after Israel’s blistering attack on Iranian nuclear and military sites. Semiofficial Iranian news services reported that   . . . READ MORE . . .

   

Iranian air defenses shoot down Israeli F-35: report. From the Cradle. Iran’s air defense force shot down an Israeli F-35 fighter jet in the western sky of the country today, Iranian state media IRNA reported. It was the third . . . READ MORE. . . .

   

U.S. quietly sent hundreds of Hellfire missiles to Israel before Iran attack, by Sean Mathews | Middle East Eye  The U.S. sent around 300 Hellfire missiles to Israel on Tuesday in a large-scale stock-up of supplies before its unprecedented attack on Iran on Friday, as the Trump administration was saying . . . READ MORE . . .

   

UK sends fighter jets to Middle East as Israel-Iran conflict escalates, by Chloe Chaplain | The i Paper  Fighter jets are among British military assets being sent to the Middle East under emergency plans to respond to the conflict erupting between Israel and Iran. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer announced that fast jets, and refuelling planes . . . READ MORE . . .

   

Macron urges Iran president to ‘quickly’ resume nuclear talks. From AFP. France’s President Emmanuel Macron today urged his Iranian counterpart Masoud Pezeshkian to “quickly” resume negotiations over his country’s nuclear programme, as a conflict between Tehran and Israel escalated. READ MORE . . .

   

Israel says attacks on Iran are ‘nothing’ compared with what is coming, by Maayan Lubell and Parisa Hafezi | Reuters  JERUSALEM / DUBAI — Iran and Israel traded missiles and airstrikes on Saturday, the day after Israel launched a sweeping air offensive against its old enemy, killing . . . READ MORE . . .

   

60 civilians, including 20 children, killed in Israeli strike on single building in Iranian capital, by Mohammad Sıo | Anadolu Agency  ISTANBUL — An Israeli airstrike targeted a residential building in the Iranian capital Tehran on Friday, killing 60 people, including 20 children, according to Iran’s state-run media on today. READ MORE . . .

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Iran mulls blocking Strait of Hormuz after Israeli attacks, says lawmaker, by Rania Abu Shamala | Anadolu Agency  ISTANBUL — Iran is considering closing the strategic Strait of Hormuz in response to Israeli military attacks, a lawmaker said today. READ MORE . . .

   

Some of the latest on Israel strikes on Iran. Reported by Hadeel Al-Shalchi and Debbie Elliott | NPR. On the second day . . . Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

   

FROM JUNE 13  Jordan shuts down airport to ‘facilitate’ U.S. arms shipments to Israel: report. From the Cradle. Sources said Friday that Jordanian authorities abruptly shut down one of the country’s main airports and restricted civilian traffic to use the facility for logistical support of Israel’s recent attacks on Iran. READ MORE . . .

   

FROM JUNE 13  Arab states assist Israel in shooting down waves of ‘Iranian drones.’ From the Cradle. At least 100 drones have been fired towards Israel since the start of the Israeli attack against Iran early on Friday, many of which have been intercepted with the help of Arab states including Jordan and Saudi Arabia. Iran has not yet confirmed . . . READ MORE . . .

   

IAEA chief offers to visit Iran after Israeli strike on nuclear sites. From the Cradle. UN nuclear chief Rafael Grossi said on Friday he is ready to travel to Iran to assess damage following Israel’s sudden, wide-ranging attacks. READ MORE. . . .

   

FROM JUNE 13  Israel expands strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities. Reported by Geoff Brumfiel | NPR. By Friday afternoon, there were . . . Click HERE to listen and read.

   

The more Israel kills, the more the West portrays it as a victim, by Joseph Massad | Middle East Eye  Early Friday, Israel launched unprovoked air strikes deep inside Iranian territory, targeting sites near Isfahan and Tehran. Among those reportedly killed were scientists, senior government officials and civilians, including women and children. Yet, within hours . . . READ MORE . . .

   

FROM JUNE 13  These questions are often ignored in the Israel-Iran story. We asked a panel of experts. Reported by Yasmine El-Sabawi | Middle East Eye  WASHINGTON — Middle East Eye put some lesser-asked questions to five experts on international relations, conflict, nuclear proliferation, and the region at large. READ MORE . . .

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Iran, 6-13-25

For now, links three articles of commentary: from Informed Comment, via ScheerPost, and Consortium News and Middle East Eye; and to 17 reports: from the New Republic, the Associated Press, National Public Radio, Middle East Eye, the Cradle, Reuters, Agence France-Presse, and Anadolu Agency; others or at least headlines are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (IRAN 6-12-25 is HERE, or scroll down.) — MCM

   

Netanyahu launches war on Iran to disrupt negotiations, by Juan Cole | Informed Comment / ScheerPost  ANN ARBOR, Mich. — The government led by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday launched a war on Iran, bombing sites related to the latter’s civilian nuclear refinement program at Natanz and Fordow but also targeting Tehran apartment buildings where . . . READ MORE . . .

   

Unprovoked, Israel risks major war in Middle East, by Joe Lauria | Special to Consortium News  Israel has opened the gates of hell in the Middle East. In a thoroughly unprovoked attack . . . READ MORE . . .

   

Taco Trump: Iran strikes suggest U.S. president is not in control — or just plain mad, by Marco Carnelos | Middle East Eye  It is extremely difficult be a fan of U.S. President Donald Trump, whose erratic style of governance has sent shockwaves around the world, unless you are among those who blindly follow his jumble of loose ideologies and primal instincts. The plausible green light . . . READ MORE . . .

   

NEWER  Trump tells the Post ‘I always knew the date’ for Israel attack on Iran, by Diana Glebova | The New York Post  The president continued during a brief phone call, “Because I know everything. I know everything. I know everything. I gave them 60 days and they didn’t meet it. Today’s 61, you know. Today’s day 61.” READ MORE . . .

   

Trump knew of Israel’s planned attack on Iran all along, Israelis say. From the New Republic. In a call with Netanyahu Monday, Trump reportedly urged him to stop chatter about a potential strike on Iran. But Israeli officials told Axios that the call had really been about coordination ahead of the attack. READ MORE . . .  Click HERE for report from Reuters.

   

U.S. shifts military resources in Mideast in response to Israel strikes and possible Iran attack, by Tara Copp | AP   WASHINGTON — The United States is shifting military resources, including ships, in the Middle East in response to Israel’s strikes on Iran and a possible retaliatory attack by Tehran, two U.S. officials said today. The Navy has . . . READ MORE . . .

   

Israel attacks Iran’s nuclear and missile sites, prompting Iranian drone-strike retaliation, by Jon Gambrell, Josef Federman and Julia Frankel | AP  DUBAI — Israel attacked Iran’s capital early Friday in strikes that targeted the country’s nuclear program and killed at least two top military officers, raising the potential for an all-out war between the two bitter Middle East adversaries. READ MORE . . .  Click HERE for report from NPR.

   

Who are the Iranian military chiefs and scientists killed by Israel? From Middle East Eye. Israel’s attack on Iran on early Friday morning, which saw dozens of sites bombed, has killed several top Iranian military officials and nuclear scientists. Here is a list so far: READ MORE . . .

   

Six nuclear scientists killed in Israeli attacks, Tasnim news agency reports. From Middle East Eye. The Republican Guard-affiliated Tasnim news agency reported that six nuclear scientists were killed in Israel’s attack on Iran: “Abdolhamid Minouchehr, Ahmadreza Zolfaghari, Amirhossein Feqhi, Motalleblizadeh, Mohammad Mehdi Tehranchi, and Fereydoun Abbasi were the nuclear scientists martyred.”

   

Israel bombs Tehran, declares ‘long’ war against Iran.  From the Cradle. Israeli warplanes bombed the Iranian capital, Tehran, early Friday, targeting residential areas as part of operation “Lion’s Courage,” which officials say targeted Iranian nuclear facilities and senior officials of Iran’s Armed Forces. READ MORE . . .

   

FROM JUNE 12  Israel attacks Iran’s capital with explosions booming across Tehran, by Jon Gambrell and Josef Federman | AP  JERUSALEM — Israel attacked Iran’s capital early Friday, with explosions booming across Tehran as Israel said it targeted nuclear and military sites. The attack comes as tensions have reached new heights over . . . READ MORE . . .   Click HERE for report from Reuters.

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What Israel’s strikes on Iran mean for the region. Reported by James Hider and Steve Inskeep | NPR  Three top security chiefs were killed in Iran, including the military’s chief of staff. Also hit was Iran’s main nuclear enrichment facility. What do Israel’s strikes on Iran mean for the stability of the region? Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

   

Israel strikes on Iran defy Trump’s diplomacy efforts. Michel Martin of NPR asks a U.S.-Iranian relations expert Trita Parsi, executive vice president of the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, about the motivations behind Israeli airstrikes targeting the country’s nuclear sites. Click HERE later to listen and, still later, read.

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FROM JUNE 12  Senior U.S. Democrat condemns Israel’s ‘reckless escalation.’ From AFP. The top Democrat on the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee, Sen. Jack Reed of Rhode Island, sharply criticized U.S. ally Israel on Thursday for its strikes on Iran, accusing it of putting the region and American forces at risk. READ MORE . . .

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FROM JUNE 12  U.S. says it was ‘not involved’ in Israeli strikes on Iran as region on knife-edge, by Michael Hernandez | Anadolu Agency  WASHINGTON — U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio denied Thursday that Washington had any involvement in Israel’s “unilateral” strikes on Iran and called on Tehran not to target American interests in the region amid speculation that the Islamic Republic would soon retaliate. READ MORE . . .

   

FROM JUNE 11  Trump says ‘less confident’ on Iran deal as Tehran fires back at U.S. threats. From the Cradle. U.S. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday he is ”less confident” about securing a nuclear agreement with Iran, citing what he described as Tehran’s shifting attitude, stalling tactics, and growing pressure from Israel. READ MORE . . .

   

Timeline of tensions and hostilities between Israel and Iran. From AP. Israel and Iran opened a new chapter in their long history of conflict when Israel launched a major attack with strikes early today that set off explosions in the Iranian capital of Tehran. READ MORE . . .

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MAY BE CONTINUED

Iran, 6-12-25

For today, links to six reports: from the Associated Press, the Cradle, Reuters, and the New York Times; others or just headlines of others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (IRAN 6-3-25 is HERE, or scroll down.  GAZA, SYRIA and UKRAINE entries for this date are HERE, HERE and HERE, or scroll down.) — MCM

   

UN nuclear watchdog board censures Iran, which retaliates by announcing a new enrichment site, by Stephane Liechtenstein and Jon Gambrell | AP  VIENNA — The U.N. nuclear watchdog’s board of governors today formally found that Iran isn’t complying with its nuclear obligations for the first time in 20 years, a move that . . . READ MORE. . . .

   

Sixth round of Iran-U.S. nuclear talks will be held this weekend, Oman foreign minister says, by Jon Gambrell | AP  DUBAI — Iran and the United States will hold a sixth round of negotiations over Tehran’s rapidly advancing nuclear program this Sunday in Oman, the sultanate’s foreign minister said today, as regional tensions have spiked in recent days. READ MORE. . . .   Click HERE for report from the Cradle.

   

U.S. to pull some personnel from the Middle East amid rising tensions with Iran, by Daphne Psaledakis, Idrees Ali, Ahmed Rasheed and Jeff Mason | Reuters  WASHINGTON / BAGHDAD — U.S. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday U.S. personnel were being moved out of the Middle East because “it could be a dangerous place,” adding . . . READ MORE. . . .

   

Israel appears ready to attack Iran, officials in U.S. and Europe say, by Michael Crowley, David E. Sanger, Farnaz Fassihi and Eric Schmitt | The New York Times  WASHINGTON — Israel appears to be preparing to launch an attack soon on Iran, according to officials in the United States and Europe, a step that . . . READ MORE. . . .

   

FROM JUNE 11  Iran responds to threats from Washington. From the Cradle. Iran’s Defense Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh said on Wednesday that Tehran will strike U.S. military bases in the region if nuclear talks fail and Washington decides to launch an attack on the Islamic Republic. READ MORE. . . .

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Gaza, 6-12-25

For today, links to eleven reports: from Reuters, Anadolu Agency, the Associated Press, Middle East Eye, and the Cradle; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (GAZA 6-11-25 is HERE, or scroll down.  IRANSYRIA and UKRAINE entries for this date are HERE, HERE and HERE, or scroll down.) — MCM

   

UN General Assembly to vote on immediate Gaza ceasefire over U.S., Israel opposition. From Reuters. The United Nations General Assembly will vote today on a draft resolution that demands an immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire in the war in Gaza after the United States vetoed a similar effort in the Security Council last week. READ MORE . . .

   

Over 40 Gazans killed by Israeli army fire, including many aid seekers, by Ramzi Mahmud and Mohammad Sio Anadolu Agency  GAZA CITY, Palestine / ISTANBUL — More than 40 more Palestinians were killed in fresh Israeli attacks in Gaza today, including many civilians seeking to get aid in the besieged territory, medics said. A medical source said . . . READ MORE . . .

   

Hamas says it killed 12 Israeli-backed fighters. Israeli-supported group says they were aid workers, by Samy Magdy and Kareem Chehayeb | AP  CAIRO — A unit of Gaza’s Hamas-run police force said it killed 12 members of an Israeli-backed militia after detaining them early today. Hours earlier, an Israel-supported aid group said Hamas attacked a bus carrying its Palestinian workers, killing at least eight of them. READ MORE . . .

   

Humanitarian workers killed in Gaza bus ambush that Israel blames on Hamas, by Crispian Balmer and Nidal al-Mughrabi | Reuters  JERUSALEM / CAIRO — Israel accused Hamas militants of killing five Palestinians who worked for the U.S-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation in an apparent effort to disrupt their food distribution operations. READ MORE . . .

   

GHF contractor reveals ‘horrific’ details of U.S.-Israeli ‘aid traps.’ From the Cradle. An anonymous U.S. security contractor employed at one of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation’s aid sites in the Gaza Strip has slammed the entire initiative as “pure chaos,” calling it “absolutely horrific” while accusing Israeli forces of continuously firing at unarmed Palestinians. READ MORE . . .

   

Internet, phone services completely cut off in Gaza after Israeli strikes, by Ramzi Mahmud and Mohammad Sio Anadolu Agency  ISTANBUL — Internet and phone services collapsed across the Gaza Strip today following Israeli strikes on telecommunications infrastructure, the Palestinian Telecommunications Regulatory Authority said. READ MORE . . .

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FROM JUNE 11  Israeli airstrikes and gunfire kill 60 people in Gaza, many near aid sites, say medics. From Reuters. Local health officials reported that Israeli airstrikes and gunfire killed at least 60 Palestinians on Wednesday in Gaza, the majority of whom were near a Gaza Humanitarian Foundation aid site in the middle of the enclave. READ MORE . . .  Click HERE for June 12 report from Middle East Eye.

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FROM JUNE 11  Convoy arrives in Libya en route to Gaza to challenge Israel’s blockade on humanitarian aid, by Yousef Murad | AP  ZAWIYA, Libya — A convoy carrying hundreds of activists has arrived in Libya after driving from Algeria and crossing through Tunisia on its way to the Gaza Strip to challenge Israel’s blockade on humanitarian aid on the territory. READ MORE . . .

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FROM JUNE 11  U.S. warns against attending UN conference on Israel-Palestinian two-state solution.  From Reuters. PARIS / WASHINGTON – U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration is discouraging governments around the world from attending a U.S. conference next week on a possible two-state solution between Israel and the Palestinians, according to a U.S. cable seen by Reuters. READ MORE . . .  Click HERE for report from the Cradle.

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Syria, 6-12-25

For now, links to reports from the Associated Press and Reuters; others or at least headlines are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (SYRIA 6-11-25 is HERE, or scroll down.  IRAN, GAZA and UKRAINE entries for this date, so far, are HERE, HERE and HERE, or scroll up or down.) — MCM

   

Israel says it detained Hamas members during an operation in southern Syria. From AP. DAMASCUS — Israeli forces conducted an operation in southern Syria to detain several members of Hamas, the military said today. Click HERE for AP report including map, and HERE for report from Reuters.

   

ISIS reactivating fighters, eying comeback in Syria and Iraq. From Reuters. DAMASCUS — Middle East leaders and their Western allies have been warning that ISIS could exploit the fall of the Assad regime to stage a comeback in Syria and neighbouring Iraq, where the extremist group once imposed a reign of terror over millions. READ MORE . . .

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