This is a thread specifically for the war, not a general megathread (use the pinned /c/genzedong thread for that).
Please keep related news in this thread rather than making separate posts. Remember to include sources and avoid spreading rumours.
VIDEO | Israeli settlers and soldiers celebrating the return of an Israeli military unit screened footage showing the destruction and bombing of entire villages in south Lebanon, as cheers and laughter could be heard from the crowd.
Hezbollah military media music could also be heard playing in the background during the celebration.
Video: https://t.me/thecradlemedia/60109
Disgusting and deranged soceity. I hope that when the US inevitably restarts the war, Iran goes even further and levels every zionist outpost to dust. Make it look like Gaza, and let the settlers scurry like rats.
Iran (and the wider Axis of Resistance) should also treat the zionists the same way they have been treating Palestinians, Lebanese, and Indigenous people in West Asia. zionists deserve everything coming for them.
❗️Israeli citizen caught smuggling embryos through Cyprus as possible trafficking network comes under scrutiny
Turkish Cypriot outlet Bugün Kıbrıs reported that four embryos seized at Ercan Airport while being prepared for transfer abroad were found inside a numbered transport tank bearing the name of Israeli courier company LifeParcel.
The first suspect arrested, identified as Y.M.G., was reportedly an Israeli citizen.
According to the report, the transport tank belonged to LifeParcel, an international IVF courier company founded by Israeli-linked embryologist Aharon Peretz.
The embryos were allegedly sourced from Vita Altera IVF, a fertility center in Lefkoşa described in police records as operating in egg, sperm, and embryo donation, embryo freezing, IVF, ICSI, and genetic screening services.
Bugün Kıbrıs noted that no clear information about Vita Altera IVF’s founders or ownership structure appears in open sources, raising further questions about the network behind the operation.
Ynet reported that the Israeli suspect was arrested on 19 May at Ercan Airport while allegedly attempting to fly to Mexico via Istanbul carrying the embryos in four separate test tubes inside a specialized “LifeParcel” transport container.
Israeli media said authorities suspect violations related to the illegal transfer and trafficking of embryos and genetic material across borders, while police in Northern Cyprus also arrested the director of the clinic and a local doctor as part of the ongoing investigation.
https://t.me/thecradlemedia/60083
Such a strange and disturbed soceity.
Most deranged Hollywood crime film plot.
🇺🇸🇮🇷The US lost 20% of its MQ-9 Reaper drones during the operation against Iran, Bloomberg reported. According to the agency, the total damage from the destroyed drones could reach $1 billion.
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Washington hits pause on $14bn Taiwan arms deal to divert weapons to West Asia
Iran reportedly destroyed about 20 percent of the US Reaper drone stockpile, causing billions in losses
❗️US reportedly used over half its THAAD interceptor stockpile defending Israel during war on Iran
The Washington Post reported on 21 May, citing Pentagon assessments and US officials, that the United States fired more than 200 THAAD interceptors, roughly half of its total inventory, to defend Israel during the war on Iran.
The report added that US forces also launched more than 100 SM-3 and SM-6 naval interceptors from warships in the eastern Mediterranean.
According to the report, Israel used far fewer high-end interceptors, firing fewer than 100 Arrow interceptors and around 90 David’s Sling interceptors, while relying on the US to absorb most of the ballistic missile defense burden during what officials referred to as “Operation Epic Fury.”
One US administration official told the paper that the US “shot around 120 more interceptors and engaged twice as many Iranian missiles” as Israel did.
The report said the heavy expenditure has raised concerns inside the Pentagon and among US allies in Asia over depleted interceptor stockpiles and broader military readiness.
Kelly Grieco of the Stimson Center told the paper the US is now left with roughly 200 THAAD interceptors while production “can’t keep pace with demand,” warning that shortages could impact theaters unrelated to Iran, including deterrence against China and North Korea.
Israel has reportedly taken some missile defense batteries offline for maintenance, according to US officials cited by The Washington Post, a move that could force Washington to expend an even greater share of its interceptor inventory if the war on Iran resumes.
Another US official told the paper that “Israel is not capable of fighting and winning wars on its own” without extensive US military support.
Caspian lifeline redraws the Iran–Russia war map
As Washington and Tel Aviv squeeze Iran from the south, the Caspian is becoming the northern artery of a Eurasian supply network built beyond western reach.
By Aidan J. Simardone
Good article, I was completely unaware that the status of the Caspian Sea was undetermined until 8 years ago. Ty comrade
🇦🇲 Law enforcement officers in Armenia conducted searches in the office of opposition leader Andranik Tevanian, reported the 24news portal.
Earlier, the candidate for deputy from the "Prosperous Armenia" party was charged with treason.
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https://t.me/DDGeopolitics/184677
I'm adding this here because of the upcoming elections in Armenia will effect it's relationship with Iran significantly. Pashinyan is a complete western puppet whose said he'll allow for the zangidor corridor to be occupied by the US, which is a red line for Iran. It would circumvent trade that would go through Iran and place a US military presence directly on Iran's borders.
Iran should just annex Armenia, honestly ever since the “pro-russian” government fell the country is a basket-case thats trying desperately to get itself colonized by azerbaijan and turkey.
❗️Iran says it seeks ‘rights, not concessions’ from the US
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei said Tehran is not seeking any “concessions” from the United States, stressing that Iran is only demanding the restoration of its rights after decades of “crippling sanctions” imposed under various pretexts, particularly allegations surrounding Iran’s nuclear program.
Baghaei said there has never been any nuclear threat from Iran against regional or international actors, adding that Tehran’s core demands include lifting US sanctions, ending Washington’s “criminal measures” against the Iranian people, and releasing Iran’s frozen assets.
He also condemned the illegal “naval blockade” in the Strait of Hormuz, saying the US must take steps to end it, as the measures violate international law.
(Tasnim)
❗️Netherlands approves ban on goods from illegal Jewish settlements in occupied Palestinian territories
The Dutch government has approved a measure banning trade in goods originating from illegal Jewish settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories, including the occupied West Bank and the occupied Syrian Golan Heights, according to local media reports.
Dutch Prime Minister said the move is aimed at increasing pressure on the government of Israeli Prime Minister over violations of international law and the humanitarian situation in Gaza.
The ban currently applies only to goods, while broader restrictions on services and investments remain under review.
Dutch officials said they will seek coordination with other European countries, including Belgium, to strengthen enforcement.
(AA)
Pentagon reverses course, deploys 5,000 US troops to Poland under Trump's orders President Trump's policy reversals are creating 'confusion' in the Pentagon regarding policy toward Europe and NATO
🇺🇸An American official on Iran:
The negotiations are extremely exhausting, and the drafts are being exchanged back and forth daily without making much progress.
The American president has felt increasingly frustrated over the past few days.
The president raised the possibility of carrying out a final major military operation, declaring victory and ending the war.
So just drop a load more bombs with no actual intention of achieving anything, other than killing enough people and blowing up enough schools etc that he can say "look what we did. We won".
Hellspawn incarnate.
🌟🏴☠️Scenes from the targeting operation of the Islamic Resistance on 14-05-2026, a Merkava tank belonging to the Israeli enemy army in the city of Bint Jbeil, southern Lebanon, in a surprise attack.
Video in https://t.me/naya_foriraq/75903
🇺🇲Reuters is reporting that the White House forced U.S. intelligence official Tulsi Gabbard to resign from her post, a person familiar with the matter said on Friday.
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https://t.me/DDGeopolitics/184713
⭕️ The IRGC Navy’s public relations office announced that 35 vessels have transited the Strait of Hormuz after obtaining authorization and coordinating with Iranian naval forces, which also provided security for the passage.
The statement added that despite the insecurity caused by the “aggression of the terrorist US army” in the Strait of Hormuz, the IRGC Navy had established a safe maritime corridor to ensure shipping traffic and the continuation of global trade.
(IRNA)
🇱🇧 Hezbollah's bloc in the Lebanese parliament:
What is needed is a clear position from the Lebanese authorities to protect their institutions from American interference
We condemn the imposition of sanctions on deputies of the bloc, officials from the Amal Movement and Hezbollah, and army officers
We condemn the imposition of American sanctions on army and public security officers, and on the Iranian ambassador to Lebanon https://t.me/naya_foriraq/75870
📰Reuters: Informed sources reported that Qatar sent a negotiating team to Tehran, in coordination with the United States, to help reach an agreement to end the war with Iran.
🏴☠️Enemy announcement: 6 casualties in the Israeli army due to being targeted by a surprise attack in the Ramim Heights, near the border with Lebanon.
❗️Lebanese Army Commander General Rodolphe Haykal releases statement ahead of Resistance and Liberation Day (25 May):
“Amid the existential challenges facing our homeland, we recall on Resistance and Liberation Day a national milestone that marked a bright chapter in Lebanon’s history, embodying the Lebanese people’s attachment to their land, sovereignty, and national dignity in the face of the Israeli occupation.
Today, we remember the sacrifices of the martyrs and everyone who contributed to safeguarding the homeland, drawing from that period a spirit of resilience, unity, and hope for a more stable and prosperous future for all Lebanese.
We are still living through the consequences of the ongoing Israeli aggression and the destruction and thousands of martyrs and wounded it has caused across various regions, especially in the south, alongside the continued occupation of Lebanese territory. The army is exerting its maximum capabilities, under complex circumstances and major dangers, to mitigate the effects of the aggression and stand by the citizens, particularly the displaced and those remaining steadfast, while continuing its security missions, including combating terrorism and organized crime, arresting wanted individuals and those disturbing security, and controlling and protecting the northern and eastern borders.”
The army is exerting its maximum capabilities
Letting israel do whatever they like without responding is the maximum capability of the Lebanese army.
❗️Saudi Arabia expands Red Sea shipping routes amid Hormuz disruptions
Saudi Ports Authority Mawani has launched a new shipping service connecting the ports of Jeddah, Salalah, and Djibouti with a capacity of 1,730 standard containers, according to Saudi state TV.
The service is aimed at strengthening maritime trade links between the kingdom and global ports.
The move comes as Saudi Arabia accelerates alternative Red Sea shipping corridors amid disruptions tied to the US-Israeli war on Iran and the effective blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.
Earlier this week, Mawani also launched the “Red Sea Express” route linking Jeddah and Yanbu with Egypt’s Ain Sokhna and Jordan’s Aqaba.
(Al-Arabiya)
https://t.me/thecradlemedia/60100
Saudi port authority unveils new Red Sea shipping service to bypass Hormuz The move aims to ‘enhance connectivity’ by linking the ports of Jeddah, Oman, and Djibouti
❗️Covert UN mission successfully rescues millions of historical Palestinian refugee documents from Gaza
A highly sensitive, ten-month clandestine operation by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) successfully evacuated millions of historical archival documents from the Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem, safeguarding generations of Palestinian records. The Guardian reported on 14 May that the complex mission involved dozens of UN staff members across four countries racing against intense bombardment, cyberattacks, and shifting frontlines to prevent the permanent destruction of the files.
The rescued documents, many dating back to 1948, include original refugee registration cards, birth certificates, and land records that provide the sole legal and historical evidence of displacement for hundreds of thousands of stateless Palestinians.
The first phase of the 10-month operation began under heavy fire after Israeli forces ordered the evacuation of UNRWA's Gaza City headquarters in 2024. Turning down appeals to leave the files behind, a small team utilized rented pickup trucks to smuggle the paper archives south to Rafah over three dangerous trips, eventually moving them into Egypt using international staff who hand-carried the records past border checkpoints.
Concurrently, as hostile protests and arson attacks targeted UNRWA’s East Jerusalem compound ahead of new Israeli legislation banning the agency, staff members secretly moved a parallel set of historic archives across the border into Jordan.
The entire collection has since been compiled in Amman, where an extensive digitization project funded by Luxembourg is currently underway in a secure facility. More than 50 personnel are working to scan roughly 30 million individual documents by hand, a meticulous process that experts estimate will take another two years to fully complete.
According to historians cited by The Guardian, the preservation of this national archive is critical for any future legal resolutions to the conflict, ensuring that Palestinians retain access to their verified family lineages and documented histories despite the total destruction of physical infrastructure inside the Palestinian territories.
The fascists will always try and fail to erase history.
We need more UNRWA like people in the UN.
This is actually incredible news. Given their effort to erase every aspect of Palestinian history, heritage, and culture, having these records slip through their fingers is a setback for 'Israel'. Well done to the UNRWA staff involved, they pulled this off under genuine threat of violence and persecution by the zionist entity. This way, these documents remain a potential legal threat-in-being to the apartheid colony.
For every bit of fecklessness displayed by the UN as a whole, it's important to recognize many of the workers with organizations like UNRWA are genuinely committed to their mission statement and willing to put their lives on the line for those ideals. Very noble people indeed, and they should be commended at every opportunity.
🥺 Incredible work on their part. Thank you for sharing about it.
🇮🇷| Iran’s IRGC warns the US/Israel following threats:
“Let the American-Zionist enemy, which has not learned from its repeated major & strategic defeats to Iran while once again opened its mouth to threats, know this:
Although they attacked us with the full capability of 2 armies, among the most expensive armies in the world, we did not bring all of our capacities into action against them.
But now, if aggression against Iran is repeated, the regional war that had been promised will this time be extended beyond the region (❗️). Our crushing blows, in places you cannot even imagine, will bring you to ruin.
We are men of war, and you will see our power on the battlefield… not in hollow statements and on social media pages (diss on Trump).
@FotrosResistancee
EXCLUSIVE: Hezbollah warns direct talks with Israel 'threaten Lebanese coexistence' MP Ibrahim al-Moussawi slammed authorities for meeting face-to-face with Israeli officials after vowing not to ‘negotiate under fire’
❗️Severe rodent infestation at Haifa Naval Base exposes sanitation scandal, with up to 13 rats seen in a single day
A severe rodent infestation at the Haifa Naval Training Base has exposed "catastrophic" sanitary conditions, with kitchen personnel revealing that up to 13 rats have been spotted in a single day inside the facility. An anonymous worker at the kitchen, which serves approximately 1,200 soldiers, told Israel's N12 News that the animals routinely breach the old, deteriorating building through holes in the walls, air conditioning ducts, and rotten plumbing systems.
The source detailed discovering a rat inside a large cooking pot during lunch preparation and finding food container lids systematically gnawed through by the pests. Kitchen staff reported having to document the daily infestation before starting their shifts, alleging that months of internal appeals went unanswered by military officials.
In response to the growing scandal, workers resorted to purchasing their own traps, describing the military's initial pest control measures as entirely ineffective for the aging facility. The worker emphasized that minor repairs have failed to prevent the rodents from returning, stating that the only real solution is a complete shutdown and overhaul.
The Israeli military responded to the report by claiming that the visual evidence of rats inside food containers dates back several months and that the situation has since been addressed.
Fitting.
🇱🇧❌🇮🇱 — Hezbollah unveils an "Ababil" helicopter and claims to carry out 3 operations with it during the day.
@SimurghRes
—❗️🇮🇷/🇵🇰/🇺🇸 NEW: Pakistani Field Marshal Assim Muneer’s planned trip to Tehran tonight has been canceled
@Middle_East_Spectator
❗️Hezbollah announced 18 more operations in response to Israeli attacks on Lebanon on Wednesday, 20 May, bringing the total to 20 so far:
• Targeted, at 10:00, Israeli artillery positions in Yaroun with a swarm of attack drones.
• Targeted, at 10:30, Israeli artillery positions in Bint Jbeil with a swarm of attack drones.
• Targeted, at 11:00, a concentration of Israeli troops and military vehicles at the riverbed on the outskirts of Deir Siryan with artillery shells.
• Targeted, at 12:20, a Merkava tank at Baydar al-Faqani in Taybeh with an attack drone, scoring a confirmed hit.
• Targeted, at 12:30, a concentration of Israeli troops and military vehicles in Shamaa with a rocket salvo.
• Engaged, at 14:00, a composite Israeli force advancing toward Haddatha from the Baydar neighborhood; upon reaching the vicinity of the pond, Hezbollah fighters struck it with artillery shells and sustained rocket salvos for half an hour.
• Targeted, at 15:20, a D9 bulldozer with an attack drone and a Merkava tank with rocket weapons in the vicinity of the Haddatha pond, scoring confirmed hits.
• Targeted, at 15:20, a second Merkava tank in the Baydar neighborhood of Haddatha with a guided missile, scoring a confirmed hit; the tank was seen burning, and its accompanying force was then targeted with a rocket salvo.
• Targeted, at 15:25, a second bulldozer brought in to tow the damaged vehicles in Haddatha with an attack drone, scoring a confirmed hit.
• Targeted, at 15:40, a third Merkava tank near the stadium in Haddatha with an attack drone, scoring a confirmed hit, followed by rocket salvos on supporting Israeli forces.
• Engaged, at 16:30, an Israeli infantry force backed by two Merkava tanks advancing toward the Husseiniya in Haddatha with direct fire and light weapons, inflicting confirmed casualties and forcing the force to evacuate its wounded under heavy smoke cover.
• Targeted, between 15:45 and 16:50, three concentrations of Israeli forces on the outskirts of Haddatha with repeated rocket salvos.
• Targeted, at 16:50, a concentration of Israeli troops and military vehicles at Khillet Raj in Deir Siryan with a rocket salvo.
• Targeted, at 17:00, a concentration of Israeli troops and military vehicles at al-Baydar on the outskirts of Haddatha with a swarm of attack drones.
• Targeted, at 17:15, a fourth Merkava tank in the vicinity of the pond in Haddatha with an attack drone, scoring a confirmed hit.
• Targeted, at 17:25, a concentration of Israeli troops and military vehicles in the vicinity of the pond in Haddatha with a swarm of attack drones.
• Targeted, at 17:50, a concentration of Israeli troops and military vehicles in the vicinity of Haddatha with a rocket salvo.
• Engaged, at 19:10, an Israeli Hermes 450 ("Zik") drone over the central sector with a surface-to-air missile.
https://t.me/thecradlemedia/60014
❗️Hezbollah announced 4 more operations in response to Israeli attacks on Lebanon on Wednesday, 20 May, bringing the total to 24:
• Targeted, on Tuesday 20 May, the Hodbat al-Ajl Israeli military site and the Avivim, Ramim (Honin), Ramot Naftali, and Maale Golani barracks with swarms of attack drones.
• Targeted, at 18:30, a Merkava tank in Rshaf with an attack drone, scoring a confirmed hit.
• Targeted, at 19:15, a concentration of Israeli troops and military vehicles in al-Bayyada with an attack drone.
• Targeted, at 20:00, a concentration of Israeli troops and military vehicles in Naqoura with an attack drone.
https://t.me/thecradlemedia/60020
❗️Hezbollah announces 5 operations so far in response to Israeli attacks on Lebanon on Thursday, 21 May:
• Targeted, at 00:00, concentrations of Israeli troops and military vehicles in Debel and Rshaf with rocket barrages.
• Targeted, at 00:10, a concentration of Israeli troops and military vehicles in Bayyada with a rocket barrage.
• Targeted, at 00:30, concentrations of Israeli troops and military vehicles in Debel and the outskirts of Haddatha with swarms of attack drones.
• Conducted, between 00:00 and 02:00, a wide-scale fire raid targeting all Israeli military positions in Debel, Rshaf, and the outskirts of Haddatha using attack drones and repeated heavy rocket barrages.
• Targeted, at 09:20, a concentration of Israeli troops near the riverbed on the outskirts of Deir Siryan with artillery shells and a rocket barrage.
• Targeted, at 10:45, a concentration of Israeli troops and military vehicles in Qawzah with artillery shelling.
https://t.me/thecradlemedia/60027
❗️Hezbollah announces 3 more operations in response to Israeli attacks on Lebanon on Thursday, 21 May, bringing the total to 8 so far:
• At 10:45, targeted a gathering of Israeli soldiers and military vehicles in Qawzah with artillery shells.
• At 12:00, targeted an Israeli military engineering vehicle at Khillet Raj in Deir Siryan with an attack drone, scoring a direct hit.
• At 12:10, targeted a gathering of Israeli soldiers and military vehicles in Rshaf with a swarm of attack drones.
— 🇮🇷 NEW: The Persian Gulf Strait Authority (PGSA) has published an official map of Iran’s area of supervision over the Strait of Hormuz
@Middle_East_Spectator
https://t.me/Middle_East_Spectator/32252
Egypt pressures world's leading Sunni Islam authority to ‘back UAE’ against Iran: Report The Al-Azhar institution has released multiple statements condemning Iran’s strikes on the UAE
https://t.me/thecradlemedia/60065
Fitnah according to Arab Sunnis
Common Sunni Arab behavior. To speak so passionately about the "state of the Ummah" and how the Muslim world needs to be united together along with other pan-islamist platitudes. But the moment it comes time for action and unite with Shias in Iran, silence persists. The "Ummah" only extends as far as the border with Persia.
Ahhh, as a Shiite I gotta say, with "brothers" like these who needs enemies?
💠 Note / Yadollah Rabiei
"Iranian Doctrine"; Power from the heart of the night, deterrence against the enemy
🔹 We are passing the eighty-second night of the "Third Imposed War." The skies of Tehran, Tabriz, Isfahan, and hundreds of other cities and villages witness every night a scene that does not fit into any of the usual rules of modern wars.
🔹 Streets full of people who are not there for celebration or protest, but to "pledge allegiance to the leadership" and "support the armed forces." This scene is not an ordinary "march"; this is the formation of the "Iranian Doctrine."
🔹 1. A doctrine that does not fear "infiltration"
In classical deterrence theories, power was summarized in three components: "military capability," "resilient economy," and "strategic alliance with allies." But what is seen on Iran's war nights is a fourth component that has disrupted the equations: "the voluntary and repeated presence of the people at the heart of the threat." This presence, unlike daily political gatherings, occurs in the dead of night and at hours when the enemy's psychological warfare to convey the "loneliness of the regime" peaks.
🔹 2. Producing "collective power" at minimal cost
Every gathering and nightly march multiplies the enemy's operational costs.
For Western analysts, calculating the "cost-benefit ratio" of aggression against Iran is no longer based solely on air defense and missiles. The new question is: "Can a territory be occupied where every night at least 10 million people take to the streets as a sign of allegiance to the leadership and the Commander-in-Chief?" This is the "people's deterrence" that has no place in conventional asymmetric warfare theories.
🔹 3. Defeat of the "narrative war" in the first hours.
In the first weeks of the war,
The think tanks of the Zionist regime had designed three scenarios:
"Gap between leadership and people"
"Erosion of armed forces' morale due to casualties"
"Wave of economic protests simultaneous with attacks"
But what happened was the complete opposite of these scenarios. The nightly gatherings turned allegiance to the leadership into a "national shout."
🔹 4. From the "Third Imposed War" to the "Enemy's Forced Peace"
The enemy entered the war to "impose its will"; but faced the "Iranian Doctrine." Historical experience has shown that whenever Iran has been able to tie the "people" to the "national security zone," the equations have shifted in its favor.
🔹 The Third Imposed War, with "nightly presence," has displayed a new depth of this doctrine.
This doctrine sends a clear message to the White House and Kiryat: "No longer can you bring the Islamic Republic to its knees with sanctions, military threats, or psychological operations."
🌐 Read the full text here (https://sepahnews.ir/00099w)
❗️Israel’s daily raids threaten to destroy southern Syria’s farming lifeline
Israeli occupation forces intensified attacks on southern Syria on 19 May, shelling farmland near Taranja in northern Quneitra and carrying out repeated incursions into agricultural areas and populated villages in Quneitra and Daraa, The New Arab reported.
Local sources said Israeli operations have become almost daily, spreading panic among residents and farmers who fear a wider Israeli escalation.
The attacks now threaten the agricultural season, the main source of income for many families in the border region.
The latest attacks followed Israeli raids on 18 May in Wadi al-Raqqad near Jomla, where tanks and military vehicles advanced into the area.
Israeli forces also fired shells and machine guns near Tel Ahmar, crossed the Ofania–Khan Arnabah road, and raided several homes in Al-Asha before withdrawing.
❗️US threatens to revoke Palestinian UN delegation visas over ambassador's bid for UN General Assembly vice presidency
NPR reported on 20 May that a sensitive but unclassified US State Department cable instructed US officials in Jerusalem to pressure Palestinian officials into withdrawing Palestinian UN Ambassador Riyad Mansour’s candidacy for one of the 21 vice president positions at the UN General Assembly, warning of possible consequences including visa revocations for the Palestinian delegation to the United Nations.
The cable, dated 19 May and obtained by NPR, said Mansour “has a history of accusing Israel of genocide,” and claimed his candidacy “fuels tension” and undermines President Donald Trump’s so-called Gaza peace plan.
The cable warned that “Congress will take it extremely seriously” and stated that “it would be unfortunate to have to revisit any available options,” referring to a previous 2025 decision by the Trump administration to waive visa sanctions on Palestinian officials assigned to the PLO’s UN Observer Mission in New York.
NPR noted that the threat is considered unprecedented, particularly given the 1947 UN Headquarters Agreement, which generally bars the US from blocking UN officials from entering New York.
Former senior State Department official Hady Amr told NPR the move was “extremely rare” outside cases such as espionage or election interference, calling it “counterproductive” because diplomats are needed “to work out problems between countries.”
The State Department told NPR it takes its obligations under the UN Headquarters Agreement seriously but declined to comment on specific visa matters.
The report also noted that Mansour had already withdrawn a previous bid for president of the UN General Assembly earlier this year after US lobbying efforts.
Elections for vice president positions are scheduled for 2 June, with Palestinian representatives remaining on the Asia-Pacific candidate list alongside countries including Afghanistan, Iraq, and Mongolia.
The cable reportedly warned of a “worst-case scenario” in which a Palestinian vice president could preside over high-profile UN sessions.
NPR highlighted Mansour’s increasingly prominent role at the UN, including emotional speeches condemning the killing of Palestinian civilians in Gaza and repeated calls for a ceasefire.
❗️Netanyahu coalition moves to dissolve Knesset as Haredi draft crisis pushes Israel toward early elections
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition on 20 May passed a preliminary bill to dissolve the Knesset, opening the door to early elections amid a deepening dispute with ultra-Orthodox (haredi) parties over legislation that would determine whether more haredi men can continue to avoid military service, according to The Jerusalem Post.
The bill passed unanimously, 110–0, and must still clear three additional readings before taking effect. If approved, it would move elections forward from the currently scheduled date of 27 October to as early as September or mid-October, since Israeli law requires at least 90 days between the dissolution of parliament and a national vote.
At the center of the crisis is the highly controversial haredi draft bill. Netanyahu has been trying to preserve his coalition by advancing legislation that would largely satisfy ultra-Orthodox parties, whose communities have long received broad exemptions from compulsory military service. The issue has become increasingly explosive as the Israeli army warns of a severe manpower shortage after more than two years of war.
The ultra-Orthodox Degel Hatorah faction says it no longer trusts Netanyahu and continues to support dissolving the Knesset. By introducing the bill itself rather than allowing the opposition to do so, the coalition retains greater control over the timing of elections and over any final legislative push before a possible collapse of the government.
Syria's self-appointed president receives invite to attend G7 summit in France: Report
Damascus is in the midst of an economic crisis that has seen prices of fuel and electricity skyrocket, even as 90 percent of the population lives in poverty
💠 Passage of 31 vessels including oil tankers, container ships, and other commercial ships coordinated by the IRGC Navy through the Strait of Hormuz
🔹 According to the Public Relations of the IRGC Navy, in the past 24 hours, 31 vessels including oil tankers, container ships, and other commercial ships passed through the Strait of Hormuz with coordination and security provided by the IRGC Navy.
🔹 The IRGC Navy announced: Despite the aggression of the terrorist US military and the unprecedented insecurity created throughout the Persian Gulf, especially in the Strait of Hormuz, the IRGC Navy endeavored to establish a clear and safe route for passage and the continuation of global trade.
Iranian Revolutionary Guard Intelligence:
After the unsuccessful attacks of June 13 and March 23, and the collapse of the blockade on April 13, the White House's assumptions regarding the ease and speed of operations against the Islamic Republic of Iran proved to be incorrect.
@SimurghRes
🇮🇷❌️🇺🇸🇧🇭🇦🇪 — Ali Akbar Velayati, Advisor to the Supreme Leader for International Affairs:
－Washington will have no foothold left in the West Asia region.
－The UAE and Bahrain have taken the worst stances regarding the American-Israeli aggression against Iran.
@SimurghRes
❗️US escalates pressure campaign on Lebanon with sanctions targeting Hezbollah MPs, security officials, and Iran envoy
The US Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) imposed sanctions on Thursday against Hezbollah MPs Hassan Fadlallah, Hussein al-Hajj Hassan, and Ibrahim al-Moussawi; former minister Mohammad Fneish; Amal Movement security officials Ahmad Baalbaki and Ali Safawi; Lebanese Army intelligence officer Samer Hamadi; General Security officer Khattar Nassereddine; and Iran’s ambassador-designate to Lebanon Mohammad Reza Sheibani.
Washington accused the sanctioned figures of enabling Hezbollah and obstructing efforts to disarm the Lebanese resistance. The US State Department claimed the individuals were advancing “the Iranian regime’s malicious agenda in Lebanon” and preventing what it described as a path toward “peace, stability, and prosperity.”
The sanctions also targeted Lebanese security and military officials accused by Washington of abusing their positions to benefit Hezbollah, while the US accused Iranian diplomat Sheibani of “violating Lebanon’s sovereignty.”
The State Department reiterated the US-Israeli demands for the full disarmament of Hezbollah and the restoration of the Lebanese government’s “exclusive authority over security matters throughout the country,” amid ongoing US pressure on Beirut.
🇮🇷🇺🇸| Iran’s MFA spokesman to IRNA:
None of the speculations raised in recent days regarding various aspects of the negotiations are confirmed.
At this stage, the focus of the negotiations is on ending the war on all fronts, including Lebanon, and the claims made in the media about nuclear issues, including HEU materials or enrichment discussions, are merely media speculations and lack credibility.
@FotrosResistancee