Links to EIGHT-plus reports, analyses, commentaries and interiews (9): from the Associated Press, Reuters, National Public Radio, the Cradle, Informed Comment, Middle East Eye, Tucker Carlson Network, and Middle East Monitor; others or at least headlines are accessible by clicking on their names or initials as highlighted. (Scroll down for IRAN 4-26-26.  Scroll up for LEBANON.) — MCM

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Iran offers to end chokehold on Strait of Hormuz in exchange for an end to the war, by Samy Magdy, Jon Gambrell and Elena Becatorosp | AP  CAIRO — Iran has offered to end its chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz in exchange for the U.S. lifting its blockade on the country and an end to the war, while proposing that discussions on the larger question of its nuclear program would come in a later phase, two regional officials said Monday. READ MORE . . . Click HERE for same AP report in Spanish, and HERE for others.

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Pakistan still hopes to bridge U.S.-Iran gaps despite stalled face-to-face talks. From Reuters. ISLAMABAD / WASHINGTON — Pakistan says efforts are continuing to bridge differences between the United States and Iran despite the collapse of face-to-face talks after Washington called off a planned diplomatic visit, sources involved in mediation said today. READ MORE . . .

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Iranian foreign minister’s diplomatic push skips direct U.S. talks amid tensions. Reported by Aya Batrawy and A Martínez | NPR  Iran’s foreign minister visits Moscow today after stops in Pakistan and Oman and calls with regional partners, but there are no signs of direct talks with Washington as diplomacy stalls. Click HERE to listen and, later, read; and HERE for link to the other Iran war-related report today from NPR‘s “Morning Edition.”  Click HERE for report from the Cradle. 

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FROM APRIL 26   IRGC Insists on control of Hormuz as Araghchi seeks mediation, by Juan Cole | Informed Comment  ANN ARBOR, Michigan — Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi on Saturday completed the first leg of his diplomatic mission seeking further mediation of the US-Iran conflict, meeting in Pakistan with Field Marshall Asim Munir and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. READ MORE . . .

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Why Israel and the U.S. were so deadly wrong about regime change in Iran, by Hamid Dabashi | Middle East Eye  With a little internet search, one might come across a document called “Which Path to Persia?” (2009) — commissioned and funded by a notorious reactionary outfit, the Saban Centre for Middle East Policy at the Brookings Institution. From the very first page, it becomes clear that it was commissioned by the CIA. READ MORE . . .

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FROM APRIL 24  Jeffrey Sachs on the real origins of the Iran war and the coming economic devastation. Tucker Carlson of TCN talks with development economist Jeffrey Sachs of Columbia University about some of the past and present of the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran; its historical, multinational and energy contexts; and some scenarios for its future. Click HERE for video.

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Links to a report from the Cradle and to a commentary via Middle East Eye; others are accessible by clicking on their names as highlighted. (Scroll down for LEBANON 4-24-26 and IRAN.) — MCM

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Israel steps up violent bombardment of south Lebanon during ‘ceasefire.’ From the Cradle. The Israeli army has escalated its violent and indiscriminate attacks on south Lebanon today, hours after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered the military to strike Hezbollah with “force.” READ MORE . . . 

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FROM APRIL 25  Lebanon is a house divided as its leaders negotiate and Hezbollah fights on, by Paul Khalifeh | Middle East Eye  Hezbollah continues to resist the Israeli invasion while Lebanon‘s official leadership moves towards negotiations with Israel, exposing two sharply opposed visions within the country. READ MORE . . .

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Links to SEVEN reports: from the Associated Press, the Cradle, Middle East Monitor, Common Dreams, ScheerPost, National Public Radio, and Reuters; others are accessible by clicking on their initials or names as highlighted. (Scroll down for IRAN 4-25-26.  Scroll up for LEBANON.) — MCM

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Iran’s president says no talks without end to U.S. naval blockade, ‘hostile’ actions. From the Cradle. Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian said today that there can be no negotiations with the U.S. until Washington lifts its illegal blockade on the country’s ports, making the remarks during a phone call with Pakistan’s prime minister. READ MORE . . .

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Pakistan races to save negotiations between U.S. and Iran after Trump keeps envoys home, by Munir Ahmed, Samy Magdy and Melanie Lidman | AP  ISLAMABAD — Pakistan’s top political and military leadership are scrambling to reignite talks between the United States and Iran after President Donald Trump told his envoys not to travel to Islamabad for negotiations this weekend, two Pakistani officials said Sunday. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media. READ MORE . . . Click HERE for same AP report in Spanish, and HERE for others.

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Iranian group submits eidence of U.S.-Israeli war crimes to International Criminal Court, by Jake Johnson | Common Dreams / ScheerPost  The head of the Iranian Red Crescent Society said Saturday that his organization has submitted evidence of US-Israeli war crimes to the International Criminal Court and other global bodies, seeking accountability for massive attacks on civilian infrastructure and other violations. READ MORE . . .

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Iranian F-5 breached air defenses, bombed U.S. base in first such strike since Korean War: report. From the Cradle. The damage inflicted by Iran on U.S. military bases in the Persian Gulf region, including from a successful attack on a U.S. base by an Iranian fighter jet, is far worse than publicly acknowledged by the White House, NBC News reported today. READ MORE . . .  Click HERE for report from Middle East Monitor.

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Prospects for a ceasefire with Iran collapse as Trump calls off trip by U.S. officials. Reported by Jane Arraf and Ayesha Rascoe | NPR  This after President Trump canceled U.S. delegation’s trip to the meeting and Iran consults with allies. Click HERE to listen and, later, read. Click HERE for report from Reuters.

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FROM APRIL 23  Iran’s civilizational strength, by Vijay Prashad | Tricontinental: Institute for Social Research  In December 1997, the Organisation of the Islamic Conference released the Tehran Declaration, which advanced the idea of a “Dialogue of Civilisations” — a direct response to Samuel Huntington’s 1993 essay and 1996 book The Clash of Civilisations and the Remaking of World Order. READ MORE . . .

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FROM APRIL 24  Watch: Inside Iran. Four films by Dimitri Lascaris | Consortium News. In late March, Lascaris, a Canadian lawyer, journalist and filmmaker, spent 11 days in Iran while the country was under U.S. and Israeli bombardment. Click HERE for four of the films he produced and a brief print introduction.

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TO BE CONTINUED

A link to a report from Reuters; others are accessible by clicking on its name as highlighted. (Scroll down for GAZA 4-23-26 and LEBANON, IRAN and SYRIA.) — MCM

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Israeli strike kills at least three in Gaza, medics say, by Nidal al-Mughrabi | Reuters  CAIRO — The strike hit a ‌crowded area in Gaza City today near an area where local police were ​stationed to guard a bank, said the medics and eyewitnesses. READ MORE . . .

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Links to FOUR reports and commentaries: from the Cradle and Middle East Eye; others are accessible by clicking on their names as highlighted. (Scroll down for LEBANON 4-23-24, and up or down for GAZA, IRAN and SYRIA.) — MCM

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Trump issues three-week Lebanon truce extension, greenlights Israeli ‘surgical strikes.’ From the Cradle. US President Donald Trump announced a three-week ceasefire extension in Lebanon early today, during which he said Israel will be allowed to “defend itself” and carry out “surgical” attacks against the country. READ MORE . . .

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Hezbollah MP calls ceasefire ‘meaningless’ amidst ongoing Israeli bombing in Lebanon. From Middle East Eye. Lebanese politician Ali Fayyad, representing Hezbollah as a Member of Parliament, called the renewed ceasefire agreement “meaningless” as long as the Israel military persists in its “destructive annihilation of Lebanese border villages and towns,” according to reports from two local news platforms. READ MORE . . .

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Israeli settlers cross into Syria and Lebanon calling for new settlements, by Nadav Rapaport | Middle East Eye  TEL AVIV — Groups of Israeli settlers crossed into Syria and Lebanon this week, calling for the establishment of settlements in areas currently occupied by the military. READ MORE . . .

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FROM APRIL 22  Lebanon’s direct talks with Israel will lead to surrender not peace, by Hicham Safieddine | Middle East Eye  Further negotiation along the same U.S.-sponsored track is likely to foment internal strife and hinder liberation from Israeli occupation. The reasons are many. READ MORE . . .

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Links to ELEVEN-plus reports, interviews, analyses and commentaries (13 or more): from Middle East Monitor, Reuters, Middle East Eye, the Associated Press, Anadolu Ajansi, and National Public Radio; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials as highlighted. (Scroll down for IRAN 4-23-26, and up or down for GAZA, LEBANON and SYRIA.) — MCM

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NEWER  Trump to send envoys to Pakistan to meet with Iran foreign minister. From a series of updates edited by Donna Edwards, Brian P. D. Hannon, Laurie Kellman,  Bernard McGhee and Luena Rodriguez-Feo Vileira | AP  U.S. President Donald Trump is sending his envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner to Pakistan on Saturday to continue talks with Iran, the White House said today. The pair will meet Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who was heading to Pakistan Friday. READ MORE . . .  

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Israel tells U.S. it wants to resume war with Iran. From Middle East Monitor. Israel is waiting for the green light from U.S. President Donald Trump to restart the fighting, sending a message to Washington saying: “We are interested in resuming the campaign against Iran.” Over the past 24 hours, the United States has reinforced . . . READ MORE . . .

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Pentagon email floats suspending Spain from NATO, other steps over Iran rift. From Reuters. An internal Pentagon email outlines options for the United States to punish NATO allies it believes failed to support U.S. operations in the war with Iran, including suspending Spain from the alliance and reviewing the U.S. position on Britain’s claim to the Falkland Islands, a U.S. official told Reuters. READ MORE . . .  Click HERE and HERE for reports from Middle East Eye. and the Cradle.

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Pakistan forges ahead with diplomatic efforts to bring Iran and U.S. together for talks, by Munir Ahmed and Jon Gambrell | AP  ISLAMABAD — Iran’s top diplomat and Pakistani officials talked today over details of the ceasefire in the war with the United States and Israel, part of an effort by Islamabad to get Tehran to send a delegation for a second round of negotiations with Washington. READ MORE . . . Click HERE for same AP report in Spanish, and HERE for others.  Click HERE for report from Anadolu.

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Thousands of seafarers stranded by ongoing U.S. blockade on Strait of Hormuz. Reported by Jackie Northam and Michel Martin | NPR  As the U.S. blockade on Iranian ports drags on, thousands of seafarers are stranded on ships, and economic shockwaves ripple around the world. Click HERE to listen and, later, read; and HERE for links to all three Iran war-related segments today on NPR‘s “Morning Edition.”

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Iran war recalls U.S. Navy’s experience in 1980s ‘tanker war,‘ by Jon Gambrell | AP  In the “tanker war” in the 1980s, Iran targeted shipping during its war with Iraq and U.S. warships escorted Kuwaiti tankers to ensure the flow of crude oil to the global market. The U.S. could follow that model now and become . . . READ MORE . . . Click HERE for same AP report in Spanish, and HERE for others.

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FROM APRIL 23  Former deputy commander of Central Command on the future of the Iran war. Michel Martin of NPR talks with Robert Harward, former deputy commander of Central Command, about U.S. Naval operations around the Strait of Hormuz and implications for the future of the war with Iran. Click HERE to listen and read.

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FROM APRIL 23  Who’s Trump listening to on Iran? Reported by Mary Louise Kelly, Greg Myre and Franco Ordoñez | NPR  Kelly speaks with White House Correspondent Franco Ordonez and National Security Correspondent Greg Myre about how President Trump’s Cabinet is shaping the process of the Iran war. Click HERE to listen and read.

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First, a link to a report from Middle East Eye; others are accessible by clicking on its name as highlighted. (Scroll down for SYRIA 4-6-26.  Scroll up for today’s GAZA, LEBANON and IRAN so far.) — MCM

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Israeli settlers cross into Syria and Lebanon calling for new settlements, by Nadav Rapaport | Middle East Eye  TEL AVIV — Groups of Israeli settlers crossed into Syria and Lebanon this week, calling for the establishment of settlements in areas currently occupied by the military. READ MORE . . .

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For now, links to a report and a commentary, both from Middle East Monitor; others are accessible by clicking on its name as highlighted. (Scroll down for GAZA 4-22-26 and today’s LEBANON and IRAN so far.)

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Skin infections in Gaza tripling amid worsening shelter crisis: UN. From Middle East Monitor. The UN warned on Wednesday of a drastic surge in skin infections and pest-related illnesses among displaced people across the Gaza Strip as humanitarian teams struggle to provide adequate shelter with severely limited resources, Anadolu reports. READ MORE . . .

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After the Gaza ceasefire illusion, by Mustafa Fetouri | Middle East Monitor  While Washington, Cairo, and Doha debate elaborate governance frameworks and the “Board of Peace,” these plans lack a viable “buyer” on the ground. READ MORE . . .

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TO BE CONTINUED

For now, links to EIGHT reports: from Middle East Eye, Middle East Monitor, the Cradle, and the Associated Press; others are accessible by clicking on its name as highlighted. (Scroll down for LEBANON 4-21-26, and up or down for today’s GAZA and IRAN so far.) — MCM

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Israel kills Lebanese journalist Amal Khalil in targeted strike. From Middle East Eye. An Israeli air strike killed a Lebanese journalist and wounded another on Wednesday in southern Lebanon, despite a U.S.-backed ceasefire announced last week. READ MORE . . .  Click HERE and HERE for reports from Middle East Monitor. and the Cradle.

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Lebanon and Israel to resume talks to extend Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire, by Bassem Mroue | AP  BEIRUT — Lebanon and Israel were set to begin a second session of direct talks in Washington today to discuss the possibility of extending a truce between Israel and the Hezbollah militant group and plans for future negotiations between the two neighbors with a long history of hostile relations. READ MORE . . .  Click HERE for April 22 report from the Cradle.

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Over 62,000 housing units destroyed or damaged in six week by Israeli attacks. From Middle East Monitor. About 21,700 housing units have been destroyed and another 40,500 damaged as a result of Israeli attacks on Lebanon during six weeks of war with Hezbollah, according to a report on the “environmental impact of the Israeli aggression.” READ MORE . . .

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Israeli soldiers looting homes in Lebanon on large scale, report says. From Middle East Eye. Israeli soldiers have been looting civilian property on a large scale from homes and businesses in southern Lebanon with the knowledge of their commanders, Haaretz reported today. READ MORE . . .   Click HERE for report from the Cradle.

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TO BE CONTINUED