… On Monday, the US State Department urged “Americans to DEPART NOW” from all countries and territories in the Middle East “due to serious safety risks.” Israel, meanwhile, said it was seizing new forward positions inside southern Lebanon, after Hezbollah fired missiles in support …
… After the 11 September 2001 attacks on the US, president George W Bush included Iran as part of his ‘Axis of Evil’ alongside Iraq and North Korea.Iran has used Hezbollah, the armed Shia group in Lebanon, as a Khamenei proxy in a semi-permanent conflict with Israel. …
… At the same time, Iran says demands to limit the country’s ballistic missile programme and to end the support for proxies in the region – an alliance Tehran calls the “Axis of Resistance” that includes Hamas in Gaza, militias in Iraq, Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Houthis in Yemen …
… ngton of fuelling the protests. “This statement reflects a delusional attempt to deflect from the massive challenges the Iranian regime faces at home,” a US state department spokesperson said in response to the comments by foreign minister Abbas Araghchi during a visit to Lebanon …
Hannibal Gaddafi, the youngest son of the deposed Libyan dictator, Muammar Gaddafi, has been released by Lebanon after nearly 10 years in detention without trial. …
… President Biden said the plan, which he first outlined eight months ago, was “the result not only of the extreme pressure Hamas has been under and the changed regional equation after a ceasefire in Lebanon and the weakening of Iran – but also of dogged and painstaking American di …
… Iran supplied arms to Russia in its war on Ukraine, launched a massive drone and missile attack on Israel, and continued arming proxy groups in the Middle East, such as Yemen’s Houthi rebels and Lebanon’s Hezbollah.
… He commanded units in Lebanon and Syria and was most likely a critical figure in Tehran’s relationship with Hezbollah and Syria’s president, Bashar al-Assad. …
US President Donald Trump has said the war in Iran will be "over quickly" and that he aims to end Tehran's nuclear ambitions. Iran said a US proposal to end the war is "still being considered"; Axios reported the White House is working toward a 14-point memorandum of understanding with Iran that could frame nuclear negotiations, with provisions including suspension of Iranian nuclear enrichment, lifting sanctions, and restoring free transit through the Strait of Hormuz.
US President Donald Trump has said the war in Iran will be "over quickly" and that he aims to end Tehran's nuclear ambitions. Iran said a US proposal to end the war is "still being considered"; Axios reported the White House is working toward a 14-point memorandum of understanding with Iran that could frame nuclear negotiations, with provisions including suspension of Iranian nuclear enrichment, lifting sanctions, and restoring free transit through the Strait of Hormuz.
Two Israeli soldiers—one who struck a Jesus statue with a sledgehammer in Lebanon and another who photographed the incident—will each receive 30 days of military detention.
US President Donald Trump said Israel and Lebanon leaders were set to speak, but a Lebanese official told AFP the country had not been informed of any planned contact with Israel, and Netanyahu's office made no comment. The announcement follows the first direct diplomatic talks between the two countries since 1993, when their ambassadors met in Washington amid escalating conflict in Lebanon since Hezbollah's March attack on Israel.
China's foreign ministry has called the US naval blockade of Iranian ports "irresponsible and dangerous," saying it undermines a fragile ceasefire and jeopardises safety in the Strait of Hormuz. The move threatens China's oil supply and comes as analysts say the US is attempting to pressure Beijing to encourage Iran to reopen the critical waterway.
Failed Middle East negotiations between Iran and the United States risk returning energy prices higher, while Namibia's fuel price increases of N$2.50 per litre for petrol and N$4.00 per litre for diesel are expected to trigger inflation across the economy, particularly affecting transport-dependent sectors like agriculture and mining.
Oil prices rebounded sharply and global stock markets fell as investor concerns mounted over the durability of a Middle East ceasefire, with the Strait of Hormuz remaining largely blocked and Israeli strikes on Lebanon killing over 200 people. Analysts warn that oil prices will likely remain elevated and volatile until a more permanent regional agreement is reached, with longer-term impacts on growth and inflation uncertain.
Calls are mounting for a US-Iran ceasefire to extend to Israel's conflict with Hezbollah after Israeli strikes killed over 200 people in Lebanon, though Israel and the US say Lebanon was not part of the truce, while Iran signals the talks may collapse.
Brent crude prices have swung sharply amid Middle East tensions, with Namibian pump prices at Walvis Bay reaching N$22.08 per litre—just 20 cents below their 2022 all-time high. The Ministry of Industries, Mines and Energy will set May fuel prices based on developments over the coming two weeks, as vessel traffic through the crucial Strait of Hormuz remains severely disrupted.
US president Donald Trump announced a two-week ceasefire between the US and Iran conditional on shipping access through the Strait of Hormuz, with Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi saying Tehran will agree if attacks against Iran are halted. Oil prices fell sharply following the announcement, and Pakistan has invited both sides for talks in Islamabad on Friday.
US President Donald Trump threatened to strike Iran's power plants and bridges if it does not reopen the Strait of Hormuz shipping lane, after announcing a "miraculous" rescue of a wounded American airman from inside Iran. The escalating conflict has engulfed the Middle East, prompted Iran to largely block the vital oil and gas conduit, and drawn international concern including a papal call for peace.
More than 200,000 people have fled Lebanon for Syria since fighting resumed in early March between Israeli forces and Hezbollah, according to the UN refugee agency. The majority are Syrians, including Syrian refugees who previously sought safety in Lebanon and are now fleeing again, along with more than 28,000 Lebanese.
Israel's defence minister announced that after the war with Hezbollah ends, Israel will maintain military control over a swath of southern Lebanon extending to the Litani River, and will demolish houses in border villages. Lebanon's government and international critics including the UN, Canada, and European nations have condemned the plan as an illegal occupation and collective punishment.
Israel and Iran exchanged missile fire as US President Trump signals possible military operations against Iran's oil infrastructure, sending global oil prices toward US$100–$117 per barrel. The Middle East conflict is disrupting global energy supplies, with analysts warning that further US or Iranian action could drive prices to historic highs.
France's foreign minister said it would be "extremely serious" and a violation of international law if Israel deliberately targeted three journalists killed in a strike on south Lebanon, including correspondents from Hezbollah-linked media outlets. The Israeli military confirmed the killing and accused one correspondent of operating within Hezbollah, while Lebanese authorities have condemned the deaths as war crimes.
Explosions struck Tehran following a night of bombing as US President Trump pressed allies to help protect shipping in the Strait of Hormuz; the conflict, now in its third week, has spread to Lebanon and Iraq, displaced millions, and driven oil prices up five percent, though major allies including Britain, Germany, Japan, and Australia have refused military involvement.
Israel's military said it has begun "limited and targeted ground operations" against Hezbollah strongholds in southern Lebanon, aimed at dismantling terrorist infrastructure and protecting northern Israeli residents. The operations follow earlier Israeli air strikes and reflect escalating tension after Hezbollah's recent attacks involving hundreds of daily rocket launches toward Israel.
At a Beijing press conference, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi stressed China's commitment to deepening China-Africa friendship, called for a political settlement to the Middle East conflict, and outlined China's vision for a multipolar world built on equality and cooperation rather than hegemony.
Iran's Revolutionary Guards said they can sustain aerial drone and missile attacks for up to six months after US-Israeli air strikes hit fuel depots in Tehran and targeted locations in Beirut. The conflict has extended into its ninth day with no clear path to resolution, as analysts warn it could last a month or longer.
Iran's Assembly of Experts has voted to choose a new supreme leader following Ayatollah Khamenei's death in recent strikes, though the name has not yet been announced. Israeli forces have continued air strikes on Iranian fuel facilities and targets across the region, with the conflict now in its ninth day and no clear path to resolution.
Namibia's ambassador to Egypt says more than 100 Namibians are in the Middle East as the Iran-US-Israel conflict intensifies, and the embassy is facilitating voluntary evacuation efforts while prioritizing citizen safety. Some evacuees have criticised the Namibian consulate in Dubai for lack of communication and assistance during the crisis.
Iran attacked US and Israeli targets across the Middle East, including hitting the US embassy in Riyadh with drones that breached air defences, as regional tensions escalated following earlier strikes that killed Iran's supreme leader. The US warned citizens to evacuate the entire Middle East region, with conflicts expanding to Lebanon and threatening oil infrastructure in the Gulf.
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, 86, who ruled Iran for three decades, has been killed during the first day of massive US and Israeli air strikes on Iran, as announced by US President Donald Trump and confirmed by Iranian state TV. His death marks a significant and uncertain turning point for Iran and the wider region.
Senior US and Iranian officials are meeting in Oman for direct negotiations as military tension rises following Iran's violent suppression of anti-government protests and a significant US military buildup in the Middle East. The talks, brokered by regional mediators, aim to de-escalate conflict, though the two countries remain divided on key issues including Iran's nuclear programme, ballistic missiles, and regional proxies.
Doctors at hospitals in Tehran and Shiraz told the BBC their facilities were overwhelmed with injuries as anti-government protests entered their second week, with at least 50 protesters reported killed. Iranian authorities issued coordinated warnings to protesters, while international leaders and US President Trump called for protection of the right to peaceful protest.