Outrage as Israeli minister filmed taunting international activists detained in Israel
Israeli police on Wednesday forced detained activists who were aboard a Gaza-bound aid flotilla to kneel on the ground in rows with their hands tied behind their backs while a minister looked on, drawing criticism from foreign leaders and even from inside Israel’s own government.
The activists were aboard a flotilla that was intercepted by Israeli forces in international waters on Tuesday and later taken to an Israeli port.
The flotilla, which had set sail from southern Turkey, represented a renewed attempt to deliver vital assistance to war-shattered Gaza. Its organisers stated their objective was to break Israel’s ongoing blockade of the territory by providing humanitarian supplies. This comes as aid bodies continue to report severe shortages, despite a US-brokered ceasefire, in place since October 2025, which included guarantees for increased aid.
Israel claims that its naval blockade on Gaza is entirely lawful.
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Nicole Wootton-Cane21 May 2026 08:30
Watch: Trump claims Netanyahu ‘will do whatever he wants him to do’Trump claims Netanyahu ‘will do whatever he wants him to do’
Nicole Wootton-Cane21 May 2026 08:00
Who is Ahmadinejad, the leader US and Israel ‘planned to install’ in Iran?
Iran’s former president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is considered a staunch opponent of Israel and the US and had previously called to “wipe Israel off the map”. In the years after his presidency he expressed criticism of Ayatollah Khamenei’s government and support for Ukraine, warning that President Vladimir Putin would have “no achievement” to show for it.
His freedom of movement had recently been restricted amid the civil unrest across Iran, which saw thousands of protesters killed according to human rights organisations. He had attempted to run for president but was disqualified from elections by the establishment.
Close allies of Mr Ahmadinejad have been accused of spying for Western countries and Israel, including his former chief of staff Esfandiar Rahim Mashai who was put on trial in 2018.
Stuti Mishra21 May 2026 07:45
Pakistan army chief to visit Tehran in mediation effort between US and Iran
Pakistan’s Army Chief Asim Munir will travel to Tehran on Thursday as part of ongoing Pakistani mediation in talks and consultations between Tehran and Washington over the Iran war, Iran’s ISNA news agency said.
Nicole Wootton-Cane21 May 2026 07:34
US and Israel ‘planned to install hardliner Ahmadinejad as Iran’s new leader’ after war: report
The United States and Israel entered the war in Iran with the aim of installing former president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as the country’s leader, according to reports.
The plan, developed by the Israelis with Mr Ahmadinejad’s consultation, fell apart following the outbreak of war, US officials briefed on the discussions said.
Stuti Mishra21 May 2026 07:20
US military boards Iranian oil tanker suspected of breaching blockade as Senate defies Trump on war
The US military has boarded an Iranian-flagged oil tanker in the Gulf of Oman suspected of trying to bypass the American blockade of Iranian ports, US Central Command has said, as pressure mounts at home on US president Donald Trump over soaring fuel prices.
The vessel, identified as the M/T Celestial Sea, was searched and redirected after being suspected of heading to an Iranian port. It is at least the fifth commercial vessel boarded since the Trump administration imposed the blockade on Iranian shipping in mid-April.
The incident came as the Senate on Tuesday advanced legislation seeking to force Mr Trump to withdraw from the Iran war, with a growing number of Republicans defying the president in a 50-47 vote. Fellow Republicans are facing political headwinds ahead of November’s midterm elections as petrol prices skyrocket.
Nearly three months since the war began on 28 February, 1,550 vessels from 87 countries remain stranded in the Persian Gulf, the US military said. Iran maintains its chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz while the US enforces its blockade on Iranian ports and Iranian-linked ships as far afield as the Indian Ocean.
Stuti Mishra21 May 2026 06:58
Oil edges higher with no peace deal progress
Oil prices edged higher early on Thursday, a day after Brent crude dropped 5%. Brent, the international standard, gained 48 cents to $105.50 per barrel, while U.S. benchmark crude added 52 cents to $98.78 per barrel.
Brent remains well above its roughly $70 level from before the war with Iran. Prices have been yo-yoing on rising and falling hopes that the United States and Iran can reach an agreement to allow oil deliveries to fully resume from the Persian Gulf to customers worldwide.
Stuti Mishra21 May 2026 06:31
Iran’s Revolutionary Guard holds public weapons training in Tehran amid war threat
Iran’s Revolutionary Guard is holding regular public weapons demonstrations in Tehran, teaching civilians to handle assault rifles, according to The Associated Press, as US president Donald Trump threatens to restart the war if negotiations break down.
At a training session on Tuesday, male and female participants received instruction on handling Kalashnikov-style assault rifles, with those completing the course receiving a card certifying them as “Janfada”, meaning those who sacrifice their lives. Military vehicles mounted with machine guns have also featured in parades through the capital, and a ballistic missile adorned the stage at a mass wedding.
“This is necessary for all our people to get trained because we are in a war situation these days,” Ali Mofidi, 47, a Tehran resident attending Tuesday’s session, told AP.
Iranian Nobel Peace Prize laureate Shirin Ebadi criticised the demonstrations, particularly footage of young boys handling assault rifles, comparing the scenes to “child hostage-taking and arming by groups such as Boko Haram in Nigeria.”
(Getty)
Stuti Mishra21 May 2026 06:00
Iran releases map of its “controlled maritime zone” in the Strait of Hormuz
Iran’s newly-created Persian Gulf Strait Authority on Wednesday released a map of what it claims is its “controlled maritime zone” in the Strait of Hormuz.
In a post to X, the PGSA defined the zone as the “line connecting Kuh Mobarak in Iran and the south of Fujairah in the UAE in the east of the strait to the line connecting the end of Qeshm Island in Iran and Umm al-Qaiwain in the UAE in the west of the strait.”
Anyone transiting through the area for the purpose of passing through the strait “requires coordination with, and authorisation from” the PGSA, the post said.
Stuti Mishra21 May 2026 05:40
Iran says negotiations ongoing but it has ‘suspicion over America’s performance’
Foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said Iran was pursuing negotiations “with seriousness and good faith, but it has strong and reasonable suspicion over America’s performance.”
Iran submitted a new offer to the US this week. Tehran’s descriptions suggest it largely repeats terms previously rejected by Mr Trump, including demands for control of the Strait of Hormuz, compensation for war damage, lifting of sanctions, release of frozen assets and the withdrawal of US troops.
Mr Trump on Tuesday said he had been an hour away from ordering attacks this week in response to requests from several of Iran’s Gulf neighbours.
Stuti Mishra21 May 2026 05:20