(2026-05-13). Israel strikes Lebanon as 380 reported killed since April 17 ceasefire. scmp.com Israel hammered south Lebanon with strikes on Tuesday ahead of talks between the two countries in Washington, as Beirut reported 380 people killed in Israeli attacks since an April 17 ceasefire took effect. | Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem vowed to turn the battlefield into "hell" for Israeli forces, and insisted his Iran-backed group's weapons would not be up for discussion at the talks on Thursday and Friday, after the US had called for its disarmament.
(2026-05-13). Trump's Iran U-turn won't solve Israel's insecurity Trap. juancole.com ( It's possible that this latest instance, the pausing of military action over the Strait of Hormuz, stems from a realisation among some of his advisers that this is a war the US cannot win. More likely, though, it i…
(2026-05-13). South Korea moves towards joining war against Iran. wsws.org An attack involving two "unidentified airborne objects" on a South Korean-operated ship in the Strait of Hormuz last week is being seized upon by Seoul as a possible pretext to join the US-led war against Iran.
(2026-05-13). Agent Orange to visit China, hat in hand! indybay.org POTUS 47 Donald Trump will be arriving in Beijing to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday, May 14. The Western "Corporate-bin-Laden" media is full of NeoLiberal/Imperialist spin on how Donald (aka "TACO") Trump will try to pressure China into a moderating voice in getting Tehran to accept the American "peace" plan for ending the illegal Zionist-US War on Iran. The reality is, for Mr. WHO(White House Occupier), that'll happen when Pigs Fly!
(2026-05-13). Trump threatens Iran will be "decimated" if it does not accept US dictated deal. wsws.org Speaking to reporters before departing for China on Tuesday, President Trump said the US would only accept a "good deal" to end the war against Iran or the country "would be decimated," adding, "one way or another, we win."
(2026-05-13). The Electric Car won the Iran War: The Twilight of Oil. juancole.com Here is my column this month for the essential (
(2026-05-12). China presses Pakistan to deepen Iran mediation ahead of Trump-Xi talks. scmp.com China's foreign minister Wang Yi on Tuesday urged Pakistan to ramp up mediation efforts in the Iran crisis, as the war threatens to overshadow US President Donald Trump's visit to Beijing. | In a call with his Pakistani counterpart Ishaq Dar, Wang lauded Pakistan's efforts in facilitating negotiations between Washington and Tehran and helping to extend the ceasefire. But he also called for Pakistan to "step up its mediation efforts to contribute to … the opening of the Strait of Hormuz and the…
(2026-05-12). Iran expands operational definition of Strait of Hormuz. newarab.com 
Iran's Revolutionary Guards have Brigadier General Mohammad Akbarzadeh, deputy political director of the naval forces of the
(2026-05-12). Trump suffers new Iran defeat: 'Loses' 50 million oil barrels as US Navy fails in Hormuz. hindustantimes.com The Trump administration will reportedly loan 53.3 million barrels of crude from the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve to energy companies as part of a wider effort to calm oil markets shaken by the Iran war and disruption around the Strait of Hormuz. Reuters-linked reporting says this is a loan, not an outright sale, and it forms part of a coordinated International Energy Agency response to the supply shock.
(2026-05-12). From 'Taco' to 'Nacho': the new buzzword on Wall Street as Trump preps for China trip. scmp.com With a fragile US-Iran ceasefire barely holding, the Strait of Hormuz still blockaded, and all eyes on the upcoming Trump-Xi meeting, investors are embracing a new market narrative: "Nacho". | The acronym — short for "Not a chance Hormuz opens" — reflects a growing bet on prolonged gridlock and high oil prices.
(2026-05-12). Trump rejects 'garbage' Iran peace plan before heading to China. scmp.com US President Donald Trump said a month-long ceasefire with Iran was on "massive life support" as he rejected Tehran's response to a peace proposal. | The Iranian reply was a "piece of garbage", Trump told reporters in the White House on Monday. "I didn't even finish reading it." The comments helped to push the price of Brent crude oil above US$106 a barrel on Tuesday.
(2026-05-12). After nearly 9 years, Trump is landing in a totally different China. Is he ready? scmp.com US President Donald Trump's landmark visit to China comes as the US-Iran war disrupts global energy supplies, fuels economic uncertainty and adds fresh strain to Washington-Beijing ties. In this story, part of a series examining how rivalry, interdependence and geopolitical crises are reshaping the relationship between the two powers, we explore how the countries' standing in the world has changed — mostly to China's benefit — since Trump's previous trip. | When US President Donald Trump unleashed…
(2026-05-12). German firms in China more upbeat about economy despite Iran war, trade headwinds: survey. scmp.com German companies in China have grown more optimistic about the country's economic outlook, even as the Iran war and persistent trade tensions continue to weigh on their operations, according to the German Chamber of Commerce in China. | In a survey released on Tuesday, the chamber found that 37 per cent of respondents expected China's economy to improve over the next six months. That was up 22 percentage points from last year, with only 17 per cent anticipating a deterioration — a sharp reversal…
(2026-05-12). Huckabee: Israel sent Iron Dome, personnel to UAE amid Iran war. newarab.com 
The comments by
(2026-05-12). How an Iran Conflict Could Fracture the Arab World and Test Pakistan's Loyalties. thinktank.pk A full-scale confrontation between Israel (backed by the United States) and Iran would be a watershed event for the Middle East and its neighbors. Even limited strikes and tit-for-tat escalations already have cross-border consequences; a broader military campaign would magnify those effects across security, economics, politics, and social cohesion. The Arab states—Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Egypt, …
(2026-05-12). Pentagon's Mindset On E-7 Radar Aircraft It Tried To Axe Has Completely Changed: Hegseth. twz.com 
E-7s to replace the Air Force's dwindling and aging fleet of E-3s are even more sorely needed now after one of the latter was lost to an Iranian attack.
(2026-05-12). Iran parliamentary spox. warns could enrich uranium if attacked. newarab.com 
(2026-05-12). After Saudi's 2 panic moves in 2 days, MBS' top oil official reveals 1000000000 loss… hindustantimes.com Saudi Aramco's CEO says the Hormuz shutdown is the biggest energy shock in history, with around 1 billion barrels of supply wiped out since the Iran war began. Riyadh is rushing crude through its East—West pipeline to the Red Sea, but Houthi threats and stalled Iran—U.S. talks mean high prices and volatility could last for years.
(2026-05-12). Qatar says Iran should not use Hormuz to 'blackmail' Gulf. newarab.com 
Iran should not use the Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani was speaking during a press conference in Doha with Turkey's Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan – close allies who have emerged as key intermediaries in the Iran-US talks alongside mediator Pakistan. | "Iran should not use this strait as a weapon to pressure or to blackmail t…
(2026-05-12). War with Iran makes South Caucasian "Trump route" project unfeasible. infobrics.org By waging war against Iran Trump not only destroyed the security architecture of the Middle East but also undermined peace processes that were already under way in other regions. Tehran will never agree to US presence in the South Caucasus.
(2026-05-12). La Enfermería, el acto noble de salvar. radiohc.cu 
Cuando muchos miran de lejos el peligro de morir; cuando, incluso, no queda otra medicina que la palabra, ahí están ellos salvando. Quizás, por esta verdad más rica que la vida misma, Martín Pérez González hizo de la Enfermería un acto de consagración elevado y noble. Consta en sus 43 años de servicio en el Hospital Provincial Pediátrico José Martí Pérez y en el historial de solidaridad protagonizado en Belice, Pakistán y Perú. | Cuando empezó a soñar los días frente a un paciente, vivía en la Cooperativa de Producción Agropecuaria La Nueva Cuba, de Cabaiguán; con el paso del tiempo, atrás quedaron los vegueríos…
(2026-05-12). Trump's Justice Department Subpoenas News Outlets Over Iran War Coverage. truthout.org The US Justice Department has reportedly subpoenaed The Wall Street Journal and other news outlets at the urging of President Donald Trump, who has complained incessantly about coverage of his illegal and disastrous Iran war. The Journal reported Monday that it received grand jury subpoenas dated March 4 for records of its journalists as Trump pushed the Justice Department — now led by his… |
(2026-05-12). Meetings in Australia and New Zealand to oppose the imperialist war on Iran and government austerity. wsws.org The meetings will outline the socialist perspective needed to halt the descent into global war and the accompanying onslaught on the conditions of the working class.
(2026-05-13). Vietnam asks US to allow 'extremely important' oil tanker to slip past Hormuz blockade. scmp.com Vietnam's state oil company urged the US to let a supertanker pass through an American naval blockade outside the Persian Gulf, saying the shipment is critical to the Asian country's economy. | The very large crude carrier Agios Fanourios I, managed by Athens-based Eastern Mediterranean Maritime, performed a mid-ocean U-turn on Monday at around the point where the US blockade begins. It had only just cleared the Strait of Hormuz, holding 1.99 million barrels of Iraq's Basrah Medium crude, when it…
(2026-05-13). South Korea reviews phased support for Strait of Hormuz security efforts. geo.tv 
South Korean Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-Back, speaks during the joint press conference with U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, following the 57th Security Consultative Meeting at the Defense Ministry in Seoul, South Korea, Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2025. — ReutersSEOUL: South Korea is…
(2026-05-12). Tomgram: Juan Cole, The Strait of Hormuz Oil Crisis of 2026 Is the Biggest Ever. warisacrime.org This article originally appeared at TomDispatch.com. To receive TomDispatch in your inbox three times a week, click here. As the war in the Strait of Hormuz was going into its eighth week and a third U.S. aircraft carrier was heading into the region (part of a fleet of 19 U.S. naval vessels there and seven more …
(2026-05-12). IRGC Navy Claims Vast Expansion In Its Definition Of Strait Of Hormuz (Updated). twz.com 
(2026-05-12). The two 'Spartas': How the UAE doubled down on ties with Israel. newarab.com 
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Israel appear to have The UAE sustained the With Tehran continuing its bellicose rhetoric a…