Middle East Eye

UK's Burnham agrees to Saudi request for refuelling support British Prime Minister Andy Burnham said on Monday he had agreed to a request from Saudi Arabia to provide defensive air-to-air refuelling for a limited time, a move he described as helping to stabilise the wider region. Riyadh requested support after the Houthis, who control the most populous parts of Yemen, intensified their attacks on Saudi Arabia, a new front in the wider war that began wit

Vermont man found guilty of shooting three Palestinian students in 2023 The man charged with shooting three young Palestinian college students in 2023 in the US state of Vermont was found guilty of three counts of attempted second-degree murder on Monday. The victims, Hisham Awartani, Kinnan Abdel Hamid and Tahseen Ahmed, were on their way to a family dinner when they were shot by 51-year-old Jason Eaton. They were speaking in Arabic, and two of them we

Vermont man found guilty of shooting three Palestinian students in 2023 Submitted by MEE staff on Mon, 09/21/2026 - 22:24 Jason Eaton faces up to life in prison after a jury rejected that he was suffering from delusions This undated handout photo provided by the Institute for Middle East Understanding shows Hisham A

Turkish Airlines, Pegasus and AJet cancel Iran flights as US sanctions bite Submitted by Ragip Soylu on Mon, 09/21/2026 - 21:10 Turkish Airlines and AJet list no Iran flights until March 2027, while Pegasus removes flights from its booking system A Turkish Airlines aircraft lands at the Damascus International Airpo

Qatar says it is working to facilitate ‘even a short-term’ deal between US and Iran Qatar is working to facilitate an agreement between Tehran and Washington in coordination with Pakistan, Al Jazeera reported, citing foreign ministry spokesman Majed al-Ansari. “Doha is working to mediate and open a path for dialogue between Iran and the US,” adding that Qatar is striving to facilitate the possibility of reaching an agreement, even a short-term one.

Trump administration proposes $5bn to kickstart investment fund to rebuild Gulf energy sites, WSJ reports The Trump administration has proposed investing $5bn in a new fund to help Middle East countries rebuild energy infrastructure battered in the Iran war and reduce their reliance on the Strait of Hormuz to transport oil and gas, the Wall Street Journal reported Monday, citing US and Middle Eastern officials and documents. The report said the US plan

Hegseth slammed for 'blasphemous' use of Bible passage in military recruitment drive US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth has come under fire for a military “Send Me Tour” that draws on biblical verses and Christian scripture to recruit new soldiers.  Hegseth visited Texas A&M University over the weekend as part of the tour, which is based on a well-known refrain from the Old Testament Book of Isaiah, Chapter 6, Verse 8, in which God asks, "Who shall I send

UN General Assembly 2026: US-Israeli war on Iran to take centre stage Submitted by MEE staff on Mon, 09/21/2026 - 18:36 Trump, Iran’s president and other leaders will address the assembly as diplomatic efforts to resolve the conflict remain stalled People walk past the United Nations Headquarters in New York City, o

Hegseth slammed for 'blasphemous' use of Bible passage in military recruitment drive Submitted by MEE staff on Mon, 09/21/2026 - 18:42 Hegseth led a chant in front of young military recruits that had the refrain 'send me to go fight the Islamists' US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth poses for a photo during a game at

US Treasury chief says Iran airlines to be 'shut down' 23 September US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Monday that Iranian airlines will struggle to operate globally in two days under the weight of American sanctions, as the Trump administration intensifies pressure on Tehran. On 23 September, "all the Iranian airlines will be shut down around the world," Bessent told CNBC in an interview as the war launched by the US and Israel nears the seven

US refuses visas for Iran UN delegation members The United States has refused to issue visas to members of Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian's delegation, including his communications team, for this week's trip to the UN General Assembly, Iranian state media reported Monday. Pezeshkian will be the highest-ranking Iranian official to enter the US since the war began, with US-Israeli strikes on Iran in February. "In an unprecedented hostile move by the

In defence of Israel's Jewish settlers in the West Bank Submitted by Joseph Massad on Mon, 09/21/2026 - 17:28 The UK, France and Canada have banned trade with the settlements while sparing the state that built, armed and rewarded them Israeli settlers, some holding sticks, scuffle with left-wing activists as Israeli

Tunisia arrests at least 11 pro-Palestine protesters Tunisian authorities on Saturday arrested at least 11 people who demonstrated to demand the release of previously detained pro-Palestinian activists, two lawyers, and an activist group said on Monday. Lawyer Ghassen Besbes, who represents several of those detained, told AFP that authorities had arrested at least 11 protesters, while the pro-Palestinian group Maghreb Sumud reported 13 arrests. No offi

Gulf states need 'good relations' with Iran as part of new security framework, Qatar's PM says Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani has said the Middle East needs a new "regional security framework" that includes Iran, adding that the war against the Islamic Republic should be a "wake up call" for the region. "Iran is our neighbour," Al Thani told the Qatar Economic Forum in New York on Sunday. "We have to act together responsibly as

Yemeni government forces say Houthi drone shot down Yemen's government forces announced shooting down a Houthi drone in southwestern Taiz. In a social media post, the armed forces said the aircraft was downed on the al-Kadha front in Taiz governorate.

Gulf states need 'good relations' with Iran as part of new security framework, Qatar's PM says Submitted by MEE staff on Mon, 09/21/2026 - 15:09 Meanwhile, Qatar's energy minister says the US is 'wrong' to think the Strait of Hormuz can be made irrelevant, adding no plans for gas pipeline Qatar's Prime Minister an

LPG tanker hit by debris from unknown projectile off Hormuz A LPG tanker transiting outbound of the Strait of Hormuz was hit by debris from unknown projectiles, the United Kingdom ​Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said on Monday. The UKMTO said the tanker would continue to its next port of call, adding that all crew were reported safe.

Red Sea Film Festival cancelled as Israeli-US war on Iran hits Saudi Arabia The Red Sea Film Festival has cancelled its sixth edition as the Israeli-US war on Iran and Saudi Arabia’s escalating conflict with the Houthis continue to disrupt the kingdom’s flagship international events. The festival, the Arab world’s most prominent film event and market, had been scheduled to run in Jeddah from 3 to 12 December. Organisers said it would instead return i

Red Sea Film Festival cancelled as Israeli-US war on Iran hits Saudi Arabia Submitted by MEE staff on Mon, 09/21/2026 - 15:34 Regional wars which now includes Yemen are increasingly disrupting Riyadh’s drive to become a global entertainment and tourism hub Italian top model Alessandra Ambrosio poses on the red carpe

Uganda cuts defence ties with Turkey over Somalia dispute, sources say Submitted by Ragip Soylu on Mon, 09/21/2026 - 14:27 Kampala's suspension of military cooperation is linked to the future of its lucrative troop deployment in Somalia, not demands to extradite a political commentator, sources say Soldiers of the U