Conflict Jun 11

US and Iran trade direct strikes, then Trump says a peace deal is near: breakthrough, or 'boy who cried wolf'?

After a second straight day of US-Iran strikes — Iran hitting American bases in Jordan and the Gulf, the US striking back inside Iran — Trump abruptly called off further threatened strikes on June 11 and declared a peace deal is close, saying the Strait of Hormuz will reopen 'as soon as' the two sides sign. Washington frames it as a diplomatic breakthrough secured through pressure; Tehran says it struck back and will not be coerced, and skeptics note Trump's repeated, unfulfilled deal claims.

Conflict Jun 11

US strike on an oil tanker off Oman kills three Indian sailors: civilian shipping attacked, or a blockade enforced?

Three Indian sailors were killed when US forces struck the tanker Settebello off the coast of Oman on June 11, amid the widening US-Iran war over the Strait of Hormuz. India lodged a rare formal protest and summoned a senior US diplomat, demanding an end to attacks on commercial shipping; US Central Command says its forces warned the crew before firing on a vessel that was trying to run Iranian oil through a US naval blockade.

Conflict Jun 10

Pakistani airstrikes hit Afghan border: counter-terror operation, or killing civilians?

Pakistan's military says cross-border airstrikes hit 'terrorist hideouts' and killed 26 militants along the Afghan frontier; Afghanistan's Taliban government says the same raids killed at least 13 people — including, it says, 11 children, a woman and an elderly man — and were a deadly violation of sovereignty. Each side gives sharply different casualty accounts.

Conflict Jun 10

West Bank Bedouins driven off their land: 'state-led ethnic cleansing', or an unfounded charge?

Amnesty International accuses Israel of a 'state-sponsored' campaign of ethnic cleansing against Bedouin and Palestinian herding communities in the West Bank — citing UN figures that some 117 communities (about 5,910 people) faced full or partial displacement since early 2023, amid settler violence and rapid settlement expansion. Israel's military rejects the charge, casting Amnesty as a biased critic.

Conflict Jun 9

Six countries sanction settler-violence networks and ban Smotrich: accountability, or anti-Israel bias?

Six Western countries — including the UK, France, Canada and Norway — imposed sanctions on networks financing and enabling settler violence in the occupied West Bank, and France barred Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, four settler-group leaders and 21 violent settlers from entry. They cite record settlement expansion and rising violence; Israel condemns the move as anti-Israel and warns it will fuel antisemitism.

Conflict Jun 8

Iran fires missiles at Israel for the first time since the ceasefire: restoring deterrence, or shattering the truce?

Iran launched missiles at Israel — its first bombardment since a fragile ceasefire two months ago — after Israeli strikes on Tehran, and Israel struck back at targets across Iran the next day despite Trump urging Netanyahu not to retaliate. Israel calls Iran's barrage a dangerous violation of the truce; Tehran casts its fire as a measured response to restore deterrence, leaving the ceasefire hanging by a thread.

Conflict Jun 7

Iran nuclear talks: Trump's terms, Tehran's defiance

On the war's 100th day, Trump said the US would help destroy Iran's uranium if a deal is reached, but won't unfreeze Iranian assets first. Tehran says talks are stalled by Washington's contradictions and keeps threatening US targets.

Conflict Jun 7

Strait of Hormuz: Iran's wartime toll, or piracy that must be stopped?

Reports say ships are paying up to $2m under an Iranian scheme to pass the Strait of Hormuz, as the US warns Tehran over interfering with shipping. Iran frames it as wartime control of its waters; Washington calls it a threat to global trade.

Conflict Jun 7

Israel bombs Beirut days after ceasefire: striking back at Hezbollah, or breaking the truce?

Israeli jets hit Beirut's southern suburb (Dahiyeh) — the first strike on the capital since a US-brokered truce. Israel says it answered Hezbollah rocket fire; Lebanon, Iran and Hezbollah call it a ceasefire violation.

Conflict Jun 7

Gaza strikes go on despite the ceasefire: disarming Hamas, or killing civilians?

Israeli strikes killed about 10 Palestinians in Gaza — including reports of a 7-month-old shot in a car — even under a months-old ceasefire. Israel says it is still disarming Hamas; Palestinians and Arab media decry civilian deaths.

Conflict Jun 6

Iran's nuclear program: a watchdog locked out, or a state defending itself?

The IAEA says it can no longer verify Iran's 400kg+ stockpile of near-weapons-grade uranium after Iran suspended cooperation. The agency demands access; Iran says inspections are 'untenable' after its sites were bombed.

Conflict Jun 5

Ukrainian drones hit ships in the Sea of Azov, killing Azerbaijani sailors

Ukrainian drones struck two cargo ships — the Natra and the Zircon — in the Sea of Azov, killing five Azerbaijani crew. Kyiv says they were Russia's sanctions-evading 'shadow fleet'; Azerbaijan says civilian sailors died on commercial vessels.

Conflict Jun 4

Zelensky's open letter to Putin: a real peace offer, or a stunt?

In an open letter, Ukraine's Zelensky invited Putin to meet face-to-face in a neutral country and offered a full ceasefire and an 'all-for-all' prisoner swap. The Kremlin's reply: if he wants to talk, he 'can come to Moscow.'

Conflict Jun 4

Iran's war spills into the Gulf: Kuwait and Bahrain hit as US strikes Qeshm

The US-Israel war on Iran widened into the Gulf, with attacks blamed on Iran damaging airports in Kuwait and Bahrain while the US struck Iran's Qeshm island. Each side blames the other for the dangerous escalation.

Conflict Jun 3

Ukrainian drones hit St. Petersburg as Russia opens its flagship economic forum

Ukraine launched long-range drones at St. Petersburg on the opening day of Russia's SPIEF investment forum. Kyiv calls the targets a legitimate part of the war effort; Moscow calls it a reckless strike on civilian infrastructure.

Conflict Jun 2

North Korea and Russia: a war-tested alliance, or a danger to be contained?

North Korean troops fought in Russia and marched at its Victory Day parade, as Moscow and Pyongyang sign long-term military cooperation. They call ties 'unprecedented'; the West warns of a growing threat.

Conflict Jun 2

Russia pounds Kyiv and Dnipro in massive overnight barrage; 22 killed

Russia fired 73 missiles and 656 drones at Ukraine overnight, killing at least 22 civilians and toppling an apartment block, Ukrainian officials said. Moscow says it struck only military and defence-industry targets in retaliation for a Ukrainian attack.

Conflict Jun 1

Iran threatens to walk away from US talks as Israel presses on in Lebanon

Iran says it will halt ceasefire talks with Washington unless Israel stops its offensive in Lebanon and Gaza. Israel says it will keep operating until Hezbollah pulls back north of the Litani river.

Conflict May 31

Yemen's Houthis vs Israel: resistance for Gaza, or terror in the Red Sea?

Yemen's Houthis have resumed missile and drone attacks on Israel and Red Sea shipping, vowing to keep going until the war on Gaza ends. They call it support for Palestinians; Israel and the West call it terrorism threatening global trade.

Conflict May 30

The battle for Pokrovsk: a stalled Russian offensive, or a slow Russian victory?

Pokrovsk in eastern Ukraine has become the war's bloodiest front, with Russia massing over 100,000 troops. Kyiv says the offensive has stalled and it is holding; Moscow says its forces are steadily closing in.

Conflict May 30

The US–Israel war on Iran: defensive strikes, or illegal aggression?

Since February 2026 the US and Israel have bombed Iran — killing top officials, including the supreme leader — while Iran has fired back and squeezed the Strait of Hormuz. Each side calls the other the aggressor.

Conflict May 26

Israel bans 37 aid groups from Gaza: security necessity or blocking aid?

Israel moved to ban 37 international aid organisations — including Doctors Without Borders, Oxfam and the Norwegian Refugee Council — from Gaza over new vetting rules. Israel cites security; the groups and the UN call it a pretext that deepens hunger.

Conflict May 25

Israel's E1 settlement: securing Jerusalem, or burying a Palestinian state?

Israel cleared the final hurdle for the long-frozen E1 settlement east of Jerusalem — over 3,400 homes. Ministers hail it as cementing Israeli control; Palestinians and the UN say it severs the West Bank and ends any two-state future.