middle east

Israel's Diaspora Affairs Minister Amichai Chikli said Israel must take Turkey's rhetoric seriously and warned that military conflict between the two countries is possible.

Renewed tensions between Iran and the United States pushed oil prices higher, weighed on Israeli markets, and strengthened the U.S. dollar against the shekel.

President Donald Trump declared the Iran ceasefire "over," sharply criticized Tehran's leadership, and commented on Turkey and Israel during the NATO summit.

Against the backdrop of the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, NATO leaders opened their summit in Ankara with President Donald Trump in attendance. At the center of the agenda: global conflicts, Washington’s push for higher defense spending, and the possibility that Turkey could return to the F-35 fighter jet program.

Indirect technical talks between the U.S. and Iran are taking place in Doha with mediation from Qatar and Pakistan. According to a Saudi report, a preliminary agreement has been reached to release $3 billion for Iran. U.S. President Donald Trump said, "The talks with Iran are going very well."

Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem said his organization opposes the agreement between Israel and Lebanon. Hezbollah threatened to continue “the resistance,” and the Houthis called to “bring down the puppet government in Lebanon.” Defense Minister ישראל Katz said: “There is no IDF withdrawal whatsoever.”

A newly revealed memorandum of understanding signed by the U.S. and Iran includes 14 clauses covering a halt to fighting, sanctions relief, and the nuclear program. The sides committed to negotiating a final agreement within 60 days.

President Donald Trump announced Thursday evening that he had ordered the planned strike on Iran to be called off. He said that "the points of the agreement were approved in principle, and the signing date will be announced soon."

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said the U.S. bears direct responsibility for violating the ceasefire and fueling the regional escalation: "Washington's responsibility for violating the ceasefire is clear."

Iranian air defense systems were activated after what state media described as the detection of "hostile targets." The IDF confirmed strikes on several targets in the petrochemical complex in Mahshahr, in southern Iran.

Contacts between the United States and Iran are moving toward a draft agreement, but major disputes remain unresolved. In Tehran, officials insist the nuclear issue is not part of the initial understandings. A senior Israeli official said, “Trump made clear that he will stand firm in the negotiations on his consistent demand to dismantle Iran’s nuclear program.”

In Israel, officials are seeing growing signs that the United States may be nearing a decision on military action against Iran, though the timing remains unclear. The IDF is raising its alert level and maintaining especially close coordination with the United States.

Riyadh is exploring a regional 'non-aggression' agreement with Iran for the postwar landscape, as European backers signal support, according to the Financial Times.

Defense Minister Israel Katz said Israel may act again against Iran to complete the campaign’s objectives. He also sent a tough message to Hezbollah about the fighting in Lebanon and the drone threat: "The homes in the first line of villages used for terror activity are being destroyed at this very moment."

In an unprecedented move, Lebanon has formally complained to the UN Security Council regarding Iranian interference. Meanwhile, Israeli and Lebanese delegations are meeting in the U.S. today for a critical new round of talks.

Thirty House Democrats are urging President Donald Trump to disclose whether Israel possesses nuclear weapons, citing transparency laws. The administration is expected to reject the request.

Despite months of fighting and targeted strikes, Washington says Iran’s nuclear timeline has barely budged. The IAEA warns it can’t track key stockpiles of highly enriched uranium.

Tensions spike in the Persian Gulf after missiles detonate near a U.S. destroyer in the Strait of Hormuz. CENTCOM chief Brad Cooper says forces responded to Iranian aggression; Tehran vows a "night of rage," and Israel keeps its defenses on high alert.

With the cease-fire with Iran at risk near the Strait of Hormuz, Israeli and U.S. officials signal rapid-response readiness as Tehran weighs its next moves.

A local TV channel aired a satirical segment likening the fighting to Angry Birds—casting Hezbollah as birds and the IDF as pigs—prompting a furious response from the group and a demand by Lebanon's attorney general to remove the content.