(May 11, 2026)
Millions of people around the world are demanding that their leaders act to stop Israel’s violations. Humanity must win.
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Deutschland muss Aussetzung des EU-Israel-Abkommens zustimmen
(May 8, 2026)
„Die Aussetzung des EU-Israel Assoziierungsabkommens, gegen dessen Menschenrechtsklausel die israelische Regierung permanent verstößt, ist eine juristische und moralische Verpflichtung. Außenminister Wadephul hat die Wahl, Menschenrechte zum Eckpfeiler europäischer Israel-Politik zu machen – oder mit Doppelstandards weiter die EU zu spalten und internationales Recht auszuhöhlen,“ sagt Julia Duchrow, Generalsekretärin von Amnesty International in Deutschland.
„Deutschland sollte nicht länger dazu beitragen, dass Israels Gräueltaten folgenlos bleiben. Stattdessen sollte sich Außenminister Wadephul der Mehrheit der EU-Staaten anschließen und die überfälligen Schritte mittragen: die Aussetzung des Abkommens, ein Verbot des Handels mit illegalen Siedlungen sowie ein Ende sämtlicher Waffenlieferungen nach Israel“, sagt Philipp Frisch, Direktor von Human Rights Watch Deutschland.
EU faces criticism for secret police data talks with Israel: Report
(August 15, 2026)
The European Commission has been negotiating a secret agreement to share sensitive personal data with Israel’s police service, despite internal legal warnings that the deal could violate international law and put Palestinians at risk, according to a new report by civil rights group Statewatch published by Novara Media, Anadolu reports.
The draft agreement, originally negotiated with the European police agency Europol, would allow the exchange of biometric data, genetic information, location data, political views, and personal details.
Critical research indicates the deal has progressed despite a 2022 ruling by the Council of the EU’s Legal Service which deemed the proposal legally untenable.
EU Moves to Share Data With Israel That ‘Could Be Used to Kill Palestinians’
(August 4, 2026)
Under the plans, the bloc’s law enforcement agency, Europol, would exchange sensitive personal information about Palestinians with Israel’s police force, which is headquartered in the illegally occupied West Bank.
There is also concern the deal could harm members of the Palestinian diaspora, with a risk that activists in Europe could be targeted.
The data would include names, identification numbers, locations, genetic and biometric information and details about people’s political views, beliefs and personal lives.
Deutschland muss Aussetzung des EU-Israel-Abkommens zustimmen
(May 8, 2026)
„Die Aussetzung des EU-Israel Assoziierungsabkommens, gegen dessen Menschenrechtsklausel die israelische Regierung permanent verstößt, ist eine juristische und moralische Verpflichtung. Außenminister Wadephul hat die Wahl, Menschenrechte zum Eckpfeiler europäischer Israel-Politik zu machen – oder mit Doppelstandards weiter die EU zu spalten und internationales Recht auszuhöhlen,“ sagt Julia Duchrow, Generalsekretärin von Amnesty International in Deutschland.
„Deutschland sollte nicht länger dazu beitragen, dass Israels Gräueltaten folgenlos bleiben. Stattdessen sollte sich Außenminister Wadephul der Mehrheit der EU-Staaten anschließen und die überfälligen Schritte mittragen: die Aussetzung des Abkommens, ein Verbot des Handels mit illegalen Siedlungen sowie ein Ende sämtlicher Waffenlieferungen nach Israel“, sagt Philipp Frisch, Direktor von Human Rights Watch Deutschland.
Reopening Strait of Hormuz is a humanitarian imperative
It is worth recalling that the conflict did not begin over disputes about the Strait of Hormuz. As recently as February 28, commercial ships transited the waterway without restriction.
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With the US maintaining the naval blockade during the ceasefire period, Iran responded by stopping and, in several cases, attacking vessels attempting to cross the Strait without its approval. Insurance rates spiked, shipping lines rerouted around the Cape of Good Hope, and transit times increased by up to three weeks.
Wars of this nature benefit no party in the long term, and they rarely reach a logical conclusion. Their primary victims are innocent civilians who have no role in the conflict. Many civilians in Iran and Lebanon have lost their lives directly to strikes.
Inside the growing rift between Iran’s dealmakers and ultraconservatives
It was in this climate that a leaked video of Mohammad-Bagher Kharrazi, the brother-in-law of Masoud Khamenei, the younger brother of Iran’s supreme leader, emerged as part of what critics describe as a broader hard-line campaign.
In the video, Kharrazi claimed that Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei had “formally and publicly announced” that if Pezeshkian attempts to resign one more time, his resignation would be accepted.
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Soon afterward, however, another audio file surfaced in which Ali Saeedi, a conservative senior figure close to the Khamenei‘s office, claimed that the supreme leader had expressed support for the negotiations and criticised hard-line opposition to diplomacy.
According to Saeedi, Khamenei told one of his brothers: “I have never opposed negotiations, and I still do not. I was the one who authorised the negotiations, and I am not satisfied with the hard-line positions adopted by some people.”
Saeedi also claimed that Khamenei supports Ghalibaf, saying: “He is like [the late Quds Force commander] Haj Qassem Soleimani.”
Iran’s military reshuffle signals more offensive strategy
Khoshcheshm noted the appointments could also herald a major restructuring of Iran’s security and military apparatus, with a greater focus on pre-emptive strikes and more powerful responses to any US attack.
While he does not believe Iran would attack the US “offhand with no reason”, he says the new leadership is preparing Iran to develop its capabilities for pre-emptive strikes and stronger attacks on US military forces and positions in the region.
He described the appointments as creating a “more offensive-minded leadership for Iran’s security establishment across the board”.
Iran‘s Security Reshuffle Exposes Rift Dating Back To Cease-Fire Deal
Rezaei is a commander who holds some of the most closely guarded secrets of the 1980s Iran-Iraq war and the IRGC‘s founding years, and for just as long, he‘s been a favorite target of Iranian political satire. Now, at 71, he‘s back at the center of the Islamic republic‘s security decision-making.
Rezaei traded his uniform for politics in 1997 and ran for president four times, dropping out before the vote in 2005, then losing in 2009, 2013, and 2021, never pulling in more than about 3.9 million votes.
Exclusive: EU Commission still seeking controversial police agreement with Israel, despite warnings
(July 30, 2026)
Documents obtained by Statewatch through transparency requests show that Europol nevertheless hosted Israeli delegations—including representatives of the Israeli National Police—on at least four occasions between August 2024 and March 2026. The meetings, involving several departments within the agency, were facilitated by Israel’s liaison officer at Europol and culminated in a visit by Israel’s ambassador to the Netherlands to the agency’s headquarters in March 2026.
Red lines not red carpets: Why Italy & Germany must support suspending EU-Israel Agreement
(May 11, 2026)
Millions of people around the world are demanding that their leaders act to stop Israel’s violations. Humanity must win.
Bundeskanzler Merz: EU-Israel-Abkommen endlich aussetzen!
Deine Stimme ist wichtig!
Mach Druck auf Bundeskanzler Merz und Außenminister Wadephul. Denn Deutschlands Stimme entscheidet. Ändert die Bundesregierung ihre Haltung, reicht es für einen Mehrheitsbeschluss in Brüssel. Dafür können wir jetzt gemeinsam sorgen.
Exclusive: Houthis claim Saudi attacks, offer PMF cooperation
A senior official in Yemen‘s Houthi movement said on Wednesday that the group, and not Iraq‘s Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), carried out earlier attacks on Saudi Arabia, accusing Riyadh of blaming Iraqi factions for operations they did not conduct.
Abdullah Al-Numi, a member of the political bureau of the Houthi movement (Ansarallah) told Shafaq News that the PMF had repeatedly denied attacking Saudi Arabia, while his movement had openly claimed responsibility for earlier operations against Saudi ports and facilities, including sites in Yanbu and Jizan.
Saudi-US strikes leave 16 PMF casualties in Iraq’s Nineveh
2026-07-29 12:22
Ten Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) members were killed and six wounded in airstrikes on two facilities in Bartella, east of Mosul, part of the PMF’s preliminary nationwide toll of 20 dead and 32 injured.
The command stated that the strikes targeted the Fourth Regiment headquarters of the PMF’s 30th Brigade and its Anti-Armor Directorate.
Zelenskyy has attacked an Iranian commercial vessel, killing a sailor. A blatant UN Charter violation done at Israel‘s behest to drag Europe into its war. In calls with EU High Rep Kallas and FM Lavrov, made clear that what the freeloader in Kyiv did CANNOT GO UNANSWERED.
(July 26, 2026)
Turkmenistan condemns attack on vessel in Caspian Sea
„Turkmenistan, as a Caspian state and a country with the status of permanent neutrality recognized by the United Nations, emphasizes that the Caspian is a sea of peace, friendship and good-neighborliness,“ the ministry said.
The ministry stressed that any actions threatening stability and security in the Caspian Sea are unacceptable, reiterating Turkmenistan‘s longstanding position that the region should remain an area of peaceful cooperation.
Ukraine strikes Iranian vessels in Caspian Sea, Tehran accuses Kyiv of ‘hostile and criminal act’
(July 26, 2026)
Iran said the attack left one sailor dead and injured several others. The country’s foreign ministry complained to Ukraine’s chargé d’affaires in Tehran early on Sunday and “conveyed Iran’s strong protest over the ‘hostile and criminal act.’” Iran’s Islamic Republic News Agency reported.
In a post on X highlighting Ukraine’s attacks on distant Russian targets, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Saturday that his country’s forces “also achieved very strong results with long‑range strikes in the Caspian Sea – including vessels used in military cargo shipments involving Iran, as well as a warship.”
How Many Days a Year Congress Works
(Updated on October 1, 2024)
– Congress works less than half the year, with the House averaging 147 legislative days annually.
– Senate members have slightly more legislative days, averaging 165 days each year since 2001.
Explainer: Congress backed an Iran war powers resolution. Now what?
(June 9, 2026)
However, legal experts said the issue is not settled law. No concurrent resolution under the 1973 war powers law had passed since the law was enacted.
„The executive branch will likely ignore it on constitutional grounds, and it’s not clear who might have standing to sue to enforce it,“ said Scott Anderson, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution and senior editor of the online legal publication Lawfare, although he added that he expected someone would.
UKMTO issues warning after report of fire on board container ship
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) says it has received a report of an incident some nine nautical miles (about 17km) east of the Omani coast.
“Military authorities have reported that a container ship has sustained damage to the rear of the vessel, which has caused a fire on board,” it said.
“Vessels are advised to transit with caution,” it added.
The alert came moments after CENTCOM announced the start of a third round of strikes on Iran, citing an Iranian attack on a Cyprus-flagged ship in the strait.
NEW: Congress just passed resolutions to block Trump from continuing the Iran War. The resolutions carry the force of law under the text of the 1973 War Powers Act. Now, @RoKhanna tells me he is working to organize lawmakers to bring an historic court case to enforce the law.
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Lebanon army chief, US CENTCOM commander meet
General Rodolph Haykal received Admiral Brad Cooper and a military delegation at his office in Yarze town south of Beirut, Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency reports.
The two discussed the latest developments in war-torn Lebanon and the wider Middle East, as well as ways to strengthen future cooperation between the two armies.
Haykal expressed gratitude for US support saying “the necessity of continued cooperation between the two armies in a way that preserves Lebanon’s security and stability”.
Caving to Trump ‘Temper Tantrum,’ Two Republicans Flip to Block Iran War Powers Resolution
Two Senate Republicans who supported a previous resolution calling for an end to the US war on Iran changed their votes late Wednesday after President Donald Trump publicly and privately berated GOP lawmakers, calling them “losers” who provided “aid and comfort to the enemy.”
In Wednesday’s procedural vote, Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.)—who reportedly got into a shouting match with Trump over the Iran war during a closed-door lunch hours earlier—sided with virtually every other Republican in opposing the war powers resolution, just a day after he supported a separate, symbolic resolution calling for the removal of US forces from the conflict. Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) also switched, changing his vote to “present” at the urging of the president.
Senate rejects measure to restrict Trump‘s Iran war powers as key Republicans shift votes
Updated on: June 24, 2026 / 11:37 PM EDT / CBS News
Later in the day, however, signs emerged that some of the Senate Republicans who had previously voted to constrain Mr. Trump‘s war powers were reconsidering.
Cassidy was briefed on Iran at the White House by Vice President JD Vance and special envoy Steve Witkoff, the senator confirmed on X, writing that the conversation „address[ed] many of my concerns.“ Cassidy voted against advancing the resolution Wednesday night.
And Paul voted present on Wednesday, despite voting in favor of the last several Iran war powers resolutions. He said on X his goal was to „give the President more space and leverage to negotiate a lasting peace.“
Trump has testy meeting with GOP senators, telling Cassidy at one point to sit down
Updated on: June 25, 2026 / 12:07 AM EDT / CBS News
President Trump‘s meeting with Republican senators on Wednesday turned testy, and at one point, he sternly told Louisiana Sen. Bill Cassidy to sit down, after questions arose about the War Powers Resolution, according to sources directly familiar with the meeting.