UN News — Middle East

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made a secret six-hour visit to Abu Dhabi on Sunday to meet UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed, reportedly seeking a denial of claims the UAE warned Israel before October 7, as mediators prepare separate US-Iran talks in New York on Monday or Tuesday. The IDF completed its Al-Mansouri operation in southern Lebanon, dismantling more than 600 terror infrastructure sites and eight underground routes, while five British nationals arrested near RAF Fairford were released on police bail.

Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam told the UN General Assembly that 'no one speaks on behalf of Lebanon' and demanded Israel withdraw from the south, as Israeli strikes continued in Nabatieh and other areas. Iran's foreign minister outlined a seven-day roadmap to reopen the Strait of Hormuz if the US lifts sanctions and halts regional operations, while President Pezeshkian said Iran 'will not bend the knee' and would respond powerfully to any attack. The IDF announced it killed two Hamas operatives in Gaza City, including a commander who held four hostages, and launched an interceptor at a 'suspicious aerial target' over southern Lebanon.

A car-ramming attack at the Maccabim checkpoint in the West Bank seriously wounded Neriya Leiter, son of Israel's ambassador to the US, with the attacker shot dead at the scene. Iran's Supreme National Security Council secretary said Tehran gave Washington four to five days to meet conditions for reopening the Strait of Hormuz and resuming diplomacy. Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa told the UN General Assembly the Golan Heights will remain Syrian territory and demanded Israeli withdrawal to December 2024 lines.

President Trump used his UN General Assembly address to threaten Iran with annihilation while predicting a post-midterm deal, as reports emerged of a three-hour meeting between US officials and an Iranian delegation. Defense Minister Katz threatened to evacuate and destroy Gaza City if any Israeli is abducted, and Israeli artillery struck southern Lebanon amid ceasefire violations.

The Lebanese Army returned to its main post in Deir Mimas after an Israeli force withdrew following a tense standoff, while Saudi Aramco halted October crude shipments to European refiners after an attack on its East-West pipeline. Iranians staged the largest pro-regime rally since the war began, and a UN agency estimated the Hormuz blockade has cost Arab nations $150 billion.

The IRGC claimed it shot down a 53rd US MQ-9 drone over Qeshm Island, while a UN fact-finding mission said there are grounds to believe the US committed war crimes in Iran and Tehran committed crimes against humanity. Israeli strikes continued across southern Lebanon, and Saudi Arabia reported its first civilian death this month from Houthi drone debris in Taif.

US forces sank two IRGC boats attempting to seize an American surface drone in the Strait of Hormuz, while Iran's IRGC claimed it shot down a third US MQ-1 drone over the waterway. Israeli strikes killed Hamas and Islamic Jihad commanders in Gaza, and Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia drew fresh condemnation as satellite imagery revealed major damage to the East-West oil pipeline.

BRICS leaders adopted a joint declaration urging maximum restraint in the Middle East and backing a Gaza ceasefire and two-state solution, while Iran-backed Iraqi militias denied responsibility for the attack that shut Saudi Arabia's East-West pipeline. Lebanese President Joseph Aoun visited Nabatieh and said no new negotiations with Israel are underway, as explosions continued in southern Lebanon.

Israeli settlers besieged three Palestinian homes in the West Bank village of Qusra for five nights, drawing sharp US criticism, while the UAE accused Iran of attacking two ADNOC tankers in the Strait of Hormuz. Israeli strikes killed a Hamas commander in Gaza City, and a British firm began containing a massive oil spill from a grounded Russian shadow fleet tanker off Oman.

An Israeli airstrike killed Gaza police chief Jamal Abu Kamil in Gaza City, the second strike in a day after a weeklong lull, while the settler siege of Qusra entered a fourth day with the UN human rights office calling it a new low. Iran's military rejected US claims of normal Hormuz transit, asserting no ship can pass without its authorization, as an oil spill from a tanker attacked near Qeshm Island reached Oman's coast.

Lebanon’s parliament voted to abolish the death penalty, becoming the first Arab state to do so. A Syrian court sentenced ousted President Bashar al-Assad to death in absentia for war crimes. Iran denied rumors about Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei’s health. Israeli artillery struck southern Lebanon, and the IDF reported targeting a Hamas sniper in Gaza. Former Mossad chief Yossi Cohen said Israeli spies toured Iran’s Fordow nuclear site many times.

Mossad chief Roman Gofman dismissed the heads of the Intelligence Directorate and Iran Division after a failed plan to topple Iran’s regime. Iran and Oman are finalizing a deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, though Iran is demanding sanctions relief in exchange for toll-free transit. Two IDF reservists were killed and four wounded by an IED in southern Lebanon, prompting Israeli strikes on Hezbollah infrastructure. In the West Bank, a settler was indicted for the killing of Palestinian activist Awdah Hathaleen, and settlers attacked a community in Masafer Yatta, burning homes.

Prime Minister Netanyahu met with President Trump at the White House amid a third day of US-Iran strike pause, with Trump signaling progress in talks but threatening to destroy Iranian infrastructure if no deal is reached. Iran rejected Trump's proposal to compensate ships damaged in the Gulf from frozen Iranian funds, while Oman proposed a joint regional mechanism for the Strait of Hormuz with voluntary fees. The IDF killed a Palestinian Islamic Jihad commander involved in the October 7 abductions in a strike in Khan Younis, and Israeli forces conducted operations in southern Lebanon and the West Bank.

Israeli airstrikes killed a Hamas UAV unit commander and two security officials in Gaza, while Iran halted its retaliatory operations against the U.S. for a second night amid ongoing diplomatic talks. The IDF sealed the home of a Palestinian gunman in the West Bank, and Netanyahu denied any withdrawal from the 'Yellow Zone' in southern Lebanon. Houthi forces downed a Saudi drone over Al-Jawf, and an oil tanker struck a naval mine in the Strait of Hormuz.

The US completed a 10th consecutive night of strikes on Iran as the IRGC claimed attacks on US bases in Bahrain, Kuwait, and Jordan. The Houthis threatened a maritime embargo on Saudi Arabia, while Hamas elected Khalil al-Hayya as its new political chief. Israel and Lebanon began a pilot zone framework in southern Lebanon, and Qatar formally condemned Iranian strikes on its territory.

President Trump declared the US-Iran ceasefire over and threatened new strikes tonight, while Iran signaled defiance over the Strait of Hormuz. Khamenei's funeral procession reached Najaf, drawing millions. Israeli operations continued in Lebanon and Gaza, and Hegseth's Israel visit was canceled.

Prime Minister Netanyahu finished his final testimony in his corruption trial after 98 sessions, while the IDF struck two armed Hezbollah operatives in southern Lebanon and dismantled four Hamas rocket launchers in Gaza. Defense Minister Katz declared Israel would not withdraw from Lebanon even under U.S. pressure, as U.S. Secretary of State Rubio toured Gulf states to reassure allies on the Iran deal. The IAEA backed U.S. claims on inspections, but Iran’s deputy FM reiterated access to nuclear sites requires a final agreement.

A ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah began at 16:00 local time (13:00 UTC) after a night of intense fighting that killed four IDF soldiers and wounded five others in southern Lebanon. The IDF struck over 150 Hezbollah targets in response, while the US conveyed to Iran that Israel would not escalate further. The US-Iran memorandum of understanding faces new strain as Iran canceled participation in Switzerland talks, and the Hormuz Strait remains closed.

Israel has publicly rejected the US-Iran memorandum of understanding, with Defense Minister Israel Katz declaring the IDF will remain indefinitely in security zones in Lebanon, Syria, and Gaza. The deal, set for formal signing on Friday in Switzerland, includes a comprehensive ceasefire on all fronts, including Lebanon, and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. International reactions have been largely positive, but Israel faces isolation as tensions with Washington escalate.

Iran launched ballistic missiles and drones at Kuwait and Bahrain, killing one and wounding 63 at Kuwait’s airport, while the US struck Iran’s Qeshm Island in self-defense. President Trump confirmed calling Netanyahu ‘f***ing crazy’ over Lebanon fighting. Hezbollah continued rocket and drone attacks on northern Israel, and the IDF struck targets in southern Lebanon, killing a Lebanese soldier. The fourth round of Israel-Lebanon talks continued in Washington.

Clashes continued in southern Lebanon despite a US-brokered partial ceasefire, with Hezbollah launching rocket and drone attacks and the IDF striking targets in the south. The fourth round of Israel-Lebanon talks began in Washington, while Israel’s defense minister threatened to treat Beirut’s Dahiya suburb like northern Israeli towns. The IDF acknowledged inadvertently damaging a hospital in Tyre. In Gaza, the IDF killed five operatives planning imminent attacks. Iran’s leadership deliberated a US peace deal, and Netanyahu vowed the Iranian regime would fall.

US President Donald Trump is seriously considering resuming major combat operations against Iran, frustrated by stalled negotiations and Tehran’s continued uranium enrichment. In Lebanon, the IDF completed a weeklong raid north of the Litani River, while Hezbollah launched multiple drone and glider attacks on Israeli forces. Kuwait announced it had stopped an armed IRGC team from infiltrating Bubiyan Island. The Knesset passed a law establishing a special tribunal with death penalty powers for October 7 detainees. Israel confirmed it sent Iron Dome batteries to the UAE.

US President Donald Trump is seriously considering resuming combat operations against Iran after rejecting Tehran’s latest ceasefire proposal as “unacceptable,” while reports reveal the UAE secretly struck an Iranian oil refinery during the war. In Lebanon, an Israeli airstrike killed six civilians in Kafr Dounine, and Hezbollah claimed a guided-missile hit on an IDF Merkava tank. The Knesset passed a law establishing a special tribunal and allowing the death penalty for October 7 perpetrators, and EU foreign ministers approved sanctions on violent Israeli settlers and Hamas leaders after Hungary lifted its veto.

President Trump suspended Project Freedom naval escorts in the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday, citing “great progress” toward a US-Iran agreement, while Hezbollah explosive drones wounded three Israeli soldiers in southern Lebanon and the IDF struck 25 Hezbollah targets. A Washington Post satellite analysis revealed Iranian strikes have damaged or destroyed at least 228 US military assets across 15 Middle East bases, far exceeding official US acknowledgments. A joint World Bank-UN-EU report priced Gaza reconstruction at $71 billion.

Iran launched cruise missiles and drones at the United Arab Emirates on Monday, striking a petroleum facility in Fujairah and triggering air defense alerts in Dubai, in a major ceasefire violation. The US said two American-flagged merchant vessels transited the Strait of Hormuz under Navy escort as part of 'Project Freedom,' while Iran claimed it fired warning shots at US destroyers and hit a warship with missiles, a claim CENTCOM denied. Israel elevated its military alertness to the maximum level and convened its expanded security cabinet for Wednesday.

Hezbollah launched multiple rocket and drone attacks on Israeli forces in southern Lebanon on May 2, with no IDF injuries reported. The IDF struck over 50 Hezbollah targets since Friday, killing at least 13 in southern Lebanon. The US announced the withdrawal of 5,000 troops from Germany amid a diplomatic spat over the Iran war, while China urged the UN to reverse the termination of UNIFIL's mandate in Lebanon.

Trump announced an open-ended ceasefire extension hours before the Wednesday deadline, conditioned on Iran producing a 'unified proposal,' while explicitly maintaining the naval blockade of Hormuz. Simultaneously, Hezbollah launched rockets and drones at an IDF position in Kfar Giladi — the first confirmed kinetic exchange on the Lebanon front since the prior SITREP — and the US issued fresh sanctions on 14 Iran-linked arms entities.