Eight months after the U.S. and Israel launched military operations against Iran in the early hours of February 28, the region remains caught between diplomatic efforts and the possibility of renewed hostilities.

The central disagreement appears to concern timing. While Netanyahu is reportedly pushing for stronger action against Iran, Trump has reasons to consider whether diplomatic negotiations should be given additional time. Of critical concern among analysts is that the political calculations surrounding the American midterm elections could influence the timing of any decision.

On the ground, the divide is emotional, not ideological. In a poll by N12 at a Mahane Yehuda market, a voter said: “I voted Bibi all my life. But my son has done 300 days in Gaza. I need a leader who knows when to stop.” Another in Likud headquarters said: “Eisenkot is a great general, but he will be eaten alive by Iran. Only Netanyahu can stare down America and Iran at the same time.”

Reports out of France say that thousands of people have been arrested, a large percentage of them children. A 15-year-old lost his hand to a police grenade, just as a 16-year-old was shot in the eye with a rubber bullet and 14-year-old had his jaw shattered.

Three weeks to the midterms, and a quiet panic is growing inside the Republican war room. The problem is not Democrats. It is empty pews on Election Day. Conservative leaders are sounding the alarm that White evangelicals — the most loyal bloc in President Donald Trump’s coalition — are not being mobilised, and if they […]

Passengers interviewed by Israeli media described minutes of terror as the aircraft dove. “The spinning stopped. It took some — I don’t know, it felt like an eternity, but I think it was two minutes, at least two or three minutes, during which the plane was simply diving and spinning like crazy. It felt like, that’s it. It’s over. September 11 is happening again,” a passenger named Daniel told Channel 12.

Nearly 8.3 million refugees and other forcibly displaced people face losing vital assistance from UNHCR, the UN’s refugee agency warned Tuesday, as protection services crumble due to “severe” funding cuts.

The judge said that the government’s arguments “offer little to back up their asserted national security interest.” After the ban went into effect, Trump and his lawyers said the outlets had their access revoked because their past reporting raised national security concerns.

At a signing ceremony at the UN General Assembly in New York, US President Donald Trump said “we will immediately begin the process of developing a large military presence in the appropriate locations”.

UN Scribe, António Guterres said recent years have proven that military power alone cannot secure peace, citing conflicts in Gaza, Ukraine, Sudan, Iran, Congo and Myanmar as evidence that even the most powerful states have failed to achieve their objectives by force.