Middle East Eye

1 day ago | middleeasteye.net | Syma Mohammed

The US State Department has been advised to cut nearly $1.3bn in grants for global pro-democracy initiatives, according to a report in The Guardian on Thursday. The move would cut approximately 80 percent of programmes that sit under the Bureau for Democracy, Human Rights, and Labour (DRL), except for two programmes that operate in China and Yemen. The State Department oversees the DRL.

2 days ago | middleeasteye.net | Syma Mohammed |Maysa Mustafa

When news broke on Tuesday that former New York governor Andrew Cuomo, who was thought to be a favourite in the New York City mayoral primary, had conceded the race, the announcement was met with disbelief. The idea that an underdog pro-Palestinian Democratic Socialist state lawmaker had secured the Democratic nomination seemed too good to be true for Zohran Mamdani's supporters, after being smeared as an antisemite and "communist" by some of the most powerful politicians in the US.

3 days ago | middleeasteye.net | Saeid Jafari

As Israeli bombs fell and Iran's air defence systems lit up the skies over Tehran, music drifted through parts of the city. In the middle of an empty street in Tehran, a young man stood playing the violin. As fear of Israeli air strikes drove people indoors at nightfall, his music carried through the quiet neighbourhoods, offering residents a moment of solace and peace.

3 days ago | middleeasteye.net | Elis Gjevori

US President Donald Trump has said that Israel will not launch further attacks on Iran, declaring in a Truth Social post that “all planes will turn around and head home, while doing a friendly ‘Plane Wave’ to Iran”. “ISRAEL is not going to attack Iran,” Trump wrote, insisting the ceasefire remains in effect. “Nobody will be hurt… Thank you for your attention to this matter!” he added. In a separate post, Trump stated: “IRAN WILL NEVER REBUILD THEIR NUCLEAR FACILITIES!”

3 days ago | middleeasteye.net | Elis Gjevori

US President Donald Trump issued a stark warning to Israel, urging it not to launch further attacks on Iran. Trump posted on Truth Social, “ISRAEL. DO NOT DROP THOSE BOMBS. IF YOU DO IT IS A MAJOR VIOLATION. BRING YOUR PILOTS HOME, NOW!”Earlier we reported that Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz says he has instructed the military to launch “intense strikes” on Iranian targets in central Tehran in response to what he called Iran’s breach of the ceasefire.